The first year I participated in 130 Strong I rode the bike I had in the garage for 20 years and struggled to get through the 101 miles. On my last ride that year, my pedal froze up and I had to walk the last quarter mile…what the heck?? I couldn’t believe my trusty ol’ bike would give up on me like that and make me walk home!!
At this point, I was not happy and was on the hunt for a new bike!! When I started the bike search I had no clue how to find the right size and even where to start in finding the right size…I was overwhelmed!! I asked friends who were avid riders how to find the right bike and the answers were “oh about this size” or “go to the bike shop and they will help you!” So, I went to Dr. Google to help me find what I needed.
Y’all, did you know you can pick a bike size based off of your height!?! Here is a chart I found to help you out!!
This was exciting to me!! I didn’t have to go find a fancy bike shop and have someone help me choose my bike!
But wait…how in the world do they measure a bike? Is it the tire size? Is it the seat height? Is it the handlebar height? Oh no…none of those! It is from the center point of the pedal to the top of the post your seat goes into!! Who knew?! Not me!!
Now I am sure you are thinking that I know what size my bike is, right? Well guess what?? I have no clue other than it was an awesome looking bike at Scheels and it was the same size measuring to myself as my old bike!! Haha
I bought my bike and brought it directly to the clinic to have Dr. Randy Stinson, PT, DPT help me set it up!
We had already done the research to make sure how to correctly set a person up with their bike and knew exactly what to look for! It took some time and adjusting but when we finished it was perfect!!
The following pictures are how the bike was set up before I brought it to the clinic and after Dr. Stinson helped me adjust the seat and handlebars!!
In this picture you can see that with my heel on the pedal there is still a bend in my knee. The correct position here will be shown in the next picture but when your heel is on the pedal, you want your leg to be straight. This makes sure when you ride with the ball of the foot on the pedal you have the correct bend in your knee.
Dr. Stinson, PT rode his bike today as well and we thought we would throw his bike on the stand as well. You guys…his seat is so high that when he tried to put his heel on the pedal in the 6 o’clock position he couldn’t reach the pedal! We quickly lowered that seat!!
My shoulders here are 90 degrees and my leg is straight when I have my heel on the pedal! Yay, my bike fits and is comfortable to ride!! We adjusted Dr. Stinson’s bike as well by lowering the seat!
Hopefully this information will help you find your next bike without all of the headache of searching for what size bike you need.
Also, we can help you set up your bike when you get it so it fits you!! Things we look for are seat height, handlebar height, and seat setback to make sure you are comfortable and avoid injuries while riding your bike!
Thanks everyone for reading my bike shopping experience!! Let me know your experiences and how you decided which bike to buy!
