What size bike should I buy? It's a common question that many women have when considering a new bike. That's why we've created a simple women's frame sizing guide, with advice for road bikes, mountain bikes and hybrid bikes.
When bike shops and brands talk about bike size, what they're specifically referring to is the size of the frame, so bike size and frame size are often used interchangeably.
Currently, there is no industry standard for sizing bikes. This means choosing the correct frame size for you can be confusing, especially since recommended frame sizes vary between manufacturers, models and disciplines.
Don't worry though, you've come to the right place. By the end of this article, you'll hopefully have gained a general understanding of how women's bike sizing works, and be able to use that knowledge in the search for your next bike.
For more advice, we've got guides to road bike geometry and mountain bike geometry, as well as advice on how to measure a bike frame.
You can also read our guide to the best women's bikes, to help you find the right ride for you, while we've also got buying advice for the best women's road bikes and best women's mountain bikes.
Bike frame sizes are most commonly listed in centimetres (e.g. 48cm, 54cm), inches (e.g. 17in, 19in) and in sizes such as small, medium and large.
As a general starting point, bike sizes are determined by the height of the rider. Use this to decide what size to try using our charts below. If you sit between sizes, it’s worth trying both out and seeing which one you feel more comfortable on.
Most bike manufacturers will also have their own size guides for each of the bikes they stock, again using rider height to determine the right size.
Your local bike shop will be able to guide you through what to look out for and help you find what size bike fits you best.
Some will also offer a bike fit service. This is particularly important for road bikes, and will help fine-tune the fit to ensure it’s personalised to you, and is as comfortable and efficient as it can be. You'll ideally be able to swap components such as the stem and handlebars to fine-tune the fit too.
Test riding a bike before you make a purchase is a quick and easy way to tell if you're in the right ballpark for size. A good bike shop can also offer plenty of advice to help you find the correct size. - Phil Hall / Immediate MediaOnline-only sellers, such as Canyon, will often ask you for a set of body measurements, for example, arm length, to help you find the right size.
If buying online, check whether the retailer will allow you to swap components such as the stem and handlebars after purchasing, or whether you'll have to purchase these separately if needed.
We've got a separate guide on where to buy a bike, outlining the pros and cons of buying online vs buying in a bike shop.
Finally, don't forget that while you can make small adjustments to fit by changing components later, the frame size will be fixed. Take your time and don't buy a frame that's the wrong size just because it looks like a bargain.
These bike size charts are designed as a general overview only, so make sure you test any bikes you are considering for comfort and safe handling.
If you are buying second-hand give our handy guide to buying a second-hand bike a quick read to make sure you bag a bargain not a dud.
We've put together some broad suggestions on bike sizing below, based on rider height. It's important to remember that this is just a rough guide to help you narrow down your search for the correct-sized bike.
Every person's anatomy is different, so everyone will have different fit requirements. For example, if you have short legs (in general or relative to your height), the standover height of a frame is likely to be of increased importance.
In this scenario, it may be preferable to ride a smaller frame, or a frame with a more compact geometry, and compensate with a longer stem, increased saddle setback or a combination of both.
The best advice we can give you is to consult a professional bike fitter before making an expensive purchase because they can take your individual requirements into account and make recommendations about sizing and fit accordingly.
Many women find that a women’s-specific bike suits them well, while others get on fine with unisex frames.
Women's bikes typically include women's-specific finishing kit, such as a women’s bike saddle. The ranges also tend to run to smaller sizes to suit smaller riders.
Some women's bikes are based around a unisex frame with women's-specific finishing kit, as we've outlined above, while others, like those from Liv Cycling, have a bespoke geometry designed around women-only body dimension data.
If you’re not sure, have a look at our article on the five different approaches to women’s bike design. And if you’re going to choose a unisex bike, there are some simple and common tweaks that can make your bike more comfortable.
Getting into cycling and looking to buy a bike, but unsure what type of bike is best for you and your budget? We can help!
This guide to the best women's bikes will break it all down. We'll explain the different types of bikes out there, what kind of riding they’re best suited to and what to expect for your budget. Finally, we have lots of advice to help you get riding and loving it.
