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I'm thinking of buying a mountain bike or hybrid bike, and their adverts say the sizes are 17", 18", 20" and 21".
I'm 5ft 8" tall, average proportions, so which size should I get?
I'm thinking of buying a mountain bike or hybrid bike, and their adverts say the sizes are 17", 18", 20" and 21".
I'm 5ft 8" tall, average proportions, so which size should I get?
Go to a bike shop and get properly fit. It will make a big difference in your enjoyment during a ride.
Yes, and ”straddle height” is no longer relevant for the large number of bikes that don't have horizontal top tubes. What's really important is the reach to the handlebars. Furthermore, with non-horizontal top tubes, the length of the seat tube is also affected - so a 17” frame with a severely sloping top tube could leave you much more stretched out than a 21” frame with a horizontal top tube. Different types of frames are built with different degrees of reach to the bars - this also depends on the type of bars for which the frame is intended. The ”top tube length” (in quotes because so many bikes don't have a horizontal top tube) may be different if swept back bars are expected vs. drop bars.
Best method, if you don't already know how to size your own fit, is to go to a proper bike shop and let them determine which size of which model you should ride.
Thanks guys I'll try to find a local bike shop to visit, but ones round here are closed for lockdown, and others are out of town and I don't drive, so I might have to order one blind for delivery.
My main concern is that if it's too small and I have to raise the saddle, the saddle stem will be too short to be raised enough.
You need to be fit at the bike shop since all bodies are different depending on your arm length, torso, inseam, etc.
The shop will determine the frame size and depending on your position on the bike, they can adjust the seat front to back, or add an offset seat-post and or replace the stem to the proper length and height so that your exact positioning on the bike is ideal.
The better the fit, the more comfortable and ergonomic you will be!
You can’t do it by height properly..all our legs and inseams are different.
The best way is straddle the bike and make sure you have clearance between you and the seat ..then see how the reach ,angle and weight distribution is
Straddle, when it was used for fit, was over the top bar. If you have room between you and the seat while straddling the bike, it would be incredibly too small.
There are too many factors, reach, weight distribution, neck angle...
Have a shop fit you. It’s the most likely way you’ll feel comfortable on the bike.
Hi, I have been choosing a bike for a very long time. I compared the operation of different models in the city and in the forest. For myself, I decided to choose a hybrid, as I travel more often in the city. This article "how to choose a bike" helped in the choice.
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how to choose a bike
