How To Pick the Right Size Bike (Top Tips from Pro Bike Fit Expert)

[@luisgarcia22]

If you can't afford a fitter, Neill Stanbury's videos are an incredibly good way to start understanding bike fitting.

[@jamesmarkpriestley]

This all day Long! And Steve hogg

[@diegoeleazar9154]

I was disappointed. TWICE!

[@Dustydayzz]

@@diegoeleazar9154 by who?

[@MrGarycoww]

I had this problem,so I went to specialized and tried that model in both sizes and chose what I felt better on 👍

[@leeaprescott]

And thats a great way to do it if you can test ride. Annoyingly this is becoming a thing of the past.

[@What-a-kerfuffle-1]

Having had a bike fit in France I can vouch the importance of them, I had the correct bike but because of my leg and body proportions I needed a zero offset seat tube plus plenty of adjustments required thereafter. Whilst many may state I could have worked this out by gaining knowledge researching I know I wouldn’t have got there. The comfort I gained after the fit was amazing. If you are considering one and unsure of the cost / benefits consider the downside of injuries.

[@dylanlane9313]

That was an amazing video. Any questions I had about bike fitting were answered! Thanks!

[@davidarthur]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

Bike fitting really isn't all that difficult ... but the cost these days is crazy ... I've had a bike fit years ago, but its a £1000 day out these days (certainly the 2-3 near me in London/Surrey) .... I'm not sure where the '£100 - £200' figure has come from ...... even his website says £170 for an initial consultation to see what bike fit is then required .... its not a cheap day out ... crazy just crazy

[@Mathcartney]

Yeah, they must smoke some crack before sending those prices. Also, very naive to assume everybody Will have a local bike fit. Most of the times you Will end buying online your bike because prices and overall options anyways

[@flipper2gv]

Bike fit prices are out of this world. 350 CAD is what I've seen around here and it's for what, 1 hour of a guy with a measuring tape?

[@cityslacker6221]

supply and demand. All you’re telling me is there aren’t enough techs doing bike fits.

[@JIMMYHIBBS1]

@@cityslacker6221 That's the text book consumerism answer ... but just like phones, TV's, etc .. its a relatively new industry, and it'll correct ... in years to come it'll become free to sit down and get sold bars, shoes, insoles, saddles, etc .. LOL

[@leeaprescott]

HI There. If you look closer you will see that the Bike sizing service is £120. Most full fits only require 30 minutes of fitting so the total is only £230 and thats only if you need adjustments. If not the full figure is £170. If you are wanting to purchase a bike then it is FOC. All of this is clearly shown on the website.

[@matskelton9589]

Happy Christmas Dave 🎉

[@ewanmackenzie6777]

Great one David!

[@leerichy6489]

Very good, as you would expect of someone with his experience. It would have taken me 11 takes just to say specificity. But....if people learn and get bike fits before buying, where am I going to get all my 2nd hand bikes from at half price?

[@stuartmisfeldt3068]

Stack & reach, no mention of foot size/toe overlap, crank length, stem length, handlebar drop/reach, seat post setback etc.

[@Bike4Coffee-Cake]

On the “long legs / short body” = smaller frame for reach, I think this depends which side of a size border you are on. I am all legs, and just at the top of size 56 (or top of Canyon M). But for me, size 56 on a race bike means a really aggressive bar drop - like 12- 15cm even with spacers - too much for me. On the other hand, size 58 is getting really long, and I need a very short stem. Luckily gravel/endurance bikes fit better, but if I wanted a race bike I would possibly need a custom frame (or learn to adopt a pro-racing position 😂).

[@Handletaken4]

Get on a bike, have your friend hold a yardstick against the head tube. This stick should intersect your ear. Watch old Merckx, Indurain videos. Choose a stem length which is comfortable. Raise your saddle high and lower it by 5mm until it feels correct. All done. Or, call Mark Nobilette and have him build you one

[@saszaks]

People buying a new bike don't need a bike fitting, but bike sizing. These are different.

[@leeaprescott]

absolutely right. That is why this service is separated out on our website.

