New Website Notice for Edinburgh Bicycle

Please note that the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Operative now has a new website. To visit the new website, please follow this link.

If you have bookmarked a page from the old website, please update your bookmarked page so that you can go straight to our new website. Thank you.

The Edinburgh Bicycle website team.

Bike Sizing
Adjusting The New Bike So It Fits
Shoe Sizes
Men's Clothing Size
Women's Clothing Size
Sports Bra Size

One 5' 10" (177cm) rider buys a 16" (40cm) mountain bike frame, the next goes for a 22" (56cm). Both riders selected the correct size for their needs. The first rider was looking for maximum top-tube clearance for mountain bike downhill dual-slalom riding, the latter wanted a bike that allowed him to sit as upright as possible. (While seatposts are adjustable by around 300mm, there is very little, if any, up/down handlebar adjustment these days. If you want to ride upright, the bigger frame usually makes sense.) Clearly then, within common sense restraints (the 6' / 182cm-tall rider won't get far on a 20" / 51cm-wheeled kids' bike) personal preference is at least as important as any manufacturer's suggested sizing guidelines.

Frame Sizing Guide

When you straddle the bicycle frame with your feet flat on the ground, as illustrated here, you should be able to clear the top tube (crossbar). If you like to sit upright, go for the biggest frame that still allows top tube clearance. If you prefer more athletic riding, particularly mountain biking over rough terrain, you are safest with maximum clearance, so plump for the smallest possible frame - as long as you can still stretch your legs and the bike isn't so short that it cramps your riding style. Although every manufacturer has their own sizing quirks, a bike's frame size is based on the length of the seat tube (the tube that the seatpost goes into). You can get a rough idea of the size of frame you require if you measure your inside leg - crotch to floor - then subtract 9" / 23cm or 10" / 25cm for a road bike (or a mountain bike used as a road bike) or 12" / 30cm for an athletically-ridden mountain bike. Hence a rider with a 32" / 81cm inside leg who owns a 23" / 58cm road bike usually requires a 20" / 51cm mountain bike. The development of compact frames with sloping top tubes and long seatposts has further blurred the sizing issue. I'm unfeasibly tall (6' 8" / 203cm) so frame-builders would once recommend a minimum road bike frame size of 27" (68.5cm). I now comfortably ride a 21" / 53cm Specialized Expedition.

Once You Have The Bike
Making it fit
Spending a little time adjusting the saddle and bars to fit your unique body shape can transform a bicycle from an instrument of torture into a vehicle of blissful comfort.

There are no iron rules re fitting your bicycle to your body but here are a few pointers based on our collective experience of more than a hundred years riding and selling bikes.

Saddle Height

1. Many new or returnee bicyclists set the seat low enough so they can get both feet flat on the ground while sitting on the saddle. Although this might seem logical, cycling with the saddle this low inhibits your leg power and stresses the knees. The result - riding takes 10 times more effort than needs be.
   
   
2. Your saddle should be high enough so that your leg almost (but not quite) fully extends at the bottom of each pedal stroke. Riding with the saddle this high allows you to spin the pedal more comfortably and efficiently. To check for correct leg extension, position the right hand pedal crank at its furthest extension - i.e. in line with the frame's seat tube (the tube that the seatpost goes into) so the lower pedal is at 5 o'clock. Wearing your normal cycling shoes, your heel should be able to touch this pedal with your leg straight but not locked out. That way, when you position your feet in the classically correct position, with the balls of the feet over the pedal spindle, your knee will be slightly bent.
   
   
3. You can raise or lower the saddle height by loosening the seat binder bolt and moving the seatpost up or down. Be careful not to raise the seatpost above the minimum insertion mark etched on the seatpost. If you need your saddle higher than the post allows, get a longer seatpost. Be aware that seatposts come in different diameters - anything from 24 to 32mm in 0.2mm steps - so check the diameter before ordering one, or bring the old seatpost along to the shop so we can measure it with the vernier callipers.
   
   
4. If you are new or just returning to bicycling, a correctly-positioned saddle feels a long way off the ground - especially when you stop. Don’t worry, you’ll soon learn to balance with your strongest foot perched on one pedal, and the other on tiptoes on the ground. This balancing act quickly becomes second nature to almost every cyclist. If this position feels precariously high, by all means start off with the saddle an inch lower till you gain confidence on your new bike. Just remember that it’s fatiguing to ride with a saddle too low, so as soon as you get the hang of your new bike, raise that saddle. Your knees will be grateful.
   
