10 Clues You Bought The Wrong Size Bike!

Buying a bike can be a difficult decision, but it can be especially tricky if you don't even know what size frame to get! Conor and Manon have swapped bikes to point out the key signs that you're riding the wrong size bike!
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Have you ever bought the wrong size bike? Let us know in the comments!

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[TylerMcHenry]

Manon having to sit on the top tube in order to pedal Connor's bike is hilarious.

[macrophage]

Clue Number 11: Were you afraid to watch this video, knowing, deep down, that your expensive bike is the wrong size?

[LRF]

IMO. The majority of bike shops and brands do a poor job of making sure the rider buys the correct sized bike. It should be part of the service for all shops to have people measured.

[mileslong]

Yep, I made that mistake once. It was a deal I couldn’t pass up on a new PERFORMANCE dual suspension bike, back in the 90s. I knew the frame was small, but I somehow thought I could make it work by maxing out the seat post height, shifting the seat back, and installing an extra long stem. It didn’t work. Heartbreaking. But then I married, and after undoing all my changes to the bike, it was perfect for my wife. She loves it!

[nicholascowen]

Manon riding Connors bike is hilarious. Reminds me of when I was growing up and a lad around my way got a bike that he could “grow into”. His dad put wooden blocks on the pedals because the bike was so big. Long story short he was a late bloomer and had blocks on his pedals for about 4 years.

[hmudesign]

Everyone in Singapore, young and old, ride like Connor on Mannon’s bike, its a standard, it just cracks me up seeing this, feels like home.

[michaelsisk]

Great video! I had this quandary with my recent purchase of my 2023 Cannondale Topstone carbon 3L. At 6’ tall, 210# and a 32” inseam Cannondale recommended that I buy a medium frame although their size chart stated that I could also use a large or extra large frame. The closest dealership that had the bike in stock was 4 hours away. I opted for the extra large frame as the medium frame would have yielded a very tall seat post and an aggressive lean on the handlebar. I did have to lower the handlebar to be parallel to the ground and to move the shifters higher to reduce the reach. I also had to cut the seat post. It is still above the handlebar height but I now have the perfect seat height and pedaling stroke. All of these changes resulted in none of your problems in your video. I now have a wicked fast and nimble bike.

[SonnyDarvish]

if you are shorter than 170cm (5'7) toe overlap happens with 700c wheels anyway, regardless of bike type. frame size might be absolute bang on, but crank length and wheel size have to go down in size.

[markclevedon]

We are now about to rush to our garage or bike shed to run these tests despite "suspecting" for a while that the bike is the wrong size. But it was such a bargain.... As always GCN, excellent advice.

[bubblesezblonde]

5:43 Connor drafting like a giant, sneaky leprechaun! LOVED it! The Celt presenters rule and happy Yule to you both!

[incidentshappen]

When I bought my first road bike in 2011 the shop said "if you can stand over the top tube with an inch of clearance it fits" and set my saddle height in about 90 seconds and sent me on my way. Flash forward to 2020 I bought my gravel bike online, using their fit tools based on my height. I set the saddle height of the new bike to match the old one and it just never felt (or looked) right. So I went to a real fitter who informed me my saddle was nearly THREE INCHES too low. And a bunch of other things out of whack, basically should have bought the size down from what I did. If you're going to spend thousands on a bike, don't listen to the brands websites, GO GET FIT. It will pay for itself in the long run.

[stravadacreson]

I can see my front hub..the solution is bought big screen garmin so that i couldnt see the hub

[nancyhoward]

I'm 5'-8"and ride a 50cm, which is perfect for me. For a long time bike shops had me believing I should be on a 54 which always felt a bit odd in handling, too big. Until one day I sized down and boy it made all the difference in riding comfort for me.

[MathijsHofkens]

Great tips! Didn’t know you could just see it with simple tests.

I’ve bought a bike, which after a lot of bikefit-appointments was apparently 2 sizes too big for me. (Need a short reach and saddle must go quite a bit up).

So maybe the top tip: go get yourself measured out by a bikefitting expert before you actually buy a bike. You won’t regret it.

[arthurreyes]

I first started road biking in 2010 and purchased a Trek Madone 4.5. I didn’t know any better and went with the salesperson recommendation. What I didn’t realize is the bike had an endurance geometry, sloping top tube with 15cm headtube. I’m 5’8 with a 76cm inseam so the bike fit me.
I road this bike for 5 years and decided I would only get another bike when my abilities exceeded the current bike. 5 years later, I ordered project one madone in H1 fit size 52. So I went down a size with a smaller headtube but the reach was longer on the H1. I was able to fit this bike but was at the limit on the seat cap unless I wanted to purchase a longer seat cap.
7 years later, my H1 Madone developed and crack in the BB and Trek warrantied the frame. I have generation 6 Madone on order but I went back to a 54 size frame. With a better understanding of bike geometry, I realized the new H1.5 frame 52 would be smaller than my H1 frame (shorter reach as well) and the 54 would be closer to the H1 fit.

[simonalexandercritchley]

Good to have some on the bike humour at this time. Frames tended to be larger 20-30 years ago and road bikes had horizontal top tubes.Nowadays they are sloping and come in less sizes (brand dependant). It is easier to get a fit in 1 or 2 cm increments other than S, M, L etc. Have a bike fit done by a professional or a good shop, if not offered shop elsewhere is my advice.If buying online you must get the right frame including suitable geometry for the type of riding for you.

[NewEnglandDirtRoadie]

0:05 "... switch up your position with a different stem..."
as the camera pans to the integrated bar/stem combo

[Biking]

I'm 6'2" and was between sizes so opted for the larger size. Tat was a 60 cm rather than a 58 cm frame. In hindsight, I think I would have been better going a size down as the adjustments are easier to make that way.

[JMcLeodKC]

In all seriousness, Conor looked more comfortable than Manon. Therefore I would say when in doubt, go one size down

[frankschannel]

Tip about seeing the front hub led me to shorten my stem from 120mm to 100mm on my 56cm Cannondale CAAD 12 Ultegra. Perfect - and not twitchy even at speed. Thanks, mate!