how do you size a bike?

[Ashgarth]

hey all. I want to get a used road bike, something fairly inexpensive/used or older. However when looking on craigslist they alwasy list it s 56cm or 12" or something......what does this mean and how do I know what size to even look for? I am short.... 5'3" so I could guess LOWER NUMBER ;) but any help would be great!

[SJCzar]

Hey there,

When will we ever get back our nice cycling weather here?

I'm 5'4" and my "Nathan" is a 52. My inseam is 30". That may help you somewhat. If you'd like to take him out for a spin sometime and see if you need to go down from there just let me know. I'm always up for a good cup of Alterra.

I think we'd better get going and plan a "Wisconsin Bettie" outing sometime this month.

Sue

[mimitabby]

I can help you in Centimeters. Your size is under 50cm.
So look at bikes that are 50cm, 48cm, 49cm, even try some a little smaller. But you probably can't go bigger..
Now as to inches, you'll have to ask an MTB person, because I can't remember.
But of course, even if the standover height (that measurement) is perfect,
the bike might still NOT fit you because it is too long in the top tube.

[Ashgarth]

cool!

That helps a lot actually Mimi and Sue! At least I know what range to look in. Since I am just looking on craigslist (I can't afford a new bike) it's hard to 'size' it correctly based on a poorly taken photo :)

It doesn't need to be a 'perfect' fit so I doubt I would actually go through all the stuff to get fitted scientifically....too lazy


Sue, you are crazy! It's snowing and cold outside! We will make it to Alterra soon though. I would love to try your bike if you don't mind!

[nic840]

The best way is to actually go to a shop and test ride a few of the more available brands and see what fits you.
THis way you can be a little more in-tune when a bike in your size range comes up for sale on Craigslist. I think its a great way to get a used bike...Good Luck!!!

[uforgot]

I can help you in Centimeters. Your size is under 50cm.

I don't think that her size is necessarily under 50cm just because she is 5'3". She's short, but she might be all legs. I thought that 50cm was right based on my height and the 50cm bike I was riding was WAY too small. I'm 5'4" and right now I have a 53cm road bike that's probably about right, and I've seen where others on this board are 5'4" and they ride anything from 48cm up. I think there's a thread on it somewhere. The standovers of the different manufacturers are different, and everyone's legs are different. I also learned that inseam in the bicycle world is different than on my jeans. Turns out my inseam is long for my height, and yours could be longer or shorter than normal. (Whatever "normal" is) I found some of the fitting sites to be helpful, although riding different bikes was the best way to find out fit. WSD turned out to be perfect for me.

I never really thought much about inseam length before riding bikes, but I did notice that lots of pants were too short for me. I always thought it was the manufacturers fault. After all, I'm 5'4"!!! Why were so many of them making average at 30"?. A lot of times I wind up buying "tall" pants, and I always wondered what "tall" people wore. (Then again, my belly button is up around my chest, tall pants, petite shirts)... I'm no expert, but I wonder if your pant size, petite, normal or tall, and whether or not you are long or short waisted could be an indicator of bike size?

Ah, heck, just go ride some different bikes and see what feels right. If you know someone who rides and knows a little about it, take them with you!

[uforgot]

This might help...

http://www.cyclemetrics.com/Pages/FitLinks/bike_fit_links.htm

Here's a site with a bunch of different fit links. I used wrench science and liked it.

Also, I used a level on the book when I measured inseam to make sure it was parallel to the floor. I haven't ever seen that mentioned, but it made sense to me.