[@Natan9000]

If I’d live in the UK id visit this bikefitter. He seems to know the best so far of all the videos I’ve watched (or I simply agree on all he thinks). Would he be able to recommend a bikefitter in NL with the same knowledge, skills? 🙏

[@veloatelier6122]

Hi there. Yes simply go to the IBFI website and you will be able to search for other level 4 fitters. There are some great people in NL.

[@joeyist5352]

On "long torso larger size, long leg smaller size", I have always been fitted opposite. With long torso myself, I didn't necessarily prioritise seat tube height (so more seat post exposing), but rather the longer head tube of larger frame made fitting more difficult/sitting too up right. With the smaller frame I could have a longer stem and few spacer on steerer, but you can't achieve the same with a larger size, no?

[@impaledface7694]

It really depends on what bikes you are looking at. Someone with a long torso needs to look at tt length/reach, and stack height/headtube length, then maybe ST length in case it's too long. Old steel bikes the seat tube and head tube are generally extended at a similar rate, where the top tube is short so long torso riders might need to choose the largest size they can and slam the stem to get more reach, or just run 130+mm stems.

[@michaelmechex]

Yeah, I noticed that too. Although he said a long torso rider needs a *longer* frame, which is technically true. But not necessarily a bigger one, because if you look at most geometry charts, a bigger size usually has a minor reach increase, usually under 10mm, but stack increase of 20 or more. Also you might run into too much standover height and seat tube length, so a smaller size with a longer stem will work much better.

[@veloatelier6122]

@@michaelmechextrue to an extent but it then screws the handling. Depending on the frame this is why we tried to explain about the jumps in stack and reach. Ultimately you just need to work to that once you know your ideal range.

[@theoswinscow]

How do you know if you have a long torso /short legs or the opposite? Or normal? Where can I find this information? Thanks!

[@impaledface7694]

@@theoswinscow One thing to check is PBH/cycling inseam. Then see what other people's inseams are around your height, or search on the internet. Also check your wingspan to see if you are more normal or not.

[@nerdhoy]

Get a $500 bikefitter, then they will recommend you a $10000+ Dogma X, or better yet a complete custom bike with an eyewatering price tag. 😂 You guys know which KZbin bikefitter I'm memeing about... Not everybody is born as a billionaire...😂 Personally, I'd just get the most basic bike sizing, preferably from the bike shop for free. If I need a better sizing references, I'd just go do the Idmatch by selle italia. And only if somehow I get good enough as a amateur cyclist in my local crits, would I be consider doing a extended bikefitting. Just my two cents. 😅

[@leeaprescott]

Yes thats why our Bike sizing is only £120. We dont recommend any bikes unless asked and often run searches for these clients to see what bikes would fit them so they can buy second hand online with confidence.

[@Dustydayzz]

care about seattube if you have particularly long legs...like myself...which is followed by head tube, then stack and reach...he forgot to mention you could have short torso but long arms

[@bobfoster687]

I have never heard a “bike fitter” mention seat tube angle when discussing bike fit. Seat tube angle affects the reach from the saddle to the bars.

[@nominoe6759]

All these bike fit videos people post skip what seems like a major point in bike fitting. People are flexible. I’d love to hear from someone with a physio background how minor flexibility improvements can affect your bike fit. I’ve ridden several bikes in my life without ever getting a bike fit, and sometimes a new bike feels uncomfortable at first but then after riding for several weeks the old bike feels uncomfortable now. Never had any injuries from bike fit.

[@RadCJ33]

As someone who is very involved with carbon frame manufacturing, I have to say I do not know of any frame where 12:42 would be true. Typically, there is a mold for the front triangle per size, so stack and reach can be chosen independently for each size. Typically shared are seatstays, in some cases chainstays, and forks. In some cases you can see almost only growth in stack for small sizes because foot clearance makes it hard to go any shorter. Ans if yomeone offers a lot of sizes, I would argue doing it in steps rather than linearly actually is beneficial for customers, since now they choose a more upright geometry without being taged as retirement fit.

