Loyal Bike Fitting and Coaching

I biked from SF to LA 8 times without ever getting a bike fitting, but my age caught up to me and my physical therapist said I needed a professional fitting if I wanted my knees to survive. I went to Nate and he was amazing. I went out on the road the next day and got my fastest time ever on my favorite lunchtime route — an improvement that I’ve sustained. I wasn’t doing the fit to increase my speed, but that’s a measure of how much he improved my efficiency immediately, with just a few careful adjustments.
He also gave me great coaching on things like cadence and handling turns. I’ve always been nervous, slow, and over-​cautious on downhills, but by implementing his advice on turning, I’ve gotten faster, better-​controlled, and MUCH more comfortable going downhill.
Nate’s always a really easy-​going guy and was a pleasure to spend time with during the fit. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

My wife got me a fitting as a birthday gift and since it had been four years since my last fitting I thought it was a good idea. Nate was very quick yet precise. I had sent him my Strava records in the event the types of rides I do regularly would affect my fitting. Nate did look but said it was more about fitting my bike to my body and that should make all the difference. It’s been a few weeks now and I feel more comfortable on my long strenuous rides. As for performance, I’d ask my friends but they just can’t seem to keep up. Lol. Thanks Nate and I highly recommend him for a fitting whether new to the sport or it’s been a while since your last.

I used to always experience pain in my feet after about 60 miles of riding. It was a burning sensation on the bottom of my foot. I went to Nate Loyal to get custom molded shoe inserts hoping that would help aleviate my pain. This last weekend was the big test, I did the San Luis Obispo Bike Clubs Lighthouse Century 101 miles, with over 6000 feet of climbing and my feet didn’t hurt. Those inserts were fantastic and I would recommend them to anyone using cliped pedals that experince foot pain. Also Nate is a really nice guy and seems extremely interested in making the experience enjoyable.

Went to Nate this past week in anticipation of riding my bike from SF to LA for the AIDS LifeCycle. And holy lord, was it worth every penny.
This weekend I tackled two long rides and each one seemed to be a breeze. No more cramping in between the shoulder blades. No more hands going numb. And my lower back was not achy afterwards either.
Not to mention, he’s a super nice, low key guy. Definitely not some crazed, intimidating guru who’s out to make you feel like an ass (I have only been riding since January).
The whole process takes about an hour and a half. And he is completely open to you picking his brain about any cycling techniques, tips, questions, what have you.
When I first leaned bike fitting was a «thing,» I thought it was a sham (shouldn’t they do that when you buy a bike). But it was worth every penny. No more aches and pains, and I feel like it improved my biking by a significant amount.
He has a bajillion five star reviews for a reason…

Best thing I’ve done in a long time. Like so many cyclists I wondered if it was worth it. It is. You deserve a great fitting. I’ve ridden bikes, mostly mountain, for almost 30 years.
I started riding a road bike recently and noticed some knee pain. Well… I am 50. So I debated having a bike fit. I chased around on-​line for a good bike fitter. Nate’s reviews looked promising. I made an appointment, loaded the bike and drove on up. The Real Deal best describes Nate. What I liked most was his passion for the sport. It comes through, he loves cycling. My bike, a fairly recent purchase needed a lot of adjustments, Nate explained them all, and why he did them, in great detail. So, I get my fit done, and go out for a 40 mile easy ride. I’m thinking that the seat is way too high. About ten miles in I stop thinking about the seat, I realize I’m faster, and pedaling stronger… hmm… and my knee doesn’t hurt. Hmm… money well spent. I really like what Nate did with the bike, the more I ride, the more I appreciate how much a good bike fit can help. If you’re wondering if you should have a bike fit done, the answer is yes. Go see Nate, you’ll be glad you did.
By the way, I thought Nate did such a great job, I signed up for Unilocal just to review his work.