There are three general types of bike: road bikes, mountain bikes and hybrid bikes, and within each category there is further variation, so you can get really specific about the right bike for you.
Road bikes are designed for speed and distance on the road. They have lightweight frames, slim tyres and a handlebar with a drop for a more aerodynamic position on the bike.
Some road bikes are designed with a focus on endurance and comfort, while others are built for speed, making them the ideal choice if you want to cover greater distances, explore the countryside or are planning to do a race or other on-road event.
Gravel and adventure bikes are becoming increasingly popular. They look like road bikes with their drop handlebars but are designed to be more rugged, and you can often fit luggage and mudguards to them, making them popular for touring, bikepacking and even commuting.
If a road bike is what you’re looking for, check out our list of the best road bikes we’ve tried and tested.
Mountain bikes are extremely versatile. They’re typically built for off-road use but can still be ridden on any road, they’ll just be slower going than a road bike.
They have flat handlebars and wider tyres, and usually have suspension on either the front only (hardtail) or on the front and rear (full-suspension), which helps smooth out rough terrain and provides traction for climbing, cornering and riding on muddy ground.
Mountain bikes are ideal for exploring your local woods, heading out on singletrack and going to a trail centre or bike park.
Our buyer's guide to the best mountain bikes has something for every budget to help you choose what’s right for you, and we’ve also rounded up the best women’s mountain bikes we've tested.
Hybrid bikes, also known as urban bikes, commuter bikes and city bikes, usually sit somewhere between road and mountain bikes in their design.
They typically have flat handlebars and an upright riding position, which make it easy to keep an eye on your surroundings and navigate when riding in traffic.
Hybrids can have a road-style frame that’s lightweight with a focus on speed and agility or a mountain bike-style frame that’s designed to handle rough roads, towpaths or fire roads, and some front suspension.
Consider a hybrid if your commute involves unpaved towpaths and trails. - Russell Burton / Immediate MediaHybrid bikes also have lugs for attaching mudguards (fenders), pannier racks and child seats.
You can commute on any type of bike, but if your commute involves a bus or a train, or you have to haul your bike into the office, you might want to consider a folding bike.
As the name suggests, these fold up to a small size that makes taking them on public transport or storing them under a desk much easier.
For more details on hybrid bikes and our top-rated picks, take a look at our best hybrid bikes list.
Gravel bikes are based around road-bike design, with lightweight frames and handlebars with drops, but have carefully tweaked geometry and greater tyre clearance to enable them to be ridden off-road as well as on.
They usually have a more rugged frame design, fatter tyres with a tread for plenty of grip on grass, mud and gravel tracks, and attachment points for adding mudguards and luggage.
Cyclocross is a type of bicycle racing, so cyclocross bikes have a more aggressive geometry that puts the rider in a racier position on the bike.
By contrast, adventure bikes – a loose category that includes gravel and all-road bikes – are designed for comfort over long distances on rough surfaces. They'll tend to have a more upright position.
Gravel riding is exploding in popularity right now, as cyclists look to get off busy roads and bring a bit more fun to their riding. If we had to recommend just one bike to do a bit of everything, a gravel bike would be it.
Some even come with gravel bike suspension similar to mountain bikes to increase comfort and grip.
Ebikes, or electric bikes, are bicycles that either have a motor built into the frame at the bottom of the bike or on the rear wheel's hub.
They provide what’s called ‘pedal assist’, which means they’ll add to the power you put in through the pedals, so you do have to pedal to make them work.
Electric versions of road, mountain, hybrid and folding bikes are absolutely brilliant for making commutes easier and providing help on climbs. They get you riding if you have an injury or level the playing field between you and your cycling companions – they're downright fun, too.
Most bikes are sized as Small, Medium, Large, etc (usually mountain bikes and some hybrid bikes), or numerically in centimetres or inches (54cm, 17in, etc).
Like clothes, sizing isn’t consistent across brands, so don’t expect one brand’s Medium to feel exactly the same as another’s.
Most brands have an online size guide that will recommend a size based on your height, or other measurements such as your inner leg length. This is where you should start.
Try to demo the bike if you can, so you can see how it feels when you ride it. This is particularly important if you sit between sizes because it will help you work out which size to go for.
