Cycling is an excellent form of exercise and a natural stress-reliever. Choosing the proper size of bicycle can keep you comfortable and safe as you ride. Use your inseam and height measurements to choose the right bike frame. Get a feel for whether the bicycle is the right size by sitting down as if to do a test drive — and indeed, take a test drive if the retailer allows it.
Step 1
Measure your inseam. If you know the inseam from your pants size, use this number. Otherwise, stand up straight and ask someone to get a measurement from your groin down to the bottom of your leg, where your pants would end. Your accurate inseam measurement is one factor in determining the right frame size for your new bicycle.
Step 2
Find out how tall you are, if you don't know exactly. Your inseam measurement usually tells you what bike size you should buy based on where the bikes hits you in the crotch area, but some people have longer torsos than legs or vice versa, which can make the inseam-frame size correlation a little more tricky. In some cases, your overall height is a better measurement to use. The International Bicycle Fund recommends that people under 5 feet, 4 inches tall choose a 16-inch frame; those 5-4 to 5-8 are best suited for an 18-inch frame; 5 feet, 9 inches and taller may choose bike frames ranging from 20 to 22 inches.
Step 3
Straddle the bike and stand up with your feet flat on the ground. You have chosen the right size of frame if you have an inch or two of room between the frame and your groin. If you have no free space, select a smaller frame.
Step 4
Sit on the bike and put your feet on the pedals. You've picked the right size when your knees are slightly bent in what the Colorado Cyclist website calls a "neutral knee position." If your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle or more, adjust the bicycle's saddle to a higher position.
Step 5
Assess the width of the handlebars. You'll ride more easily and comfortably when the handlebars are about shoulder-width apart. Your bicycle frame might be too large if the gap is larger.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
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