I had a great experience with Nate. I am an amateur triathlete and he adjusted my bike very well, greatly improving my center of balance and position on the bike. I saw him for the first time in my life, and he was careful, methodical, professional and friendly. He even answered my follow-​up email questions. And he gave me lots of general advice about biking. Nate is extremely knowledgeable about cycling. This is a very honest guy working hard to earn his money. I would recommend Nate to my friends without reservation.

I like Nate. He is a good guy and fun to talk with. You don’t mind paying him for his services because you will see that he works hard for his money. His fees are reasonable for the service he provides. I hate paying my doctor for spending 10 minutes with me. Nate spends a lot more time with you than most medical professionals ever have. And his services can help you from needing medical care from a poorly set up bike.
Nate fits you on your bike the old fashioned way, based on his 20+ years of fitting experience, knowledge of body types, manufacture frame geometry, your flexibility, your goals, and your riding experience and his custom measurements. He can even take apart and rebuild a bike if he wants to make it fit right. Biking is his life, and when not fitting folks, he is coaching riders or riding himself. He is 110% cyclist.
He doesn’t use any fancy fitting computers other fitters learn in a crash weekend fitting course and they hang out a shingle. Companies that make those computers sell training and certifications generating a sea of fitting charlatans. Take away their computer and they would crash in a second.
I shopped around before calling Nate more than a year ago for my first fitting and recently had a supplement fitting after changing my saddle and shoes and cleats.
When you are considering bike fitters, ask yourself this key question: If you were offered a plane flight by 2 pilots, one who has more than 20 years of successful flying experience in all kind of planes and in all kinds of situations, OR a pilot who was trained on a flight simulator and has limited real world experience. Who are you going to fly with?

Had a great fitting with Nate! All the great reviews are right on the mark — he’s a great guy that understands his stuff and is the real deal. I think what I can add to some of these reviews is that he makes sense. Being new to the road bike scene he was able to really communicate what was needed and how things work in a way that I understood and had some great takeaways. Now that I am dialed into my bike it’s a crazy better experience! If you are concerned about repetitive stress injuries GO SEE NATE. (He gives a discount if you’re doing the Aids Life Cycle).

A proper bike fitting is priceless…
I have been riding road bikes now for about a year. I regularly do 30 – 40 miles 2 – 3 times a week around Palos Verdes. The day after each ride I always had lateral knee pain on my right side. When I first got the bike I was set up by a non-​professional based on what he «thought looked right.»
I made an appointment and finally went to visit Nate this past Fri. over at Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica. The fit took about 1.5 hrs and he changed everything.
Seat was raised substantially as were my bars. More importantly, he adjusted my cleat position and gave me 6 degree’s of float for both my feet.
All of his conclusions came after many measurements, fancy angle locator thingies, and observations.
That day I did a 30 mile ride with lots of climbing as well as a 50 mile ride the following day. I had a smile on my face the whole time as I didn’t experience any knee pain.
No amount of forum readings and peer discussions about your fit will provide the results of visiting a professional.
Nate Loyal knows his stuff and is VERY friendly. Right off the bat he makes you feel comfortable and welcome.
Thanks Nate! You will be my first stop when I get a new ride (hopefully soon as I want me some Di2)

Just had my new road bike fitted. It’s my second road bike and fourth visit (including two cleats adjustment). As always, Nate was super and offered tons of useful information.
I’ve been through serious knee problems. Without Nate’s help and advice, I wouldn’t be able to ride ~3K miles this yr. Highly recommended. It will be the best money you spend on cycling.

Yes you can get loads of advice on bike setup and injury prevention from bike mags and the internet but there is no substitute for a personal fitting service to get YOUR bike set up for YOU and address YOUR issues.
Nate explained my knee and lower back pain, adjusted the bike and cleats, offered advice on body position and shape and was generally a pleasure to chat with throughout the whole hour long session.
First ride today since the fitting and the bike felt great — no pain and a smoother, faster, longer ride than usual.
Thanks Nate, I will be back!

