Ride your Bicycle in Comfort with Right Bike Fit

Mar 15, 2016 • By James Smith •

If you want to enjoy your bicycle ride for longer, right bicycle fit isnecessary. At the time of choosing or buying a bicycle, you need to ensure that it fits right to give you great comfort. For a proper bike fit, you need to focus on the saddle, brake levers, stem, handlebars, hoods, pedals, shoes, and cleats.
1. Standover Height: While choosing a cycle, you need to focus on its standover heights. It should be correctly sized as per your leg length, and needs to be highly flexible. If you are choosing a road bike, there should be 1-inch of clearance between the ground and tires. If choosing mountain bike (having full suspension) the clearance between the ground and tires should 1-2 inches.
2. Handlebar: It is the most variable factor, depending greatly on your flexibility. When your hands are on the hoods or drops, a minor angle at the elbow is required. If your bike is new, you need long steered tube with 2 inches of spacers, beneath the stem. You can rotate the spacers, up or down, for your comfort fit.
3. The height of the Seat: There should be a slight bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Ideally, the band should be 80 to 90% of your full leg extension. Your seat height is the distance between the bottom bracket and the top of the seat. It should be near closeness to the product of your inseam, multiplied by 0.883.

4. Saddle Position: The ideal saddle position is when the front part of your ahead knee is directly above the ball of your foot, and the pedal is at 3 o'clock position.
5. Stem Length and Angle: The stem length and the angle position of the bike determine how far you are able to reach and bend yourself to reach to the handlebars. For a comfortable reach, you need to increase or decrease the stem length. For a comfortable ride, there should be the perfect balance between handlebars and stem angle. The ideal riding position is when you get a less shock-absorbing bend in arms, and do not need to apply much force to the brakes.
6. Cleat Placement: For maximum power transfer, you need to mount your cleats on your shoes, which leads to the ball of your foot exactly above the pedal spindle. Also, you need to focus on your pedal styling.
For best bike fit San Francisco, you can visit various shops that offer bike sizing service.