How to Buy a Bike That’s the Right Size for You

Riding a properly fitting bike can not only be the difference between comfort and discomfort (which is perhaps the most major factor in how much you want to ride). It can also mean the difference between whether or not you injure yourself, as spending huge amounts of time on a bike that is too big or too small for you can lead to a variety of maladies.

Whether you’re riding all the time or just getting into cycling, there are a few tips you can follow to make sure you’re buying the right sized bike and dialing it to your body in a way that will give you endless pain-free hours in the saddle. Because a bike that fits you well shouldn’t hurt at all.

If you’re experiencing pain, discomfort, or numbness anywhere, your bike fit is off. Of course, the pain and numbness in your butt after a 60-, 70-, or 100-mile ride is unavoidable and has nothing to do with fit. But riding a bike any distance shouldn’t result in pain or discomfort in your joints, neck, back, or anywhere else.

If you’re intending to spend a ton time in the saddle and/or dropping serious coin on a new bike, the best option is always to get a professional bike fit, which is a process where an expert fitter will analyze your body type, your riding style, even your ambitions, and dial your bike incrementally, that it perfectly fits you. My colleague Joe Ray can offer advice on getting a professional fit.

It’s also important to note that the rules for finding the best fit are different based on what style of bike you want, what your transportation needs are, and how much you intend to ride. If you want a drop-bar bike such as a road or gravel bike, a mountain bike, or a hybrid bike, the handlebar setup will affect other factors like the frame size and saddle height. Also, as men and women tend to be built differently, the design of bike frames and their components should be taken into account. Some brands such as Liv or Juliana are designed specifically for women, who tend to have narrower shoulders and shorter torsos relative to their legs than men.

Size Matters

It’s easy to wander deep into the weeds, but there are some basic things you can do to ensure you’re riding a properly fitting bike. Following these tips should help you make the most important decisions.

Start with the biggest thing! That is, your frame. There is no bigger single part of a bike than its frame. It’s also one of the only parts of a bike that is not adjustable. Your frame will always be the same shape and size, and there’s no changing that. So you want to start with the proper frame before anything else.

Most manufacturers size their frames using the small, medium, and large paradigm (with some brands offering XXS through XXL) or using measurements in centimeters. Typically, off-road bikes come in S, M, L, whereas road bikes use centimeters.

A good place to start is by researching a height chart. Considering not all bikes are built equally—not everyone’s “large” frame is the same size, for example—it’s especially helpful if you can find a chart from the brand you intend to buy.

Here’s a good example from the mega-brand Specialized. If I, at 76 inches, were interested in an Aethos model, I’d probably want to get a 61 cm frame.

If you can’t find a chart for the bike you’re interested in, you can just as easily find the bike itself at a local shop and swing your leg over a few different sizes. The general rule of thumb is that you should be able to fully stand over a bike with both feet flat on the ground with about 1 inch of clearance between your body and the bike’s top tube. Smaller bikes and bikes with compact designs have sloping top tubes; with those, you want to look for around two inches of space.