Size UP or DOWN? What To Do If You're in BETWEEN Bike Sizes
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2021
- What should you do if you are in between bike sizes? Size up or down? What are the pros and cons of each?
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5'10 I like to buy medium bikes for the nimbleness, weight savings, and increased durability of a smaller bike. I ride mostly urban where going in between cars, on and off curbs(plus potholes) and I carry the bike upstairs/through hallways often.
Thanks Russ! This is one of my favorite PLP Videos yet. I am a marge. 6 ft tall 30 inch inseam, so I am almost always between M and L, and agree that for me sizing up has worked better. But my hard rugged Mountain Bike trail days are behind me for the most part!
Great video. Life long SMedium here. I've gone back and forth on this for many years. I'm generally into sizing down on MTB's and sizing up on Road and Gravel bikes. But the thing that's helped me the most is to ignore the listed sizes and just look at the actual geometry and measurements.
As always, you have a great approach to helping people, especially newer riders, understand bikes (i.e. fit, geometry, components, etc.) in a straightforward, plain manner. Really the bike industry should be paying you for being such a great ambassador and turning more people into N+1 🙂 riders
The Bearclaw is one of the best looking bikes I’ve seen, the teal bar tape and tan sidewalls just works. It puts me in mind of the old Yeti ARC frames
Well stated. Never got those details from 4 different local bike shops. Went with the upsized Marlin Larkspur. No stand over height issues. Put on toe clips, bike computer with wheel speed and cadence setup, handle bar bag and water bottle cage. Has me back into enjoying bike rides at 58 years young. Averaging 16.5 to 17.4 mph on 12 to 14 mile rides.
Such a great overview! Imo you hit the most important bullet points for choosing a frame/bike, depending on terrain, riding style and finishing kit. Thanks for nailing that down!
Really really great video Russ. You succinctly defined a problem many of us have, and then outlined clear considerations that'll guide someone to the best solution for them. Never seen it done so neatly. Chapeau!
I’m between sizes also. I’ve been fighting this for 2 1/2 months now since I bought it. I’ve been thinking about selling my bike and replacing it with the next size down, before my bike depreciates anymore, only there’s now a shortage. Thanks for the video! It helps when you don’t feel like your the only one person with this problem. I feel like I was given the wrong info to “Size up” by the Bike shop and wasn’t able to get a bike fit because of Corona. Also, lots of information! 😊
You hit all the points which became a minefield when choosing my first upgrade bike. I went for downsize as I wanted to be more nimble when off road and also able to lift over gates or fences when needed. I’m very pleased with my build. Best of luck... it’s tough choosing when your a inbetweener, especially when your a first timer.
Du
So envious (in a joyful way) of all of the bikes you pulled out of your garage that it was hard to keep remembering we were talking about size. Excellent points about checking and comparing the geometry. That was eye-opening and made me realize I give too much weight to the idea of "small" and "medium" and not enough to the specific geometries at hand.
Thanks, Russ! Like clothing, I've found that sizes have changed in bikes a bit too. I'm in a good Medium mountain bike but and in between an X-Small and Small on my Cannondale gravel bike. I opted for the Small but after riding it a year I wish I'd gone with the X-Small and played around with the front end. I only have a few small spacers now so my choices are limited to bring the bars closer and higher. I installed a 45° stem and that helped a bit. Modifying a bike to really accommodate your riding preference gets expensive when you have to pay full retail!
Brilliant, been riding for years and always sat dead mid sizes, your stack height breakdown clarified at lot of issues i have with maxed out seat post height and setback as well as stack, when you size down
Another thing to keep in mind is that using a different wheel size or tire width might change the stand over height.
🤔Hahaha, the first time I went from big 28c to small 23c tires, I thought I grew a bit taller😮. Then, I realized the tire change gave me some relief on my snug "stand over frame status" and i really laughed at myself.☺
Most relatable video ever, almost everyone is between two sizes depending on the stack and reach. Good advice.
Good video. I’m 5’10” and for years when between two sizes I would size down. However, when I bought my Timberjack and Bombtrack Hook EXT I actually sized up. With the Timberjack I did it knowing I was going to run Jones bars which have are swept back quite a bit. With the Bombtrack I was going for a taller head tube and shorter stem. I’m also running wider bars which furthers the need for a shorter stem. Stand over is more like an old school road bike and I have only a fistful of seat post showing which looks odd by modern standards.
