When you’re looking for the right Q factor for your indoor bike, there are a few things to think about. First of all, there’s the right range for your build.
For most people, a Q factor between 140mm and 170mm is going to be the optimal choice.
If you’re testing out bikes, start with a Q factor of this size and see how it works out for you. If you feel like it’s not the most comfortable option, you might then want to try out a bike with a slightly wider Q factor to see if it suits you better. However, it’s most likely that you’re going to be satisfied with a Q factor that’s narrow but not too narrow unless you have very long legs or perhaps wide hips.
But how can you find out the Q factor of a indoor bike? This is important to know first so that you’re aware of what you’re going to get.
The good news is that you shouldn’t need to take this measurement yourself. It should be available from the manufacturer, either in the bike’s manual, on the website, or in other official documentation. If you do need to measure it yourself, you only need to measure the distance between the inside of the pedal attachments on the crank arms. This should give you your Q factor so you know if it’s right for you.