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Are you intentionally using "too small" bike for you?

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pyynö

Chimp
May 6, 2006
40
0
Finland
I was just looking ah IH website and they recommend that a rider my height ought to use 19" size frame. I'm 6F2I tall, however I chose to use 17" frame and it suits me fine.

Despite my height (yes I know I'm not that tall yet :)), every bike I have tryed in size "L" feels like they were not supposed to get airborne at all / make their way down the turns.
 
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Pow pow

Chimp
Nov 18, 2003
66
0
Scotland
I am 5'11" and also use a 17" Sunday. Any bigger and I would want a 19". I'v also ridin a 16" and it was too small, I was definatly slower on it
 
skatetokil

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
I'm 6'2 and I'm on a 19" kumicho. I run it with the seat absolutely slammed and I must say that when I first got it it felt big, but after a few rides my ass learned where the seat would be and I pretty much forgot it was there. It now feels "normal" and I'm certainly faster on it than I was on my past medium, though that probably has to do with it being a much better bike with much better parts. I think I like the long wheelbase now. Super stable.
 
frznnomad

frznnomad

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
2,226
0
a-town biatches
man im 6'1" and im going with the 19 this season. ive been on a 19" sgs for about three years so im used to having a bike that is recommended for my height. although i do know plenty of guys that run smaller frames just because they like the way that they feel. im just not one of them.
 
SPINTECK

SPINTECK

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2005
1,370
0
abc
All my dirt jumping friends who ride MTB choose a much smaller frame than reccomended. Depends if you want high speed stability or frame-throwing agility.

If it feels good, do it!
 
sbstianfreeride

sbstianfreeride

Monkey
Apr 16, 2005
457
0
Charlotte, NC
im 5'8 and ride a small intense m3.
sometimes i get the feeling that its too small for me when I sit on it... but then i feel more in control when in dhing.
my problem is that i have to keep the seat up higher than what i was used to so when i bottom-out, the tire doesnt hit the back of the seat.(i broke my sdg saddle like that... its cracked underneath, but u cant tell)
5'8 is the tallest height recommended for the S in the intense website.
 
Loozinskin

Loozinskin

Monkey
Jul 9, 2005
172
0
Bellingham,WA
I'm 5"6' and I'm on a med Sunday but I've been trying to trade for a Small ever since I got it!!

I make it work and generally dont feel its size bugging me too bad until I'm airborne.
 
T

TGR

Monkey
Jan 9, 2006
263
3
i'm 6' 2" and my swd is a small, still one of the best bike I have ridden, and it's not too small (I don't feel cramped at all on it)
 
RaID

RaID

Turbo Monkey
Oct 27, 2001
1,393
0
Not the real North Shore (Sydney), Aus
Im also 6'2" and riding the 17" sunday. Maybe if i rode more open and higherspeed Dh trails i would be better off on a 19" but for the riding i do, its fits great. I dont feel cramped, dont see the need to go bigger or smaller.


Its all about how you want your bike to feel and to be comfortible on it. Its personal preference really.
 
Stickler

Stickler

Chimp
Feb 12, 2005
62
0
Bellingham, WA
I'm 6'3" and ride a medium 17" Sunday. I don't find the bike feels too small---I actually feel more comfortable on the medium Sunday than I did on my large Turner DHR.
 
jonnynails

jonnynails

Monkey
Apr 26, 2006
990
0
Just another day in the Ghetto...
I'm 6'1 and was on a 17" Sunday, now I'm on a medium SX Trail. Always go with a bike that is a touch on the small side for me compared to what the bike companies recommend anyway. When I'm sitting on the saddle my knees aren't far from the handlebars.
 
bdamschen

bdamschen

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2005
3,377
156
Spreckels, CA
6'4" and ride a 19" Kumicho. Anything smaller, including the 17" kumicho and I bash my knees on the handle bars too much.

Oh yeah, I also run my seat about 2" up from the collar. Anything lower and it feels like I'm running no seat at all, making cornering feel strange to me.
 