Good insights, Russ and the comments from the diversely proportioned viewers are helpful too. I’m 5’11ish with a 33ish inseam. I’ve always gone large with post-purchase mitigation. Mediums always feel cramped and like I could go OTB in a heartbeat. My dropbar bikes are 58, 57.5 and 57 in chronological order. I’m running shorter stems on all three and 50mm of spacers on two of them.
Thank you for helping to justify my recent purchase of a Davidson Titanium travel bike with S&S couplers travel case and full Campagnolo. It was a craigslist find and killer price, and I thought maybe too big based on stand over closeness. I used your same logic, swapped stems and am very happy with the final fit and handling of my " Credit Card Cruiser" road bike. Found a 16 liter Ortlieb seat bag for 40 bucks and I'm ready for 2 day out and backs or flying with it anywhere for light touring. Keep up the good work.
I was so happy to find your video here on youtube, while I was buying a new bike online. Thank you so much for providing this service :-) Greetings to you from Susanne, Denmark
I sized up my cross country mountain bike, and it was the best decision I have made when it comes to bikes. The stand over is an issue on difficulty terrain, but so is stem length. Prefer a comfortable ride and my hands and back appreciates a longer reach. Had a track bike that was sized down and really disliked to looong stem. Sold the frame eventually as it never felt or looked right. Great video!
Great topic and overview. Having a good fit is critical for all day rides. Keep in mind the Geo is measured with the stock tires so if you intend on going big on your tires, it will lift up and give you less stand over. Personally I went custom but prior to being able to afford custom I sized down because I always want room for bigger tires.
A great video with valuable content. Thanks for the wisdom and Best wishes Russ 👍
This is how you want the thought process to go. I know how high I want handlebars relative to the seat and I know EXACTLY the position and angle I want my hands to be in for long rides. There has been no help at all from bike shops to get the fit I want. I've got a Jones now that almost has it dialed. Great video.
The bike store knows if you buy a bike too big, next season, you'll be back to buy another bike.
This is so timely Russ. And a great explanation of the trade-offs in size decisions. I just ordered a new bike and had to make this decision. I'm 5' 61/2" with a 30 in inseam. The last time I went with a size small, it was an XC bike, and the standover is great. It's fantastic off-road and I got it for more off-road than on-road. It's cramped when riding on the road and so limits where I want to ride. The bike before that was a medium and I road it more as an all-road touring bike, cause it was the 90's. Now I want to get back into bikepacking and want a bike that is more stretched out, so I sized up and went with something more road bikish. The standover clearance on the new bike is going to be tight. I may end up sizing down the wheels to 650b anyways and possibly gain back the standover height.
Very helpful. The explanation captured my concern regarding stand over height vis a vis stack. Thank you.
You’ve explained better than most bike channels thank you. Perfect for 9-5’s 👍🏾
A quarter inch under 5’7” with 32.5” inseam. With old school road bikes I would look for about 56mm top tube. Which usually put me on 54mm frame measured by the seat tube. Its the latter part thats changed with many modern frames. Currently Im on a Medium Bombora and its definitely the fit for me though I have been on some rough mountain trails lately and were I to be doing that most the time I could see sizing down. Or realistically just getting a mountain bike. Glad everyones putting measurements in the comments!! Its often such a hard thing to find.
Great video! One thing to mention is that by sizing up (as I once did) you may have to run a shorter stem and lose a bit of stability at the front end.
Great video. I’m LargeX. My full suspension trail bike is a Large with a bit longer stem. My Karate Monkey was an XL with a Tumbleweed Persueder bar (lots of sweep). My latest all roads bike, Fearless Warlock, is an XL. One thing you didn’t mention that’s important, is if you run a frame bag, the bigger size gives you more cargo room. 👍👍
One of the things I find annoying about the bike industry these days, lack of sizes.
I believe the sizes we see now is for the convenience of the bike industry.
Since good new bikes cost thousands of dollars anyway I find it's best to spend the little bit extra to get a custom build.
Thanks for another very informative video.
Very good advice! I will have to reconsider my next purchase. Thank You. Your chanel is a great value for fun oriented cyclists like me.
Thanks for the video. I ordered a bike and will probably wait a year for it and the shop told me to go up, but I was really nervous about ending up with a bike that didn’t fit after all that time. You have really eased my fears.
