Do you know how big the frame of your racer is? How long is the top tube, how high is the saddle above the handlebars? If you want to set up a new bike or customise your rental bike at the training camp, you should have this data to hand.
Correctly measure and document your road bike
We show you the basics of wheel measurement in nine simple steps. Have fun measuring!
1. determine your correct crotch height: press a spirit level horizontally into your crotch and ask a helper to measure the distance from the top edge to the floor. Variation without a helper: Stand close to a door frame, for example, and mark the height of the top edge with a pencil.
2. measure your saddle height by measuring the distance from the top edge of the saddle centre vertically to the ground. For accurate measurement results, make sure that the bike is standing securely and stably on level ground and that the measuring tape is straight to the ground.
3. to determine the seat height, measure the distance between the top edge of the saddle centre and the bottom bracket centre.
4. distance saddle tip - bottom bracket: Make a plumb line from the saddle tip towards the ground. Make sure that the cable can hang loosely and does not get caught in the frame or chain. Then measure the distance between the plumb line and the centre of the bottom bracket. | Photo: TOUR Magazine/Kerstin Leicht
5. distance between the tip of the saddle and the brake levers: Measure from the tip of the saddle to the centre of the brake levers, i.e. to the slight bulge in front of the brake horns. Important: The front wheel must be levelled. If it is tilted to one side, the measured distance will be shorter!
6. distance saddle tip - upper handlebar: Measure from the saddle tip to the centre of the handlebar, i.e. up to the screw connection of the stem and handlebar. For aero bikes with an integrated cockpit: Take the horizontal and vertical centre of the handlebars as the end point of the measurement.
7 The handlebar height is measured from the distance of the highest point of the handlebar to the ground.
8. to measure the top tube length exactly, you must fix the thread to the head tube with an adhesive strip and guide the thread straight to the seat tube using the spirit level.
Then measure the distance from the centre of the head tube to the centre of the seat post.
9. cut a perpendicular to the centre of the bottom bracket from the tensioned thread. Mark the point on the thread where you can guide the tape measure at a right angle to the bottom bracket. The distance between the mark and the bottom bracket is the stack, the distance from the mark to the centre of the head tube is the reach.
More screwdriver tips can be found in the book The road bike workshop.
