Get fit to get fit

Today I took my still bruised bones to a bike shop to get fit for my bike. The problem, (asides from falling off the thing when I chance to ride into tram lines), is that I get sore knees, sore back, sore hands and numb parts whenever I ride. So I figured rather than spending money on saddles, wheels, shorts etc...to fix it (which by the way I've tried - it didn't work) I could get somebody who knows what they are doing to size me up. He could then tell me what I really need (asides from an athletes body).
well the whole process was very impressive. He even had a Retul machine to video and measure me with (this is the gadget that Lance Armstrong and other riders of his ilk (like me) got fitted on. It measures angles, motion and a bunch of other stuff, don't ask me what or how it all works). After and hour my fine fitter told me what was wrong - turns out it was me; and years of uncorrected problems coupled with an imprecise fit from the shop I bought the bike at.  I would note as well that the shop I bought my bike at is rated one of the best in the city and they spent 40 minutes fitting me at time of purchase.

Turns out I only needed 4 tiny changes, 3mm forward on the saddle, 4 mm up on it, a comparable lift to the handlebar and finally a 1mm shim in my shoe. Can  you believe it - the pain disappeared, literally nothing there (that is asides from Saturdays aches and bruises). I can't remember the last time I rode a bike and didn't have knee pain - I assumed it was an injury, well it probably was BUT the new improved customized, off the shelf bike was stress free. and at a fraction of the price of a custom built bike - which I couldn't afford even if I wanted one. If I hadn't experienced it myself I never would have believed it. But, like one of the Monkeys "now I'm a believer" and it wasn't the machine but rather the application of it's findings by an expert who compared the data against his evaluation of me, modified the fit accordingly and cared about doing a good job.

The moral of the story, yet again, is that good people are worth more than gold and of course, to get fit, get fit (at least if you want to bicycle your way there).