[@veloatelier6122]

That’s great that you work with monocoque moulds. A lot of the bigger brands have committed to making the size progression better and moving to at least front triangle full moulds. Back when I was regularly working out of Shenzhen and Suzhou, sharing sub assemblies was the norm and often carried across multiple bikes not just sizes. I’m so glad that it is getting better thanks to the work of people like you.

[@solarrain1176]

10:13 I'm a man with a slightly longer torso and very short arms. It has been very difficult to choose bikes.

[@masonmedia101]

Isn’t a bike’s ‘real’ reach figure - i.e. the distance between your hips and the bars - heavily dependent on the HT/ST angles? Gravel and mountain bikes often have convergent angles. Such a bike with a steep seat tube and a slack head tube would have a relatively tighter seating position, compared to one with the same reach but parallel angles?

[@harryrowland4734]

Why do people keep referring to the inseam? Inseam is not the same as inside leg.

[@Sergio_Math]

Reach should be your main measurement. Seat height is very easy to adjust in most cases (I'm looking at you, Colnago Y1Rs)... But how long a bike is is weirdly inconsistent if you compare size numbers between brands and sometimes individual models within the same brand. For example, my reach is exactly the same on a 56 3T Exploro, a 54 Specialized Roubaix and a 52 Scott Addict. I understand being between 2 frame sizes, but 3?!

[@MrGarycoww]

😂 what seatpost !!

[@alantait5968]

Are people really buying the wrong bike size or just the wrong type of bike. Every year in Majorca I see a ton of race bikes with maximum spacers and often upturned stems. Clearly just the wrong type of bike for that person.

[@alex5140]

Cause all want to see themselves as racers and buy aggressive bikes, and then they realize they cant sit comfortable

[@danielt91]

Bike fitting mostly feels like a scam. I'm sure there are good fitters out there, but the harsh reality is that there are much more of them that aren't good, which means you will pay the extra money AND remain poorly fitted. There's also the possibility that you might be steered into buying something you don't need (a new stem, sadlle or whatever) which also isn't really fitting. And the next fitter would say there's a lot wrong with your current setup, the previous fitter was't very good and you need to spend again. Guess what happens if you visit a third one 😂

[@davidarthur]

Should definitely use the IBF website to find a reputable bike fitter www.ibfi-certification.com/find-a-fitter

[@danielt91]

@davidarthur Thanks, but according to this site there none in Bulgaria. Same goes for neighbouring countries like Greece, Romania, Serbia and Macedonia. Sucks to live in third world country, I guess 🙂

[@maurozky1]

@@danielt91 Same problem in the "first world". There are only three fitters shown in Canada, a country that spans 5,000 kms across with the world's longest recreational trail, at 28,000 kms.

[@danielt91]

@@maurozky1 I'm sorry to hear that. At least you have Katheryn Winnick and maple syrup. In that particular order 🙂😊

[@maurozky1]

@@danielt91 True. Life could be worse 😁

[@Gazmaz]

Why is it the assumption that a first time bike buyer will go out and get fitted! They don’t know that they should get a fitting, and they are not likely to pay the high prices for a bike that will cost them a lot of money. So I’m assuming the £250 secondhand bike I bought 2-3 years ago (MEKK) that I have now progressed to ride with a club with, must not be too bad, I don’t have any aches or pains no injuries, so first of all make sure you are comfortable on the bike. Now if I’m going to upgrade and pay the much higher prices for a lighter modern bike then going a fit may be worth it.

[@friendbubble8415]

Is bike fitting for MTBs usefull? I ask because on a MTB I dont sit for "hours", I rather move around on the bike. And can u explain where this x0,885 or something method is from and why it exist? Its so wrong but some keep doing this.

[@veloatelier6122]

Yes we fit MTB regularly. There are different things we are looking at depending on the discipline. Ratio based calculations come from trying to get people somewhere close. They where mostly devised may years ago by frame builders working out frame sizes before sports science became prevalent. It’s what we did40 years ago when I started building frames.

