5 Reasons To Think About A Bike's Size And Fit Before Purchasing

Choosing a Bike

February 26, 2018

A bike that caters to your weight and height offers flexibility and a safe and comfy riding style that you’ll love cruising on. A bike that fits you poorly can result in muscles aches and pains, inefficient cycling, and general discomfort that may cause you to want to give up cycling forever.

Thankfully, we’ve come up with five sure-fire tips to get the perfect bicycle frame sizes and a cruiser bike size chart that will ensure you stop asking the question, “What size bike do I need?” so you can get to pedaling!

Find Your Measurements

To find the perfect sized bike for you, you’ll need to know a couple basic measurements, including:

Your arm length (from the end of your shoulder to the middle of a closed fist)
Your torso length (from your crotch to your sternum)
Your leg inseam (from where the bike seat would be in your crotch to your foot)

General Sizing Tips and Tricks

Here are some entry level considerations you should know when fitting a bike:

Your bike should cater to how you currently ride and should fit your current abilities, including endurance, strength, and flexibility.
Fine tuning the fit takes time.

Make Sure You Can Straddle the Bike with Both Feet Flat on the Ground

When you do this, make sure that you are going to wear the proper cycling footwear when evaluating your stand-over height, since they will add to the overall length of your leg.

If it’s a beach cruiser with a step-thru styling design, you don’t really have to worry about the stand-over height as these bikes were designed to have you easily place both feet on the floor when you’re in the saddle.

If you’re shopping online, look for the listed stand-over heights and compare that to your inseam.

Assessing Upper Body Positioning

A correct stand-over height is sometimes not enough to ensure a bicycle is a good fit. You’ll also want to have proper upper body positioning to guarantee your utmost comfort.

Target a riding position that will give you a small amount of shock-absorbing bend without making you reach very far out to apply your brakes. It should feel like you are playing piano keys comfortably on your handlebars while your arms are in a strong, sturdy, and comfortable position.

Bike Saddle Height

To get the right seat height, ask a friend or family member to hold your bike upright for you while you mount it. When your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke, you should see a slight bend in your leg, reaching about 90 percent of full leg extension.

Choosing the right size bike for men and women is essential if you want to fully enjoy your ride. Luckily at our website, you can design your own bicycle to fit your needs and style.

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