The only thing you can quickly tell from this photo is that Mike F is better-looking.Įven something as simple as jeans aren't described by a single size designation. People aren't generic, as you'll read below.

Bike 'size' is a whole series of numbers that add up to something that fits you. They could only painfully swap bikes in an emergency. Very different seat heights, drop from seat to bar and forward reach. Mike J rides a 60cm H1 Trek Madone 6.9, Mike F a 56cm H2 Madone 5.5. Mike J (left) & Mike F (right), almost identical in height. People coming in expecting that to be a free service offered by dealers to help people buy bikes elsewhere continue to surprise those working in bicycle shops.īut is sizing a bike really that complicated, or are shops making that up? Read on for answers and real-world examples. It's time-consuming, requires a good deal of expertise and training to get right, and a huge assortment of handlebars, stems, seats & frame sizes. So when a shop seems reluctant to answer 'What size bike do I ride?' they're not trying to be rude, but really they just don't know without going through their fit process, setting you up and observing you on the bike and possibly making various changes to it so it's comfortable and efficient. You're not simply a 56 or 58cm bike (more on that later). Especially since different brands size differently from one-another. That's why, if you're looking at a bike on-line or on Craigslist, visiting a shop to find out 'What size bike do I ride?' won't get you even a quick & dirty answer. Pretty easy to figure out that the answer must be choice 5, all of the above. Good question! What determines the size bike you need?

Trek bike sizes