Mountain Bike Standover Clearance

Mountain bike standover height.

Mountain bike standover clearance.

There you ve got a frame that should fit pretty close. Okay now onto bike fitting. Thought it s not used as frequently as it once was to size bikes standover height can still be an indicator of whether or not a bike fits you. Standover height refers to how tall the bike is in relation to your inseam and the clearance in between.

When you lift a mountain bike you want 2 minimum clearance between the tires and the ground. Most kids bikes are designed so they ride in a more upright position. The bike s actual standover height is the the middle of the top tube. Bike frame standover height.

And usable standover clearance. This is why mountain bike manufacturers use small medium large sizing and give their own size recommendations based roughly on your height. They should be able to sit comfortably see around them easily and grip the handlebars with a slight bend in their elbows. That s why you usually won t see standover height listed on frame specs when components aren t specified.

Just like your pants inseam off the ground increases with platform shoes your bike s standover height will increase if you add bigger tires. Any bike short enough for your upper body is easily low enough for your legs. Our guide to mountain bike sizing will help you find the correct sized mountain bike for you while our tips on fit will ensure your bike fits as it should. And swapping out for 27 5 tires seems to be a popular change mountain bike modification.

As with adult bikes first check the standover height. If your inseam measurement clears the frame s standover by a bit say at least 2 3cm for a road bike and a bit more for a mountain bike then you should be ok. First make sure you can straddle your bike with your feet flat on the floor. Modern frames are designed with more generous standover clearance 3 6 more than plenty so the critical dimension becomes length effective virtual top tube if you have long legs short torso then standover becomes irrelevant.