What size bike do I need?
What size bike should I get?
OR, How do I know what size bike I need?
These are the most common types of questions that arise in your mind if you are a newbie in the bicycling community. Interestingly, women ask these questions more frequently than men when they make a buying decision for the first time.
The size of a bike is an important factor if you want a comfortable riding experience. It is because the right size bike can provide you extra comfort that you won’t get if you buy the wrong size bicycle.
If you ever wonder about what is the right size that will provide you the utmost comfort, you should keep reading this article. Whether you are male or female, we’ve got you covered. This bicycle size chart article will help you to determine the right size for your comfortable journey.
I’ll also share with you some essential tips on how to select the right size. Enjoy reading.
Three Easy Methods to Find the Bike Size
To help you with the perfect bike size, the manufacturer has worked for years. They have focused on the bike type and bodyweight for measuring frame size. I am presenting here the wide bike size charts to help you make the right one.
Professionals have worked for a long time to find out the bicycle size for the right fit. Depending on the experiments they have, some methods have been developed. Here you will find three easy ways to find a bike size that is probably the best fit for you.
Method 1: Bike Size Calculator
If you think that crawling the charts are so dull and don’t want to waste time on that, let our bike size calculator do it for you. Here, to find the right size bike for all types of bike you want, you don’t need to think much.
An awesome tool that will show you the size you need with three easy steps! Just answer some basic questions, and our excellent calculator will show you the size that perfectly fits you.
Method 2: Bike Size Chart (Simple and Easy)
This chart follows the Center to Top Measurement as the bike size. The center to top measurement is already discussed before. Let’s take a look at the chart-
| Your Size | Bike Size (Center to Top) |
| 4’11” – 5’3″ | 13 – 15 inches |
| 5’4″ – 5’7″ | 15 – 17 inches |
| 5’8″ – 5’11” | 17 – 19 inches |
| 6’0″ – 6’2″ | 19 – 21 inches |
| 6’2″ – 6’4″ | 21 – 23 inches |
| 6’5″ or more | 23+ inches |
Here, you’ll find that there isn’t a fixed size given for your height. It is already said that there is no fixed size fit for individual height. It varies from person to person. So, this chart only shows you the options for you. You need to try those sizes and choose the best for you.
Method 3: Bike Size Chart (Advanced)
Here, the advanced charts will help you to get the proper size for you. To make a choice easy, you’ll find the individual chart for each type of bike.
Men’s Road Bike
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Centimeters | Descriptive Size |
| 4′ 10″ – 5′ 0″ | 148 – 152 cm | 47 – 48 cm | XXS |
| 5′ 0″ – 5′ 3″ | 152 – 160 cm | 49 – 50 cm | XS |
| 5′ 3″ – 5′ 6″ | 160 -168 cm | 51 – 53 cm | S |
| 5′ 6″ – 5′ 9″ | 168 – 175 cm | 54 – 55 cm | M |
| 5′ 9″ – 6′ 0″ | 175 – 183 cm | 56 – 58 cm | L |
| 6′ 0″ – 6′ 3″ | 183 – 191 cm | 58 – 60 cm | XL |
| 6′ 3″ – 6′ 6″ | 191 – 198 cm | 61 – 63 cm | XXL |
PS: Feel free to check the top 10 affordable road bikes for 2022.
Women’s Road Bike
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Centimeters | Descriptive Size |
| 4′ 10″ – 5′ 1″ | 147 – 155 cm | 44 – 46 cm | XXS |
| 5′ 1″ – 5′ 3″ | 155 – 160 cm | 47 – 49 cm | XS |
| 5′ 3″ – 5′ 5″ | 160 – 165 cm | 50 – 52 cm | S |
| 5′ 5″ – 5′ 8″ | 165 – 172 cm | 53 – 55 cm | M |
| 5′ 8″ – 5′ 10″ | 172 – 180 cm | 56 – 57 cm | L |
Men’s Mountain Bike
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Inches | Centimeters | Descriptive Size |
| 4′ 10″ – 5” 2″ | 148 – 158 cm | 13″ – 14″ | 33 – 37 cm | XXS |
| 5′ 2″ – 5′ 6″ | 158 – 168 cm | 15″ – 16″ | 49 – 50 cm | XS |
| 5’6″ – 5′ 10″ | 168 – 178 cm | 17″ – 18″ | 51 – 53 cm | S |
| 5’10” – 6’1″ | 178 – 185 cm | 19″ – 20″ | 54 – 55 cm | M |
| 6’1″ – 6’4″ | 185 – 193 cm | 21″ – 22″ | 56 – 58 cm | L |
| 6’4″ – 6’6″ | 193 – 198 cm | 23″ – 24″ | 58 – 60 cm | XL |
PS: Check The Top 10 Mountain Bikes Under $300 in 2022.
