4FIT AND SAFETY
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fig. 5 Standover Height
A. FIT
Make sure the bike fits. A bike that’s too big or too small for the rider is harder to control and can be uncomfortable.
WARNING: If your bicycle does not fit properly, you may lose control and fall. If your new bike doesn’t fit, ask your dealer to exchange it before your ride it.
Frame size: Your dealer will have recommended the best frame size for you, based on the information provided. If you picked your own bike at the dealership, your dealer took the time to fit you to the correct frame size at the time. If someone else selected the bike for you, as a gift, for example, it’s important for you to make sure that it fits before you ride it.
The first check for correct size is standover height. Standover height is the basic element of bike fit. It is the distance from the ground to the top of the top tube at that point where your crotch would be if you were straddling the bike by standing half way between the saddle and the handlebar stem. To check for safe standover height, straddle the bike while wearing the kind of shoes in which you'll be riding, and bounce vigorously on your heels. If your crotch touches the frame, the bike is too big for you. Don't even ride the bike around the block. A bike which
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