The
 FAQs |
|
Frequently
(and not-so-frequently) |
| Q: What's the difference between the FitStik Senior and the FitStik Comp? |
| Q:
Do
I need to remove the crank bolts or crank to attach the FitStik?
Q: Can I attach the FitStik to bikes with sloping or no top tubes? Q: The ruler scales on my FitStik seem to be off. What's wrong? Q: What is the FitStik made of? What kind of wood? Q: The FitStik twists - how can I keep it vertical? Q: How do I know when the main stick is not titling inward or outward? Q: How level does the bike need to be for setup measurement? Q: What is a "single-main-stick" versus a "double-main-stick"? |
| Q: What's the difference between the FitStik Senior and the FitStik Comp? |
| A:
The FitStik Comp and the FitStik Senior are 100% functionally
identical. That means they perform exactly the same functions,
exactly the same way. However, the main vertical sticks of the
Senior are made out of beautiful furniture-grade hardwoods; they are
intended for those who appreciate the beauty of a fine hand-crafted
instrument. The main sticks of the Comp are made of tough
fiberglass composites. They are generally more durable and less
expensive than those in the Senior. BACK TO TOP |
| Q: Do I need to remove the crank bolts or crank to attach the FitStik? |
| A: No. The stud end of the FitStik's Crank Adapter slips into the 8mm Allen wrench hole in the crank bolt. Don't remove anything. For 14/15 mm bolts found on older style cranks, the adaptor reverses so the "tube" end slips over the crank bolt head - (you may need to remove a dustcap to get at the bolt). A crank adapter with a 6mm stud portion to fit older campy-style crank bolts that used a 6mm Allen wrench is available as an option. BACK TO TOP |
| Q: Can I attach the FitStik to bikes with sloping or oddly shaped/located top tubes? |
| A: Yes. The FitStik's Stabilizer Bar and the black plastic Stabilizer Bracket tilt, pivot, swivel and adjust for height, allowing it to be attached to virtually any top tube. The Stabilizer Strap is made of stretch Velcro so it adapts to odd shapes with ease. BACK TO TOP |
| Q: The ruler scales on my FitStik seem to be off (when measured with a ruler of my own). What's wrong? |
| A:
Each FitStik is individually calibrated at the factory during final
assembly and accuracy is typically within a mm or so. But if you lay a
ruler against the FitStik's scales, they don't line up. Here's
why.
The FitStik measures the distance between specific points. For example, the Inseam Scale measures from the base of the stick to the top of the crossbar (which is what will contact the person's body), but the red line on the clear plastic pointer that sits over the scale is aligned with the center of the crossbar - it measures from base to top, but reads at the center. The difference is 1/2" - 12.7 mm. So, the Inseam Scale is offset by 12/7mm so that it reads correctly. All of the scales on the FitStik have various offsets applied to them so that the read correctly. The diagrams on the "What it measures" page shows this more clearly. BACK TO TOP |
| Q: What is the FitStik made of? What kind of wood? |
| A:
The first production
FitStiks used poplar in the ruler pieces (the light-colored wood shown
in many of the photos on this website). It was inexpensive and
plentiful, but hard to finish, subject to dings, and often warped badly
when machined, making the pieces useless.
During the summer of 2000 we evaluated a dozen or more wood varieties and settled on padauk (pronounced pa-Dook) for the ruler pieces. Padauk is from East Africa, where it is as plentiful as Oak in the USA. It is hard, stable (resists warping), stiff, and often drop-dead gorgeous (the color ranges from dark red to brilliant orange). However, it's two to three times the price of poplar, and the more than half the manufacturing time was spent finishing the wood. While the result was beautiful, it limited production and kept the prices high. The new FitStik comp is made of various plastics and composite laminates, specifically made for us. By careful research, we were able to match the characteristics of the material to the needs of the specific piece. Lightness, stiffness, overall strength, machining characteristics, were carefully designed-in. BACK TO TOP |
| Q: The FitStik twists on the bike when I use it, so it's hard to keep it vertical to make measurements. What can I do? |
| A:
The
stretchable Velcro strap attached to the black plastic Stabilizer Bracket must be
crisscrossed to both sides of the bar, or the FitStik will twist as you describe.
See the pictures on the "HOW TO MEASURE" page. Looking from the FitStik's front, first wrap the strap one full loop around the top tube on the right side of the Stabilizer Bar, then cross under the top tube and cross over to the left side of the Stabilizer Bar. Finally, stretch the strap back over the top-tube and affix it to the Velcro hooks on the left, top, side of the black plastic Stabilizer Bracket. BACK TO TOP |
| Q: I understand the need for the vertical level on the main stick, but how do I know when the main stick is not titling inward or outward from the frame? Should there be a level on the crossbar too? Does it matter? |
| A: Well, over
the length of the FitStik (36" or so), a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of tilt in or
out from the longitudinal plane would add or subtract just a couple of mm to
height (got a trig table handy?) Not so much that I worry (contrasted with
vertical in the horizontal plane, where errors of more than a mm or so directly
translate to errors in reach and setback above my tolerance limits). But here's the problem: to make the FitStik vertical in the longitudinal plane would require that the bike frame itself be vertical, at least during attachment. Ugh. Cascading fountains of much pain for little gain. In fact all that's needed is that the FitStik be parallel to the frame. I check alignment along the length of the bike standing back and eyeballing it. However, one could measure it with a simple gauge (even a pen would do). Hold the pen (or stick, or maybe your finger) along the back of the main stick and gauge the distance to the center of one of the frame tubes (or tube edge if the frame tubes are the same size) down near the bottom bracket, then move the gauge up and check the distance from the main stick to the center of the top tube. That will get you sufficiently close to parallel. BACK TO TOP |
| Q: How level does the bike need to be? Can I measure my riding position with the bike on a hill? |
| A:
The
FitStik includes a level so that it can be made vertical. But in
reference to what? The axles? Then what about time-trial bikes with
small wheels (and hence low axles) up front? The top tube? Sloping top
tubes are a dime a dozen these days. No, the only practical answer is where
the tires touch the road (or floor, or whatever).
The next logical question is: how level is level enough? The typical house or shop floor should do fine. Builders go out of their way to make floors level. But in older construction and garages, it is worth checking the level of your floor. Old construction settles, and many garage floors are deliberately built with a pitch so that spills or rain run out the door. So: check if you're not sure. How? Put a level on the floor where you want to
set the bike. If the spot isn't level, put ONE end of the level where
you'll place one wheel of the bike, then add a shim (a piece of wood, a magazine, stack of paper,
etc) under the other end of the level (where the other wheel will
touch). Adjust the
height of the shim until the bubble in the level is centered. Mark the
two spots, and position the bike there before attaching the FitStik.
That will maximize accuracy of your measurements. |
|
Q: What is a "single-main-stick" versus a "double-main-stick"? |
| A:
The "Main stick" is the long vertical portion of the FitStik.
The main sticks on the first FitStiks were comprised of one long stick
(42") which reached the full length of the FitStik, and a second
35" stick sandwiched on top of the first. Thus the main stick was
made up of two sticks.
In September, 2000 we redesigned the FitStik so that the main stick was comprised of two shorter sticks connected end to end into a single vertical stick by a clamping mechanism. The redesign lowered our production costs by using less material and finishing time (helping offset the change to more expensive but better wood), but more importantly, allowed the FitStik to be broken down into shorter pieces which are more easily carried onboard an airplane, packed in luggage, or boxed for economical overseas shipping. |