Women’s Mountain Bike
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Inches | Descriptive Size |
| 4′ 10″ – 5′ 2″ | 148 – 158 cm | 13″ – 14″ | XS |
| 5′ 2″ – 5′ 6″ | 158 – 168 cm | 15″ – 16″ | S |
| 5′ 6″ – 5′ 10″ | 168 – 178 cm | 17″ – 18″ | M |
| 5′ 10″ – 6′ 1″ | 178 – 185 cm | 19″ – 20″ | L |
| More than 6’1” | 185+ cm | 20″ + | XL |
Men’s Hybrid Bike
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Inches | Descriptive Size |
| 4′ 10″ – 5” 1″ | 148 – 158 cm | 13″ – 14″ | XS |
| 5′ 1″ – 5′ 5″ | 155 – 165 cm | 15″ – 16″ | S |
| 5′ 5″ – 5′ 9″ | 165 – 175 cm | 17″ – 18″ | M |
| 5′ 9″ – 6′ 0″ | 175 – 183 cm | 19″ – 20″ | L |
| 6′ 0″ – 6′ 3″ | 183 – 191 cm | 21″ – 22″ | XL |
| 6′ 3″ – 6′ 6″ | 191 – 198 cm | 23″ – 25″ | XXL |
Women’s Hybrid Bike
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Inches | Descriptive Size |
| 4′ 10″ – 5′ 2″ | 148 – 158 cm | 13″ – 14″ | XS |
| 5′ 2″ – 5′ 6″ | 158 – 168 cm | 15″ – 16″ | S |
| 5′ 6″ – 5′ 10″ | 168 – 178 cm | 17″ – 18″ | M |
| 5′ 10″ – 6′ 1″ | 178 – 185 cm | 19″ – 20″ | L |
| More than 6’1” | 185+ cm | 20″ + | XL |
Like before, these are not the exact size, but you will find your perfect size within the limit given in the chart.
So, the above charts will help you to find the right size bike. All you need to do is determine which hybrid bike you want to buy and know your height.
The Importance of Getting Right Size Bike
If you don’t get the right size bike, you’ll face some problems as follows:
Less Control: Riding the wrong size bike will make it harder to control the bike than riding the right size bike.
Less Comfort: You won’t get a comfortable body position at the time of riding if you ride a wrong size bike.
Back Pain: A wrong size bike will irritate you uncomfortable posture position while riding, which may cause back pain.
Wrist Pain: Riding too long on an inaccurate size bike will also cause wrist pain because the wrists take some load when you ride a bike.
Increase the Crash Risk: As you can see, there are a lot of distracting factors if you ride the wrong size bike. These Distracting factors may Raises the Crash Risk on the road.
These are the common problems that you will face if you buy the wrong size bike. To see how to choose the right size bike, don’t stop reading.
How will You Choose the Right Size Bike?
Choosing the right size of the bike is not that difficult. It requires a few steps to perform when you decide to choose the perfect size bike for you. You can easily do this if you know some tips and measurement ideas. Here, I will help you to know the whole process of finding out the right bike size for you.
I hope, after reading this, you’ll be able to find out the bicycle size that fits you. So, let’s start.
How to Measure The Height of a Bicycle?
If you want to calculate the perfect bike size for you, you have to know first how bikes are measured. There are various ways to measure bike size. Different types of measurements are used for different types of bikes.
Center to Top Measurement
A common bike measurement way is ‘Center to Top Measurement.’ In this measurement procedure, This chart is determined by the length of the seat tube.
Here, the bottom bracket is counted as base or center. The top is the top end of the seat tube where the seat post enters into the seat tube. This method can be used in measuring mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, etc.
Center to Center Measurement
Another bike measurement system is ‘Center to Center Measurement.’
In this measurement process, the bike size is measured by the distance between the bottom bracket and the center of the place where the top tube meets the seat tube.
Top Tube Measurement
In this measurement procedure, the length of the top tube is counted as the size of the bike. This is mainly used to choose the right size BMX, but also important in choosing mountain and road bikes.
Stand over Height
In this method, the size of the bike is determined by measuring the distance of the top tube from the ground. It actually says how tall the bike is.
How to Measure Your Height and Inseam?
Before determining the bike size, you need to know some measurements of your body. At first, you need to measure your total height. You can measure it easily by standing against a wall and marking the wall where it is at the level of the top of your head. The distance between the mark and the ground is your height.
After measuring your height, measure your inseam. With the help of a friend, you can easily measure your inseam.
Measure your torso length and arm length for the more convenient result. Torso length is the distance between your crotch and sternum. Arm length is the distance between the end of the collarbone and the middle of the closed fist.
These measurements will help you to find out the right size bike for you.
Learn Some Basic Formulas
You will need to know some basic formula that will help you to determine the right size of your bike. These formulas are developed depending on the measurements that you measured in step 2.
For example- if you want to choose the bike depending on the standover height, the formula for your comfortable standover height will be.
