Most fit problems can be fixed. The trick is to move the right point of the rider triangle, and to know what you’re giving up before you order parts. Every change on this page has a side effect somewhere.
Quick reference
| Problem | Usual fix | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Can’t reach the ground | Low seat, thicker boots, lowering links | Less ground clearance; side-stand may need shortening |
| Knees cramped (tall riders) | Taller seat, lowered pegs, adjustable rearsets | Lower pegs touch down sooner |
| Wrists and neck ache | Bar risers or bars with more rise and pullback | Cables and brake lines may need to be longer |
| Too upright, wind on chest | Lower bars, a screen | More weight on the wrists |
| Standing feels hunched (ADV) | Taller risers, peg raising/lowering | Changes seated position too |
Handlebar risers
Risers lift the bar clamps, typically by 20–50 mm (0.8–2 in), and some also add pullback. They open your hip angle and take load off your wrists.
After fitting them, rotate the bars so your forearm and the back of your hand form a straight line. Plenty of riders keep their wrist ache after fitting risers simply because nobody re-rotated the bars. Taller risers can also leave cables and brake lines too short, so check them at full lock in both directions.
Lowering links and lowered shocks
A lowering link changes the rear suspension linkage so the back of the bike sits lower. Expect changed steering, less ground clearance, more lean on the side-stand, and sometimes harsher bottoming over big hits.
That’s a lot of side effects for a fit problem. Many riders find that a low seat plus thicker boots gets them close enough with far fewer compromises, so try that combination in the calculator first. If you do go the link route, have a suspension specialist fit it.
Seats
Factory low and high seats are the simplest change you can make, and they bolt straight on. Aftermarket seats are worth a look too, because many are narrower at the front, which improves ground reach more than the height change alone suggests.
Remember that a lower seat also closes your knee angle. Short riders usually don’t mind; tall riders going the other way get the opposite benefit.
Footpegs and rearsets
Peg lowering brackets typically drop the pegs 20–40 mm (0.8–1.6 in), which opens the knee for tall riders. The cost is cornering clearance: the pegs will scrape sooner.
Adjustable rearsets usually go the other way, letting you move the pegs back and up for a sportier position with more clearance.
Boots
Riding boots add 15–30 mm (0.6–1.2 in) under your feet. They’re the cheapest fix on this page, they don’t touch the bike, and they protect your feet as well. Not a bad deal.
If you’re still choosing a bike, it’s usually easier to buy one that fits than to fix one that doesn’t. Find my bike ranks all the models in the database against your measurements.