You can read the whole How to Fit Yourself for a Road Bike series here: Parts I, II and III.
Just the other day I wrote about How to choose a road bike. The most important thing I said in buying a road bike is to make sure you get the correct size. Back in 2003 when I bought my road bike, I had to fit myself because I was buying a frame online.
Here I am going to show you how to fit yourself for a road bike if you don’t have the available resources to have it done for you. It’s quite simple to do, although the measurements are not exact because there are other factors to consider such as flexibility, how fitness level, it is good enough to get you in the vicinity so you can make some adjustments to other parts so it will be dead on.
A properly sized bike is the best way to prevent injury, go faster (if that’s your thing) and add to the overall enjoyment of cycling.
How to fit yourself for a Road Bike
Your inseam
The most effective way and really the only way to get an accurate frame size for your new road bike is to get an actuate reading on your inseam. Since cycling is a leg, lungs and heart sport naturally an accurate reading in your inseam is the most effective way to measure and size your bike.
There are a couple of ways to get an accurate measurement of your inseam. Here I am going to discuss the Wall Method. The Wall Method is commonly known as more accurate than Sit Method. It is always best to have somebody else do the measurements for your, but if you don’t have anybody available then doing it by yourself is fine.
How to fit yourself for a Road Bike
The Wall Method
- Standing up tall against a wall, put a book between your legs with the edge against the wall.
- Raise the book up towards your groin until it’s just short of being painful. (For men make sure that the book it right on the pubic bone).
- Measure from the pubic bone to the floor.
- Repeat Steps 1~3 to make absolutely sure you got the correct measurements.
- Repeat Steps 1~3 at different points in the day to be sure you got the correct measurements.
- Most road bikes are measured in centimeters (cm) so if you took this measurement in inches (in) you can convert inches to centimeters by using the following conversion: inches x 2.54 = cm.
For now just get your measurements. I will discuss how to choose a bike in the next episode.
This is part one of How to fit yourself for a Road Bike.
