How To Measure A Road Bike
No matter what type of bike you are riding and especially for road bikes, it is always important to choose a properly sized frame. The most common question is right now how to measure a road bike?
Riding a road bike too small or too big can make you uncomfortable and make handling and controlling the bike difficult. So, you have to know how to measure a road bike frame to get optimum performance.
Road bikes come in different ranges of sizes, styles, shapes, and designs. But all the types of road bikes are measured in the same way.
How to measure a road bike in 5 steps:
In this article, we will tell about how you can measure your road bikes easily.
Step 1: Find the right frame size:
For finding the right frame size, use your total height and a road bike sizing chart for guidance.
To know your total height, stand against a wall barefoot and measure your height. Now using the chart find the road bike frame that matches your height.
But before that, if your height is in inches, convert it to centimeters by multiplying it with 2.54, as road bike frame sizes are always given in centimeters.
Step 2: measuring the inseam:
Spread your feet 8 to 10 inches apart and place a book between your legs touching as high as possible. Now with a measuring tape, ask someone to measure that distance from the ground to the top of the book. Now multiply your inseam measurements in centimeters by 0.67. This measurement will be your bike’s vertical frame size or seat tube size in centimeters.
Step 3: Measure your road bike’s seat tube:
Find out the top of your bike’s seat tube where the seat clamp holds the seat post. Then find the center of the bottom bracket, where the axle binds to the road bike’s crank arms. Using a measuring tape, measure this distance. This distance is the length of your seat tube and this distance should match your inseam measurement. And this measurement is also called C-T measurement.
Step 4: Comparing the inseam and C_T measurement:
Now, let’s compare your inseam and C_T measurement. Their difference should be within 2.54 centimeters, which is perfect for a properly sized road bike frame.
Step 5: Right-sized top tube:
With a measuring tape measure the distance between your hip to your shoulder. Now, spreading your one arm parallel to the floor, measure the distance from the fingertips to your shoulder. Now, add these measurements together and divide them by 2. Then add 4 inches to that number. This is your total reach.
Now, measure the top tube, which means the distance between the head tube and seat tube of your bike. This distance should match your total reach. Too long or too small top tube will make your ride uncomfortable.
A correctly sized road bike will provide you a comfortable and easier ride. Your ride will be more faster and efficient. So, follow our guide and get a perfectly measured road bike! Happy cycling!
You may also look for:
Top best city and road bike under 300 dollars.
How to change a bike tire easily.
I am Daniel D. Harris, an enthusiastic biker who loves to ride bicycles. I keep on sharing my experience of cycling through this blog. I do keep writing to assist you in finding the city bikes, bike lights, bike pedals, and many more things related to bicycles. You may find my blog useful once you read some posts. Find me on twitter. Have a good day bikers!
