How to get your road bike position right: DIY bike fit for beginners

A bike set up to fit you properly can increase speed and comfort, encouraging to you to become a life-long cyclist.

If you're new to cycling or are building up your mileage, you should expect to be a little achy – it will take a period of time for your body to adapt to the new strains and positions that riding demands.

However, you shouldn't be in pain or picking up cycling injuries while riding your bike. Either is a sure sign that something is wrong.

There are a number of ways you can tweak the fit of your bike to rid yourself of discomfort. All are within the reach of even the most inexperienced home mechanic.

In this guide, we'll explain how to set up your road bike position with a DIY bike fit – including frame size, saddle height and handlebar position – so you can ride comfortably, efficiently and injury-free.

How to find the right bike frame size for you

Road bike frames are typically sized either by their seat tube length, or as a t-shirt sizing (eg, small, medium, large, and so on).

Regardless of the methods any given brand uses to quantify a size, the effective cockpit length (from seat to handlebar), is the major determining factor for basic fit.

Most bike companies have sizing charts on their websites to get you in the right ballpark for frame size. This is usually based on your overall height.

We've also got a guide to road bike sizing to help you find the right frame, as well as advice on women's bike sizing and mountain bike sizing.

If you're buying a second-hand bike that has had the sizing sticker removed or you can't find sizing information, check out our comprehensive guide on how to measure a bike frame.

Of course, frame size doesn’t necessarily take into account your body’s specific dimensions in terms of leg length or torso and arm length. But it’s a great place to start.

Stack and reach are a much better way to assess the overall fit of a bike. But getting your head around the peculiarities of road bike geometry is a little more complex.

The next critical measurement to look at is standover height – fortunately, this is much more basic.

Ensuring you have enough clearance over the top tube to safely get on and off the bike is key. There should be several centimetres of space between you and the top of the bike.

How to choose a saddle

Finding a good position is impossible without a seat that supports your body.

You’ve got two seat bones in your pelvis that should make contact with the bike's saddle and support the majority of your weight.

If you're unsure where to start, check out our guide on how to find the right bike seat for you, while we've also covered the basics below.

How to set your saddle height

Getting your saddle height right is an important aspect of road bike positioning. It's the first adjustment for building a new position.

In general, your knee should be slightly bent when you're at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

As a starting point, you can achieve this by setting a saddle height that, with your heel on the pedal and pedalling backwards slowly, your knee just barely locks out at the point of maximum extension.

If you have to reach, it’s too high. But if you don’t quite lock out your knee, it’s too low.

Another important measurement is saddle setback. How forwards or backwards your saddle is in relation to the bottom bracket influences your weight distribution on the bike.

The idea is to get maximum force applied to the pedals. This is achieved when the knee is above the pedal axle when the crank is in the 3 o’clock position.

Crank length and cleat position can affect this, too (more on this in a moment).

As for saddle angle, most of the time it should be horizontal or flat.

How to set your handlebar height on a road bike

With your seat height and saddle fore/aft set, it’s time to move to the front of the bike.

Handlebar position has a huge impact on the overall fit of your bike. Moving just 5mm up/down or forward/back can totally change the character of a bike.

If performance and speed is your focus, get into a low, aerodynamic position that you can maintain for a long period of time.

If you' prioritise all-day comfort over all-out speed, go for a more upright position that reduces weight and strain on your arms.

Try riding the handlebars where they are straight out of the box. That will give you a benchmark to work from.

If you have shoulder or neck pain after riding, it’s likely because you’re shrugging your shoulders and reaching too far – try a shorter stem.

If you feel lower back pain, this indicate your handlebar is too low (or your seat is too high). Conversely, if you feel upper back pain, between your shoulder blades, this could be the opposite.

Handlebar reach and stem length

Most shops will have a few inexpensive stems for you to try out (if you purchased your bike from them). Bear in mind that if you need to change your stem length significantly, you might be better off on a different size frame.

The height of your handlebar is also important and, like stem length, has an impact on reach. If you lower the handlebar, you'll increase the effective reach. If you raise the handlebar, you'll do the opposite, providing a more upright riding position.

Don’t compensate for a shorter reach by moving your seat forward. Although one will affect the other, deal with the position of your saddle and handlebar separately.

Your ability to access your brakes and shifters with ease is the next vital consideration. Ideally, the shifters should also have a smooth and flat transition from the ramp of the handlebars to the shifters.

Though you may be able to make small tweaks, this can mean unwrapping your bars, rotating them, repositioning your shifters, and putting everything back in place.

If you have small hands and/or find the brake levers are too far away, you can adjust the reach of your levers. You should be able to comfortably reach and control your brakes while still having a secure grip on your handlebars.

Fitting pedals and cleat alignment

As a final step, sort out your pedal and cleat position. Poorly positioned feet can lead to problems ranging from debilitating knee pain to burning foot pain.

Cleat float, which governs the degree of lateral movement in the cleats, can also influence comfort. Make sure, you’re fixed in those pedals, but it should feel natural.

While you're here, it's worth weighing up flat pedals vs clipless pedals (most of the best road bike pedals are clipless).

Why you should consider a bike fit (plus tips for a DIY bike fit)

Once you understand your position, you could take it to another level with a professional bike fit. But do your homework – not all bike fit professionals are created equal.

Some are more expensive than others, and sometimes for good reason. Some bike fitters are so confident in their work they’re willing to offer money-back guarantees.

As a cheaper (free!) alternative to a professional bike fit, you could use a smartphone to assess your position when riding on a turbo or smart trainer.

With this, you can take a close look at exactly what is going on as you pedal. This is particularly useful for assessing saddle height.

The final touches

A correctly fitting and set up bike should give good handling in all circumstances. You should be able to look down the road without fatigue, and over your shoulders (to see other traffic) without straining.

Once you’ve gotten these things sorted, you’ll be enjoying your riding more every day. And on every ride, you’ll notice more about your body and your position.

Always remember, cycling shouldn’t be uncomfortable – so if you are, it’s time to start making some changes.