Always great and well founded advice. Thanks for this.
I just bought a State All-Road, should be ready to pick up this weekend. I'm 5'9", and am in-between what they recommend for a small and medium frame. I figured I'd go small. For one, it will be lighter weight. And with a bigger frame, your seat might be slammed to the frame, and you might be reaching a lot. With a smaller frame, I csn raise my seat height to where I need it, and I should probably be fine with the reach. I'll slide the seat all the way back on the rails if need be.
Great topic! Learned a lesson from buying a bike from an online store; its sizing chart was off.
Great video!! Thanks for talking about this. I agree with you
Perfectly timed video for me. I'm a SMedium and trying to decide on a size for a Ritchie Road Logic frame. I'm somewhere in the 51, 53, 55 range and now I'm leaning towards the 55 as it will be on road 99%.
Thanks Russ!
What did you get in the end? I'm in the same position looking at the same bike. I'm 5"6 and 29" inseam. How are you finding the bike?
excellent! the only video i found relating our individual anatomy (eg inseam) to the bikes anatomy (ie reach/stack). even reviewed when between sizes. choose based on sport (mountain bike go smaller to reach ground)
This is the video I've been waiting for! I've been binge watching your videos all summer, riding a kid's Walmart-special mountain bike, and I finally put a deposit down on a Kona Rove that can appear at the shop at any time. I'm just under 5 ft and have a 26.5" inseam. I can tip toe/one foot a 29". Standover is the bane of my existence. If the rest of the fit feels good, I'm going for it! Thanks for endless hours of knowledge and entertainment, Russ & Laura!
Could go with 650b wheels in the future to bring the height down a little.
@@jp93309 Going with the Aluminum 650B and maybe some thicker soled shoes.
Which Rove are you getting?
@@josephlim6510 2022 Kona Rove AL 650B - Will most likely change the crankset to 30/46 because I live in hilly wine country.
great topic russ! i'm a mlarge-short legs longer torso. two things to add. 1. big feet! i wear a size 11 shoe and so tend to size up because otherwise my feet hit the front wheel on a lot of frames. 2. it was interesting to see how much seat post was showing on the bikes you displayed. often when i size up the seat post disappears and i have issues with seat bags, lights designed to attach to the seat post and other items like this.
thanks man i'm thinking of buying a bike this will def help me out, top vids
Where was this video when I needed it! Your channel is awesome I don’t know why it wasn’t recommended sooner.
Great video! I like that you mentioned that people are not proportioned the same, something which often seems to be overlooked. I am fairly tall but with a long inseam so I definitely prefer sizing up to get enough stack, but sometimes this means that the reach ends up being too long, especially if the reach changes more than it does in the bike examples you showed. Another thing to keep in mind is that your cycling insteam is not the same as your clothing inseam.
Man this is totally me, always right on fence for a med/large. I generally size up on my fatbikes, but on my recent XC 29er I went down and am happy. Of course each manufacturer is slightly different, so it’s really a bike specific scenario.
Extra Medium! (tumbleweed bikes actually uses that as a size)
I agree with what you said! From my experience I can say that for an MTB I would take the largest possible side before my stand over height is affected. If you buy a modern hard tail it might end up a much larger bike than you might think, but it gives you so much confidence on the down. I’m 178cm and I bought a karate monkey frame size medium. Sold it immediately after first ride and got a nordest sardinha size m/l…another planet altogether!
I have nearly the same heigh to inseam as you, Russ. I tend to size down, as that’s my inclination from mountain biking, and I actually kind of dig the big stack look. I’m contemplating a bike that would be more allroad, I’ll consider this video as I research frames.
Very relevant content! Bike sizing could be a bit tricky and some factors could be adjusted by stem, set back of seat post, etc. I do understand why people choose custom geo for their bike (pricing aside). I think though that one would need to have ridden a few bikes and years of riding under their belt to know what they want exactly when going custom. Keep up the awesome vids.
I'm 6'1.5" with a 32" inseam. I ordered a 60cm Trek 520 and I'm so glad I did. I ended up getting a shorter stem and a handlebar with less reach, and now the bike fits like a glove. The smaller size was a 57cm that I know I would have been cramped on it.
Thanks for your videos. Really enjoy watching them and wish I could ride some of the bikes you get to ride 😅
Great vid, Russ! As it is, I can never find a frame big enough and often have to hope my seatpost is long enough (6'6" here). Wish I had your problem!
