Cycle Size

What size bike do I need ??

This is often the hardest choice faced by consumers buying a bike online as you can't obviously sit on it or have a facility to test ride prior to purchuse. 
Bike Outlet' size guide is designed to give you a specific guide to what size bike you truly need and a basic instructions for you to be able to set your bike up to the right size when riding it.

The Basics
It is important in cycling that the saddle and handlebars are adjusted to the right height to suit the rider, Years of cycling experence and design have gone into adjusting various forms of bikes to ensure they are comfortable and offer good handling properties. The modern day bike is a mixture of the last 200 years of cycles design breakthroughs such as pneumatic tyres and deurailler gear systems - You can find more about this on our history of the bike page -here . 
All this technology and yet in a recent national survey 65.2% of cyclists are riding around with their cycle incorrectly adjusted in terms of size.

The saddle and pedal arrangement however is most important as amazingly this will make it easier to ride and will prevent knee problems and even saddle sore !!.
The Highway code states that a cyclist rider must be able to touch the floor with their balls of their feet and this is often the best place to start although a cyclist rule of being close to full leg extent when at the bottom of the pedal stroke is a better guide as this will allow your upper leg muscles to fully extend and make it easier to ride your cycle.
This will however often mean the rider is struggling to touch the floor so it will depend on your riding experence as to where you personally end up adjusting your saddle . 
Our size guide is a miniumum cycle size requirement and will generally need a adjusting according to your personal preferences.
The height at the front will also have a major effect on your cycling experence the majortiy of cycles have either a adjustable stem or can be raised or lowered .
For more information on size setup of your cycle follow our assembly guide -here 

Adults

Most Adults cycles are manufactured worldwide to the same ISO standards and do not tend to vary greatly in terms of geometry from manufacter to manufacter . The general rule is one wheel size several frame sizes.
The wheelsize however can vary from 20" wheels such as folding cycles and BMX through to 28" wheels such as Hybrid, Sports Hybrid, Racer, and Road Bikes.  
The frames can vary from 14" through to 23" and the size of the bike you need obviously depending on your size.  On all cycles you will find some further adjustment is required in terms of saddle height and handlebar position. We have come up with this rough inside leg guide -

Frame Size        Inside leg Guide (minimum size)     Person Size Ft

• 22" - 23"         -        32"+                                                    6ft +
• 20"                   -        29"                                                       5ft 10
• 18"                   -        27"                                                       5ft 6
• 16"                   -        25"                                                       5ft 4
• 14"                   -        23.5"                                                   5ft 2

Childrens Bikes

Childrens cycles are manufactured in a wide range of wheel sizes ranging from the smallest 12 1/2" and through to the largest 24" where a small adults mountain bike takes over at 26".
Childrens Bicycles can also come in a slight variation of frame size as well and this is well worth making a note of . Often the suspension versions tend to be a 1" or even 2 " larger than the standard non suspension although the growth span tends to be around the same as the seat pin offers a larger range of adjustment.
They do however tend to have a standard pattern and our size guide is a accurate guide for a average child at that age -

Wheel Size                       Age

• 12"                         2-3
• 14"                         3-5
• 16"                         5-7
• 18"                         5+-8
• 20"                         7-9
• 24"                         9-12

BMX
Full size BMX cycles are suitable from age 9 years right through to adults - Yes thats right 6ft adults ride BMX's !!!, they are designed to be low slung so its easier to do tricks and jumps on and a lot tougher too. The BMX was created in the 1970 by founders Bob Haro and Gary Turner (later GT) for more details on this follow our link on the history of the bike - here .
The mix of halfpipes ,skate ramps and street style of riding has adapted over the years and the current ranges in BMX cycles reflects various angles the cycling sport has taken over the years. Freestyle BMX seems to be the most popular as urban blend of riding has been created and they are good all round bikes but there are also Dirt BMX's,Race BMX's, and specialist trick style BMX's as well. Check out our link on the styles of cycles -here  

Folding Bikes
These are based on a 20" wheel cycle and again will suit pretty much any size rider. They often have long seatpost and adjustable stems so you can adjust them to your size The folding bikes have developed over the last 20 years with the upsurge in commuting and many people trying to combat climate change. The main advantage with a folding bike is that is is light and versatile making it a really effective form of transportation.
 The folding mechinisms have evolved over the years and the majority of modern type folding bikes and cutting edge technology meaning simple adjustments are all that are required, follow our link on setup on your cycle -here