What If Your Bike Doesn't Fit You?

It can't be stressed enough that having the right size bike is the best way to ensure an enjoyable riding experience, but irresistible second-hand bargains or hand-me-downs may result in you riding a bike that's too big or too small for you.

If you want a road bike for training and longer day rides then a frame that's too small can be adapted. You might well turn it into a time trial machine as a shorter reach to the handlebars and a lower handlebar height are exactly what you want when using tribars.

However, if you really want to persevere with a small frame for the road you can replace the standard handlebar stem with a longer, more upswept version to create more reach and height. The seat post may need replacing with a longer equivalent to get your leg length right. Be aware that smaller frames generally have steeper seat angles (to create a shorter top tube) so you may want to push the saddle back in its rails for a more relaxed pedaling style. A small frame may well come with narrower handlebars so measure them up and be prepared to replace them with something that's as wide as your shoulder joint width.

If the frame is too big it's possible to fit a shorter handlebar stem to reduce the reach. If the handlebars are still too high you could get rid of the existing stem and use an A-head converter, which would enable you to fit a short, inverted mountain bike A-head stem.

If you can achieve your correct leg length then riding a large frame should be fine as long as there's enough stand over clearance to give you confidence for rapid dismounting, etc. If the handlebar position or stand over clearance is not to your liking after making the necessary modifications then it really is best to either sell the frame or the complete bike or start again.