I’m usually in between a Small and a Medium. 5’8” 30 in inseam. Smalls for me usually have too short a reach to handlebars, I feel cramped, but stand over is fine, mediums have good comfortable reach, but a little tighter on the stand over. I went with a medium on my titanium Litespeed Cherohala. Looks more balanced, and it’s very very comfortable. I think small would have been too small. Thanks for the fine video.
I've got a similar body type and have run into the same issues. I think it's a common body type, so maybe bike manufactures will take note at some point. I started with a medium frame but ran into problems with stand over height on technical trails. Switching to a smaller frame with a sloping top tube (and 650b wheels to drop things a little more) solved the issue. The bike's still fun to ride on the road, but is really optimized for trails.
I appreciate this video a lot especially your point about stand over height compromise. I just bought a new gravel/road bike on Facebook marketplace in the winter (no test ride 😬) and I have been worried about the stand over height, I have enough clearance, but it’s definitely less than my previous bikes. But since the style of riding that I plan on doing is long distance road and gravel (not mountain bike technical) I’m feeling much better about this. Thanks, going to go hit that subscribe button now i really like the two videos I’ve seen!
Thank you so much for this video. I was going to crazy worrying that I may have made a mistake on the size of the used bike I just purchased. I'm 5'8" with a 29" inseam and didn't think about the stand over height (just getting into bikes). Luckily the specialized diverge I got has a bit of a slop so it does provide some clearance. I'm sure if I would have gone with a smaller size, I would have had an issue with handle bar placement and not even realized it.
As a fellow in-betweener of the M/L verity, I prefer the feeling of the smaller frame where I can more easily move my cg than a large frame that “takes me along for a ride”! Mountain biker at heart I guess….as always thanks Russ and Laura for the great nerdy content, I’m not alone in my nerdy thoughts thanks to you two!
As a fellow M/L I feel like you made a pretty accurate assessment. Sizing down when between sizes in my experience makes the bike feel a bit more controllable and zippy.
For myself, I am in between L and XL and actually realized recently that sizing up fits my riding style and preferences better. I prefer the bike to be longer, more reach and more stack, since most of the time (or at least a lot of the time) I am standing on the pedals. I like a short stem, too, so the bars are as close to the steerer as possible. I like a longer wheelbase as well, more stable feeling to me. But the bike does end up being a little less playful this way. Cheers!
Hi! Great info. Audio tech note: make sure your master level is hitting -10 to -6db and use a compression plugin Your voiceover videos are often too quiet on phone speakers. Thank you so much for your hard work!
Just bought a step-through for my most recent bike to nullify the stand-over height issue, since I’m in between medium and large. Best bike buying decision ever!
Thank you! Few questions:
1. What kind of bike (road/hybrid/MTB)?
2. What is your height?
3. What bike (manufacturer/model/size) did you end up with?
Thanks again!
thanks for sharing this. As I have found out that i have shorter inseam than an average joe, it has cleared a lot of my thoughts over deciding between 2 very closes sizes for my next bike. After checking the dims and geometry of said bike i made my mind up that i will go to the smaller size because of reasons i intend to use the bike for. I need a bike that i won't have a problem setting my foot down when i need to. the purpose of purchasing a bike is to commute to work in a relatively worn out, busy roads with a good amount of hazards along the way. As far as choosing a smaller sized bike go, i have learnt this can be fixed by tweaking bits and pieces of the bike that make the ride more bearable and comfortable which can't be easy to be said for a bigger bike.
This confirms everything I've been thinking with my new build. I'm 5'8" with a medium Fargo frame. Fargo has the sloped top tube for better stand over. Going for a Jones bar with a slightly longer stem. All makes sense.
I'm 5'10" and also about to build up a M fargo frame with Surly moloko bars. When Russ mentioned that perhaps you should size up, it got me thinking. Hope that it works out!
@@pekyandjason6812 I think you'll be fine. I'm riding a steel Fargo now, medium with drop bars and I actually had to shorten the stem to fit it better. It was a tad large for me. I figured with my new alt bar Ti build things should be even better.
