Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Making the Right Choice
• Part 2 of 3: Measure yourself and your bike
• Part 3 of 3: Adjusting your bike
• What do you need

Each type of bike is designed with the specific needs of the cyclist in mind. Positioning the seat, pedals, and handlebars is critical to achieving a comfortable cycling experience. It doesn't matter if you have a bike, or you are just going to buy one, we will help you understand how this or that bike suits you. See Step 1.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Making the Right Choice

1. 1 Check out the table of recommendations. Now that you know the dimensions you need, check to see if they fit the overall bike dimensions. There is a single base of sizes, despite slight differences depending on the manufacturer:
   • XS: 13-14 inches (height 152 - 162 cm)
   • S: 14-16 inches (height 162 - 170 cm)
   • M: 16-18 inches (height 170 - 177 cm)
   • L: 18-20 inches (height 177 - 185 cm)
   • XL: 20-22 inches (height over 185 cm)
2. 2 Find out your ideal position. Sometimes math isn't always important. What always important is how you feel about the bike. This is the position your body should be in:
   • Arms. Your shoulders should be relaxed and your elbows slightly bent.
   • Sitting. When you are on a bike, your heels should only lightly touch the down pedal, with your leg fully extended.
   • Lap.When the pedal is in its lowest position when rolling, your knee should be slightly bent.
   • Gear knobs and brake levers. Don't leave them as they are. Experiment with them: switch speeds and apply the brakes.
3. 3 Find out how the bikes differ from each other. The sizing system not only differs from company to company, but bicycles differ in their own right. If you are looking for a bike on the Internet, then you should remember the following:
   • Typically, road, cross and hybrid bikes are 3 to 4 inches larger than those listed above for the same rider height. If you are looking after one of the listed bikes, adjust the selected type as needed.
   • A mountain bike with a shock absorber on the front wheel and a bike with a full suspension are the same size. The main differences are the price and the types of roads they can handle. A full suspension bike has better shock absorbers, so it handles more aggressive riding well. A bike with a front wheel shock absorber is more versatile and lighter in weight.

Part 2 of 3: Measure yourself and your bike

1. 1 Measure the inside of your legs. To find out which bike size is right for you (seat tube length), start by measuring your inner legs. For this:
   • Stand straight with your back to the wall, squeeze the book between your legs.
   • Use a tape measure to measure from the top of the book to the floor.
   • Multiply the resulting number (in inches) by 0.67. Subtract 4 to get the seat tube length.
     • If you have a C-C frame, then multiply by 0.65.
2. 2 Measure the length of the seat tube. If you already own a bike, then you will probably want to know if it is the right size. Here's how you can do it:
   • Locate the top of the seat tube (where the seat tube clamp connects to the seat post).
   • Measure the distance from this point to the midpoint of the axis on which the pedals are held.
   • This will be the length of your seat tube. Is this value the same as your ideal size? Compare with the basic measurement system below.
3. 3 Take the next test. This test is very easy to find out if the bike height is right for you. Take the value you get when you measure the distance from the floor to the top of the book. This value should be 2 inches (5 cm) more than the height of the bike at the top of the seat tube (from the top to the pedal axle).
   • To perform this test, swing one leg over the top axle of the bike and straighten it. If you have a mountain bike, the ideal distance between your crotch and top tube should be at least 5 centimeters. Make sure you are wearing special cycling shoes when doing this!
4. 4 Determine your anatomical dimensions. Now that you know how tall your bike should be, you need to understand how the handlebars should be based on the length of your torso. In order to understand what your reach, short or long, you need to know your anatomical dimensions.
   • Measure the span of your hands (from the fingertips of one hand to the fingertips of the other) and subtract your height. If you got a positive number (your hand span is larger than your height), then you need to choose the largest size; if you got a negative number (your height is greater than your arm span), then you need to choose the smallest of the two sizes.
     • This is a great indicator, especially if you can't decide between two sizes. Your height and length along the inside of your leg are the main indicators that will help you choose a bike.
     • If you are still in doubt for any reason, then choose a smaller size. Riding a smaller bike is less injury-prone than riding a large bike.
5. 5 To be more precise, determine the ideal top tube length. Here's how to do it:
   • Stand with your back against the wall and straighten up.
   • Measure from your fingertips to your collarbone.
   • Measure from your crotch (from the same place as before) to the fovea / hollow in your neck.
   • Add the two results together and divide by 2.
   • Add 4 to the resulting number, and you get the length of the upper pipe that suits you.
     • Example: Let's say the length of your arms is 24, and the length of your torso is 25. We get 50/2 = 25.25 + 4 = 29. Thus, 29 is the length that the upper pipe should have, based on your dimensions.

Part 3 of 3: Adjusting your bike

1. 1 Adjust the seat height. Using your measurements, adjust the seat tube length. To do this, you need a tape measure and a wrench. Here's how to do it:
   • Place the end of the tape measure where the pedal crank is attached to the bike.
   • Stretch the tape measure to the seat height you got when you measured your inside leg.
   • Use a wrench to loosen the bolt that holds the seatpost.
   • Rotate the seatpost up and down until it is in the desired position.
   • Then tighten the bolt using a wrench.
   • Adjust the seat so that the lowest point of the seat aligns with the top end of the stretched tape measure.
2. 2 Adjust the steering wheel. Loosen the bolt at the base of the handlebar. Use a standard wrench by turning it to the left. To adjust the steering wheel:
   • Lean as far forward and down through the handlebars as you feel comfortable. It is best if you assume a natural position like in real riding.
   • Raise or lower the steering wheel to the most comfortable position.
   • Tighten the steering wheel. Use a wrench to tighten the bolt around the stem.
3. 3 Adjust the seat tilt. It is better if the seat is absolutely level. Few people choose to tilt the seat up or down, and generally all ride on a flat seat. It is important to remember two things here:
   • Tilt the seat up or down so that your pelvis is level when you are on your bike.
   • Tilt the seat so that you do not slide forward or backward while riding.
4. 4 Test your settings. You wouldn't buy a car without taking a test drive, would you? When checking, your hips should not turn, you should not stretch your arms too much, you should not be twisted in different directions, there should not even be a slight feeling of discomfort. You can check your bike as follows:
   • Get on your bike. Make sure you wear special shoes. Look at your hips; they should be pointing straight ahead.
   • Set the pedals so that one of them is at its lowest point. This will keep the pedal as close to the ground as possible.
   • Place one foot on the lowered pedal. Your knee should be slightly bent and your heel should be firmly on the pedal surface.
   • Lean over the handlebars, keeping your arms slightly bent.
   • If anything prevents you from feeling 100% comfortable, make additional adjustments.

What do you need

• Bicycle
• Roulette
• Wrench
• Helper who will hold the bike
• Calculator (optional)