Actually there were 2 gravel bikes I was considering, both CO-OPs. I could have done with the $1000 but it came only in black. I bought the $1500 one because its a nice off white with orange stripes; will enjoy the upgraded features as a result😆.
I am a runner. Me knees have taken a serious beating over the yrs. So @ this pont I'm contemplating on crossing over to cycling. I had no idea how big cycling really was. & yeah how expensive & technical it can get to purchase the right bike for u. This video certainly helped in my search of understanding the cycling world.. thank u
There are a lot of custom builders who can help you out. Still, see an experienced and competent bike fit tech before you waste money on the wrong bike.
There needs to be some personal choice options considered when choosing your frame size. I've just ordered a new bike that offers a S, M, ML, and L sizes. According to the manufactures sizing chart, I overlapped the M and ML size so I could go either way. Being someone with a longer torso, I'm able to have something with a bit more reach. Being an older rider, I also didn't want to be too low in the front in order to prevent back discomfort. I made sure that I sat on both sized bikes to get a real feel. I also compared the geometry of my existing bike to that of the new bike, to make sure I was aware of any differences and made sure there was enough adjustments in the saddle height, etc on the new bike to be close to my existing set up. I went with the ML. For a younger racer, I could see why they might go for the M, and have the seat post way up and the bars slammed down, but for me it just felt too small.
I got 2 size up with long wheelbase hybrid... everything is adjustable in wide range, after some custom parts added. Currently planning to install pedals lowering joints to get better pull and also to lower my seat all the way down , that way my feet be able to touch the ground when I stop. I like my setup . With big tires it looks more like a motorcycle to me.)) Sweet big bike
What about adjusting the handlebar width? This can make a big difference to comfort and aero if you have particularly wide or particularly narrow shoulders.
Problem is you want upright position so you choose bigger bike but bigger bike usually comes with longer top tube therefore longer reach. Longer reach means you have to adjust your stem to dangerously smaller size. I've had to experience this as i bought a size 53 bianchi and size match up my height but the reach doesn't so i had to change the stem to 60mm and it becomes dangerously hard to control though the right is comfortable as if i can ride it all day. But again hard to control.
Just a casual biker from the 80s era, and indeed thanks for the information. Can't keep yet with modern road bikes, kind a hard to let go of my Torrot road bike (Spain) and a Decathlon as well. Both chromoly. Will consider buying the modern one soon, perhaps.
I'm a mature adult, in decent physical condition, and new to cycling. On the bike chart I'm exactly between sizes. What are the pros and cons of buying the smaller vs the larger bike? Thanks
here's a more technical but easy way to find the right seat height for you. Measure your inside leg from stocking foot at the heel to the underside of your bits (you know what I mean) then turn that into a 109% centimeter measurement. Put your pedal at the 6 o'clock position and measure to the top of the saddle and adjust to the 109% length. Easy.
Thank you for addressing this topic. I am still a bit confused. Could you provide samples of different frame sizes and different reaches and different stacks?
Sit height... when you sit on saddle land your hill with your riding shoes or your shoes on wear totl the pedal. And then straigth both your leg and make their level at the same levelings.. to avoide quite higher saddle that makes your pelvicular swinging when pedaling.. . Rotating or pedaling alternatively is not reqly a complete fundaments of measuring bike fit saddle height. So both hill is on same level while the other foot is on pedal.
Great video but what about folding bikes? Brompton, Dothan, Java and Tern? Also, how can a tall guy find a folding bikes that can fit them well? For 20 inch wheels, 16-inch wheels
Anyone else find they have to be careful with seat tube angle? On a 172.5mm crank I have to put saddle right back with a 74 degree seat tube angle. Otherwise get knee pain. Cleats are just behind ball of foot. MTB is ok with 175mm cranks.
First and foremost is Standover Height for me. With my 28.5" inseam the only brand I can consider is Giant for the most part. Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, often start round 30-31" and up in height. I've been looking for a fat bike and even though I love the styling of the Farley, it looks like the Yukon is my only option. Anyone with short legs should also check out the bikes normally labeled as "Womens", they usually have slightly lower Standover.
I'm short but i have longer arms and shorter legs. Finding a bike that is low enough for standover, but long enough not to have a 200mm stem is difficult.
if for a person's height is suitable for size M, but if a person has long hands, doesn't mean size M will be comfortable, personally my height is for size M, but using M I feel like shoved myself in a tight box
Still don’t have an easy answer for the novice rider. Sounds like you just pay the money and have fit. Of course that means you have to trust they what they are doing ?
