The most overlooked aspect of riding is a proper fitting bike! With department stores offering little or no advise for sizing your bike, many people end up riding a poor fitting bike. Regardless of what kind of bike you own or what type of riding you do, the most important feature is that your bicycle fits you properly. Improper bike size and set-up can create knee, neck and back pains, making riding uncomfortable. Conversely a proper fitting bike will make cycling easier and more enjoyable. The best thing to do is head for a real bike store (or cyclery) and ask to be fitted to your existing bike, or be correctly fitted to a new bike. Many bike shops will adjust seat and handlebar height and angle, some even offer a detailed fit procedure called a "Fit Kit" this is designed for the more advanced riders to improve performance, but will benefit anyone who rides.

Fit Basics
There is no standard sizing or fit, everyone will be different. The right fit for you will depend on your body geometry and how aggressive you want to ride. To get the right bike fit, you have to do 2 things:

1) Spend some time riding and testing different set ups. Move the saddle and handle bars into a few different positions. Then try each one with a short ride, this leads to the second thing to do.

2) Pay attention to any aches or pains as you ride. For example, back pain may be caused by leaning to far forward, sore knees are due to a saddle adjustment.

The following are some suggestions for fitting your bike properly, which should provide you with a starting point. If after adjusting your bike you still feel un-comfortable, maybe you should visit your local bike shop for more help.

Step #1 - Check your frame size
Please note these are good guidelines for initial set up and fit, but should not be considered precise or exact in any way. Again everyone's body is a little different and having a good bike shop fit you is still recommended. The first thing is 2 rules of thumb to determine bike height. To determine this yo must step over top of the bike and stand with one leg on each side hands on the handle bars. In this position you want to gently raise the front end of the bike up until the top tube is touching you. For road bikes the clearance from the floor to the tire should be roughly 1 to 1-1/2 inches, for a mountain bikes generally 2 to 3 inches. Again this is just a rough guideline and will help narrow the search. Note that on Mountain bikes the full suspension bikes tend to ride higher and will sit 1-2 inches.

Step #2 - Positioning your saddle
Saddles move in 3 directions, up/down, fore/aft, and Tilt. Everyone's saddle position will be different because of personal preference, riding style, and body geometry. The following three positions will greatly affect your riding. You will need to try a few different positions to decide which is best for you. Remember if you feel any discomfort chances are your positioning is wrong, try again or seek the aid of a professional bike shop employee.

Saddle Position #1 (fore/aft)
The fore/aft position of your saddle can have a significant effect on your body position while you ride. To check this, sit on your saddle using a stationary object to keep yourself balanced and rotate your pedals until they are horizontal (at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions). You will need a piece of string about 30 inches long with a weight tied to the end (like a pencil). Now using the foot in the 3 o'clock position place the string on the small bony bump just below your knee cap and let it hang straight down to the foot. With a properly positioned saddle the pencil should line up with the axle of the pedal. To adjust this simply loosen the seat post binder bolt and slide your saddle forward or backward, then re-tighten the bolt securely before riding.

Saddle Position #2(height)
Correct saddle height will provide you with hours of enjoyable riding. It will lower the stress on your knees and provide the most power to your pedals. Your saddle height should be set so your legs almost (but not quite) fully extend at the bottom of each pedal stroke. To check for correct leg extension, rotate your pedals to the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions (while sitting on your saddle). The bottom leg (6 o'clock position) should have a slight bend in the knee.

To adjust your saddle height, loosen the binder bolt (or quick-release lever) located where the seat post and frame meet. Slide the seat post up or down in the seat tube as needed, being careful not to raise it beyond the "minimum insertion mark" (already etched into its side). Straighten out the saddle and re-tighten the binder bolt ( or quick-release lever) securely before riding.

Saddle Position #3 (tilt)
When it comes to saddle tilt some cyclists prefer a forward tilt, or a backward tilt, and some people like their saddles completely level. To find a tilt position that works for you, start with the saddle completely level to the ground (horizontal) take a few test rides, try some different angles. To tilt the saddle, simply loosen the binder bolt directly under your saddle, make your adjustments and re-tighten.

Step #3 - Positioning you handlebars
Handlebar position will effect your comfort while riding. There are 2 positions to consider for handlebars
1.) Height - this will determine how upright you sit, a taller handle bar will allow you to sit more upright, for a more comfortable ride. a lower handle bar will give you a more aggressive handling bike, good for off road trails.
2.) Length of stem - this will determine how stretched out your upper body will be, a longer stem will cause you to stretch out more.
Again everyone's positioning will be different! Depending on the type of riding you do, and your body's geometry. To find the best height for you, start with your handlebar about 1 inch lower than the height of your saddle. Ride for a while with the bars in this position, and see how your body reacts. If your lower back starts hurting and you may want a more upright position (raise your stem slightly).

Adjusting your handlebar: (For standard quill style stems)
1.) Loosen the stem expander bolt located at the top of your handlebar stem (the bolt head should be clearly visible) until it's about 1/4 inch above the top of the stem. Be careful not to loosen this bolt any further, or the expander nut (hidden inside your stem) may stay inside the forks

2.) Tap the top of the expander bolt, sharply with a rubber mallet (or place a block of wood on top of the bolt and use a regular hammer). You should now be able to rotate the handlebars and move the stem up or down.

3.)Align & Re- tighten Holding the front wheel in between your knees, reposition the stem and handlebars up or down as needed, then re-tighten the stem expander bolt firmly.

NOTE: Be sure NOT to raise your stem beyond the maximum insertion mark etched into its side. Also some types of brakes may need to be readjusted each time you move your handlebars. Bikes equipped with the "Ahead" style stems have a limited amount of adjustment and may require a new stem or handle bar.