Choosing the right bike size is important. That’s why we wrote this guide on How to Measure a Bike Size. You want to make sure that you can be comfortable on your new bike, and have enough room to move around.
With so many different brands of bikes available, how do you know which one will suit your needs? This blog post will give you a handy chart for measuring a bike size and also some tips for choosing the perfect bicycle.
Table of Contents
Know your own height first
This is very important in that it will determine which size is going to suit your needs. Moreover, knowing your own height is the same as having right-hand information. Therefore you stand a 100% chance of choosing a bike that you be comfortable with.
1. Measure the inseam from crotch to floor
Perfect, now this is a crucial step. you will have to measure the inseam (inside leg) from the crotch to the floor.
There are a few places you can measure. The easiest and most accurate way to get the inseam is from the crotch to the floor while standing upright with your feet flat on the ground.
If someone else measures for you or if it’s difficult to do that yourself, the next best thing is measuring around your waist at belly button level; then add two inches (or five centimeters).
This will give you an approximate idea of what size bike frame length would suit you. You may also take off one inch (two cm) or so – this takes into account leg extension when pedaling as well as clearance needed between knees and the top tube of the bicycle frame. If possible, try sitting on a hard surface seat before buying your best road bike or rather your best fat bike.
2. Measure the distance between your seat and handlebars
Now take another step and measure the distance between the seat and handlebars. This is one of the most important measurements to get right to ensure that you will be comfortable when riding your bike – whether it’s a road bike or mountain bike for example.
Otherwise, if this measurement is too short, then rather than sitting on the rear part of the saddle with a slight bend in your knee preventing any discomfort from happening (assuming that there are no other problems such as tight hamstrings), you’ll end up sitting much farther back over what could have been an adequate saddle length at which point additional pressure will be placed onto soft tissues leading to possible discomfort and even injury; meanwhile also making it more difficult for you to pedal properly given how far forward into the frame you’re reaching while seated.
3. Consider how high off the ground you want to be when sitting on your bike
Dope, I am glad about our progress. Now you will have to find out how high off the ground you want to be when sitting on your bike. For example, if you’re a beginner cyclist and you are just starting then it will probably make sense for you to sit lower so that balancing is easier whereas an advanced rider might prefer something more like this:
Sitting higher than in the original picture may seem counter-intuitive given all of these other factors but for riders who have been riding long distances or doing tricks they’ll find that being able to stay up higher helps maintain better balance while also allowing them greater control over their bikes’ handling as well; meanwhile also making maneuvers such as wheelies much simpler.
Remember our guide on how to measure a bike size is to make sure your comfortable with your best bikes
4. Make sure there is enough room for both feet,
Our legs must also fit well and they should not be stressed. Now with one foot flat and one foot up or both feet up if you are using clipless pedals, you’re going to want a bike with enough room for your feet to move properly and not be cramped.
An example bike that would suit someone who is just starting as a beginner cyclist or looking to upgrade from an old bike for commuting, but still wants to have some fun on weekends is the Raleigh Cadent Sport 27-inch Bike. The frame has enough clearance around the feet so there’s plenty of space for your toes while in a bent position pedaling, plus it’s lightweight and easy to handle with its aluminum frame. It also features Shimano EF500 Eco Pedals which are designed for efficiency when used together with clipless shoes.
5. Check that your knees will not hit any part of the frame while pedaling
Here am also including the handlebars. I believe you don’t want to have a knee injury just because you failed to consider this when choosing your bike. Therefore, when you are in the store, make sure that your knees will not hit any part of the frame while pedaling.
6. Make sure the bike has an adjustable stem
This will help you to make adjustments for comfort. Therefore, you have to make sure the bike of choice is adjustable.
This is a great way to ensure that you are comfortable on your ride and don’t get any cramps or other discomfort in your back, neck, or hips from being too cramped for long periods of time.
Adjustable stems come with levers at either side of the handlebars and help you raise and lower them as needed! It also helps if they can be adjusted up/down depending on how tall you are – especially if you’re riding a cruiser-style bicycle with no suspension.
However, it isn’t always necessary to adjust this part because it’s still possible to fit different types of bikes by adjusting height seats accordingly (although not all riders prefer higher seats)
7. Go with a size larger than what you think will fit best
Consider this when you’re in doubt: You want to make sure that your bike is the right size for you.
No matter whether you’re biking with friends or just cycling by yourself, it’s important to be comfortable on your ride! With this in mind, we at Planet Bikes Guru believe it’s ideal if a person can comfortably reach and use both brake levers from their normal riding position to stop.
For riders who are between sizes (or simply prefer better contact points), consider going with a larger frame rather than a smaller one when fitting bikes online.
If an item has no sizing information listed, follow these guidelines:
- men’s frames measure 56-61cm top tube length;
- women’s frames measure 44-49cm top tube length
- Children’s frames measure 38-46cm top tube length
A sneaky and easy thing for you I got a bike calculator, please click here to view (opens in a new tab)
Our wrap up on How to Measure a Bike Size
Something that should be noted though is that tall riders will need more clearance in their top tube than shorter riders and they’ll also require additional height along the head tube; this makes sense because it’s difficult for them when they are too close or too far away from the bars, as well as not having any knee bend at all if there isn’t enough space between seat-tube and handlebars.
Taller riders may also feel better riding lower due to discomfort with back pain while short people might experience neck soreness looking up so much during
