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[Cycling] CHOOSING THE PROPER SIZE & FRAME STYLE

D

delic

Guest
while this guide is good for both bmx and moutain biking , or any form of pedal biking for that matter , but me being a bmx'er ,i decided to post it in here

(CHOOSING THE PROPER SIZE & FRAME STYLE)
What Is Frame Size and How Do I Choose It? Boy’s bike, or girl’s bike?

“FITTING” YOU CORRECTLY TO A BICYCLE INVOLVES COMPARING YOUR HEIGHT, LEG, TORSO, AND ARM LENGTH, WEIGHT, TORSO WIDTH, AND HAND SIZE TO THE BIKE’S TYPE, SIZE, GEOMETRY, HANDLEBAR-STYLE, SEATING POSITION, AND ITS VARIOUS DIMENSIONAL PARTS…TO DETERMINE WHAT’S SAFE AND COMFORTABLE FOR YOU! Phew!

NOTE: BIKE SHOP BICYCLE SIZES VARY BOTH IN WHEEL DIAMETER AND IN THE FRAME SIZE (the geometry and dimensions of the painted part of the bicycle). “TOY STORE” BICYCLES VARY ONLY BY WHEEL DIAMETER, AND ARE NOT MANUFACTURED NOR SOLD IN DIFFERENT FRAME SIZES. (That’s like a shoe company only making size 6 shoes and expecting them to fit everybody’s feet!)

WHAT FOLLOWS ARE GENERAL GUIDELINES REGARDING FIT, SIZING, AND FRAME STYLES. DUE TO THE MANY IMPORTANT, INTER-RELATED SAFETY AND COMFORT FACTORS, IT’S BEST TO RELY ON TRAINED, PROFESSIONAL BIKE SHOP ADVICE FOR YOUR BEST BICYCLE FIT.

FITTING & SIZING YOURSELF TO A BIKE


FRAME SIZE

* DOES NOT affect a bicycle’s price. (Larger frames don’t cost more; smaller frame sizes aren’t cheaper. What’s important is to get the correct size!)

* Is a measurement made from the middle of the bike’s “crankset” (the thing the pedal arms are attached to) at the bottom center of the bike, upward to a point at or near the top of the seat tube.

* Determines what fits your leg length and torso size and is VERY IMPORTANT. (Wheel diameter is usually the ONLY size difference between “toy store” bikes.)

* Varies the bike’s “reach,” or distance between the seat and handlebars, affecting how far the rider leans forward to reach the handlebars. Larger frame size bikes usually have a longer “reach” than smaller bikes.

* As a sizing factor is absolutely vital to your safety, comfort, and enjoyment.

* Accounts for different height seat tubes on a ladies’ bike, how high the cross-bar on a man’s frame style bicycle is, and how high or low a seat can be adjusted relative to the rider’s leg length and the pedal.

* Can make a bike that’s too large for its rider a very dangerous thing! (Difficult to start, stop, get on or off, and likelier that you’ll hit your crotch on the top bar…ouch!)

* Bike shop bikes are sized to proportionally fit both your leg length and upper body.

* Woman’s frame style bikes often fit women’s longer leg - shorter torso body proportions better than triangular “men’s” frames.

* Human factors determining comfortable frame size include: rider age, physical condition, overall size, weight, arm, and leg length, where you intend to use the bike, bike frame geometry differences, and whether the rider is finished growing.

* Usually, you want to have one or two inches of clearance between your crotch and the crossbar when sizing a road bike, a trail bike, or a hybrid.

* To allow for growth, youngsters should be able to AT LEAST straddle the crossbar, and stand on the balls of their feet.

* Mountain bikers often prefer three to six inches of crossbar clearance for standing on the pedals going downhill and because smaller bikes are more maneuverable.

* It’s best to get expert advice about correct proportional fit and proper frame size based on your bike style and/or riding preferences.

REMEMBER: YOU ONLY GET A CHOICE OF BIKE SIZES IN A BIKE SHOP!



FRAME STYLE: MAN’S VS. WOMAN’S

* Many think the triangular, traditional, “man’s” bicycle frame style is stronger than a drop-tube, step-through, or lower-crossbar “woman’s” frame. For all practical purposes, it isn’t!

* Triangular frames ARE more rigid and flex less than a woman’s frame. An efficient bicycle frame design flexes less, and converts more of the pedaling action into forward motion. (This is why bike racers don’t ride woman’s frame style bikes.)

* Buy a woman’s frame style bicycle if that’s what you would be more comfortable on and more likely to ride.

* Often, the seat-to-the-handlebars “reach” distance is shorter on a woman’s frame bike to accommodate the shorter torso size of most women.

* HOWEVER: Woman’s frame sizes are limited in the number of models they come in, and how long-legged a woman they’ll fit. Some taller women DO NOT FIT even the largest woman’s bicycle frame sizes!

* HOWEVER #2 (GOOD NEWS!): Man’s frame sizes are made small enough for almost any leg length person to comfortably straddle the cross bar.

* Bike shops have lots of ways to adjust and alter bikes for tall women who only fit a man’s frame, but are uncomfortable with the longer “reach” to the handlebars.
 
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