E-Bikes & Bikes Customised to You
All right. What to do if you got your bike and it just feels for the first few rides, you're just getting on it and it feels too big. What can you do? There are a lot of things. Don't panic. We can figure it out. Stay tuned.
Okay, so here is a typical 26-inch beach cruiser-style e-bike. Now, this bike, in theory, can probably accommodate anyone from around four-11 or five feet on up to about six-two, something like that. This is the women's frame, so maybe up to about six feet ish. Okay. I'm not quite six feet. I can ride this bike just fine, either with the seat down like this, or we can raise it up quite a bit like this. I can still ride this bike just fine. Again, almost six feet. And now for the riders who are kind of on the cusp, maybe bit between four 11 and five-two or five-three, a lot of it's going to depend on your inseam, how long your legs are. We're all different. So obviously the longer you are in the scene, the easier it will be.
Now, with geometry like this, that has a conventional geometry, where the pedals are basically directly at bottom of the seat tube. For the most efficient ride, you're typically going to be about on the balls of your feet. Your heel's not going to be on the ground, normally; unless you want to ride that way. But then you won't quite have the most efficient pedaling stroke, which is okay. If you feel more comfortable being lower to the ground... But it's quite normal for your heel to be off the ground to some degree, maybe even a lot. On high-performance bikes, like race bikes, they're quite elevated, and you'll be definitely on the balls of your feet. Now, a lot of people will get the right size bike. So say, maybe you're five-three to five-four and you get the bike, and it just feels too big. Okay. We hear this one a lot. And a lot of times what it is actually is not the physiology of the rider and the bike being mismatched, because really, quite frankly, a 24 inch would probably be too small for them.
The 26-inch bike is the right size and it has a lot of range that it can accommodate. A lot of times the bike just feels too big, when you first get on it and you try it out. And maybe the handlebar feels too wide, or just things feel too large for you. It's kind of like if you've ever rented a large delivery van from U-Haul. Or something. The first time you get it, you feel like it's taking up three lanes and half of the sidewalk, and it just feels uncomfortable to drive it. Also, there are other things about it that are just different and strange to you and new, because you're used to driving your car, which is much smaller and feels more familiar. So a lot of times getting on a bike for the first time or a new bike or a different model can also feel unwieldy.
So I would encourage you before getting too worried about if the bike is the wrong size or not because if you took the body fit, you probably did get the right size bike and actually a 24 inch would be too small. There are exceptions to that, obviously; however, in many of the cases that we see the bike actually is the correct size for the person, but the person doesn't feel confident on the bike or it feels kind of strange. I would really encourage you to take the bike out and give it some time. Ride it in a safe place. Ride it in a parking lot. Then take it out onto a quiet street maybe, or a slow bike path. Start to get used to the bike. It's just like driving that huge truck from U-Haul, at first it just feels awful. You feel like, "Oh my gosh, how am I going to get this on the highway and drive around with other cars?", but then after a while you get used to it and you realize, oh, it's just because it's something new for me.
I think for it in a lot of cases, that really is how it is. It's not really an issue of physiology or the rider not being big enough for the bike physically, it's about that it's a new feeling and it just feels unwieldy. And maybe the rider feels unsafe. There are also different levels of confidence. Maybe you haven't ridden the bike in a long time. Maybe you have an injury. Maybe your balance is off. I know that a lot of people have a lot of different conditions, so those are all things to take into consideration. And they're all very important.
But a lot of times when you feel the bike is too big, it's really not because of your actual height and physiology. It may be because there are other reasons, so see if you can do a few things. First of all, you may want to adjust the bike, of course, you can lower the seat. You can lower the stem. You can angle the handlebars down. There are a lot of things you can do to make the bike feel more comfortable for you. And you might want to try some bikes first also, just to see what your level of confidence is. But generally what we found is a lot of times you can just take the bike out for a ride, and just baby steps. Get used to the bike. It's a new thing. It's a new feeling. And that can be with just about just anything really.
And especially with a bike, where it does require balance. And if you haven't been on one in a while, yeah, it can be a little intimidating. Because, yes, a bicycle without someone holding it up is going to fall down, so they that's an inherent danger with a bicycle. So anyway, again, try the bike out. If it feels too big, give it a little bit of time. And definitely give us a call, let us know about it. And we'll see if we can help you figure that out. It really isn't the right bike for you, but a lot of times it's just taking some getting used to. Anyway, I hope that helps. Obviously, if you don't have the right bike, then it's just not the right bike.
But a lot of times it's just a matter of working with a little bit. But do give us a call, and we'll see what we can do to find the right bike for you or get the one that you have feeling good and getting you out there really enjoying the bike. I truly hope that was helpful for you. If you liked it, please do like it and hit subscribe. It helps grow our channel. And if you need any help at all, please contact us. You can call us at 3109822877 or email us at theteam@sixthreezero.com. Remember 630 is spelled out S I X T H R E E Z E R O, theteam@sixthreezero.com. Thanks.
