I'm new to biking and confused by bike sizing chart due my short inseam. After some homework, I think the inseam is more important than rider height and we should use inseam to make the judgmental call at end of the day.
Why
One popular way to start the bike is to stand over the bike right before the saddle, then pedal one side to slide and start riding just as this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHkgTuwtKOg) shows. That being said, the key is to leave the saddle and be able to stand on the ground with the top tube in-between the legs. Therefore, the inseam should be a bit higher than the stand-over-height so the crotch has clearance.
For people like me with shorter inseam, we need choose bike size using inseam following the function [here](https://www.cyclistshub.com/bike-size-chart/) or just make sure the inseam + shoes + clearance (2cm) > stand over height.
But to ride comfortably, reach and saddle-to-peddle is also important. We would need adjust these two using seat tube, crank size and stem (or a new handlebar).
My 2¢: Don't get frustrated if you have a shorter inseam like me, as long as the bike size is right (Don't be afriad if the bike size suggests a much smaller bike), all other componenents can be adjusted to a good fit.
Questions and discussions are welcome!
by SolitarySurvivorX
1 Comment
Short inseam here. I size down a frame and use a longer stem. I’ve actually found race geometry bikes in smaller sizes to be a better fit for short legs, long torso.