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Your bike’s most important safety feature is you: If you’re not comfortable, you’re more likely to ride badly and hit something. Getting exactly the right fit depends on many things—including your height, weight, and riding style. You should contact your neighborhood bicycle store to help you find the right fit. Consider these points.
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If your bike’s frame is too tall, too short, or too long, it’s very hard to adjust other things to make you comfortable—so you might need a new bike. |
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To Check the Height
On a men’s bike, stand with the bike between your legs, just in front of the seat. Measure the space between the top tube and your crotch. For road or street riding, a one-inch to three-inch space is safest. (Off-road riding might require a bigger space.) For women’s frames, ask your bicycle store’s staff to size you.
Frame Length
If, when you ride, you feel overly stretched or have pain in your neck, shoulders, or back, your frame might be too long. Try moving the seat and handlebars closer together. Also, some people—including many women—have torsos shorter than what most bikes are made for. If you’re one of them, look into a shorter handlebar stem extension, a taller stem, different handlebars, or a custom bike made for people with smaller torsos.
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A seat that’s too low will strain your knees, while a seat that’s too high will make it hard for you to pedal and to put your foot onto the ground. Here are some ways to get the right seat height for most riding: |
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- Sit on your bike and push one pedal all the way down. Put the ball of your foot on the pedal. If your seat’s high enough, your knee should be slightly bent.
- If your hips rock from side to side when you pedal, your seat’s too high.
- Don’t raise your seat so high that less than three inches of your seat post extends into the frame. (Most seat posts have a mark showing how high you can raise them.) If your seat post is a foot long but still too short, look into a new bicycle.
Last, adjust your seat tilt for com-fort: Many cyclists keep their seats level. Many women, however, tilt them nose-down, and many men tilt them nose-up. Try different angles until you find a comfortable one.
Saddle Soreness
If you haven’t bicycled in a while, expect to be sore at first; chafing or sore-ness should get better with time. If it doesn’t, the first thing to check is the seat adjustment; see “Seat Tilt” above, and “Seat Height”. If adjustment doesn’t help, try alternatives: a gel-filled saddle or saddle pad; a wider or differently-shaped saddle; one with springs; or one made specifically for women. Many bicycle stores will exchange saddles if they’re not damaged, so try alternatives until you’re comfortable. Also, many cyclists like padded and/or seamless shorts for long rides.
After you’ve set your seat height, set your handlebars so you feel comfortable. Some things to guide you:
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Start by raising or lowering your handlebars so they block your view of the front axle when you’re sitting on your bike with your hands on the handlebars. In this position, your elbows should be slightly bent (not locked). | |
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Lower-back pain often means the handlebars are too far away, while upper-arm or shoulder fatigue often means the handlebars are too close to you. Try raising or lowering the handlebars, or moving your seat forward or backward. You can also change to a shorter or longer handlebar stem. | |
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Don’t raise your handlebars so high that less than two and a half inches of your handlebar stem extends into the frame. (Most stems have a mark showing how high you can raise them.) If you have to raise your handlebars higher than the safe limit, get a longer stem or stem extender. | |
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Rotate your handlebars so that they put even pressure across the palms of your hands with-out bending your wrists in a strange way. |
For More Information
For help on making sure your bike fits, read Urban Bikers’ Tricks & Tips by Dave Glowacz. Available at book stores, on-line at www.askmrbike.com, or by calling 800/888-4741.