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      Almost certainly, your bike is compatible with Mac Ride. But there are a few tricks to be aware of so you can order the right adapters if needed. And there are a few exceptions too. We also have a Mac Ride gallery so you can see just a few of the bikes from around the world in action with Mac Ride here! Any further questions, please reach out--- info@mac-ride.com.

      On this page:

      1. Will Mac Ride fit your bike?

      2. Choosing the right front mount spacer

      3. E-bike compatibility

      4. Mac Ride measurements and dimensions

      5. Bike makes and models- will they fit?

      6. Unique Situations: Cannondale Leftys, Scott Genius and Scott Spark Bikes, drop bars, folding bikes, double crowns and more

       

      1. WILL MAC RIDE FIT YOUR BIKE?

      This guide explains how to check your steerer tube, your frame and your seat post for Mac Ride compatibility.

      CAN I USE MAC RIDE WITH A CARBON FRAME?

      Absolutely! Mac Ride mounts to the steerer tube and seat post and does not touch your frame:)

      CAN I USE MAC RIDE WITH A DROPPER POST?

      Absolutely! When mounting the rear clamp, be sure to go on to the base of the post, and not the part that drops.

      Mac Ride LOVES Dropper Posts! But check your dropper post carefully to make sure there is room for the Mac Ride rear clamp to fit around your seat post. This KS Lev dropper, for example, has a mechanism at the side. Unless you have more than the recommended 20mm of space for the Mac Ride rear clamp, the mechanism/cable will interfere with your Mac Ride set up.

      CAN I USE MAC RIDE WITH A "NORMAL" SEAT POST (NO DROPPER)?

      YES! Mac Ride simply clamps to the seat post itself. You can choose where to place the rear clamp to establish the right level of slope for the Mac Ride saddle for your child.

       

      2. CHOOSING THE RIGHT FRONT MOUNT SPACER FOR YOUR BIKE

      The size and type of your steerer tube will determine whether you can use the standard Mac Ride mounts or whether you need an adapter. Mac Ride comes with two front mount standard spacers, size 1 1/8". If you do not have a common bike, you will need to purchase different mounting spacers on our shop:

      Standard Front Mounts | Giant Front Mounts | Quill Adapters | Knock Block Extra

      Check out the information below to help you determine what you need:

      (Looking for a TREK lockring spacer closer to home? The part number is: #545523)

      WHAT IS A STEERER TUBE?

      Great question! It's the silver part of your bike, below, that goes down and connects to your forks.

      You are looking to measure the diameter of the steerer tube at the portion that sticks out from your frame (where it says 1 1/8", below). This is the part where the Mac Ride front mount fits, so it is the part that counts!

      WHAT IS A TAPERED STEERER TUBE?

      Sometimes the spec on your bike will say 1 1/8" with a "tapered" steerer tube, and then give additional dimensions, which can be confusing. As long as it's 1 1/8" at the part above your frame, the rest doesn't matter for fitting Mac Ride. So don't be worried about "tapered".

      WHAT IS A THREADED STEERER TUBE?

      For bikes with quill stems, they go inside a threaded steerer tube. These bikes, some commuters and older bikes - will need a quill stem adapter, either 7/8" or 1". For North America, there is a sneaky way to check what size you need, with either a Canadian or US quarter:

      Picture of a Quill Adapter mounted on a Quill Stem:

      ORDERING FRONT MOUNTS FROM MAC-RIDE.COM

      The below mounts and adapters are available on our shop. If you have a standard steerer tube, and two 1 1/8" spacers are not enough, you can always order more!

      Standard Front Mounts | Giant Front Mounts | Quill Adapters | Knock Block Extra

      DIFFERENT SHAPED SPACERS

      Cone Shaped Spacers

      Some bikes, like Rad Power models, have a cone shaped spacer under the stem. For Mac Ride to be compatible, you need to swap this spacer for a shorter cone shaped spacer to make room for the Mac Ride front mount. So far our customers have been able to find these shorter spacers at their local bike shop. Unfortunately, we do not sell them at Mac Ride. Read more about this solution here

      Cube Bikes - Hexagon Shaped Spacers

      Some Cube bikes use hexagonal spacers. Because the inside of the spacers are still round and 1 1/8", these still work well with Mac Ride. The only trouble is the aesthetics...Mac Ride spacers are round, so they might not look pretty and tidy when stacked in a deck together. Functionally, everything is great. Read more about this solution and Cube bikes here.

