Despite the material it is crafted from or the brand stamped on its side, the most important aspect of any bike owned by a serious biker is the fit. Yes, road bike sizing is the most important facet when purchasing a bike. It must feel like an extension of your body. With the correct fit, the rider will be more relaxed and the ride more efficient. It should look and feel as though it is second nature to the rider. As easy and common sense as this may sound, there are some specifics that need special attention when measuring one for a bike.
To begin with, when looking for a road bike one wants to keep the frame as vertically limited as possible with a good horizontal stretch to allow for comfort and a relaxed form. The first step in road bike sizing is to obtain a correct inseam length. To acquire this measurement, you will need assistance from another person. Then standing in your bare feet with your back against the wall, separate your feet by six inches. Have your helper place a book between your legs with one edge against the wall, sliding it firmly into your crotch, simulating a bike seat. Then have the helper measure the distance from the top edge of the book to the floor. Repeat a few times and then average the few tries to obtain accuracy.
Once you have established your inseam measurement, you can then decide which frame is correct for your body build. When calculating the correct road bike size, a few ways can be used. By taking the measurement of the seat tube, either from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat lug (C-T); or from the centre of the bottom bracket to the center of the seat tube (C-C). If you are using the C-T measurement, multiply your inseam length by .67 and if you use the C-C measurement multiply your inseam length by .65. For example, if your inseam measures 80cm then, using the C-T method multiply 80X.67 to get the appropriate frame size.
With the correct frame size, you can move on to the remainder of the road bike sizing process. This includes determining your saddle height, correct knee position, your horizontal reach to the handlebars that is directly related to the top bar length, handlebar size and crank length. However, the most important aspect of the bike size is the riders experience and comfort. You can adjust any of these sizes based on how you feel on the bike.
To begin with, when looking for a road bike one wants to keep the frame as vertically limited as possible with a good horizontal stretch to allow for comfort and a relaxed form. The first step in road bike sizing is to obtain a correct inseam length. To acquire this measurement, you will need assistance from another person. Then standing in your bare feet with your back against the wall, separate your feet by six inches. Have your helper place a book between your legs with one edge against the wall, sliding it firmly into your crotch, simulating a bike seat. Then have the helper measure the distance from the top edge of the book to the floor. Repeat a few times and then average the few tries to obtain accuracy.
Once you have established your inseam measurement, you can then decide which frame is correct for your body build. When calculating the correct road bike size, a few ways can be used. By taking the measurement of the seat tube, either from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat lug (C-T); or from the centre of the bottom bracket to the center of the seat tube (C-C). If you are using the C-T measurement, multiply your inseam length by .67 and if you use the C-C measurement multiply your inseam length by .65. For example, if your inseam measures 80cm then, using the C-T method multiply 80X.67 to get the appropriate frame size.
With the correct frame size, you can move on to the remainder of the road bike sizing process. This includes determining your saddle height, correct knee position, your horizontal reach to the handlebars that is directly related to the top bar length, handlebar size and crank length. However, the most important aspect of the bike size is the riders experience and comfort. You can adjust any of these sizes based on how you feel on the bike.