If you have found yourself in a position where you are keen to purchase a new bike, or if you are in a position where you are planning to sell a bike that you just have sitting unused in the garage. Either way, you will need to be aware of the size of the bike’s frame.
Here’s the thing, measuring a bike before you make your purchase is especially important, and this is because this will enable you to buy a bike which fits your body and which you can therefore ride comfortably.
Additionally, if you are selling a bike then you will really have to provide the size of the bike frame as well as the other dimensions that are essential to know about a bike.
This will let potential buyers make an educated decision on whether or not this is the purchase for them. It is important to note that the bike frame size will be roughly the same as the length of the seat tube in centimeters.
The Go-To Method
This is essentially the easiest kind of measuring method to use. You need to be standing up to do this, and you need to measure from the ground to your crotch and to do this your legs need to be spread.
This is something that you can do standing barefooted, or just wearing socks, and you need to make sure that you are standing with your feet apart.
Your feet should be 6-8 inches apart, and you need to use your tape measure to find the distance from the ground to your crotch area in centimeters.
Important pointer: make sure that you are measuring to your actual crotch and not just to the crotch of your pants or this will be an inaccurate measurement.
This can be something that is a little tricky to do by yourself, so you can just ask a partner or a friend to help you when you do this – as you are going to want the measurement to be correct. Why compromise and struggle alone?
What Bike Do You Want?
This next step is pretty crucial and it all depends on the kind of bike which you are wanting.
Once you have done this you then need to multiply your inseam length by 0.7 only if you are purchasing a road bike. If you have purchased a bike which has a seat tube that was the exact same length as your inseam, then you would have a particularly tricky time trying to pedal the bike.
You need to multiply by 0.7 to shorten that inseam measurement if you are intending on riding a road bike. Road bikes will be perfect for you if you are especially keen to do most of your cycling on paved paths.
If you are keen to purchase a mountain bike then you will need to multiply your inseam by 0.66.
This is because you will find that mountain bikes have much thicker, and much bulkier tires compared to the sleeker and more streamlined road bike tires. This means that you will be elevated that bit higher off the ground.
In order to make up for this you will need to multiply your inseam by that slightly smaller number just so that you can calculate your correct bike size.
If you are not a gifted or a natural mathematician then you should get a calculator or grab your cell phone’s calculator just to make your life that bit easier.
A mountain bike will be the best purchase for you if you are especially keen to do the majority of your cycling off-road or even over rocky terrain.
Purchasing Your Frame Size
When it comes to actually purchasing your bike, you need to consider purchasing a frame size which matches the number which you have calculated.
So, the number which you have got from the equation that you have worked out should correspond to the size of the bike which will fit your body.
We recommend testing out a bike in person before you purchase it, just so that you can really see that the bike is the perfect fit for you and that it is ultimately comfortable for you.
When you have purchased your bike, you need to test it out and ensure that it is adjusted correctly before you take the bike out on a big excursion.
You could just ride the bike around a parking lot and then you can adjust the seat as you go, and you need to ensure that each leg is bent at a very slight angle when they are extended fully by pushing down on the pedal.
Here’s the thing, if you are struggling to get comfortable on your bike, or if something just does not feel right then you need to try out a different size until you find a bike that suits you the best.
This will also apply if you find that you are struggling to reach the pedals, you will need to just keep trying different bike sizes until you find the bike that is the perfect fit for you.
In Conclusion
There are a whole host of different ways that you can measure a bike to try and work out if it is the perfect fit for you. However, sometimes keeping it simple can be the most effective – and this is purely because it requires some precision but relatively minimal effort.
It is important that you measure your bike size before you make your purchase because you want to get a bike which fits you correctly. After all, you don’t want to waste your money and end up with a bike that doesn’t suit you.
That will be extremely counterproductive. You definitely need to have an estimate in mind of the right size bike for you, But you should go to a store and try out a bike first just so that you can get a feel for a bike, and work out if it is the right fit for you.