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How to Fit a Bike - Is This the Right Size for Me?

From David Fiedler,
Your Guide to Bicycling.
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Setting Handlebar Height - Do What Feels Right

Guy on a bike
Sweens308/Flickr

Remember, when setting the height of your handlebars, personal preference and variations in physique will have an important effect. You should feel free to make adjustments until you find the position that allows you to ride comfortably for extended periods of time. In general, the higher the handlebar is set, the more upright you will sit.

NOTE: All handlebars have a minimum insertion mark. Make sure you don't raise your handlebars into a fixed position so high that you pull this mark up out of the frame. Below this point, it means that there is less than two inches of the handlebar stem remaining inside the frame, and the handlebars are susceptible to breaking which will cause a mean crash.

  1. Stand Over the Frame
  2. Adjust the Bike Seat to the Proper Height
  3. Adjust the Level of the Bike Seat
  4. Proper Handlebar Adjustment
  5. Setting Handlebar Height - Do What Feels Right

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