Some body statistics, do you have short legs or short torso?

Triathlon Forum
1

A while ago I made an investigation of cyclists leg length in relation to their total length. Inner leg length can be measured e.g. by holding a book or thin binder against a wall, while at the same time pressing it firmly up against the crotch and measuring from the floor. You must be two persons to do this properly.

The results were:
**Average total length **= 185.3cm (6"1’)
Average leg length = 85.4cm
**Relative leg length **= 46.1% (85.4/185.3)

If you have really short legs you are close to 40%, really long legs are around (or even above) 50%. This was done only on male cyclists and does of course include length differences above the shoulders. Still, it should give some idea of your stature.

You are welcome to add your own data
/Kevin

2

I am 72 inches tall with a 32 inch inseam. I am Little Leg Man! or Captain Torso!

3

32/72=44.4%, which isn’t too far from average, but on the short side.

/K

4

68" tall with 29" inseam

42.06%

Long torso, very short hairy legs, I am Badger.

5

75" with a 37" inseam. Leg length is 49.3%

6

Height: 6’1.5" (73.5")
Leg Length: 36.75"
Relative leg length: 50%

-jamie
.

7

Went back and did it properly, instead of from memory

Height 5’10" (was 5’11" - I’m shrinking with old age!)

Leg 34.5" (was 33.5" - at least something’g growing!)

Relative: 49.3%
.

8

I have short legs. No short torso.
oh well, I have both :frowning:

9

65 inches short

31 inch inseam

47.7%

Not really sure what this tells me. I’m really slow, so maybe I’ll use this as my new excuse.

10

hgt 67.5
inseam 32.5
48%
.

11

Height 185.5 cm

Leg 88cm

47.4%

I guess I got long legs.

12

At 6’2" and only a 33" in-seasm, I am definately a short-legs-long-torso type.

Fleck

13

Be curious to see what the other gals percentages are.

31"
66.5"
46.6%

clm

14

I am 174cm with inseam of 85cm for a ratio of 48.9%
.

15

opsss… I forgot one little thing. I’m 75" tall, with 36" inseam on the right and a 37" inseam on the left. That makes me 48% on the right and 49.3% on the left. Got hit by a car in 1980 and a knee operation in 1976. This all adds up (or subtracts) to a short right leg by 1".

16

70" tall with a 32" inseam = 45.7%

My problem is that my lower back is always tight no matter what I do.

17

34.5"
71.5"
=48.3%
.

18

179 cm and 80cm inseam for 44%.
Is this applicable to any general observations re bike makes/types?
Should low 40% be looking for longer top tubes?

19

Should low 40% be looking for longer top tubes?
Possibly. At least, if you feel at home on a frame with a long top tube, then you know the reason. For fitting to a road bike you obviously need to include arm length as well.
/K

20

Didn’t read all the posts. Sorry if someone else already said this.

I’d like to see 2 things to go with this:

  1. All you who are anteing up your personal dimension data … do you know your speed over a flat 40k course? I’d love to correlate this data with speed.

  2. I’ve always heard that long relative femur length has a high correlation to cycling ability (greater leverage or something like that). I wonder what the averages there are … and correlations to speed, again.

Bob C.