How do you know what size bike to get? Is it based on your height? I'm 5'10".?

Answer 1

The best thing to do is go to a bike shop and have them "fit you". For men the top bar should be 2" to 3" from your crotch. I don't know what it is for women.

Answer 2

This is easy.

It WAS based on height 20 years ago.

Today, that is a severe MISTAKE. Yes, "all caps" because it is a painful mistake.

The modern compact geometry frame will fit from 1 to 2 sizes smaller than your traditional fit. At 5'10" your traditional size is 56, so AVOID all of the new 56cm bikes because they will be too big, too slow, and hurt your spine.

Fit by reach, not by height. Size to your arms.
Why? The seatpost is easy to move up and down for your legs. Shrinking and growing the bike frame is much more difficult. Reach, never "standover height".
Please don't ever measure inseam, pants overall height, etc. . .

Here's what matters: The length of your arms. . .the length of your torso (while sitting, between chair and armpit). These two measures need to make a nice equal triangle while onboard the bike. The third measure is waist to grip. One wants to avoid a flattened out squished triangle.
Most of the "fit to reach" methods will do this. You'll get speed and great health if you fit to reach.

My guess is a 54. I'm male, 5'11" tall, have long legs and very short arms. I get back pain on a 56, but a 54 is fine. Since the handlebars seems short, I use a riser product. The smaller frame fits my arms. This allows for greater distances.

Perhaps you could ride some, but not all of the 56 size bikes. That is, if your arms are long. There is risk involved, but that can be diminished by bikes like Trek Pilot and Specialized Roubaix that have a naturally shorter reach. These are really about a 55 size. ;)

Answer 3

Actually, you might like to keep your own old bicycle from when you were a kid.

I'm 5' 10" myself.
I used to ride adult sized bicycles, but just recently I tried riding a friends bike, it was a childs bicycle, that had Adult modifications made.
Because the wheels are small - not tiny. they can actually handle terrain a lot better than large adult bikes.
The smaller wheels also make climbing hills a lot easier too. If you want to go really fast, it is possible.

I'm having a kid sized bike, made up for me at a local bike shop. Its got 35 different speeds so that I can go really fast on a flat straight course (as fast as some adult racing bikes), and enough lower gears that I can actually go fast - uphill. Instead of crawl up hills like with other adult sized bikes.

Because it's a kid sized BMX bike, I can also take it off road too.

The added advantage is that because it is also smaller than an Adult bike. It can fit Inside my car, so it won't get stolen when I do have to stop at a store before my ride in the country. Also it is way easier to carry it up to my apartment and store it. Unlike an Adult bicycle, which is often too heavy or bulky.

Maybe thats the new trend, who knows.

Good luck sweetie!!

Cheers!!!

Answer 4

I'll go into just one detail why you don't want a GMC Denali...3 piece handlebar. There's a center piece, then those 2 crappy twist grip shifters, then 2 more pieces leading out & down from the shifters. If one of those shifters break (and they will) Kent Bicycles does not sell replacement parts. You'll need a completely new, one piece handlebar & more common Shimano STI shifters w/integrated brake levers or something similar. You're looking at a repair cost more than the bike is worth. That thing is the cheapest & poorest excuse for a bicycle I've ever seen.

Answer 5

Choosing the right bike size will depend on what kind of biking you will do (mountain biking or road biking).

Go to your local bike shop and get fitted. I had myself fitted and they measured my inseam, torso and arm legth. I am 5' 1" in height and has 28" inseam. They recommended a 14 inch bike but because I was comfortable riding my old 16 inch bike, I went ahead to buy a 16 inch again. A little high for me when I stand over it but I just adjust the seat. Once I'm riding it, the height feels just right.

Answer 6

You should stand with the bike in between your legs with feet firmly planted on the ground. The bar should come just about two inches away from your crotch. The seat can be adjusted. When you are sitting on the bike and pedal your knees should be very slightly bent when your foot is at the bottom. Go to any bike shop... not ***** or a sporting goods store and get fitted for a bike. They will know everything. Right now there are a lot of sales because of the the upcoming winter.

Answer 7

I'm 5' 11", Male and just bought a bike a couple of days ago. It does depend on your height. The top bar should be at least 2" from your croach area. I went with a 19" frame. 17" would've work also but I felt cramp riding the 17". Try both 17" or 19" and see what you prefer. Good luck and have fun! Don't forget to get a helmet! It has saved me a lot of times mt. biking!

Answer 8

Generally inseam is a first step. Next is your torso length. Everything is adjustable on a bike but only a few inches. You also have to consider what your using the bike for, i.e. racing, triathlon, and any injuries or other physical limitations like flexibility.
Bottom line - Go to your local bike shop. Even if you plan to buy over the Internet, you'll at least know the right size and model and you can then shop elsewhere and get fitted at the shop.
I hope this is helpful.

Answer 9

I am 5'9" and i went to a bike store and was sized. I ended up with a 24 in frame and 27 in tires. Like everyone is saying. Go to a bike shop they are trained to fit you for you size.Comfort is what matters. your legs only need to be bent slightly when riding. And the seat and handle bars can be adjusted also. If you plan on doing allot of riding, I would suggest a mountain bike. The narrower tires is a rough ride, and I learned the hard way they don't like R X R tracks. Good luck finding what you like.

Answer 10

When I saw this on the front page as featured question, i was originally going to say an EX250 or other 250cc if you'd never ridden a bike before, or if you had some experiance to go ahead and go with a 600cc. But then I saw this was under cycling and you meant bicycle, not motorcycle. hahaahaha, d'oh!

It really depends what kinda bike you're looking for, BMX, mountain bike, beach cruiser, etc. Best thing to do is go to a bike shop and sit on a bunch of different bikes and see what fits you best, then order one online if you can get a better deal.

BTW, 5'10" is a great height for a chick :-D I'm 6'4" and rarely come across a girl who even come close. finding a 6' girl is near impossible :-(

Answer 11

A lbs can help you out how to get the right size bike.

Mountain bikes are measured in inches (15, 17 , 19, 21, etc.), and for some other mountain bikes (usually full suspension) are measured small, medium, large, X-large.

Road bikes are in cm.

Part of the right size is in your height and your inseam.