How To Know What Size Bike To Buy / How To Measure A Bike Frame

Whether you're looking for a Road Bike, a Mountain Bike or a Hybrid Bike, it is equally important to make sure that you are on the correct size frame. A bicycle that is too large can lead to difficulty riding and handling the bike which can be dangerous. A bike that is too small can lead to the need to put the seatpost up too far which can be dangerous, subjecting the seatpost to too much stress, and also the need to put a longer handlebar stem on which will affect the handling of the bike. The question often arises on how to measure a bike frame, but we think rather than worrying about how to measure a bike's size, fitting the frame correctly to your physique is a better idea.

To aid you in finding the correct frame size, most manufacturers will provide a size chart which indicates which frame size you require in each of their models. These size guides are usually based around a fairly generic measurement of your overall height and give you a range which you can match to your height to see which size you require. As body shapes differ, this is fine for a lot of more seasoned riders as they will already likely have an idea of whether they prefer a longer or shorter reach on a bike and a taller or lower standover height, but some people who are newer to cycling may not know this information.

In order to take a lot of the guess work out of bike sizing, most of the bikes at Westbrook Cycles feature the Smartfit size guide system. This allows you to input measurements for your height, your arm length, and your leg length and then shows you exactly where in the bike's size range you sit, to allow for a much more informed decision.

This Smartfit size guide system is available on the majority of our bikes by clicking the "Size Guide" link on each product page, and if the Smartfit guide is not available for that model, the manufacturer's size guide should be displayed in its place. If you are still not sure which size bike to go for, then please get in touch with us and one of our experienced members of staff will be happy to help you choose.