Bike Sizing Guide
Cycling has become a bigger and bigger market, particularly in Britain after the British cyclists exploits these past few years, but if you're getting a bicycle, bike sizing is an essential part of the process.
Road bike sizing can get quite complicated, but there's a couple of main points to consider to avoid discomfort in the back and knees.
A frame that is too small means the saddle is low, which could give knee problems, and a frame that is too large will mean the rider will sway from side to side to side, causing shoulder pains. Modifications to the seat need to be done carefully, as too far either way can lead to knee (seat too low) or back pain (seat too high.
The principle two points to consider are the distance from the saddle to the handlebars (the reach), and the distance from the saddle to the bottom bracket (the bit where the pedals are).
So€¦reach. When sitting on the saddle, the rider should be able to reach the bars without leaning too far forwards, since this places extra pressure on the front of the saddle - this is not good for the groin. Reach can be improved by adjusting the front stem to a higher or lower position, and testing it out to see what feels right.
As for the saddle, height is the central factor here. Your knee has to be slightly bent when the heel is at the bottom of a pedal stroke, and your leg shouldn't be perfectly straight. If you're able to, adjust the seat higher if you're on hills, and back to lower on the flat. There's a saddle that does this with a push of a button on the handlebars, but this will be way beyond the likes of us!
As a bike sizing guide, you should measure your height, arm span, leg length, and arm length, then you've a better idea of which bike you can target. A lot of manufacturers size their bikes based on height, but that does not mean there won't be any fine adjustments once you've the right size bike.
Take care when it comes to mountain bike sizing as well. Road bikes and mountain bikes have different size and shape frames (generally speaking), and having a good fit on a road bike does not always mean you'll have the same fit on a mountain bike with the same frame size.
In a nutshell, getting the right size bike and making a few adjustments can make a massive difference to your riding experience.
Road bike sizing can get quite complicated, but there's a couple of main points to consider to avoid discomfort in the back and knees.
A frame that is too small means the saddle is low, which could give knee problems, and a frame that is too large will mean the rider will sway from side to side to side, causing shoulder pains. Modifications to the seat need to be done carefully, as too far either way can lead to knee (seat too low) or back pain (seat too high.
The principle two points to consider are the distance from the saddle to the handlebars (the reach), and the distance from the saddle to the bottom bracket (the bit where the pedals are).
So€¦reach. When sitting on the saddle, the rider should be able to reach the bars without leaning too far forwards, since this places extra pressure on the front of the saddle - this is not good for the groin. Reach can be improved by adjusting the front stem to a higher or lower position, and testing it out to see what feels right.
As for the saddle, height is the central factor here. Your knee has to be slightly bent when the heel is at the bottom of a pedal stroke, and your leg shouldn't be perfectly straight. If you're able to, adjust the seat higher if you're on hills, and back to lower on the flat. There's a saddle that does this with a push of a button on the handlebars, but this will be way beyond the likes of us!
As a bike sizing guide, you should measure your height, arm span, leg length, and arm length, then you've a better idea of which bike you can target. A lot of manufacturers size their bikes based on height, but that does not mean there won't be any fine adjustments once you've the right size bike.
Take care when it comes to mountain bike sizing as well. Road bikes and mountain bikes have different size and shape frames (generally speaking), and having a good fit on a road bike does not always mean you'll have the same fit on a mountain bike with the same frame size.
In a nutshell, getting the right size bike and making a few adjustments can make a massive difference to your riding experience.
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