For more information, we've created a simple guide to women’s bike sizes that may help.
Once you have a bike, it’s possible to adjust the fit to make it even better, which is important if you’re going to be riding it a lot because small niggles can turn into big ones over a long bike ride.
Also, if you want to make the bike you already have fit better, or adapt a unisex bike, there are some simple changes you can make.
The six most common tweaks for a better bike fit are:
Many of these adaptations are easy to do yourself, or if you buy a bike from your local bike shop they will be able to help.
If you're going to be riding a lot – and particularly if you're going to buy a road bike – we'd recommend getting a professional bike fit. A bike fit is where an experienced bike fitter takes measurements including leg length, flexibility and how far you reach forward when seated. They will also observe as you ride the bike on a static trainer.
From this, they can adjust elements of the bike, such as saddle height, handlebar reach, etc, to give you the best fit possible.
This may require swapping out certain parts for others, such as handlebars with a deep drop to a pair with a shallower drop, or a long stem to one that's slightly shorter.
We have loads of advice on bike fit on BikeRadar, though, such as how to set your saddle height and position and how to adjust your handlebar height.
If you'd like more information, here's the lowdown on how to get your road bike position right and how to achieve the perfect mountain bike fit.
Nearly all the big bike brands make what they call ‘unisex’ bikes; bikes they say are designed for all riders.
A lot of brands also make women’s bikes, sometimes called women’s-specific bikes. Often, these are mostly the same as those brands' unisex bikes but with different contact points, such as the saddle and handlebar, which will be chosen to suit women better.
Other brands, such as Liv Cycling and Canyon Bicycles, make bikes specifically for women based only on body geometry, sizes and needs of women from research data.
The question is then do women have to ride a women’s-specific bike? The answer is no, but a lot of women do find they fit them better. It’s always worth testing out a few bikes, both unisex and women’s-specific if you can, to see which feels best for you.
Whatever approach a brand has to designing women’s bikes, there are usually a few things they have in common:
Some women have a better fit on women's-specific models, while others find no difference between women’s and unisex bikes, or prefer unisex bikes completely.
It's worth testing out a few bikes, if you can, to compare how different brands or different sizes fit because there are always slight differences in the way brands size up their bikes.
Having a bike fit will ensure your bike is right for you, whatever type you go for.
You can buy a road bike for as little as £200, but to get a decent-quality bike we recommend starting from about £500 if you’re planning to use it for longer distances or events.
At this price point, you see a massive jump in quality that will really make a difference to anyone doing serious riding.
You can also get excellent bargains — often in the region of a 30 to 40 per cent discount — if you don’t mind buying last year’s model, so shop around and consider waiting for the end-of-season or Black Friday sales if you’re looking for a bargain.
In general, as you go up in price you’ll get a lighter, more aerodynamic or more comfortable bike with better-quality parts that work more smoothly and/or are more robust.
If you’re willing and able to spend big, there’s nothing quite like a top-of-the-range bike, but don’t forget no matter how expensive your bike is, you’ll still be the one turning the pedals.
As with road bikes, you can get a mountain bike from as little as £200, but if you’re planning on riding trail centres or off-road, rather than towpaths or bridleways, we recommend spending in the region of £500 upwards and ensuring you get a bike with disc brakes for more stopping power.
While some full-suspension bikes cost less than £500, we suggest buying a hardtail at this price point. They’re simpler and more likely to include quality parts. Our guide to the best mountain bikes has more tips on how to choose the best one for you.
The starting price for a hybrid bike is around £150, and although you can find cheaper, you may find yourself paying in other ways, due to the likely heavy weight and lower quality of parts.
In general, as you go up in price bikes will get lighter, which is something to bear in mind if you need to carry it anywhere.
While some hybrid bikes have pannier racks and/or mudguards fitted, you may want to factor in the additional cost of these if not.
You’ll also find an array of Dutch-style upright bikes, cruiser bikes, and bikes with vintage-inspired styling, so if you want something that’s beautiful as well as functional you’ll find plenty of options, with many under £500.
Prices don’t rise uniformly across these different kinds of bikes though – for different styles, the value comes through in different ways, such as quality gears and leather finishing kit for some, and premium aluminium for others.