   
5. Remember to secure the seat binder bolt or quick release after adjusting the saddle height.

Saddle Tilt

1. Most people get on best with a saddle that's dead level. With all its anatomic bumps and depressions, it's hard to tell if a saddle is on the level. The easiest way to check is to place a flat edge, such as a large hardback book, on top of the saddle. It's then easy to determine if the saddle is parallel with the ground.
   
   
2. If the seatpost is micro-adjustable, loosen off the Allen bolt at the top of the post (directly under the saddle). You can now tilt the saddle up or down.
   
   
3. If it's an old-style plain (not Allen bolted) seatpost, you loosen the saddle by undoing the nuts which tighten the saddle clip to the seatpost.
   
   
4. As with all these adjustments, personal preferences come into play. Some riders find a dead level position causes saddle pressure, so they prefer to tilt the saddle up or down by 1 or 2¾.
   
   
5. Remember to secure the seatpin Allen bolt or saddle clip nuts once you've achieved the desired saddle tilt.

Saddle Fore/Aft

Loosening the saddle, as described in the Saddle Tilt section, also allows you to shift the saddle further forward or back - useful if you want to shorten or lengthen your reach to the handlebars. Shifting the saddle fore and aft also influences pedalling efficiency. Here's the most frequently recommended guideline for positioning the saddle.

1. Sit on the bike and spin the cranks round so they're horizontal.
   
   
2. Place your right foot on the 3 o'clock pedal with the widest part of the foot over the axle.
   
   
3. The kneecap (or more precisely, the small boney bump immediately below the kneecap) should be directly over the pedal axle. Some riders get a friend to drop a plumb line from said boney bump to the pedal to check this.
   
   
4. Adjust the saddle back and forward till you achieve this position.
   
   
5. Obviously, moving the saddle back to position the knee correctly over the pedal, simultaneously positions the handlebars further away from the saddle. As ever, experiment till you find the best compromise.

Saddle Fore/Aft Variations

As we said at the beginning, achieving a perfect bike fit is as personal as your taste in clothes. One cyclist rides in figure-hugging Lycra, the next prefers baggy. They're both right.

Same with saddle adjustment. While most experienced riders swear by the 'front of the knee over the pedal axle' theory, some very smart cycling experts such as framebuilder Keith Bontrager differ. They argue that riding with the saddle further back, so the knee cap is behind the pedal axle, is more efficient - especially when climbing.

Similarly, while it's received wisdom that you should always ride with the widest part of the foot centered on the pedal (the balls of the foot over the pedal axle theory), some riders differ, arguing that continual pressure on the same part of the foot can be a pain, especially on longer rides. Although it flies against convention, moving the feet slightly forward takes the pressure off. This must be worth trying if your sole's in pain, as blues singers might yell. After all, it's received wisdom that it's good to change your hand position on drop bars, aero bars or bar ends. A change in foot position might offer similarly benefits of resting and exercising different muscles and tendons.

Obviously if you ride with toeclips or step-in (AKA clipless) pedals, you won't be able to change your foot position. That's another reason why dual pedals (normal cage one side, SPD the other) might offer the best of all worlds.

To summarise, we mention Saddle Fore/Aft Variations to underline the fact that there are no iron rules. We would still recommend you start off with the classical riding position - front kneecap at 3 o'clock over the pedal axle; widest part of the foot over the pedal axle. You will probably find, like millions of cyclists over the past century, that it serves you fine.

Just keep an open mind. Listen to your body and don't be afraid to experiment.

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Handlebar Height

Again, handlebar height is down to personal preference. Low bars are more sporty and promote a fast aerodynamic riding style. Flexible young riders (and flexible old yoga masters) usually prefer low bars. If you prefer a more sedate riding style with minimal neck, wrist and back strain, you'll probably want higher bars. A good place to start is with the bars the same height as the saddle. If you prefer a more athletic 'head down' position, lower the bars. If you prefer a 'head up' riding position raise the bars.

To raise the bar, you actually raise the handlebar stem. There are 2 types of stem: quill and Ahead.

