The Perfect Fit: Choosing A Bike Size

You wouldn’t wear a hat too big for your head, so why ride a bike the wrong size for your body? Choosing the right size bike isn’t difficult, but it is important. A bike that’s too large or too small can decrease performance and make your riding experience less enjoyable and more uncomfortable. The process for choosing the right size bike is almost the same for adults and children, but there are a few distinctions to take into consideration.

For Kids: Sometimes parents make the mistake of choosing a bike a few sizes to big, thinking their child will grow into it. But it’s important to choose a bike that fits your child’s size from the day you take it home – especially when he’s first learning to ride and improving his confidence and skills. A bike that’s too big can be challenging to handle, which can make riding more difficult. This can lead to accidents and reduced enjoyment, and ultimately your child may lose confidence or interest in riding his bike.

To choose a bike for a child, it’s best to have the child accompany you to the store. Have your child straddle the top tube of the bike with both feet flat on the floor. For a proper fit, there should be about 1 to 2 inches of space between the top tube and your child’s crotch. If you’re buying the bike as a gift and the child is not at the store with you when you choose it, you can measure your child’s inseam – the measurement from the child’s crotch to the floor – and subtract 1 to 2 inches. This is the standover height – the distance the top tube of the bike should be from the floor.

Adults: The process for measuring to find the proper fit for an adult bike is not much different. Most adult bikes come with 26-inch wheels; men’s bikes have a top tube parallel with the floor, while women’s bikes have a slanted top tube. When measuring for a women’s bike, the standover height should be measured from the top tube as if it were parallel to the floor, extending out of the handlebars. Men and women should have 1 to 3 inches of space between the top tube and crotch, depending on preference. It’s also a good idea to get on the bike and make sure the distance between the seat and the handlebars is adequate – it should be a comfortable reach to the handlebars, and they shouldn’t be too close or too far.