Have you ever wondered why so many people end up with their new bikes left hanging in the garage or packed away in the shed?

A lot of times it's not because they don't want to ride them, but because when they do, it's uncomfortable.

Why is this? More times than not if you had any professional help or looked up a size chart you probably purchased the correct or close enough to the correct frame size. What you may not realize is that each touch point on a bicycle is adjustable, capable of being moved to better fit your body rather than your body adapting to where those points are on the bike.

For example, if a saddle (the bike seat) height is too high, you may be experiencing some rear knee strain. If the saddle of the bike is too low, you are probably feeling some front knee pain. The cockpit of the bike, or space between saddle and bars, is also adjustable with the saddle's fore/aft position and/or by changing the length of the stem.

Your body should feel “in the bike,” not on top of it. If you don't feel that you are getting enough power out of your climbing, your saddle may need repositioned to better align your knee over the pedal spindle in the power position.

Yes, I understand: Who's concerned with power and spindle positions when they can't stand riding for longer than 15 minutes before they feel uncomfortable? Well, keep reading.

If you are over reaching to get to the bars, you may need a shorter stem. If you experience a lot of neck pain, the bar width and height could be assessed. Conversely, if you are looking to be more aggressive on your bike, the stem can be lowered or the stem angle changed; this lowered aggressive position is more common on a race bike setup which requires a strong core.

If you feel that nothing is more uncomfortable than that gosh darn bike saddle, look for a bike fitter who has pressure mapping technology to assess how your body interacts with that particular saddle.

Pressure mapping is just another new technology used to advance our comforts. It's a shower cap-like cover which slips over your saddle that has pressure sensors inside of it. The rider sits on the bike which is secured in a bike trainer and pedals while a computer evaluates the data from the sensors.

This gives the bike fitter information to match the rider's pressure points to a specific saddle or angle of the current saddle which equates to a more comfortable ride and less pressure on your back side.

Sometimes, changing the saddle position and angle will also help while other times a new saddle purchase may be needed. And if you happen to be uncomfortable on your saddle and haven't invested in a pair of padded bike shorts, this may be the place to start. We'll discuss gear such as those tight dreaded padded shorts in a future article. It makes a huge difference and a bigger, more padded saddle is usually not the answer to your saddle complaints.

All of this sounds great, but could be intimidating to new riders trying to get comfortable. That's where investing in a professional bike fit can help you out.

Several bike fitters are in the area and a quick Google search can lead you to them. Fit appointments can range from one to two hours and involve a thorough on and off the bike assessment to help the fitter understand your body and how it comes together on the bike.

If you haven't purchased a bike yet and are wanting to ensure a proper purchase, ask for a pre purchase fit so that you can invest confidently in your new steed.

Curious what this costs? Your normal Hybrid or mountain bike fit may be around $100-$250. But keep in mind the cost of a fit versus the total cost of the bike. What good is a $400 investment for a bike if it just hangs in the garage?

If investing an extra $100 gets you riding your bike routinely, then it's worth it.

Bike fit costs include making changes to your current set up and not the cost of additional parts like a new stem, bars, saddle and more. However nothing says you have to spend the money for the other parts that day.

Take the information with you, ride the bike as is until you have the money to change out parts as suggested by the fit results.

You've heard the word investment several times in this article. We recommend viewing the cost of cycling (or any health/fitness endeavor) as a preventative health care cost. You invest the money up front and stay healthier, happier, and more active.

After all, life is about the journey, not the destination. Enjoy the ride!

Travis and Julie Saeler are cycling columnists for the Butler Eagle.