Abbey Bike Tools Fit Kit

The Abbey Bike Tools Fit Kit is designed to allow athletes who travel a lot, or bike mechanics and fitters in the workshop and field – anyone who may have to reassemble bikes and ensure that they're set up accurately – to check the saddle height, angle and setback and standardise a fleet.

The full kit includes a green anodised Saddle Plate, a Shimano Crank Preload Tool and two magnetic Saddle Height Bullets, in 8mm or 10mm sizes. All the components slot easily into the plate, held in place by a strap, so the kit will stay together.

The Saddle Height Bullet is easy to use – simply locate it in your crank arm fixing bolt, or in the case of Shimano cranks, insert the Crank Preload Tool first then locate it in that. Either way, the bullet will end up at the heart of the bottom bracket, then you can slot the tape measure into it. It will be held gently by the inner magnet, so that you'll be free to concentrate on the other end of the tape.

This is where the Saddle Plate comes in. The adjustable Abbey Bike Tools tow strap winds around your saddle, holding the plate firmly on top. Place your bullets, hold a finger at the lower end of the tape, then pull up your tape to the marked Saddle Height Reference Point, based off the nose of the saddle – 10cm back for snub-nosed TT seats, or 15cm for a more traditional saddle with a long nose. All of a sudden, this measurement becomes repeatable down to a millimetre or less.

When it comes to measuring the angle, you've got two choices. On the big, flat surface provided by the plate, set up either a traditional angle finder or lay your smart phone on it to gain a digital measurement, using an app with a level on it. Again, the flat surface lets you take an accurate, repeatable measurement, then correct the angle by the number of degrees indicated.

The final measurement for fit is saddle setback, which refers to how far the saddle is behind the crank. Take a plumb bob and line, then use the scale at the sides of the plate to pinpoint your target setback, anywhere from 0 to 5cm in front, or up to 15cm behind. There's also a hard mark for UCI setback, for people who have to worry about TT bike legality. Do your fit calculation against the scale, then measure down to axle centre with the plumb bob, using the slit on your bullet as a target.

Using the kit, it's easy to take repeatable measurements and replicate your fit, to ensure that you or your athletes will be able to ride comfortably on a wide range of bikes.