Choosing a bike frame can be very hard and confusing, especially since there are so many options to choose from. There are many kinds of frames made of different materials, come in varying sizes, with differing price tags. So in this article, we will look into some of the basic aspects to consider when choosing a bicycle frame.
When choosing a bike frame, the very first thing you need to ask yourself is what are you going to be doing with your bike? Are you going to be using it as a mountain bike, a road bike, or for competitive cycling? Then the next most important question you need to ask yourself is what is going to be the budget? Bicycle frames come in a varying price range, which can go from being very affordable to be very expensive for the top of the line frames. So your target here is going to be to try to get the best frame you can afford.
To give a brief overview of what kind of frame you need, it actually depends on the rider. If you are a beginner who wants to learn how to ride, then you will need a frame that will let you sit up straight comfortably. On the other hand, for veterans who have been riding for a long time, different kinds of frames are available to accommodate the posture that is needed for the kind of cycling they will do. A common example of this is competitive cycling on tv, where you can clearly see riders hunched over on their bikes very low while cycling at very high speeds. They do that to reduce air drag and the frames help to lower their bodies.
So the main aspect of a bike frame that you should look into is the dimensions of the frame. There are primarily three dimensions that are going to be important to you as a rider. First is the size of the seat tube, which is basically the height of the vertical tube that connects your seat to the center of the pedals. Then you need the size of the top tube which is measured horizontally from the seat to where the handlebars are placed. And lastly, you need to know the size of the head tube, which is measured from the base of the tube of the handlebars to your front wheel. It is also important to note that these sizes usually come in inches.
So using these dimensions, you can determine the size of the frame you will need for you. Generally, a taller person will need a frame that is going to be much longer in all of these dimensions compared to someone shorter. What you should be looking out for is the reach, which is basically how easy it is for you to reach the handlebars. If the frame does not accommodate for your reach, then it probably isn’t for you. The best advice here is to try sitting on different sizes of frames to determine which one is going to be the most comfortable one for you.
So overall, now you have some basic idea about what you should be looking out for when choosing your next bike frame. However, if you want a more in-depth idea of what frame you should go for, then you should visit your local bike shop and discuss it with some of the experts there, or you can go search in online forums and talk with bike enthusiasts who can help. The truth is, there is no definitive size for one particular rider as it varies a lot. So the best place to choose a bike frame from and gather some vital information is your local bike shop.