Medium sounds good for a 5'10"
I too am building up a Fargo. 6' 0", short inseam and long torso / arms. Initially going to run a Salsa Bend bar, but may try Jones and drop bars. I debated long and hard between M and L sizes, but decided to go Large, hoping for more stack height to achieve a comfortable riding position, exactly as Russ described. I am not building a racing bike, just a fun all around bike to ride longer distances, loaded and unloaded and want to be able to see the sights while doing so!
@nreamer Did you found the large to be comfortable in size?
This video is right on time. I’m trying to decide between a Poseidon Redwood in a L or an XL. I’ve seen youtubers like Spindatt and Mike from Locked In, who are practically my size on Ls, but using the bike geo comparison site that’s supplied on Poseidon’s website, the XL would be almost identical in ST length, TT length, and standover of my 59cm Niner RLT 9, which fits me like a glove with a 90mm stem and loooottttsss of exposed seatpost. My inseam is 33”, but I have some bikes that go up to 35” in stand over and they’re not a problem for me. XL, here I come.
This is also a good lesson in why manufacturer frame sizes mean nothing, you need to look into the geo numbers. My road bike is a 51, the gravel bikes I was considering were all suggesting size 53, and the one I ended up getting is a 48. Geometry comparison websites are great tools for this!
Good video, I’m also an SM guy with 172.5 cm height.
In my experience as well it is better to size down if you are considering a dropbar bike and to size up if you are thinking of an flatbar or especially a Jones bar (Moloko) bike 👍🏻
i have the same issues. i usually size up except on Giant where I'm Medium. PS-i'm fighting to pick which i want to focus on more, your watch or the bikes...Great information! new to the channel. Thanks for all the great videos.
I know you've covered this before, but getting a bike fit is really helpful. I've ridden for years and have had many bikes but had never been professionally fit. I went to a shop that does Trek trained fitting and it was quite helpful. One thing they said was that going up a frame size will usually help gain a more upright position, as well as more space for a frame bag ;)
Smedium for sure! I have a long torso and long arms. Riding a 53 Kona now that fits well but I feel beat up after 30 miles on gravel so looking for something new (to me). Sure wish I could ride some of those pretty bikes in your stable. I went for a medium mtb (stumpjumper) and it feels just a smidge too much on the trail. Wish I’d sized down there for all the reasons you mentioned. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the vid, really helpful info
I size up mostly due to foot size. Front of my shoes can catch easily on the front tyre when turning a low speeds, so a larger frame helps me with that, by adding a little extra spacing.
I sized up so I could get the 73 degree seat tube on a large Piolet, rather than a 74 on the medium. I also planned to use bars with mild backsweap for comfy wrist position. It all worked out well. And I'm not afraid of no stem (those boxy clamps from MTB/bmx) if I want to swap to drop bars. Stand over doesn't really matter to me though I can do it. I also prefer a big triangle for frame bags.
I'm the opposite, 5'8" but with a 34" inseam. I had a to find a bike that was tall and short in the stack/reach department because I have to run my seatpost pretty high on a bike that fits my reach correctly. Thankfully the Litespeed Watia in Medium met that requirement. Strangely enough, the Moots Routt and Specialized Diverge are very similar in geo to the Litespeed so I guess I had some options.
I think if you're forced to choose between a little bit big and a little bit small, almost always go small. You can make adjustments for a slightly small frame, but if the frame is just too big, you're pretty much screwed. You'll be a lot less comfortable, possibly less safe, and much more likely to get overuse-type injuries. (I've gone too big more than once.)
that's what she said
Not entirely true. I was between 2 sizes for my Bianchi Specialissima and I chose the larger size. I then installed a zero setback seat post, a 10mm shorter stem, and I got a higher stack height and a longer, preferred wheelbase length over the shorter one for a more comfortable, stabler ride IMHO.
@@Tanstaafl1976 it depends... both situations are valid indeed. In my case, I also bnnefit from a smaller frame but there a situation or two that a larger was better because the reach was almost the same and stack higher. I like to ride in a more comfortable position.
@@laranjiinha77 Agree with you. I tend to go with the larger frame, but not always. For a particular mountain bike, the smaller frame size made me more efficient on climbs and a little quicker on fast, tight single track.
@@Tanstaafl1976 He didnt say, you cant adjust a bigger frame to a degree. He said, it's easier to adjust a smaller frame and with more room for error when buying.
Ohhh Man thank you very much! That "bike insights" webpage was a savior. I was freaking out about being oversized by one size due to my knee pain. To my surprise the difference between my "correct size " is basically non existent, only the standover was 20 mm. Lower. I think I am going to change to shorter cranks instead.