      WHAT STEERER TUBES ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH MAC RIDE?

      • 1.5" - Threadless steerer tube - less common and being phased out - not compatible with Mac Ride (some Cannondale Leftys have this tube).
      • Certain spacers that are not round, or are oddly shaped.

      3. E-BIKE COMPATIBILITY

      Mac Ride is brilliant for e-bikes! Unless your e-bike frame is very narrow, or your battery pack is at the back, you will need one of our two e-bike adapters to go with your Mac Ride.

      As e-bikes are so varied, we have two different sizes. Check out this compatibility information before you make a purchase. 

      Which E-Bike Adapter do you need?
      Top Tube & Down Tube Width
      Standard Width (no E-Bike Adapter) 68mm or less
      Wide E-Bike Adapter 68-97mm
      Extra Wide E-Bike Adapter 97-117mm

      Decided you need an e-bike adapter to go with your Mac Ride? Maybe you'd like some grips too! E-Bike Adapter | Mini Grips

      4. MAC RIDE MEASUREMENTS AND DIMENSIONS

      Top Tube Length

       

      Minimum: 480 mm

      Maximum: 660 mm

      Down Tube Width

       

       

      Maximum: 68 mm

      (expandable to 117 mm with e-bike adapter)

      Seat Post Diameter

       

       

      Minimum: 27.2 mm

      Maximum: 31.6 mm

      (see below if your bike is outside of this range)

      Rear Clamp

       

      Depth: 20 mm

      Thickness: 7.5 mm

      Stirrup Length

       

      Minimum: 230 mm

      Maximum: 320 mm

      Foot Strap Size

      XS, S, M, L

      FITTING YOUR SIZE OF FRAME

      Mac Ride is great on small, large, and extra large frames. We have yet to find an XL frame with a top tube that is too long for Mac Ride's telescopic bar. So far, Mac Ride has been able to lengthen to reach the steerer tube and seat post of all XL frames.

      Sometimes it is more difficult to get a comfortable fit with an xs frame. Mac Ride fits this frame well, but the smaller space can make it harder for a shorter adult to feel comfortable with a little one up front.

      SEAT POST DIAMETER FIXES

      For thinner seat posts - You can DIY a rubber patch to thicken the post and make Mac Ride compatible with your bike's seat post.

      For thicker seat posts (up to 34.9 mm) - Remove the domed nut from the end of the Mac Ride rear clamp hand screw. This will allow the clamp to open up to 34.9mm. The domed nut is only there to protect the rider's inner thigh from the potential sharp edge of the screw when clamped to very small diameter (27.2mm) seat posts. It serves no other purpose. As long as you don't need to go larger than 34.9mm, by removing the domed nut, there are no changes to the function of the clamp. A heads up-- the nut may be stiff to unscrew as there is a small amount of threadlock on the inside.


      This fix is not suitable for seat posts that are larger than 34.9mm (although we do not know of any... at this time!)

      5. BIKE MAKES AND MODELS - WILL THEY FIT?

      MAC RIDE COMPATIBLE:

      It is always a good idea to check your steerer tube, top tube, down tube and seat post but here are the bikes we have yet to see any compatibility issues with. Click on the link to see which models are already in use in the Mac Ride community.
      **Most E-bikes require an e-bike adapter

      SPECIAL SITUATIONS:

      Cannondale

      • usually a great fit
      • but not for 1.5" steerer tubes
      • for Lefty's you'll need this special part to be compatible

      Rad Rover

      • can be Mac Ride compatible
      • but not if there is only one giant cone shaped spacer

      Rad Power

      • Some Rad Power bikes have a cone shaped spacer
      • If your bike has a cone shaped spacer, you'll need to swap it out for a shorter one to make it compatible with Mac Ride's front mount

      Scott

      • Many Scott bikes are great with Mac Ride
      • But some models, like the Scott Spark and Genius, have spacers that are not round. You'll need a Syncros Adapter to make it Mac Ride compatible

      6. UNIQUE SITUATIONS

      Sometimes our bikes are a little unique. In this case, check out the below:

      The part for converting a Cannondale Lefty from 1.5" to 1 1/8" here.

      IMPORTANT

      If you are unsure whether Mac Ride is compatible with your bike, using the online specification sheet for your bike, you can try measuring with a ruler, or talk to your bike dealer or local bike shop. Feel free to email us with questions as well - info@mac-ride.com.