Buying a Bike That Fits!
By: Curtis Cramblett, physical therapist, cycling coach, strength and conditioning specialist

There are many items to think about when buying a bike: cost, type, usage etc. Once those things are decided upon and you are ready to test ride, you need to make sure that the bike fits you! To make sure a bike really fits, you need to pay attention to several details. Take these steps to make sure you will not have to return it, or not be happy with the way if fits.

1) ) BEFORE you take a test ride get the shop to do a quick fit (1-2 minutes is all this takes) for your seat height and front / back position. Bike shops are generally pretty good at getting people in the ballpark in seat height and position, which is all you need at this point.

	a. Setting the seat height: The bike shop will probably have you put your heel on the pedal and pedal backward. The seat is in about the right height when your knee is straight when the pedal / crank arm is in line with the seat tube of the bike (the one holding up the seat) and your hips are not wagging when you are pedaling backward. There are other ways that also do a good job.
	b. Fitting the seat forward and backward: This requires looking at the relationship of the front of your knee to your pedal axel. The shop can eye this at this point or use a plum line. Your knee should fall about over you pedal axel with your foot flat and crank arm parallel to the ground
	c. AGAIN these do not need to be EXACT at this time. I can do that during a formal fit once the bike is bought. For now it just helps you evaluate the bike based on a good seat position.

2) Next ride the bike and look for:

	a. How much weight does if FEEL like you have on your hands (yes feel, not what actually is). If it feels like more than 40-50% then the stem will probably need to be changed. Do you feel like your reaching? Bending over a lot?
	b. If you are buying a road bike you should be comfortable with your hands on the break hoods. This is the black part just above your breaks/shifters at the end of your handle bars. If you are not comfortable here it will mean you are not comfortable while BREAKING and SHIFTING. Needless to say those things are important. When the bike is set up right you should BE MOST COMFORTABLE out on your break hoods. This will allow you to ride most of you time out there, i.e. 60-70% depending on the terrain.
	c. Crouch beside the bike and looking horizontal compare the handle bar height to the saddle height. If your bar is more than _ - 1 inch below your saddle then you better have very good flexibility, strength, and a health neck and back. As your bars drop lower than your saddle you need more strength and flexibility to not put to much weight on your hands and cause stress your spine, shoulders, and neck.
	d.If the bike shop tells you they can change the stem to get your bars up higher and shorten your reach, great. Make sure that the stem doesn’t end up so short or angled up so high that it makes the bike handling unstable. If your stem is less than 7 CM (about 3.25 inches) or the angle is pointed up more than 20 degrees (some would call it 110 degrees) then the stem and thus the bike is not right. In summary, if you have to get a stumpy stem that is angled aggressively upward then the bike might be able to be MADE to fit you but it will not handle as well as something that ACTUALLY fits you.

The people who have to pay most attention are those with:

	1) a short torso relative to your legs (many women)
	2) weak spine back or neck - sensitive to pain / injury or weak core muscles
	3) tight muscles in their back, hips, legs or neck
	4) a history of injuries or discomforts including sciatica, carpal tunnel, back pain, whiplash injuries or major falls etc.
	5) Age - the older typically the stiffer and weaker (sorry these are the averages) I am hoping that this will motivate those 40+ year olds to get out and do some Yoga or stretching!
	6) Those not comfortable bending over to touch their mid shins with their knees straight
	7) Those who can’t hold a bent over position about 45 degrees to the ground with their back STRAIGHT AS A BOARD and knees slightly bent for more than 60 seconds. Look at yourself in the mirror here; many people think there back is flat and cannot tell.

If you are concerned that you are not going to get the right bike, ask the owner about a return policy. You can also do a pre-fit (on a fully adjustable bike to find out the position you need to be in before you go to the bike shop). When in doubt go to a bike shop you really trust, go with someone knowledgeable (I goto bike shops with clients on occasion), and collect as much data as you can ahead of time about your needs.

I know this is a lot to think about and go through! Some bike shops take many of these things into account, but the more knowledge you have about your needs and what is right, the better off you’ll be. Have a fun and healthy time

Curtis Cramblett, PT, CSCS, Licensed Cycling Coach
www.RevolutionsInFitness.com
Revolutions In Fitness
(510) 325-1884