24-Inch Bike For What Size Person?
For younger riders and children especially (but for adults too!), the right bike size matters. You’ll feel comfortable and confident on your bike, especially if you’ve outgrown a smaller-sized bike, but you’re not sure if you’re ready for a bigger bike. What size person can ride a 24-inch bike?
Riders who are between 4’6” and 5’4” will have the best experience on a 24-inch bike. The smaller size of this bike makes it a perfect recommendation for kids, and adults who find 26-inch bikes too large will transition easily to a 24-inch bike too.
In this expansive guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know to determine whether you need a 24-inch bike. I’ll delve into decision-making criteria such as in your inseam length, your experience and skill level, and your body proportions. There’s lots of great info to come, so keep reading!
Determining If a 24-Inch Bike Is the Right Size for You
As mentioned in the intro, a person between 4’6” and 5’4” will be the most comfortable on a 24-inch bike. That’s mostly kids but can include adults too.
These bikes feature smaller pedals, squatter seat tubes, and narrower handlebars than larger bikes, so if you’re too tall, you’re going to dwarf a 24-inch bike.
Oppositely, if you’re much shorter than 4’6”, you might struggle to reach the pedals and the handlebars. Your control and handling of the bike will suffer, making you more prone to crashes and injuries.
Let’s discuss how to measure your height (with tips) so you can get an accurate number the first time and then use that number to gauge your bike size.
Don’t Measure Your Height When Wearing Shoes
Just like you shouldn’t weigh yourself when wearing shoes, you shouldn’t measure your height when in shoes either.
Depending on the style of footwear, your shoes can add anywhere from an inch to several inches to your height. This skews your results.
If you wear different shoes than the ones you measured your height in when biking, you’ll find that a 24-inch bike isn’t suitable for you, after all.
Wear Your Hair Down
Since taking an accurate height measurement starts at the top of your head, ideally, it should be uncovered. Don’t wear a hat, and don’t wear your hair up into a braid, a bun, or a ponytail.
Measure Yourself on a Flat, Level Surface
While you can take your height measurement anywhere, the ideal place to do it is on a flat, level surface such as an uncarpeted floor in your home.
If your floor naturally has any divots, slopes, or inclines, don’t stand on those areas, as uneven flooring can again affect the accuracy of your measurement.
Stand Flat and Relaxed Against a Wall
Once you’ve found a place to stand, position yourself against the nearest wall so your back is to it. Your buttocks, shoulders, and head should also go against the wall, but don’t press or push yourself.
Put your feet flat with your heels touching the back of the wall. Keep your head level so your chin remains parallel to the ground. Look out directly ahead of you.
From there, you need a second person to take a flexible measuring tape and extend it from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Increase the number to 1/8th of an inch.
Determining Bike Size by Inseam Length
You don’t only have to use your height to determine whether a 24-inch bike is an appropriate choice. You can also rely on your inseam length.
You’ve probably heard of inseams when measuring for a pair of jeans, but not for your bike height. Well, good news! Your inseam length comes in handy for both.
Let’s start with a definition in case you’re unfamiliar with inseams. An inseam is a measurement from your crotch to the bottom of your leg.
I’d recommend knowing your inseam length as a secondary measurement for height. The reason? Height isn’t uniform from person to person.
What I mean by that is that some of us have longer legs or shorter torsos, which can make using your height as the only litmus test for a bike size not always the best idea.
How to Measure Your Inseam
So why not measure your inseam just to have that number handy? Here’s how to do it.
- Like when measuring your height, you shouldn’t wear shoes, keep your hair up, or stand on a carpeted or uneven surface. Stand flat against a wall with your feet flat and shoulder-width.
- Have a second person take a flexible measuring tape and pull it up to your groin. Due to the nature of this measurement, make sure you choose a trusted friend or partner for the measuring.
- The other side of the flexible measuring tape goes all the way to the bottom of your leg but not to the bottom of your foot like when measuring your height.
Determining Bike Size Based on Rider Experience and Skill Level
Here are yet two more factors you can use to select the right bike size for you, whether that’s a 24-inch bike or another size entirely: your rider experience and your skill level.
As I talked about earlier, the handlebar size, bike frame size, tube frame measurement, and pedal size all change depending on the size of your bike. These features are all shorter and narrower on a 24-inch bike.
Let’s go through the various cycling skill and experience levels to assess whether a 24-inch bike makes for a suitable riding option.
Is a 24-Inch Bike Right for a Beginner Cyclist?
When referring to beginner riders, I mostly mean kids. The small pedal size of a 24-inch road bike feels like a match made in heaven for children’s equally small feet.
Besides their size, 24-inch pedals also feature lightweight pedals. Kids won’t find themselves weighed down when using these pedals.
A lightweight frame also makes a 24-inch bike ridable for kids, and the short seat tubes will help children reach the pedals and the handlebars. Narrower handlebars shouldn’t bother kids in the slightest.
Is a 24-Inch Bike Right for an Intermediate Cyclist?
Intermediate cyclists can include riders of nearly any age.
The lightweight quality of the small pedals featured in a 24-inch road bike again come in handy, but the pedals might feel a touch small for intermediates. That depends on the age of the rider and their proportions.
A lightweight frame is useful for everyday cycling no matter a rider’s level of experience, so that’s another plus in the 24-inch bike column.
The frame is too small for most adult men, but adult women who are 5’4” or shorter can still ride a 24-inch bike with ease.