Comfortable Stand Over Height = your inseam – 2-3 inches
So, you need to search for a bike with a standover height of your inseam – 2-3 inches
For example, if your inseam is 31”, the calculation of perfect standover height for your cycle is-
Your comfortable standover height = 31” – 2” = 29” or 31” – 3” = 28”
So, you need to buy a bike that has a standover height of 28 inches or 29 inches.
Again, to choose the bike depending on the top tube length, you will need another formula. The top tube refers to the distance of the seat and the handle so that the measurement will depend on your upper body length. The formula for your comfortable top tube length is,
Comfortable Top Tube Length = {(torso length + sleeve length) / 2} – 6
Sum up your torso length and sleeve length in inches, divide it by 2 and subtract 6 inches from the result to get your ideal top tube length.
Let’s think that your torso length is 26,” and sleeve length is 28”.
So, the sum of torso length and sleeve length = (26 + 28) = 54 inches
If you divide it by 2, you will get (54 / 2) = 27 inches
So, your ideal top tube length is (27 – 6) = 21 inches.
Otherwise, there are some charts available that will tell you the right frame size for you, depending on your total height and inseam height. You can take help from those charts.
Determine What Type of Bike Do You Need?
After finishing your measurement, you need to determine which type of bike you want to buy. There are several types of bikes used for different purposes. For example, road bikes are used to run fast on paved roads where mountain bikes are good for riding in rough terrain.
Depending on the use of different types of bikes and the reason behind buying a bike, you need to choose the type of bike you need. A person who buys a bike for a cross country ride or race will buy a bike that is a size larger than the regular fit for him. Again, an aggressive mountain bike racer will buy a bike that is a size smaller than the regular fit for him.
Different bikes are measured in different units. For example- road bikes are measured in centimeters. In the case of a mountain bike, size is measured in inches.
Try Before Buy (If possible)
The measurement chart that is provided by the manufacturers is not the perfect determiner of the right bike size. Again performing some math by using the formula provided will not find you an exact match bike for you. But these will help you to get a good idea about the size of the bike that will be a close match.
So, before buying, you need to give a try. At first, find out the frame size that is suitable for you by using the charts or performing the math. After getting the size, try a bike of that size and some other size that are near the size you have got.
By trying some frame sizes and changing saddle height and some other things, you will definitely find a size that feels right and comfortable to you. So, always try some different sizes before buying the best bike for you.
You should know the above thing when you choose a bike. Otherwise, buying the right size bike will be tough.
What to Do If You Got Your Bike Size Wrong?
Now you have known all the essentials of choosing the right size bike for you. But what will you if you, unfortunately, buy the wrong size bike by mistake? Don’t worry; there is something you can do.
There are two things you can do. The easiest way is selling the wrong size bike and buying a new right size one. But if you don’t want to do it, you can try to make it fit to buy re-positioning some parts as follows.
- If you feel that the bike is too high, make the seat post shorter to create a comfortable position if the bike seems too low, longer the seat post to get a comfortable position.
- If you think that the handle is too far from the seat, slide the saddle forward to get a relaxing posture. If the seat and the handle seem too close, take the saddle a little backward to get an enjoyable posture.
- If the following number 2 doesn’t make the posture comfortable, you can change the stem and use a shorter or longer one according to your needs. You’ll need a shorter one if you think that the gap between the handle and the seat is too long. Otherwise, you’ll need the longer stem.
These are the basic things that you can do to make a wrong sized bike fit. If these don’t work, you have to follow the first way.
Expert Advice is Invaluable
Bike experts have some advice on bike size in their writings or interviews. The founder and head bike fitter of Bike Science Andy Sexton advised asking riders and clubs around to gather information about the best bike fitters.
After that, you have to contact that fitter or those fitters to get the right information about sizing before you buy a bike.
He also advised searching for someone who can suggest a bike size by using a fitting jig. This is an adjustable fitting bike that helps to determine the right bike size.
After fitting from a bike fitter, you should pay a re-visit to the fitter after a few weeks and tell him how your positional changes have affected you. He said that this would help the fitter to know the impact of change on you, and he will be able to help more with your biking experience.
Wrapping Up Thought
So, after reading this whole article, you must have got some idea about bike size, I think.
If you are a regular rider, you need to enjoy the ride. This doesn’t mean that seasonal riders or people who ride a bike only for some moment don’t need that enjoyment. No matter why you ride the bike, you need to enjoy the ride.
In this whole article, I wanted to show how having the right size bike will help you to enjoy the ride. I have also shown how you will find the bike size that is perfect for you through a bike size chart.
If you have faced problems before regarding the selection of right size bike for you, you know the pain. But I hope that now you can easily find out which bike will provide you the best bike riding experience.
So, why are you wasting time? As you know, the right size bike according to your body size, don’t hesitate to buy the perfect one within your budget and enjoy riding.