Bike fitting - Essential guides to fit your bicycle

Common mistakes when fitting a bike Bike fitting is an important aspect when getting ready to ride a new bike. The way that one adjusts the seat and the handle bars affects the way the body is positioned on a bike and can increase or decrease efficiency. While professional riders fit their bikes for performance alone, recreational riders should strive for a balance between comfort and optimal operation. A few rules of thumb when bike fitting are as follows.

Frame Getting the right frame size is important to assure that the body isn’t overextended or too cramped when riding a bike.

Generally, if you straddle the bike with your feet on the ground there should be at least one inch between your body and the top tube.

Seat Adjustments The seat height determines that length the leg travels and its angle when peddling. This is a critical adjustment as if the seat is too high the legs are fully extended and there is a risk of injury. If the seat is too low the legs are putting forth too much effort.

Have a friend help while sitting on the bike. When the peddles are at the bottom or six o’clock position the leg should be bent about twenty-five percent to a straight line. If the hips rock back and forth it is a sign that the seat is too high.

The position of the seat from front to back of the bike determines the position of the knees in relation to the pedals.

Checking this requires a friend to hold the bike while the rider sits on the bike and positions the pedals so that they are level to the ground. The knees should be directly above the axel of the pedals. If the knee is in front of the axel it puts the rider in the wrong position and affects efficiently during strenuous riding.

Handle Bars Improperly fitted bike handlebars can cause pain in the back and shoulders. Handle bars should be set so that the body is positioned at a forty-five degree angle to the top tube.

While these rules of thumb work to make bike fitting less complicated, good bike shops have more sophisticated methods for minute adjustments which can increase performance. These methods take riders styles, the type of riding and the kind of bike into consideration.

As with any general guidelines, if you are more comfortable with different settings than suggested do what works best for you.