Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Adjust the seat
Step 2:
Tinker with the toe clips
Step 3:
Handle the handlebars

2torial #0429: Learn2 Adjust a Bicycle (To Fit You) Uneasy Rider? The best bike won't do any good unless it is appropriately adjusted for its engine--i.e., the human being who's riding it. A maladjusted bicycle can be inefficient, at the most unrideable. But fear not: perhaps a few easy assessments of your bicycle before purchase (and easy adjustments after) will keep you pedaling far into the horizon. If the bike's frame isn't your size to begin with, adjusting it won't help much. To check frame size, straddle the frame with your feet flat on the ground. A general rule of thumb for a road bike (or touring bike, once called a ten-speed) is that as the rider stands flat footed over the bike and the crossbar is an inch (2.5 centimeters) below the crotch. For a mountain bike it should be as much as 3 inches (7.5 centimeters). If the crossbar is too high, it can be dangerous to the rider in the event of a sudden stop or crash. Make sure you tighten anything you've loosened! Step 1