Bike size has been a U shaped curve for me - when I started, I went for a smaller size because I felt too stretched on a larger size. Then, as I did more cycling, I needed a larger size to be comfortable. Now, as arthritis sets in, I went back to the smaller size and more upright position. Which is why for new cyclists I suggest buying a second hand bike, so when you decide it's the wrong size you don't lose too much money due to depreciation!
Arnold Chan Yh. That’s what I was expecting. Nothing much new added here. They should have used their own sizes to compare against different brands and why they’d choose one size over the other. (Or something to that affect)
@@gcn Yes, I found the seat height thing pretty esoteric till I saw a guy on a hired bike looking like he was on a tricycle lol. Now I get it it. I'm having problems getting the right forward aft placing of the saddle.
Your diagram of reach and stack are not very clear the way you showed them. You should add arrows to clarify that the stack is a vertical measurement relative to the bottom bracket whereas the reach is a horizontal relative measurement from the bottom bracket.
This is a really valuable subject for a video, so thanks for making it. I think it could do with being a bit more precise with the graphics though, and use real examples as someone else also commented. Another thing that was not mentioned is seat-tube angle - this can obviously have a big effect on the rider's hip angle and how far they have to reach, and is not made clear when looking at stack and reach alone. Not all manufacturers make proprietary seatposts with different offsets.
Could you please make a video (or even a small series) about how road bike frames evolved through the histroy? How frame geometries changed and why? What kinds of fits were preferred by pro cyclists historically and why and by whom those preferences changed in time? (ie: Old steel frames always had top tubes parallel to the ground, nowadays they're mostly sloped. Or saddles are adjusted much higher than before, etc.) I couldn't find a comprehensive well made video on that subject, so I would really appreciate if you could make one. Keep up the good work.
When you're 2 meters tall, the only question is, does the manufacturer make a frame even remotely close to big enough? Test riding is almost always not possible because the largest frame sizes are not available in the shop. You special order the bike, then you figure out all the adjustments needed to make it fit as well as possible.
I'm just coming back to cycling after a 15 year hiatus, and being 2.03m, I share your pain. Perhaps when I was younger, I didn't notice so much, but now even a 61cm frame feels compact. The hunt for a 65cm begins!
I always have this issue. I have a long torso and short legs. My legs would dictate a medium frame should be big on me, but my torso and arms are comfortable on a large frame with 120mm stem. This gives me ideal stack and reach dimensions that are nearly identical. The issue comes when I wanna get long and low, and my head and arms are still above my hips on a large frame or chest on the handlebars on a medium frame. I have considered using my experience as a welder to make my own frame and bolt existing components to it.
What about top tube length? That's the best way to measure a bike because it doesn't get effected by the design of the bike. 2 bikes can have completely different effective seat tube length and the same top tube length. The seat tube is less important because the seat post moves, but the length of the top tube doesn't.
Bike sizing, especially on road bikes opens a huge can of worms. If you fit in the manufacturers prescribed size range for the recommended size then great but this video as informative as its is doesn't make any mention of body proportions. ie, long torso short legged riders or vice versa. Don't get me wrong it's as good as you're going to get in a short video but it's always best to speak to a bike fitter or experienced riders. Im an ex bike fitter and I've seen so many people buy the end of season bargain that they know is a size too big or small and regret it massively. Bike fitting is so important if you're road riding as you turn the pedals so many times on even a short bike ride. You want to make sure the bike fits your body and vice versa other wise it's just energy being wasted trying to adapt constantly. We all wanna look like pros on the bike but sadly we can't all carry it off. Long and low is great if you can do it, but most of us normal riders can't sustain that position for too long. There's seat angle, head angle, wheelbase and crank length to factor in. Its not a 2 minute decision picking a size. Just speak to the professionals before spending your hard earned.
@@KingofStreet3 could be down to your body proportions that a 52cm feels better. If you've got a short reach then the shorter top tube will be a better fit.
So much easier to make an mountain bike fit. Have one hardtail and one full suspension bike. Both fits me like a glove, super comfortable. The road bike was much harder to fit, and is still not nearly as comfortable, but then again I'm not so flexible. This winter between riding my full suspension with studded tires I will start streching out my body. Now I can just barely touch my toes from a standing position, I'm sure if I become more flexible my road bike will feel much better to ride. The size of my road bike seems good, I'm at the upper limit of my size falling almost between two sizes with 3 cm to go. Not my bike size that is the trouble is my body, lifting weights for years without streching out will do that to you.
