MyVeloFit review - is AI tech good enough for bike fitting?

Using an AI app to get set up on your bike might be a lot cheaper than consulting a living, breathing bike-fitter, but is it as effective?

Male reviewer using the MyVeloFit AI app
(Image credit: Future)

After decades of promise but little credible achievement, artificial intelligence has got very clever very quickly, catching the world off-guard. No longer the preserve of sci-fi movies, AI is here to stay, if not here to take over. Powerful, liberating, accurate and, well, intelligent, it impresses and intimidates in equal measure. In the world of cycling, it promises to calculate our optimum set-up at the click of a button. 

In fact, AI bike-fitting has been available since 2021 in the shape of MyVeloFit.com, an online service that promises a virtual fit for less than the cost of a pack of premium bar tape. It’s so inexpensive that I thought it must be worth a gamble. Not too daring a gamble, admittedly, as I also booked a fit at my local bike shop for a human comparison. Cost-wise, they are poles apart: MyVeloFit is one-sixth of the cost of my chosen human bike-fitter. But which offers better value? 

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Bike part, angle or measurementAI recommendationBike-fitter recommendationRider verdict
Saddle heightLower by 15mmLower by 15mmLowered saddle felt unusual at first but the lowered centre of gravity meant better handling, especially cornering. It also reduced my hips rocking, curing slight issues with saddle soreness on long rides.
Saddle fore/aftIncrease set-back by 10mmIncrease set-back by 10mmSaddle moved back to compensate for the reduced height. This stopped reach from being compromised, keeping it consistent.
Headset spacersNoneReduce by 10mmTrialling reducing spacers from 30mm to 20mm for more aero position, while retaining comfort. A positive consequence of reducing saddle height.
Knee extension at bottom of pedal strokeToo openToo openReduction in saddle height closed knee slightly, potentially enabling better power delivery and lessening risk of knee pain.
Back angleToo closedToo closedBack angle opened a few degrees for comfort while riding on the hoods. Benefits include less likelihood of back and neck pain. Another positive consequence of lowering saddle height.
Brake hoodsNoneRepositioned in line with top of barsDrastically improved hand/wrist comfort by redistributing weight. Also sharpened up bike handling and stopped me feeling like I was slipping forwards.

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Simon Fellows

Cycling Weekly's Tech Editor Simon spent his childhood living just a stone’s throw from the foot of Box Hill, so it’s no surprise he acquired a passion for cycling from an early age. He’s still drawn to hilly places, having cycled, climbed or skied his way across the Alps, Pyrenees, Andes, Atlas Mountains and the Watkins range in the Arctic.

Simon has 35 years of experience within the journalism and publishing industries, during which time he’s written on topics ranging from fashion to music and of course, cycling.

Based in the Cotswold hills, Simon is regularly out cycling the local roads and trails, riding a range of bikes from his home-built De Rosa SK Pininfarina to a Specialized Turbo Creo SL EVO. He’s also an advanced (RYT 500) yoga teacher, which further fuels his fascination for the relationship between performance and recovery. He still believes he could have been a contender if only chocolate wasn’t so moreish.