How important is top tube length?
How important is top tube length?
For decades, top tube length served as a reasonable metric for providing bike size estimates, but it’s an arbitrary metric and always has been. The troublesome part of its continued use isn’t that it’s arbitrary, but rather that with modern bicycles it’s irrelevant and often misleading.
Is seat tube length the same as frame size?
Frame Size Bike frames are commonly measured in centimetres or inches representing the length of the seat tube. For example, a manufacturer may measure the seat tube length of a bike as 51cm, and then describe it is a small frame.
Does seat tube height matter?
These days, seat tube length is still important in some cases: To understand the lowest position of a saddle, especially important when sizing up to a larger frame or considering a bike with a classic, level top tube. To determine the amount a saddle may be lowered when using a dropper seatpost.
Is it better to have a bike frame that is too small or too big?
Neither a smaller or bigger frame is better for everyone and generalizations in frame sizing are almost always risky. If your riding position is established first the best decision for you will likely become much more clear. Consider bike fit the holy trinity of comfort, power, and efficiency.
What frame bike do I need for my height?
Fitness And Hybrid Bike Size Chart
| Rider Height | Suggested Frame Size | |
|---|---|---|
| Feet and Inches | Centimeters | Inches |
| 5′ 5″ – 5′ 9″ | 165 – 175 | 17 – 18 |
| 5′ 9″ – 6′ 0″ | 175 – 183 | 19 – 20 |
| 6′ 0″ – 6′ 3″ | 183 – 191 | 21 – 22 |
How far should my legs extend on a bike?
Proper position: With your foot at the bottom of the pedal stroke, you should see a slight bend in the leg, reaching about 80-90 percent of full leg extension. This is true for road, mountain and hybrid bikes.
Is it OK to cut a bike seatpost?
Cutting your seat post is one of the most effective ways of tearing your seat tube to pieces. Also, if you cut off the bottom, you will have to adjust the max height line by the same amount…that is, you need a certain amount of length in the tube to have the seat post be safe.
Why do pro cyclists ride small frames?
In more modern times, pros often use a smaller frame that a similarly sized recreational rider because they want to ride a big drop to the handlebars. As head tubes continue to grow for a given frame size, pros are forced onto smaller frames to maintain their positions.
Is it okay to ride a smaller bike frame?
A smaller frame will be marginally less reliable, and more prone to break, due to bigger stresses in its structure; longer stem and seat post mean bigger levers to exert force on the frame. But this should not be a significant effect.
Should your feet touch the ground when on a bike?
The height of your saddle is important for the most comfortable position and safe riding style. When you sit on the saddle, both feet should reach the floor and the balls of your feet should be touching the ground.
How do you know if a bike is the right size?
Look for listed standover heights, and compare that number to your inseam. The difference between your inseam and the standover height should fall within the target ranges. (For example, if you have a 30” inseam, you’ll want a road bike with a 29” standover height.)
Can I get a shorter seat post?
A seatpost can relatively easily be cut shorter, but a too short seatpost can’t be lengthened, of course. Seatpost, with a seat mounting clamp on top. Saddle height is adjusted by sliding the seatpost further in/out of the frame (seat tube).
Does a shorter stem affect handling?
Stem length is one of a number of factors, along with head tube angle and fork rake, that affects a bike’s handling. Generally speaking, a shorter stem will result in faster handling, while a longer stem will result in slower, more predictable handling.
Can I ride a smaller frame road bike?
With a smaller frame, you will need an appropriately longer handlebar stem in order to retain the cockpit length. This will affect handling of the bike: it will feel more “lively”, which can be good in some cases (tight turns, difficult terrain) or bad (less stable) – in most cases.
