Bike question?

Question

Thanks for all your advice given to first bike question. I have been to bike shop in my town. It is not a massive shop and seemed to have limited stock. Anyway my question is : Should my feet be on tip toes or not?
The first bike i sat on my toes were on tip toes and man said this was ok but it seemed like bike was too big for me. Also the seat was agony and i was only sitting on it for about 30 seconds. The second bike was smaller and felt better but again the seat was uncomfortable. The man said he could put a different seat on it.
I am going back tomorrow to try another one but it is a bigger one again - any advice?

Answer 1

As said by others;

Bike size is measured at the pedals, not the floor. You should be able to touch the pedal at six o´clock with you ankle while bear footed.
So when having your foot properly on the pedal it should go down to the six o´ clock position whit just a slight bend in your knee.

How you reach the ground is secondary here. You can always get of the seat while you stop and stand flat footed if need be. (Just make sure the top tube has crouch clearance.)

Your seat should be horizontal, no angel to make it comfortable. Up grading a seat is something quite common and should not be a mayor problem. You do not need to spend a lot and get the "best " seat (probably it will be narrow and hard for a novice. Get one you are comfortable with, probably with gel padding. And keep it horizontal!


Remember to check this sites for a proper bike fitting:
(Read and consider what you need, disregard the rest of the information for there is a lot of it)

www.timeoutdoors.com/sitetools/Article_List.asp?acd=bike

www.bicyclesource.com/bike/fitting/

www.sheldonbrown.com

www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm


Enjoy buy a new bike, do not rush the process.
And get the one that YOU feel right.

Answer 2

The guy at the shop SHOULD be able to fit you properly to the bike, but I've come across many shops, or shop employees that just tell you it fits because they want to sell the bike they have on the floor instead of ordering another, so be careful.

On most bikes you should just barely touch the floor when seated on the saddle, when it is properly adjusted. There are, however, some new bikes with a "crank-forward" design, that allow you to touch the floor while seated.

The main thing to consider when sizing a bike is not the height, it's easy to raise and lower a seat to make it seem ok. You really need to consider the length of the bike. A bike that is too short will feel like your knees are going to hit the bars, and if it's too long, you'll feel like you're bent over to far, stretching your arms to reach the bars. This is obviously not the scientific method for bike fit, but is a good general description. Different types of bike, road, hybrid, etc. fit differently as well, so really going to a reliable shop is your best bet.

As far as saddles go, I always recommend my customers keep the saddle that comes on the bike at first, unless it's just unbearable, and see if they get used to it in a couple of rides. Like someone else said, it can also really help to get a gender specific saddle.

Good luck in the process.

Answer 3

Not sure what you mean by 'tip toe'.

If you mean you can barely touch the ground while sitting on the saddle, that's fine. I can't touch at all on any of my bikes. (At least I don't think so, I've never tried). That's not a criteria for bike fit.

If you mean you can't touch while standing over the top tube, yes that would be a problem. In that case, the bike is WAY too big for you.

The objective is to have an almost straight leg at the bottom of your pedal stroke, and to reach the handle bars without being too stretched out, or too jammed up. Hard to describe here.

Anyway, listen to the bike shop guy about fit. Ask him questions about why he's suggesting certain things. Don't make him meet silly criteria, because you will be unhappy with the result. Or you will be uncomfortable riding, and blame him when its not his fault.

ALL saddles are uncomfortable if you're just sitting on them. The feeling changes quite a bit when you're pedaling hard. For serious riders, a saddle isn't much more than a placeholder. Big and cushy might be comfortable to sit on, but gets in the way and generates a lot of friction when you're riding.

Answer 4

possibilities of your discomfort.

1) it is not the seat, but the angle of the seat. its either to flat and hits your .......... or too slanted hurting your butt .

2) what is important that your back is 45 to 180 degrees when seating and holding the handle with both hands. it could be your weight is not equally distributed to the body (wrong angle of the back) and your rear is taking the pressure. also it can be a wrong body size to your built. THERES IS A SO CALLED BIKE FITTING. if you are bike fitted, no pain can be felt.

3) the lenght of your legs are not fit for the lenght of the pedal and seat. thus it is uncomfortable to sit. also the tip toe, it is because the proper dismount from a bike is to get off the seat and do a stance while on the body of the bike, feet flat on the floor. if tip toe is for temporary stops only.
also remember that when seated on the bike, your legs must be stretch while pedalling and the feet can't be flat to the road.

4) Also to know the size of the bike if it fits is when you sit in a 45 degree angle, and holding the handle, the handle stem should be align with the front hub as per your line of sight.

see if you will still feel uncomfortable with the bike

Answer 5

The correct size for a bike does not really involve whether you can can put your feet on the floor on tip toes or not.

For effecient cycling the bike should be roughly set so that when a pedal is in it's lowest position and your leg is hanging naturally (neither streched out or bent) your foot should be just resting on top of the pedal.

Admittedly many people feel safer it they can put their feet on the floor from a seated position but this will generally involve having the seat set lower than is required for efficient cycling.

Bike seats can be a very personal thing. What might be comfortable for you could be agony for me. I'm on my 5th seat now in pursuit of the perfect one for me. You do tend to get used to a new bike seat though and they get more comfortable with use. Ak the man at the bike shop if he would be willing to let you try different seats on the bike. I'm sure he would be willing to swap seats on it if it meant he was going to sell a bike.

Answer 6

Until you get to at least 1,000 USD, bikes come with the cheapest seat available to keep the price down.

Your position on the seat relative to the floor depends on the type of bike. On a road bike you want your legs to extend to generate the most power per revolution of the pedals. On a mountain bike your legs don't extend as much to keep your cycling within the band of peak power.

Ask if the shop has a bike fit specialist. He/she will measure your legs, arms, etc to find the best fit for you. The worst thing you can do is buy a bike because you like the color, or it's on sale, etc. and find it uncomfortable to ride. Based on your screen name, I'm guessing that you are female. There are a few bikes made specifically for women. These are for longer legs and shorter trunks than the typical male-oriented bike is built to accommodate.

Answer 7

I ride a lot and the tip toe thing is OK. I prefer it. You might want to remember that the taller bike will allow you more room to pedal. The seat will hurt for a wile till your butt gets used to it. I have always bought a new seat as the ones that come on the bike are always uncomortable. You can find a chart for your hight on line as to what size bike you should ride. I believe any thing over 5.10 should be on a 26 inch bike. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

I have been riding for years. You need one where the bar has a little room between the bar and you croch area with your feet flat on the floor. That is the right size for you.
As far as the seats, most are unfortable unless you spend good mony for one, also try padded shorts as they help big time.
With your seat up and your riding your leg on the pedal should almost go stright down with a slight bend in it while seated on the seat.
If you have this you will be comfortable on your bike.
Good luck!

Answer 9

The seat height is usually adjustable, so just make it lower, unless it was at the lowest position already.

When you're riding the bike, your leg should be slightly bent at the knee when the pedal is at the bottom position.

If it's a good bike shop with knowledgeable staff, they should be able to help you get a bike that's right for you.

Answer 10

well when you are sitting on the bike for a proper fit you should have your leg straight and your heel on the pedal. this usually means you cannot touch the ground when on the seat but that is ok.