The lower seat post and squat seat tubes of a 24-inch bike might not suit taller riders of any age, especially kids growing out of smaller bikes and adult riders. Fortunately, you can always adjust your bike, which I’ll talk about later.
The 40-centimeter average length of the handlebars can take some getting used to, but larger handlebars at 44 centimeters might make for a more comfortable intermediate riding experience.
Is a 24-Inch Bike Right for an Advanced Cyclist?
Advanced cyclists rarely include children and will instead encompass teens and mostly adults.
As an advanced rider, you’re chasing after performance metrics, so let’s see how a 24-inch bike stacks up.
Once again, a 24-inch bike will feel way too condensed for adult male riders and taller adult female riders. Women who measure 5’4” or under should do well riding a 24-inch bike, even at an advanced level.
For everyone else, go up a size to 25 or 26 inches.
Small pedals might impede one’s stopping abilities if the pedals feel too teeny-tiny, but the lightweight quality of the pedals and the bike frame lends a rider better aerodynamics at an advanced level.
The narrow handlebars can once again get in the way of bigger riders.
Determining Bike Size Based on Body Proportions and Flexibility
As I discussed in the section about inseams and bike size, just because two people measure the same height doesn’t mean their proportions are identical.
If someone has longer limbs or a longer midsection, their proportions might disqualify them from a 24-inch bike.
The best way to gauge if a 24-inch bike works for you is to try it. Pay attention to your comfort and flexibility. Do either feel hindered by a bike of this size? For adults, probably, but for kids, maybe not.
Make sure you’re in the correct position too.
So what is the most efficient riding position? The one that feels the most comfortable!
Unless you’re in a time trial or a triathlon, you don’t need to ride so your body makes a nearly 90-degree angle. That increases your aerodynamics but isn’t very comfortable in the long run.
Here’s how to position your body instead.
Lower and Relax Your Shoulders
Going from head to toe, your shoulders don’t have to stay hunched up to your ears to ride a road bike well. Instead, relax your shoulders and they should naturally drop.
You might find them instinctively raise back up again throughout your ride. Stay conscious of this fact and remind yourself to lower your shoulders whenever they get tense.
Once you’ve relaxed your shoulders, you should have better head flexibility. You’ll appreciate your full range of head motion to look for hazards to the side of and in front of you.
Keep Your Elbows Bent
Your elbows should always bend when riding a road bike yet remain relaxed. This position allows your arms to absorb more of your physical cycling impacts so the rest of your body doesn’t have to.
Keep your arms inside your body rather than outward. You’ll have better aerodynamics and won’t tire your arms out as fast.
Arms Straight from the Elbow Down
Where your elbow bends all the way to your fingers should be a straight line when riding a bike. Should you find your wrists or hands shifting out of position continually when on a ride, then perhaps a 24-inch bike is too small for you.
Keep Your Spine Neutral
A relaxed back with your spine angle straight from the shoulders and hips is the right way to ride a bike. Your core will engage when you’re in the correct position, preventing unwanted slouching.
Knees Over the Pedals
Finally, let’s talk about your knee positioning. Your knees should remain over the balls of your feet. Another way to think of this? Keep your knees over the pedals.
Your knees should stay in a straight line when you move them, not angle outward. If you keep up that habit, you’ll end up bumping your knees into your bike frame and getting bruises all over.
Adjusting Your Bike Fit
You’ve determined that you’ll fit a 24-inch bike, but the bike just doesn’t feel right when you sit on it and pedal around.
It sounds like you should adjust your bike. Here’s how to do it.
Saddle Angle
The correct saddle angle is parallel to the floor. Women typically feel comfortable with a slightly lower saddle angle and men with a higher angle, but at least start out level and then adjust further if needed.
Seat Height
Once you’ve got your saddle angle set, you can adjust the seat height. The best way to gauge whether you need to is by sitting on the seat and putting your feet on the pedals.
Do the pedals feel too low to the ground? Then you need to increase your saddle height. Are the pedals too high? Bring the seat height down.
Handlebars
Your handlebar reach is how much space exists between the handlebars and the seat. There’s no one right handlebar reach, as it depends on the length of your arms and torso.
When gripping the handlebars, your arms should straighten almost entirely with your elbows only slightly bent. If you have to strain your shoulders, arms, or back to reach the handlebars, reduce the handlebar reach, as it’s too great.
FAQs
What Age Is a 24-Inch Bike For?
While it varies, 24-inch bikes are generally built for kids between seven and 10 years old. As I discussed in the guide, women who are about 5’4” can fit a 24-inch bike, so it’s hard to put one age range on a bike of this size.
How Long Does It Take to Outgrow a 24-Inch Bike?
A child generally grows 2.5 inches a year, and once they’re taller than 5’4”, they’ve usually outgrown a 24-inch bike.
A 10-year-old kid might stand at 4’5” or 4’8”, so around that age is when they’ll outgrow a 24-inch bike and need a 25-inch bike or larger.
Are 24-Inch Bikes Only Available as Road Bikes?
No, 24-inch bikes come in all sorts of styles, with 24-inch mountain bikes another popular option!
Conclusion
A 24-inch road bike generally suits riders who are 5’4” or under. Usually, these bikes are most appropriate for kids, but adult women within that size range (or shorter) can usually fit on a 24-inch bike after making some minor adjustments.
I hope this guide helps you choose the right size bike for you!
