Road bikes as the name implies are for road use. There are a growing number of “gravel” or “adventure” bikes that are based on road bicycles but feature wider and more versatile tyres and disc brakes, so you can also do light trail riding such as towpaths. They are also more pothole resistant!
Sizing is normally in cm and is a measurement from the centre of the chain wheel axle (The BB or bottom bracket) and the top of the frame seat tube. Some are measured to the centre of the seat tube where it meets the top tube (otherwise known as the crossbar).
That measurement is on road bikes normally in CM – and no one really knows why! Some road bikes will use “T-Shirt Sizing” so S, M, L, XL etc. but there will be a geometry chart that then shows the measurement in CM.
What is your height? | Your suggested bicycle size | |
Feet/Inches | Centimetres | Suggested Size |
4’10” – 5’0″ | 148cm – 152cm | XX-Small (47-48cm) |
5’0″ – 5’3″ | 152cm – 160cm | X-Small (49-50cm) |
5’3″ – 5’6″ | 160cm – 168cm | Small (51-53cm) |
5’6″ – 5’9″ | 168cm – 175cm | Medium (54-55cm) |
5’9″ – 6’0″ | 175cm – 183cm | Large (56-58cm) |
6’0″ – 6’3″ | 183cm – 191cm | X-Large (58-60cm) |
6’3″ – 6’6″ | 191cm – 198cm | XX-Large (61-63cm) |
If you need any more advice on bike sizing for road bikes please contact us and we can help you make the right choice.