Bike sizing

26/09/24 22:42 Filed in: Gear

I recently put up a story about chain lubricating that was inspired by a disagreement in a Facebook cycling group about best approach to chain lubrication.
Well it happened again, this time about bike size.
The Gen 2 Trek Checkpoint was (as it has been superseded now by the gen 3) a very long bike. This length prompted many to choose a size down. A question came up from a Checkpoint shopper asking for advice about sizing. Someone replied that all else being equal, you should choose the smallest frame you can fit on.
I've heard that advice so many times; lighter frame, stiffer frame, more aero... the benefits list is long.
And I completely disagree with it. I suggested that as a fitter of 20+ years experience, when in doubt, size up. Choose the largest frame you can fit on for the most comfortable experience.
Small is OK for some professional riders. They are all young, fit and have access to a support team that can assist if the small frame leads to discomfort. I suggest for anyone with typical Western lived experience, small is not going to be your best friend. It requires a certain level of flexibility, core strength, mobility and balance to achieve a happy location on a small bike. As part of my bike fitting, I've tested a lot of cyclists for flexibility and core strength. It would be fair to say that most do not present with high flexibility and high strength.
Regardless of these, for older cyclists larger is going to help out with achieving comfort. Few at 40 still retain the flexibility and strength they had at 20.

The TL:DR summary is: there's a pretty good reason that there is a "usual" size for a bike based on a person's leg measurement. Have a good reason if you want to stray from that.

Michael Hanslip Coaching

If you want to go faster, you have to pedal harder

Bike sizing