Mountain Bike Sizing

How to Find Your Mountain Bike Frame Size

Mountain Bike Frame Chart

One of the best ways to enjoy nature and stay in shape at the same time is to go mountain biking; however, in order to ensure that you have a comfortable and safe ride, you need to be certain that you are straddling the correct mountain bike size. This mountain bike sizing guide will provide you with the necessary information you need to ensure that your mountain bike fitting is correct.

The first thing you should know about mountain bike sizing is that if the bike is too big for you, then you will have a difficult time trying to handle it. Riding a mountain bike that is not sized properly will make tasks such as making sharp turns and going up hills more difficult to accomplish than if you were riding a mountain bike that had the proper bike fitting. This will then result in you falling more and sustaining more injuries than you would like. As such proper mountain bike sizing is imperative when choosing a new mountain bike.

• One of the most important factors to consider for the proper mountain bike fitting is to check the height of the frame. If the height of the frame is too high, then it will be rather challenging for you to mount and dismount the mountain bike. You can check that the frame is the proper size by standing and straddling the bike. You need to ensure that there is approximately two inches of clearance that is between you and the bike’s top bar.

• The second factor that you need to take into consideration as it relates to proper bike fitting is the height of the seat. Your leg should be slightly bent, when your leg is extended fully and the pedal is at its bottom position. If you notice that your legs are totally straight once they have been extended fully, then you can expect that the ride will be very uncomfortable; due to the fact that while pedaling your hips will be tilting back and forth.

• You should also consider the comfort of the seat. This is one of the points of a bike size guide that is generally overlooked, but it is still very important. Generally, mountain bikes are equipped with seats that are very uncomfortable; however, in order to get the proper mountain bike sizing, you need to ensure that you purchase a bike that has a seat with which you are comfortable.

• The final factor that will be covered in this bike size guide is the handlebars. Handlebars that are tilted forward will give you more control when riding at high speeds; however, they can be very uncomfortable for long rides. You should therefore adjust the handlebars accordingly.

This may look like a lot, but it is surprisingly easy to find a bike that meets this criteria using the online BIKE SIZING CALCULATOR. Simply enter your height, leg inseam length and a few other details to get the full details on your optimal bike frame size.

Tagged: bike frame size, bike sizing, featured, mountain bikes

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Road Bike Sizing

Road Bike Frame Size Guide

Road Bike Frame Chart

Sizing your road bike and selecting the perfect model can be a tricky process due to the fact that all road bikes do not fit the same. You need to bear in mind that though two bike companies may list the same model bikes, there may be a huge difference in the measurements of the bikes. Therefore, it is very important that you know that not because you have a specific bike sizing from one company, does not mean that you are going to get the same bike sizing from another. Here is a bike size guide that will offer you information that you should know about proper road bike fitting.

Generally, when the frame size of a road bike is listed by a bike company, it tends to be some variation of the seat tube’s length. All the measurements will start at the bottom bracket’s center, and it will extend to various points of the seat tube. These points may be the top of the seat tube, the top tube’s top, the top tube’s center, and even a virtual point that you are unable to see on the road bike’s frame. If sloping tubes are added to this equation, then choosing the proper bike fitting becomes even more complicated.

In order to properly compare the frames’ sizes, you need to have a look at the head tube length and the length of the effective top tube. By doing this, you will be able to get an idea of the height and the reach that you can put the bar. An important thing to know about road bike sizing is that once you are able to stand above the top tube and having your feet flat, then you should have sufficient crotch clearance so that the stack height and the reach are comfortable for you.

Road bike bars do not have rise; therefore, in order for you to get the proper bike fitting, you need to ensure that the combination of a fork and given frame will enable you to place the bar high enough for the height of your seat.  You may use stems that have a certain amount of rise; per contra, you need to bear in mind that there are just a few choices with a rise of more than seventeen degrees, especially for the oversized handlebars that are quite popular today.

If you are shopping for a new road bike and are trying to determine your proper road bike fitting, it is best that you locate a bike shop that will be willing to take your measurements, so that you will be able to determine the stack height and reach that you need.

Tagged: bike frame size, bike sizing, featured, road bikes

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