BIKE SIZING for MEN or WOMEN They ARE different!
Sponsored by: memphisbargainbicycles.com
Sometimes a bike feels funny or uncomfortable but the salesperson tells you that you're just not used to it or you're using muscles you haven't used before and it takes a few weeks to adapt. Don't believe it. There's always some getting used to it, but right off the bat, sitting on a new bike that fits you and is set up right so that it gives you a good position should feel about as natural as sitting in a chair. Your hands on the bars should feel like hands on a table in front of you. There is something to be said for breaking in your bottom or whatever but it should feel at least reasonable right off the bat. You shouldn't have to adapt to or tolerate discomfort even a little, not even when the bike is new.
Over time, you may find that you want the bars higher or lower, closer or nearer, and there may be some other minor adjustments that fine-tune your position.
Sizing: Most riders are most comfortable when the handlebar is a few centimeters higher than the saddle.
To achieve that bar height it helps to start with a bike that's the largest practical size you can ride. We suggest you get a size that allows the handlebar to be at least 2cm higher than the saddle. You can always lower the bar if you find it's too high.
How much crotch clearance do you need?
The Consumer Products Safety Commission says when your feet are flat on the ground and you're straddling the bike, you need an inch between your crotch (pubic bone) and the top tube.
The bike's standover height is how high the top tube is at the point where you'd straddle it. If you know that and your pubic bone height (PBH) you'll know how much clearance you'll have.
How to make a PBH-measuring device: Get two slats of wood (like paint-stirring sticks or anything, really). Put the lip of a metal metric measuring tape between them and either squeeze the tape there so it doesn't slip out or tape the sticks together. Alternative: Use a thin hardcover book such as The Cat In the Hat.
How To Measure PBH: Stand with bare or stocking feet 10-inches apart on a hard floor. Put the tape-stick under your crotch with one hand behind you and one in front. Pull up hard as though trying to lift yourself off the ground. Have a friend read the measurement on the floor. That's your PBH.
Repeat this a few times (you don't have to, but if you do), go by the largest number you get. It's impossible to pull the stick past your pubic bone and so the largest number is the most accurate. Just so you know you're in the ballpark: If you're 5 feet 5 inches tall, your PBH will probably be between 78 and 81. If you're 6 feet, it'll probably be between 87 and 91.
Us versus Them: Most bikes are sold too small. We see it all the time: bars way below the saddle, the rider leaned over 35-degrees with arms straight out as his hands are on the brake hoods. If he took his hands off the bar he'd flop down and smack his nose on the stem. It's not comfortable or correct.
When you come to us for a bike, we'll ask what size you ride now, and invariably put you on a bike that's two to five centimenters bigger. You'll still have crotch clearance, but your bar will be higher, you'll lean over less, and you'll be a lot more comfortable.
FITTING MEN'S BIKES:
Determine Standover Height (SOH): Convert bike's cm size back to inches (1" = 2.54cm).
If a bike is 58cm:
1) 58 divided by 2.54 = 23"
2) Standard pedal arm length is 8" plus 2" ground clearance = 10"
3) 23" + 10" = 33" SOH
If your pants inseam is 30" your legs are about 32" long. A 58cm bike would not fit you (too tall). The bike size range for you: 54cm (30" SOH) to 56cm (32" SOH).
This works for men because our arms are usually the same length as our legs. The distance from seat to handlebar grips on a standard size bike should allow for it.
While SOH is viewed as the standard for sizing, REACH is key to comfort. If your back is in the wrong position, there are solutions. Contact me.