It's essential for your safety and comfort to find the right size bicycle for your body. One of the most basic things you should know before embarking on a bike-shopping trip is your approximate bike frame size. The frame size will differ depending on whether you want a road bike or a mountain bike. If you plan to ride almost exclusively in an urban environment, you probably want a road bike, which is lighter and has much thinner tires than mountain bike. A mountain bike is more versatile in that it can be taken "off-road" on trails and performs well in rough terrain.
Step 1
Measure the inside of your leg with a tape measure. Hold it taut against your leg from the crotch all the way to the floor. This is your inseam, which you should record in centimeters.
Step 2
Multiply the number you arrived at in Step 1 by 0.67. This is your road bike frame size. For example, if your inseam is 76 cm, your road bike frame would be 51 cm.
Step 3
Subtract 10 cm from your road bike frame size to find your mountain bike frame size in centimeters. If your inseam is 76 cm, your mountain bike frame size would be 41 cm.
Tips and Warnings
- In addition to frame size, take into account the size and placement of features such as handlebars when choosing a bike. Always take a test ride to make sure you’re comfortable on the bike you’ve chosen.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Calculator
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