Mountain Bike Sizing
Mountain biking is considered as an extreme sport, and it is important to look at mountain bike sizing when purchasing a mountain bike in order to ensure that the bike is able to perform efficiently. The perfect mountain bike sizing will also ensure that the biker will be able to ride comfortably, control the bike easier, and also sustain less injuries if any accidents were to occur.
Considering mountain bike sizing
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When considering mountain bike sizing, there are numerous aspects to consider. Bikers will need to maintain contact in 3 different locations: the handlebars, the pedals and the seat. Since everyone’s body is built differently, mountain bikes need to be sized and adjusted differently in order for bikers to have the best experience possible.
Looking at mountain bike sizing
When looking at mountain bike sizing, it is important to consider crank length, saddle tilt and height, fore-aft saddle position, handlebar position and width, and general mountain bike size. While there are many pre-determined sizes that are available at mountain biking stores, most stores are generally willing to adjust different areas in order to provide clients with the best comfort.
Crank length will generally measure leg length, and it is generally measured by the distance from the floor to the top of the femur. Generally speaking, to measure crank length, bikers should measure the height from their hip to the floor. The femur is about 5 – 6 inches below the hip, so bikers should subtract the number by 5 inches if they’re considered short, and 6 inches if they’re on the tall side. The number should then be multiplied by 0.185 in order to attain crank length.
After attaining crank length, it is important to consider the saddle tilt and height. It is important to ensure that the saddle is adjusted so that the pelvis is on a level surface and not tilted. Saddle height should allow for some bend in the knee while still allowing bikers to be rather comfortable.
Fore-aft saddle position will generally affect comfort and efficiency in pedaling. It is a compromise between comfort and performance. It will also determine the balance. Bikers will need to be sitting on the bike in order to manually adjust the fore-aft saddle position.
Mountain bike sizing handlebar position
Handlebar position and width will depend on each biker’s preference; however, most expert mountain bikers will generally recommend having the handlebar positioned at the longest reach and lowest position for the best comfort and performance. For handlebar width, professional bikers will generally recommend shoulder width apart; however, handlebar position will highly depend on the biker’s preference as different bikers will appreciate a different type of feel to their bike.
While these fine-tuning adjustments need to be made on a bike, the general size of the bike will depend on the size of the biker. A person who is considered to be extra small should ride a bike of 14 – 15 inches while a person who is small should ride a bike of 16 – 17 inches. Size mediums will generally go with 18 – 19 inches, and larges will go for 20 – 21 inches. Extra larges will generally go for 22 – 23 inches in terms of bike size.
Mountain bike sizing will differ from biker to biker; however, adjustments should be made in order to ensure that all bikers are able to perform at their best while still being comfortable. As everyone’s body is built differently, bikes need to be built differently as well in order to compensate for differences.
