Road Bike Standover

Begin by checking standover height which is the distance between the top tube and your crotch when straddling the bike.

Road bike standover.

Compact style frames have low standover but the headtube is roughly the same as a trad bike style. You will want at least one inch for a road bike and two inches for a mountain bike. Just like your pants inseam off the ground increases with platform shoes your bike s standover height will increase if you add bigger tires. And swapping out for 27 5 tires seems to be a popular change mountain bike modification.

If the bike has a sloping top tube semi compact or compact design expect to have clearance of 2 or more. Here s how to measure. That s why you usually won t see standover height listed on frame specs when components aren t specified. Stand over the frame in the center with your feet flat on the floor.

If the bike has a traditional straight top tube that is parallel to the ground you should have approximately 1 of clearance between the ground and tires when you lift the bike as you re straddling it. There you ve got a frame that should fit pretty close. Sportiff style bikes are designed for long endurance rides so come with a higher head tube.