Road Bike Standover

Here s how to measure.

Road bike standover.

The bike s actual standover height is the the middle of the top tube. Sportiff style bikes are designed for long endurance rides so come with a higher head tube. 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.

That s why you usually won t see standover height listed on frame specs when components aren t specified. Compact style frames have low standover but the headtube is roughly the same as a trad bike style. If the bike has a sloping top tube semi compact or compact design expect to have clearance of 2 or more. Begin by checking standover height which is the distance between the top tube and your crotch when straddling the bike.

Aim for about one inch of clearance if the bike has a traditional straight. And swapping out for 27 5 tires seems to be a popular change mountain bike modification. 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.