I have had several bike fits in Santa Monica, from the most expensive to not so expensive — but I know it’s the most important tool. I have also been having unknown right hip pain, which I now believe Nate has resolved with my recent MTB fit.
Nate is the Best! I won’t post here the other places I have spent more than twice what Nate charges, and his attention to detail is, bar none, the best. For instance, he does not take phone calls and attend to others while working with you. Nate understands his client’s time is valuable too. He is kind, patient and has knowledge that is above my head, at times. But, he also shared some simple tools of form and spinning, moving hand position around on long climbs, etc, that has helped me in a few endurance rides. Bottom line: He cares and he takes pride in what he does. This made me feel appreciated as his client and respected. And, of course, my ride is much better.
Don’t waste you money on pricey (supposed high tech shops) I have paid over 400.00 twice on bike fits, and Nate will be refitting those bikes for me.
Okay, I am done, but trust me — I have tried many bike fitters!
Please forgive any typos — my email was just hacked! Thank you, Nate!!! see you in Leadville!

I was very unhappy with Nate’s fitting. I was very clear with Nate before scheduling I wanted to be fit for both normal road bike positioning as well as Triathlon positioning. He basically eyeballed almost everything and used a plumb-​bob as a vertical reference point (which as an engineer, I know is fine, but as I was looking at him work, he did not even wait for the plumb to stop moving… so this was basically all for show.).
When it came time to do the Triathlon positioning he told me the handlebars should be the same height & reach and the seat should not be repositioned. When I questioned this citing how everyone from local/​amateur competitors who do well to pros sit at a far more aggressive seat angle, etc, he lied and told me it just «appears» that way and how the seat angles are actually the same.
Sensing Nate was full of it, I went elsewhere for another fit and what a difference. They positioned lasers on the ground, marked your shoes front and rear, as well as knees as reference points for the lasers. One of my cleats were shimmed in the incorrect direction causing more of an angle than if there was no shims at all. (thanks for that too Nate, that could have caused a knee injury) I also asked for a Triathlon fit from the new place. Night and day difference there as well, handlebar reach/​height was completely different; not only was the seat moved forward, but it was moved forward enough to require a seat height adjustment between the two riding positions. The seat and seatpost was marked for easy switch between riding positions. They also had an adjustable stem specifically made for fitting where reach and angle can be adjusted, make small adjustments, get feedback from you and see what works best for you vs Nate who eyeballed it and swapped it for another used one he had in stock; no trial and error of what works best for you. All angles were checked and rechecked with lasers and a large protractor vs eyeballing by Nate Loyal. Even after tweaking the aerobars after a few minutes on the trainer, pedaling angle was rechecked. I should also add I «only» paid 10−20% more for a professional job vs going to Nate.
Nate: If you’re reading this, I can only imagine you were either in a rush that day or do a substandard job on guys who are not serious competitors such as myself. Either way you were all too glad to take my money, waste my time and risk injury.

As a burgeoning triathlete, I will be forever «Loyal» to Nate when I need a fitting!
It’s stressful enough learning to ride a road bike when you transition from running to triathlons. Having a great fitting bike takes some of the pressure off (literally, in some, er, areas), and it’s important to find a knowledgeable fitter who understands the nuanced differences in the bio-​mechanics of a newbie, versus those of a pro, and everything in-​between.
Nate has a comprehensive background of being a cyclist and triathlete himself, a coach, a bike mechanic and physical therapist. Before I had a fitting, he came to my Team in Training practice to speak about bike fit, and spoke with such passion and expertise on the subject that, instantly, I knew that I would be in great hands.
Not only is Nate a knowledgeable pro, but he is kind, caring and gives tips on form and technique while you’re on the trainer. As a newbie cyclist, I hadn’t yet started with clipless pedals, but Nate told me to bring mine in, adjusted them, and even gave me a little clip-​in lesson.
When all is said and done, it’s like having a brand new bike! After being fitted, I am so much more confident on the bike and I look forward to long rides instead of dreading the pain. He even keeps all of your info on file so that, when you need to come in for an adjustment, or you get a new bike, he will spend less time (and will charge less than the initial appointment). I consider Nate’s services to be the best investment a cyclist can make in their sport. You won’t regret it!

