Small adjustments from the Bike Whisperer can make big differences to comfort and speed without breaking the bank

More power to your pedal with a quick and easy bike fit over a cup of coffee

If there is one thing us cyclists love more than cycling, it's upgrading.

Whether we're seeking greater comfort, less weight or more speed, buying new bits is the accepted route.

But, in real world cycling, do they really achieve anything? Or is there a better way to spend money if you want actual results?

I pose the question because, for around £100, you could have an upgrade that promises to make you faster, more comfortable and even protect you from injury: a bike fit.

The idea is simple; you visit an expert fitter who adjusts your saddle, handlebars, shoes and riding style, all to get the most out of you and your cycle.

I took a trip to The Bike Whisperer in west London to see if a few hours of tweaking could change my riding for the better.

Co-founder Scherrit first makes me a cup of coffee at his home-cum-workshop and asks me what I ride, and how often.

It's informal, the coffee is good, and his dog is friendly. This does not, as I imagined it would, feel like a clinical examination.

We also discuss my health and whether I have any recurring problems while on the bike (I do. My left knee: it feels considerably older than the rest of me).

Then, consultation complete, he clamps my bike on to a turbo trainer – a kind of rolling road for bikes.

Scherrit is all over the room, watching me pedal from all angles (even, oddly, from underneath), telling me to speed up, slow down or stop.

First he watches the angle of my feet as they spin, then makes tiny adjustments to the cleats in my shoes.

Previously my right knee had always felt strong, as though it was describing a perfect circle, but my left felt weak and wobbled from side to side.

Incredibly, after just a few tweaks my left knee feels more planted and stable than it ever has before on the bike - and the only downside is the embarrassment of having my feet up on a stranger's lap while he moves my cleats.

I also have my knuckles rapped when I admit that I never warm up. Doing this should improve things even further, I'm told.

Once my pedals, shoes and saddle – what Scherrit calls the "motor" of the bike – are fixed, he turns his attention to my handlebars.

They always felt slightly too far away, which placed a lot of weight on my arms, but after another tiny, barely noticeable adjustment, this problem also fades away.

What is impressive is not just how quickly these issues are resolved, but by how small an adjustment.

My bike looks no different to when we began just over two hours earlier – each change is fractional, tiny, insignificant – but somehow my bike just fits better now.

Everything is now placed exactly where my limbs naturally want to be, the bike handles better and I can get more power down onto the pedals.

But the best part is that my knee doesn't sting. Placebo, perhaps, but this was the best £95 that I've ever spent on a bike, and I'm sent home with a sheet of measurements that will let me adjust my other bikes to be just as comfortable.