How To Pick The Right Size Bike

We are reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, nosotros may earn an affiliate commission. Read More...

Ordering bikes online is becoming more and more popular because in that location are no store-keeping or warehouse costs making the cost even less!

Don't worry almost the fact that you might think yous have to endeavour your bike start because I can assure you it is overrated. And very highly.

Salesmen only tell you this to become more than money from yous!

You should try your bike kickoff! FALSE

Asking why? Information technology'due south because that is only told by salesmen who know that there are decent bikes on the online market. In that location are many skillful methods to choose a good bike. I'm gonna show yous~~Three~~ (actually Seven!) METHODS if you don't know, how to measure out a wheel.

Feeling more confident? Good. In that location are actually three (now Six!) options: you can calculate or use the bike-size charts below. The bike size is measured from where the seat postal service starts and to the crank. So if yous don't know, what size bike exercise I demand, here are the answers.

Let's outset with the easiest.

Method Ane: Wheel Top Nautical chart – The Easiest

Your height / Bike Size

4'xi" – 5'3″ = 13 – xv inches
v'iii″ – 5'7″ = 15 – 16 inches
5'7″ – 5'xi" = 16 – 17 inches
6'0″ – half-dozen'2″ = 17 – 19 inches
six'two″ – 6'4″ = 19 – 21 inches
6'4″ and taller = 21+ inches

Voilà!

Method 2: Calculating the bike size

Have off your shoes and stand up with your legs about xv-20 cm(6" – 8") apart. Measure out the height from the ground to your crotch.
Be sure of the type of bike you want: Mount wheel, city cycle or route bike. You can read near the different cycle types from here.
Now you tin can take your computer and calculate the right size:

City bike – Leg inseam (cm) ten 0,685 = Your frame size
Mountain wheel – Leg inseam (cm) x 0,66 = Your frame size
Road bike – Leg inseam (cm) ten 0,70 = Your frame size

(If your leg inseam is 76cm, then your right mount cycle size is fifty cm (20"), road bike 53cm and city bike 52cm)

Third Method: Cycle Size Nautical chart (Advanced):

Mount bike size chart

Rider meridian		Leg inseam		Suggested Frame Size
Feet/Inches	Centimeters	Inches	Centimeters	Inches	Size
4`10"-5`one"	148-158 cm	24-29"	61-73 cm	< xiv″	XS
five`1″-5`5″	158-168 cm	25-30"	63-76 cm	15" / sixteen″	S
5`5″-five`9″	168-178 cm	26-31"	66-78 cm	sixteen" / 17″	M
5`9″-6`0″	178-185 cm	27`-32`	68-81 cm	17″ / eighteen″	L
6`0″-six`3″	185-193 cm	28`-33`	71-83 cm	18″ / 19″	Xl
half-dozen`1″-vi`6″	193-198 cm	29`-34`	73-86 cm	xix″ +	XXL

City bike (Also commuter/hybrid bikes) size chart

Rider height		Leg inseam		Suggested Frame Size
Feet/Inches	Centimeters	Inches	Centimeters	Inches	Size
4`x"-5`1"	147-155 cm	24-29"	61-73 cm	fourteen"	XS
5`1`-five`5`	155-165 cm	25-30"	63-76 cm	fifteen"	Southward
5`5`-v`nine`	165-175 cm	26-31"	66-78 cm	16"	M
v`nine`-6`0`	175-183 cm	27`-32`	68-81 cm	17″	L
half dozen`0`-6`3`	183-191 cm	28`-33`	71-83 cm	18″	XL
6`1`-6`6`	191-198 cm	29`-34`	73-86 cm	19″	XXL

Road cycle size chart

Passenger height		Suggested frame size
Feet/Inches	Centimeters	Centimeters	Size
iv`10"-5`0"	148-152 cm	47-48 cm	XXS
5`0″-5`3″	152-160 cm	49-50 cm	XS
v`three″-5`6″	160-168 cm	51-52-53 cm	Southward
5`half-dozen″-5`9″	168-175 cm	54-55 cm	G
5`9″-6`0″	175-183 cm	56-57-58 cm	L
6`0″-six`iii″	183-191 cm	58-59-sixty cm	XL
6`three″-half-dozen`half-dozen″	191-198 cm	61-62-63 cm	XXL

To brand information technology uncomplicated – Bicycle Guiders' bike size graph.

Open up me!

Got the right size? Nice! And now go cycling!

Please note that frame sizes fromXXS – XXL don't have the aforementioned meaning for every manufacturer. Those sizes (like on clothing) show current model sizes.

BONUS:

Fourth Sizing method: Amazon Fit Guide
Fifth Sizing Calculator: Competitive Cyclist Fit Calculator.
6th – Jenson The states Bike Fit Calculator (Beta)
Extra – Professional Wheel Fitting Service – Order From Amazon!

Voilà!

Read adjacent: How to fit a bike

The right saddle meridian has a very important function. If it's too low, you won't have enough power in your feet. In mountain wheel racing,I accept experienced that when the saddle falls one inch down from normal, I lose almost 25-fifty% of my force. I better stop and let the group become, and so fix it and lose 15 seconds merely I exercisecatch the group and tin fifty-fifty become the next group alee. So the right saddle height plays a big role!

Need Professional Fitting Service? Society From Amazon!

The easiest manner is to

Lean to the wall with your elbow sitting on the bike (or let someone help you as shown on the picture)
Put your leg to lowest signal merely parallel to the ground.
Move your saddle up or downward until y'all have a prissy bend backside your knee joint. Information technology should be something effectually 30 ° simply don't waste besides much energy finding that exact angle.

Go out and ride. Does it feel good? If not, then arrange. Also, yous can adjust the seat to front and rear.

Only… which brand to buy? Run across our All-time Bike Brands

TIP: If y'all got the correct height, marker it downwardly with some sharp object. That's the best size chart ever 🙂 Some bikes have centimeters marked there, then go on this in mind.

What If I Got My Bike Size Wrong?

So ask your merchant, if you can ship your bike back to go the correct one. If you don't want to do that, and so you lot tin practice thefollowing things:

Motion your saddle to the front end or rear
Buy a longer or shorter stem. It changes your body position
Purchase a longer seat post

Give it fourth dimension to get the feeling right. I remember when I got my start 29er mountain bike. It felt like a send and seemed hard to ride innarrow trails of the woods. Now I starting time laughing when I sit down on a 26″ mountain wheel because it looks so tiny.