Quill Stem

A quill stem is inserted into the front fork’s steerer tube. To raise or lower the bars, loosen the stem Allen bolt 2 whole turns anticlockwise with a 6mm Allen Key. The handlebar/stem assembly should now move up and down freely. If it doesn’t, give the stem bolt a light tap with a mallet. This will release the stem’s expander wedge, and the bars will now move freely. If you're raising the bar, please note that the stem has a line etched on it. This is the minimum insertion mark. For your safety, this mark should not be visible. In other words, the minimum insertion mark must be inside the fork steerer, out of sight . Once the bars are the right height, check the stem is still in line with the front wheel. Then secure the stem bolt very tightly. If you need a longer or higher stem, you will need to know the diameter of the quill (the part that's inserted into the fork steerer).

An Aheadstem is clamped over the front fork’s steerer tube. It's not safe to raise an Aheadstem unless it's an adjustable-rise Aheadstem. However, a great new widget called the Delta Aheadset Raiser allows you to raise the bars 50mm. Alternatively, you can fit a higher Aheadstem. While it's a drag to be obliged to buy a new stem, especially for a new bike, it's not unusual. In the pursuit of the holy grail of perfect fit, of the 10 or so bikes I've ever owned, only one retained its original stem.

You can, however, lower the bars by flipping the Aheadstem so it points down rather than up (or up rather than down in the odd instance of the bike being supplied with the Aheadstem pointing down). Flipping the stem involves removing the bars, removing the Aheadstem's top cap, loosening the Aheadstem's side bolts, flipping the stem, replacing the bars, refitting the top cap and adjusting the bearing.

Flipping an Aheadstem is not rocket science, but perhaps should not be attempted by the mechanically unconfident. Here's how its done.

Aheadstem

1. Remove the bars by undoing the clamp at the front of the Aheadstem.
2. Remove the stems' top cap (2) by undoing the 5mm Allen bolt.
3. Loosen the 2 Allen bolts (1) at the side of the stem with a 5mm Allen Key.
4. Careful now. These stem bolts hold the whole fork & wheel assembly in place. To prevent the fork falling out, wrap a toestrap or string round the fork crown and down tube.
5. Flip the stem over and replace the top cap.
6. Snug the top cap bolt BUT NOT TIGHTLY. This bolt determines the Aheadset bearing adjustment.
7. Snug the 2 side Allen bolts BUT NOT TIGHTLY.
8. Refit the handlebars.
9. Check the stem is in line with the front wheel, then tighten the 2 side Allen bolts.
10. Check the Aheadset adjustment. Do the handlebars turn freely?
11. Rock the stationary bike backwards and forwards while squeezing the front brake. You should feel no play.
12. To fine tune this bearing adjustment, loosen off the 2 stem bolts again. Then loosen or tighten the top cap bolt with the 5mm Allen key. Please note that this is a very fine adjustment - 1/16 of a turn might be all that’s required to free up the bearing or remove a little play.
13. As with any bearing adjustment, if you don’t get it right first time, repeat step 11 until you achieve optimal adjustment.

Flipping the Aheadstem makes it significantly lower. If you just want to lower the bars slightly, this can often be achieved by removing the spacer(s) frequently fitted below the Aheadstem, then cutting down the fork steerer by exactly the width of the removed spacer(s) (use any remaining spacer as a cutting guide). Bear in mind that cutting a fork steerer is an irreversible act than might best be left to the bike shop.

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Shoe Size

Sports Bras

	S	M	L	XL	XXL
Bust	32-34" / 81-86cm	34-36" / 86-91.5cm	36-38" / 91.5-96.5cm	38-40" / 96.5-101.5cm	40-42" / 101.5-106.5cm
Cup Size	A-B	B-C	C-D	D-DD	DD-E

Altura clothing

MEN	S	M	L	XL	XXL
Chest	36-37" 91.5-94cm	38-39" 96.5-99cm	40-42" 101.5-106.5cm	43-44" 109-112cm	45-46" 114.5-117cm
Waist	25-28" 63.5-71cm	28-31" 71-78.5cm	32-34" 81.5-86.5cm	35-37" 89-94cm	38-40" 96.5-101.5cm

WOMEN	S	M	L	XL	XXL
UK Size	8	10	12	14	16

Assos clothing

ASSOS apparel is cut anatomically without restricting movement in the tuck position.
Bibs might therefore pull when standing upright - this is normal.

Cannondale clothing

Dainese protective clothing

Edinburgh Bicycle & Revolution clothing

Endura clothing

Fox clothing

Freestyle clothing

Gore clothing

Helly Hansen clothing

Oakley clothing

Orca triathlon clothing