For bike fitting purposes, I measure through the center of the top tube. If I cannot get my hands on the bike, and the manufacturer’s site isn’t specific, I won’t purchase that bicycle.
Alradhi Jerichosakti it’s the top of the headtube that counts, not the bottom. The distance between the bottom and the ground is pretty much the same for all bikes that use 700c wheels unless you have abnormal forks. Stack is measured from the bottom bracket centre to the top of the headtube.
dtmateo the OP write headset and so do I. i’m not talking about headtube. about headset, very common with bike that have external headset, changing the bottom headset both shorter or longer will affect the bike geometry. longer bottom headset will slacken the head angle, shorter bottom headset will make it steeper.
What about standover? I guess this is also important. I can find a bike with a good size in reach and stack but the standover is too high. Bike size really is not that easy at all 😄
And with this information it should be possible to chose the correct bike size for you. As James pointed out in his last statement, it largely depends on what you want.
Valerian Ardelean Shorter = smaller numbers. As they said many times, bike manufacturers do not use standardised measurements to set the sizes. Therefore, they cannot give exact numbers.... and so it is up to the watcher to decide if they want shorter or longer.
I use a professional fitter when deciding on a new bike. He has all my measurements and helps me make the correct choices. I bought my Niner gravel bike that way. Most comfortable bike I own
Loved this. I can't help feeling that the two times I bought the more expensive bike, they fit me with a smaller frame and the result is my knees come up very high so my thigh is horizontal to the ground. Funnily enough this was the only time I was measured by some guy who was supposed to adjust the bike to my fit.
At 6 feet 3 with a 94cm inseam, I settled on a proportional 59cm Viking (I now ride something a little more sophisticated) which seemed to fit perfectly actually, though higher end bikes aren’t always proportional. Always aim for a size that allows you to get an efficient pedal stroke, otherwise your fitness is going to be impacted, unless your riding for leisure only. A smaller frame (assuming you’ve got the seat at the correct height) will produce a more aggressive position, a larger frame size with the same saddle height will give your a more comfortable position - assuming there isn’t much difference in the top tube length, which based on charts, experts and forums, increases by 1cm for every 2cm seat tube increase.
From watching people when I'm out riding, most seem to be on a bike that's too big. They correct it by not putting hands on the hoods or by having locked elbows. I'd say if you think you're between two, you're really the smaller size
Joaquin Ong sure, they show a graphic indicating it's measured at the centreline of the steerer tube at the top of the stem when it should be measured at the top of the head tube. That's how every bike designer in the world measures it, it's the industry standard. If you get these things mixed up you could end up buying a bike that's completely the wrong size.
I dont know anything about bikes, I am planning fo buy my 1st bike, My height is 5'3 and this is the bike I am planning to buy, please help if I am buying the right size for me 27.5 All Alloy :MATURE ROAD BIKE ALLOY 27.5 💥💥 ✔️SPECS 🚲🚲 - SIZE: 27.5 - SPEED : 7X3 - SHIMANO - SHIMANO DISC BRAKE - SIZE:700*230mm - DUAL DISC BRAKES - SMOOTH SHIFTING - ADJUSTABLE SEAT - WITH STAND - ALLOY FORK - ALLOY STEM - ALLOY HANDLE - ALLOY FRAME INTERNAL CABLING - ALLOY HUB
My hight is 184cm but my leg length is 90/91cm... My hight says I should have a size 56 but my leg length says a size 60 (TREK) what measures are the best??? Currently I have a Battaglin Stealth size 61cm... but to get the reach comfortable I’ve changed the seatpost to a zero setback and the stem to a 90mm with at 75mm reach handlebar... The bike feels good but it’s a little lively on descends...
I think way too much time is spent by people fiddling with their fit. Lemond became the #1 rider in the U.S. and the 1st thing Guimard did was raise his seat a full inch. Hampsten won the Giro with a position 2.5 cm shorter and 2 cm higher than when he won Alp D'uez 4 years later. Contador rides a 54 but Coppi (same height) rode a 59.
Even sitting on the wrong bicycle for a few minutes can feel comfortable but after a 50 mile or more ride, you will really find out if it’s comfortable or not.