Nate Loyal is a god among men.
(That’s what I entitled my first Strava ride on my newly-​fitted TT bike, where I got a solid 22 achievements and 4 QOMs. If you’re not a total online data dork and don’t know what that means… it just means I was super fast as a result of the bike fit.)
I cannot stress enough what a gigantic game changer a proper bike fitting is. I upgraded my ride this fall and knew I needed to get it fit to me, but didn’t realize just how much better I’d feel with the adjustments. I’d done a really long hard ride on the bike which had demoralized me, since I was super unstable descending. I also couldn’t get into the aero position with my new setup, since I have a short torso and the bars were just too far out and my geometry wasn’t balanced. Nate immediately spotted everything that was out of balance and went to fixing it right away, all while chatting genially (he’s a rad dude.) We shortened my stem, raised my seat, so on, so forth, and by the end of the session, I was already feeling infinitely more comfortable on the bike, and now had a pedal stroke that would optimize my pedal stroke, increasing my power.
Off the trainer, it was like I was on a whole new bike. I think it’s akin to how it feels to have a tailor make you your own dress or suit, as opposed to buying some cheapass thing from Ross. I went from «I can do work on this thing, but ow, my shoulder» to «I AM A BEAST». My bike and I are one. And Nate brought us together. He’s worth all the money in the world.
You can spend thousands on a bike, but if you don’t get a fit, it still won’t matter. And you can spend way less on a bike, and if properly fit, you might be more efficient than Mister Carbon over there with his knees splayed out. End summary: go get a fit. You will be the happiest cyclist ever.

I had my road bike fitted today with Nate and It was worth every penny. Highly recommended even if you are new to riding or looking into getting a bike. Not only is Nate one of the best but he is genuinely a nice guy and is excited to help you.

Totally worth every cent! Nate adjusted my road bike a few years ago and got me riding in perfect ergonomic form. This not only reduced the risk of injury, but it also helped with comfort, power, efficiency, and endurance.
After purchasing second bicycle I went back and got another fitting. This time around it took less time and was less expensive because my measurements were already on file. Nate did his magic and once again I cranked away as a happy satisfied customer.

If I were an orangutan, I would use my feet to give Nate FOUR enthusiastic thumbs way, way up!
I’ve been to two other fitters over the years and Nate is as knowledgeable or moreso than others, but the chief difference with Nate is the care & patience he puts in. I got the impression he earnestly cared about making my cycling more comfortable and making me faster. And he did! His recommendations were spot-​on and I’ve already achieved two of my major goals.
If you are a younger rider and want to achieve something big, I implore you to put your ego aside and get a fitting with Nate, instead of getting the latest Oakleys or carbon-​bling item. I wish I’d done it when younger – coulda been a contender! (haha)

Worth every nickel.
There is something about Nate that is authentic. Sure he’s a killer coach, bike fitter, bike racer and adventurer… but the value you get is his sincere personality combined with all of the aforementioned characteristics.
It totally sounds like I’m jocking his service. I’m not. LOL. You will come to realize that there are a ton of skilled coaches and bike fitters in LA. Their integrity and personality is what separates the jerkoffs from the the people with which you’d want to spend your cashish.
Don’t half step. Get this guy to coach or fit you and you’ll be so stoked that you did.

Nate Loyal is a professional bike fitter. If you ride professionally, recreationally, or for any serious length of time you should have your bike fit to you. Most importantly it prevents injury, but it can also increase performance, correct your form, and overall improve your ride.
Nate is outstanding. A session with him takes about an hour to an hour and a half to get fully dialed-​in. He works out of Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica, but does not work for them. That means if you need to add parts to your ride you can go downstairs and get hooked up without having to run out to another bike shop. Helen’s is a great shop, by the way, and have good prices on quality gear.
Nate races and trains professionally. You can absolutely trust him to fit you properly and give you expert advice on how to get the most out of your bike experience.
At time of writing his cost is $ 165 for the head to toe fit, and best of all he takes Paypal.