So helpful - thank you! I also have proportionally short legs and have no standover room. I'm between a 44 and 46 but it's tough to find 44 so I'll likely size up. Thanks for the video!
What’s frustrating for some brands is that their XS and S is a much bigger difference than from S to M. That XS is actually more like an XXS and I’d fit another size in between the 2. For drop bar, I appreciate that use numbers and sell more sizes. For gravel, it doesn’t bother me as much since the slacker head angle and longer wheelbase means it’s still stable with a shorter stem. But with road, I don’t wanna go shorter than a 90/100 mm
Another note. Other than stack and reach, you need to also consider seat and head angle, as that will affect the true reach from saddle to bar
There's a trend that bike size frames are slowly getting bigger and bigger. At least for mtb.
I have the same issues, we're the same size height and inseam, I usually size down, use a 35- 37 mm set back FSA carbon seatpost, the specialized stems that take the adjustment shim tubes for angle adjustment, a little longer reach stem (usually 20mm more than stock), 35-40mm of spacers,170mm crank arms, my gravel and touring bikes are 49 & 51, my road bike is a lanskey size medium (52-54cm). My logic is mounting the touring bike(2006 Trek520) loaded would be difficult if too large, the grave bike might become unstable(2016 Jamis Renegade exploit), the road bike is for smooth pavement fast rides clipped in. BTW I stayed with a triple 9 speed on the lanskey build, since I ride TOMRV and some rides in Colorado
Thanks for this clear video!
Also an in-betweener size here at 5'8" with a 32" inseam. I usually go for a small frame with a short reach but always have more post visible. I'm on a 50cm wolverine (546mm tt) with a 60mm stem and 25mm of spacers on a venturemax 42cm bar and a zero offset post.... it took me a while to get sorted but I think I'm there ;) Setting up the venturemax is proving to be difficult though.
I think your points are very valid.
Oversimplifying I realize, but since I rarely spend time straddling the top tube, I pay more attention to other aspects of frame sizing. So in other words, I'm more invested in how the bike fits and feels while riding. Good video and great explanation of the options available.
I agree. I can’t remember the last time I straddle my top tube with both feet flat on the ground. I almost always have one foot on the pedal and lean to the other foot. I put a heavy emphasis on the feel when in the saddle.
Yass!!!
I NEVER straddle the top tube. I plant my right foot on the floor and always keep my left foot on the pedal. This places my bike at an angle towards the right-therefore lowering my top tube and giving me tea bag clearance.
6ft with short legs;
Seeing that 52.5 on you makes me feel mine should be close to a 55.5 frame.
Thanks For the great recommendations Rus!
I'm a S-Medium too at 5'6" with a 29"-ish inseam, I have a 52cm (M) Diverge and a 48.5cm (S) Kona Sutra, interestingly the geometry of these two bikes is very similar. I also have a single-speed urban bike that's a 43cm, and with mountain bikes too, I can go medium or small, depending on the bike. I like to think that if I want to ride it more BMX-like, then go BMX-like on the size haha
Yep, stuck between M and L. I prefer the larger frame and just shorten up the stem. The gains on height in front can be significant and I like that. Trek does a nice job by offering an M/L on many of their bikes, but I ride an OPEN for gravel and a Trek ML for mountain.
Great video: I always see the advice of when in between to "size down" on a lot of the forums. IMO it depends on the bike, your physical flexibility and the type of riding you'll be doing. A larger frame gives you a more upright position and as you've stated you can often dial in reach by adjusting your stem length, saddle fore/aft, etc. At 6'0 with a 34.5" inseam I ride a 56cm road bike and a 58cm gravel bike. I like the more upright feel on the gravel bike as well as feeling like I have a little more bike underneath me on the rough stuff.
Yep. Depends on the riding style. I've sized down on both my gravel bikes from Med to Small, because I ride them like MTBs on gnarly singletrack 80% of the time and I like that I can whip 'em around. If I was more pavement-oriented/less rough terrain, I'd prolly go back to a Med. It's a trade-off, for sure!