Max Williams to me that’s why the advice of “getting fitted by a professional“ is overstated: the fellows will always ask, after making a dozen changes: “how does that feel?“ well, It always feels great in the shop. Ride for several hours and those most minor of adjustments May not feel so great on the road.
Usually, just collect the "repeated wrong feelings" and bring those to your bike fitter, fitted with him/her, and ask for two/three times revisit without additional cost to confirm the adjustments.
Well, it had to happen eventually - my first thumbs down on a GCN video. We would have been better served by you guys in a bike shop sitting on different sizes of the same model to show us the effects of a bike that is too big or too small for the rider.
Thanks, and a lot, I’m hurt of lumbar hernie, and doctor sugest, statick cycling. Of course I’ll try a Bikefitting. But your orientation is great. Thank you from Mexico City
Go to a respectable bike shop and get fitted properly. So many adjustments to make not necessarily just for a pro Cyclist but your own safety and comfort. I wouldn’t buy a bike online.
I’m enjoying the bike so far ru-vid.comUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.
I am at the point of upgrading to a second bike. I am not confused about the seat post height, stack or reach I need, but it doesnt mean I know my size: I can practically get the same setup from either size M or L by adjusting spacers and stem size. So the question really is, for the same setup, is a 'shorter stem with more spacers' (a larger size frame), or a 'longer stem with less spacers' (a smaller size frame) more desirable?
please help me guys. my height 163, can I ride Marin Muirwoods M size which is suitable height for M from 168 to 178. I found that bike on used online platform and I want it so much but still worry about the size. help me.
I'm 5'2", which I'm realizing makes choices limited since the the tire size has to be reduced to accommodate such a tiny human. Not all manufacturers facilitate sizing for women this small, sadly
I appreciate your effort here guys but the explanations as to exactly what stack and reach are is not clear and seem contradictory. At 4 minutes 37 seconds into the video Chris demonstrates what stack and reach are using his hand, but what he describes is nothing like what is shown in the diagram at 1 minute and 30 secs into the video. also at 2 minutes 47, do " Long and low" and " shorter but higher refer to stack or reach or both ? Without knowing these answers it's difficult to use this information to make decision on the best size of frame, especially if you are in-between sizes.
Well, this was useless. Did not understand anything he was talking about. Off to a better video. He’s clearly speaking to advanced bike owners. An advanced bike owner isn’t going to need a tutorial about what’s the right size bike for them.
James‘ saddle hight would definitely be too high for me (relatively speaking). When he is clicked in, his foot is extended downwards quite a bit, which at least for me, makes power transfer very difficult.
True but if you don't want to have knee problems you should have your leg as straight as possible, ideally close to 25 degrees at the knee (with 0 degrees being the a straight leg).
New to this. I am 5ft 8in and bought a medium. I was confused by your last statement. You say if you want a race type ride go for smaller bike yet you said "reach" is shorter on smaller bike so how does that make sense? Am I misunderstanding this?
I cant believe you have made it so complexed. It doesn't need to be ! All manufacturers make bike different yes but they are for different reasons and for different people . This is were people are getting it wrong. I don't know many people who set there bike up them self's and get it right. me included and i have been doing this for 4 decades. if you use a mirror you still wont get it right. Get a bike shop or a guy who knows what he is doing to set you up. Most importantly don't get the guy your buying the bike from tell you what you need he may only want the sale. There are guys that just fit bikes are are good at it they will also advise you on what is suited for you before you waste your money and get the wrong thing. Stack reach are important but getting it slightly of isn't the end of the world some people think it is. I see so many people so poorly set up because they just don't listen or understand. Especially when it comes to simple things even fitting a helmet. I personally couldn't ride a bike that has a small stack. it wouldn't feel right but some people love it that way. this is were preference comes it. But good video .
Lies! 1. SLAM THAT STEM THROUGH THE FLOOR 2. PUT YOUR SEAT POST AS HIGH AS IT CAN GO 3. GET THE LONGEST STEM POSSIBLE 4. IGNORE THAT LOWER BACK PAIN AND KNEE INSTABILITY. YOU LOOK AERO AND PRO
there is this notion that you have to choose between comfort and aerodynamics but for me a longer stem/ more aerodynamic position (60 cm saddle to bar reach, i'm 186cm tall) turned out to be far better for my back as i wasnt as crouched as much.
im 184 and i just bought the Santafixie Raval Fixed Bike - Hydrozoa 30mm size 61cm because it was the only one left. i never had a fixie bike but i love to ride it. do you think it'll be too big for me?
