MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Some people love to ride their bikes all year long, while others only enjoy riding during the spring through fall time of year. Either way, making sure you have the perfect bike is important. Our friends over at American Cycle & Fitness located in Okemos on Grand River Avenue walked us through finding that perfect bike.

Store Manager John Bieda first starts by asking the customer what they would like to use the bike for. For this demonstration I wanted something geared toward pavement riding and fitness.

After determining the bikes use, John Bieda said, "So one thing we want to always make sure we get right is the the size, the size is critical." Bieda went on to say size of the bike is determined by a person's height.

In order to make sure the size is correct john said, "We always want to do a test ride to make sure we're hitting that target. Sorta like at that point it becomes like trying on shoes; we know approximately what size, but you have to put it on your foot and tell us if it is truly the right fit."

Naturally John and I made our way over to helmets before taking the bike outside for a ride.

Next, John readjusted the bike seat before letting me ride around. He says, "When the seat is adjusted to the right height, you're probably only going to be able to get your tip-toes on the ground. So when you come to a stop instead of staying on the seat you actually step down that's why we always want to make sure you can safely stand over the frame, that's why we started with that inside."

After a quick ride around, John determined going up one size bike would be best for me. As he stated earlier , getting the right size is critical.

This proved to be true because I found during this test ride I enjoyed the bike a lot more.

The right frame size, proper seat height, and type of bike, and helmet are all it takes to get that perfect bike.