Yeah, I have a bike that has almost zero standover height, I'm 184cm and it's an XL I got from a slightly taller friend. But I have some alt bars on it, velo orange klunker bars and now it's perfect for my uses, which are bike paths, gravel and so on. I have a mountain bike in an L that has more of a sloping top tube and plenty of standover height. I'm glad it sort of worked out haha
I agree with your assessment. I’m 5’10 and kinda in between a lot of mediums and larges. I go medium on my mountain bike but large on my gravel/road bike
Im a 5'11" and here in the Philippines we rarely get a LARGE SIZE 18-21 Frame. Before I use a 16-17 frame. Now I got lucky because I bought a 29er size 21 hardtail frame for $80🤣 and man I never really felt this much comfort before! Then I put a Loop Bar on it dang I can ride more like 6hours and still I feel comfortable and not that much tired. The only con/s I have for this frame is that the maxi tire it just a 2.1. Well still works for me because I switched to a 700x35c Continental Mountain King. Been riding for more than 3mos already 😃
Nice content again! 👏👏👏👏👍
I'm a smedium as well. I'm a few mm off from 5'9" and with a rather inflexible back and 31.5" inseam. I'm usually fine with 54cm size bikes with the same length top tube/seat tube.
With my most recent bike purchases, Mike Varley from Black Mountain Cycles suggested I get a small (47cm) Road+ and it fits me well due to its sloping top tube and high stack height.
On the other hand, I also bought a medium Crust Lightning Bolt that I haven't build up yet and I'm wary of the lack of standover height.
It's definitely going to be a French fit/fistful of seat post.
Saddle position is another thing that can also effect reach measurements. In your examples where reach changed a few mm you could combat this by sliding the saddle forward on the rail clamp to achieve the same reach as the Bombora
Very helpful tips, thank you
I think that in general sizing down is good practice. As You explained, stack and reach can be more or less changed, but stand over don't. What is more, when you fall in between sizes this "more or less" regulation is almost always enough. Things get complicated when you are small size person and buy medium bike or vice versa. So remember always, always try bike before buying.
In the same boat & why I lean to mountain bike geometry. Normally have a shorter stand over so you can stand in pot hole. So the stand over to reach ratio on them is generally greater.
Thanks for the video! I am the same height as you. I used to ride a 48 cm road bike but, at that time I was 152lbs. and no belly. I had a long and low stem. It actually felt comfortable, but, after a little riding. Now I am less flexible and have a small bell and am working on loosing it. I am riding a 56 cm feels a little to long and barely any stand over height. I move the saddle forward and handlebars up and rotated them back, that helped a lot. I have been thinking of putting flat bars on the bike, will see.
Many thanks. Very useful. I have more or less the same body proportions as you (6’1 with a 32” inseam) and am looking to buy a new bike. And a slightly mor upright position is more important than standover height for me). So I guess I’ll size up on this one
As a custom frame builder, building bicycles to fit indivuals the first dimension is seat tube angle. My builds are usually long wheel base. Centre front to give toe clearance, long entre rear to give better weight distribution with well braced chain stays for drive train stiffness. Good standover clearance then sort out seat position and stem for handle bar position. Modern road/race bikes are too short to fit most people, built to fit in the smallest box to lower transport costs. The difference in ride quality, handling, safety and comfort far out weigh the minor weight in grease.
I fit a medium frame really well but bought the large by accident. It was really hard to reach the extra distance forward. Once I swapped to the medium frame it was much much more comfortable.
I’d include toe overlap as something to consider too; I’m the same size as you Russ and tried a Niner RLT in the 50; everything seemed right but there was the slightest of toe overlap. Not a huge deal but not ideal especially if slowly climbing up loose gravelly roads. But thank you for walking through your thinking on this bc I’m definitely in the smedium camp.
This. More aggressive cyclocross geometries gave me unbearable tow overlap on a bike meant for technical tight turning riding.
That was a great explanation!
Thank you, I always felt my handlebars were too low on a size medium. So I am going to try a large with a shorter stem.
Great suggestions, Russ!
i see you threw in that Stargazer all smooth like there. looking forward to that review…not that i didn’t just throw down the complete build deposit last night but…can’t wait.
Its a fun bike you won't regret it.
Smedium here! I ride a Medium for my commuter/gravel bike and a Small for my roadie/racer bike. Both fit fine and are just a bit awkward in a few places!
Good info. At 6'2", for quite a few of the bikes in looking at I'm right on the line between L and XL (or 58 and 60, or 60 and 62). I have a longish torso, though, only about a 34 1/4" inseam.