Damo

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
I like smaller-than-suggested bike frames.

A mate likes bigger-than-suggested bike frames.

I do not like them Sam-I-Am....
 
Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
Pow pow said:
I am 5'11" and also use a 17" Sunday. Any bigger and I would want a 19".
Click to expand...
I think that's the right answer, and also the one Ironhorse recommends. At 5'11" I'm comfortable on either, and if I was 6' I'd strongly consider the 19". Anything over 6' and there'd be no question.

I mean 6'2 on a 17" isn't the end of the world, it's definitely something you will adjust to (and you obviously have over the course of a few bikes, so it's just what you're used to now) but you would find a 19" better matched to your body/height if you took the opportunity to try and re-adjust to one - ie. not just a quick spin.

As for the 6'2 guy on a 16", that's just wrong - IMO you'll be severely limiting yourself if you're racing competitively, and the bottom line is that you're plainly riding the wrong size for your height. I felt cramped as all hell on a 16" at 5'11.
 
B

big dan

Chimp
Oct 12, 2007
82
1
Brisbane, Australia
6 ft 2 and ride a medium cove shocker. My local riding is pretty tight and low speed so it suits that style of riding but if i was reguarly riding faster stuff i would really want to be on a large.
 
lockstock

lockstock

Monkey
Mar 6, 2007
110
0
I'm 6 ft and riding a medium reign as my do it all bike, i feel cramped when I'm climbing but on the downhill it feels pretty good unless I'm going fast.
mind you i have knocked three shifters off the handlebars with my knee :(
 
miuan

miuan

Monkey
Jan 12, 2007
395
0
Bratislava, Slovakia
It all comes down to the purpose of your bike. I measure 5'10" and own a 18" 2005 Faith for DH and a 17" 7point as a doitall bike. The Faith just rails under any conditions and is a decent jumper too. The 7point is very easy to handle in technical sections but loses confidence at speed due to the shorter WB and steeper HA. So when I run my 7point on DH tracks, I have to be cautious. Finally it is more important to watch your geo as a whole than the seat tube measurement alone. Some frames are very low, esp. the 05 stinkys, so a 16" or 16.5" is L for example.
 
dhmike

dhmike

Turbo Monkey
Dec 20, 2006
4,304
43
Boise Idaho
i'm 5'11 and ride a large socom. i had a medium m1 and felt it was to small for me. another reason i went with the large is on intense's website the sizing chart is 5'11 max on a medium socom and starts out at 5'10 for the large . i'm loving the large frame.
 
W

WBC

Monkey
Aug 8, 2003
578
1
PNW
I'm 5'9"+ and on a 16" sunday, same with all my friends my height. Feels perfect. My boy is 6'4" and is on a 17" sunday and loves it. My other buddy is 6'2" and hops on my 16" no problem.

We ride small bikes up in the PNW. If you stay on it and aren't lazy, it's way faster.

Boostin the small bike

 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
WBC said:
I'm 5'9"+ and on a 16" sunday, same with all my friends my height. Feels perfect. My boy is 6'4" and is on a 17" sunday and loves it. My other buddy is 6'2" and hops on my 16" no problem.

We ride small bikes up in the PNW. If you stay on it and aren't lazy, it's way faster.

Boostin the small bike

Click to expand...
Your insurance company called...you've been declined. :thumb:
 
ATOMICFIREBALL

ATOMICFIREBALL

DISARMED IN A BATTLE OF WITS
May 26, 2004
1,354
0
Tennessee
A tall & high bike feels alot different than a smaller lower slung bike.
I would go for the smallest you can ride good vs having a bike that rides like Benders bike!
My Morewood Ndiza ST feels totally different than a Santa Cruz Blur 4x bike with identical setups.They are both size "large" & both designed for 4x. But the different geometry & manufacturers make a Big difference, meaning the Morewood kills the Blur 4x imo .
.02
 
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