SIZING GUIDE
How tall are you?
It’s pretty important to consider height when shopping for a bike! Some bikes come in a full size range, from XS to XXL, others come in one-size. We use the chart below to give us a guesstimate of the best size for our customers. The chart isn’t the easiest to decipher, so we’ve broken it down to help guide you to your bike. Click on your height range for our thoughts on what bikes you should check out:
< 4’4”
As an adult in this height range, a bike with 20” wheels, or maybe 24” wheels could work. We don’t have many options, but the youth-oriented bikes from Retrospec might work. Lately, we’ve been stocking the Retrospec Dart, which is a geared 24” bike that might work. We always encourage shopping around when we don’t have what you need; some manufacturers do make very nice mid-range bikes ($800-1600) in your size, but we currently only carry bikes from Retrospec and Jamis.
Kids Bike Sizing
For everyone’s sake, let’s explain a little bit about kids bike sizing. For kids, we use a chart that focuses on wheel size, not frame size. What’s often confusing about sizing bikes is that when you’re growing up, there is a huge emphasis on the size of the wheel. You start at 12” and work your way up as you grow. Kids bike frames get bigger as the wheel gets bigger, but you won’t find too much variation in frame size until you get to the biggest sizes. Adult sizes, on the other hand, are pretty much all about the frame.
If you’re looking for kids bikes, we stock a few options:
4’5” - 4’10”
In the 4’5” - 4’7” range, only an Extra-Small (XS) is likely to fit. We usually stock a couple of options in an XS, 43cm frames, and we sometimes have trail bikes (mountain bikes with less knobby tires) that come in an XS 12” frame. A 24” kids bike (see Kids Bike Sizing) would also work. If you are putting in real miles, we can also special order some of the nicer $1000+ bikes from Jamis in small sizes.
As you get closer to 4’8-4’10”, an XS should fit well, but you might also try test riding a Small (S), particularly if it’s a bike designed for women; in general, a small women’s bike is a little bit smaller than a small men’s. In addition to that, they are a little less long relative to their height, which means the handlebars will feel a little bit closer; in this case, that might compensate a bit for a S frame being a little tall for you.
4’11” - 5’3”
Closer to 5’0”, you should be checking out Extra-Small (XS) and Small (S) bikes. Depending on the manufacturer, an XS might be a 43cm or a 12” frame, while a small is a 47-49 cm or 14"-15”.
5’2” - 5’3” is likely to best fit S exclusively, though you might also try test riding a Medium (M), particularly if it’s a bike designed for women; in general, a M Womens bike is a little bit smaller than a M Mens. In addition to that, they are a little less long relative to their height, which means the handlebars will feel a little bit closer.
5’4” - 5’6”
5’4” - 5’5” should likely be riding Small (S) bikes, though you might also try test riding a Medium (M), particularly if it’s a bike designed for women; in general, a M Womens bike is a little bit smaller than a M Mens. In addition to that, they are a little less long relative to their height, which means the handlebars will feel a little bit closer.
For reference, a typical S frame is 14”-15” or 47cm-50cm. A M frame is 16”-17” or around 53cm.
Closer to 5’6”, you would be likely be comfortable on a S, but your best fit is likely a Medium (M).
5’7” - 5’9”
You are likely to best fit a Medium (M) bike in Mens, but more likely a Large (L) in Womens; for reference, that’s likely a 16”-18” frame or around 53cm-55cm. In general, a L Womens bike is a little bit smaller than a L Mens. In addition to that, they are a little less long relative to their height, which means the handlebars will feel a little bit closer.
5’10” - 6’0”
You are likely to best fit a Large (L) bike; for reference, that’s likely a 18”-20” frame or around 57, 58cm.
This is the height where bikes designed for women generally stop so most L womens bikes might feel a size too small for you. Occasionally you’ll find a manufacturer that makes a 20”+ womens bike, but it’s not very common. You should test ride all of the bikes in Large to see which gives you the best fit.
6’1” - 6’4”
You could adapt a Large (L) to fit, but you’d best fit an XL or an XXL, particularly if you’re close to 6’4”. For reference, the range for XL and XXL in frame size is 20”-23” or 60cm-63cm.
At this height, it is hard to find bikes that are built specifically with women in mind. That said, one principle to keep in mind is that women generally have shorter torsos than men of the same height. That means if you’re picking from bikes that haven’t compensated for that (bikes are, by default, designed for mens bodies; blame the patriarchy), you should go for the smaller bike, as that will give you a more suitable reach (the distance from the seat to the bars).
> 6’4”
You are solidly in XXL territory, but an XL can be usually adapted to fit if you’re under 6’6”. For reference, XL is 21” or 60cm-61cm, XXL is typically 22”-23” and 62cm and up. We stock a few XXL, but many manufacturers stop at XL, so there aren’t a ton of options.