[@henrycichoski81]

A 17 minute video to basically say go see a fitter so you don't get the wrong bike. But what if you go to a fitter that doesn't know what they are doing? It would be nice to see a video of a fitter explaining what you should look for if your bike is too small and or too big. Or better yet how about a video of something like if you have these range of measurements you more than likely will need this range of specs on your specific type (gravel race ECT) of bike. I know there could be outliers, but you can't tell me that these supposed experts don't see trends on what size bike someone needs as they start to get folks measurements. And before anyone says "it all depends on how you interact with the bike" which I don't disagree with. However, during both bike fits that I had done both fitters started by taking measurements so obviously it does matter and I am sure they have a preconceived mind set that hey with these measurements this person will more than likely need this size. But maybe I am wrong.

[@veloatelier6122]

Hi There. Yes it’s a very complicated issue due to how different we all are but there are trends we can see. We try and address this in the next video actually. It’s taken us 40 years of experience to get to where we are at our studio so it’s pretty difficult to cover everything in a 15minute video. If you ever have any specific questions we are always happy to take an email from you.

[@StacyODell]

How can I determine standover height from (primarily Italian for some reason) manufacturers that don't publish that information?

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Standiver height is when stand over the top tube and there should be at least 1 to 2 inches clearance between your crotch and the top tube.

[@michaelmechex]

I'd say the radius of the wheel minus the bb drop plus seat tube length should be close enough? It will be slightly less, depending on how much the top tube is dropped, but it doesn't need to be milimeter perfect. If you're not sure, it's probably too high.

[@StacyODell]

@@reinholdachleitner2069 yeah, I get that ;) I'm asking how to find out what the standover height of a size 54 Pinarello dogma x is, for example, if Pinarello doesn't publish the standover height numbers.

[@edwarding4355]

Too short of a stem on a bike is a problem. Too long is not. It is a visual thing. Why I know,? pros have smaller bikes than normal people would and they put very long stems. 130mm , 140mm is quite common. You can't say they can't use their bikes properly..

[@keithallam9098]

I love the comment nowadays you can get a custom built bike for as ’ as £4,000. 🤣🤣

[@MiataBRG]

I've had it with bike fit videos, they are everywhere, please no more.

[@MashiroRedo]

Looking at a 3000 bike and bike fit is 300…..

[@kreed4]

IBFI site is awful. Can’t search by zip or location, just country and certification levels. Useless.

[@veloatelier6122]

I will take that on board. The map uses google maps so that you can zoom into your area but we are working on making it much more user friendly. If in doubt simply email us and we will send you links to al of your local certified fitters.

[@kreed4]

@@veloatelier6122 Gotcha. I live in NYC and just assumed the map wasn't comprehensive as there are no IBFI fitters within 2 hrs drive. Agree that it likely only makes sense to include zip search when there is more coverage.

[@pantani9886]

I HAD A BIKE FIT FOR A DREAM BIKE BUILD, AND ALSO ASKED 5X COLNAGO DEALERS MY C60 SIZE (EVEN SOMEONE OF 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE!) WHO ALL SAID I WAS A 58S, YET I WAS ACTUALLY A 56S (COLNAGO SIZE GUIDE EVEN SAID I WAS A 56S!). BIKE WAS TOO BIG, AND WAS GIVING ME PAINS, SO I GOT ANOTHER BIKE FITTER WHO IMMEDIATELY SAID FRAME WAS TOO BIG, WITH TOO LONG STEM & TOO WIDE BARS! ENVE WERE THE ONLY COMPANY TO MAKE 38CM CARBON BARS, AND 80MM STEM WHICH SORTED THE PROBLEMS, BUT MADE BIKE LOOK SILLY! I DECIDED TO SELL IT, AND GET A RIGHT SIZE 56S C64 DISC COLNAGO WITH CAMPAGNOLO 12-SPEED SUPER RECORD EPS, ETC! I ALSO HAVE A BIANCHI SPECIALISSIMA RIM BRAKE IN CUSTOM ORANGE WITH FULL CAMPAGNOLO 12-SPEED SUPER RECORD EPS, ETC, AND A VIRTUALLY NEW BIANCHI "PANTANI REPLICA!".