[robdamanii]

Hey monkeys...

Is it true that if one switches from a hardtail to a full suspension ride that you need an ince smaller frame (generally) to get a proper fit?

Thanks!

 

[joelsman]

no I would stay the same.

 

[rooftest]

I never heard that, either. my full-suspension frame is 0.5" bigger than my hardtail.

 

[sanjuro]

I think old school hardtail sizing philosophy was strictly XC: stretched out. You saw slight larger top tubes and 11-13 cm stems. My first hardtail was spec'ed a 13cm stem, which I switched to a 12.

I still ride a medium bike, both on my FS bikes and my FR hardtail, but I use 50-90 cm stems.

 

[OGRipper]

Rules like that have murky origins and don't make much sense these days. FS bikes come in lots of different configurations and the right size for you is best determined on a bike-by-bike basis. For just one example, there can be huge differences in seat tube angles and raising the seat on one bike can have a completely different effect on your virtual top tube length as compared to another.

 

[bigdrop05]

First time i ever heard of CM a unit of measure for stems..
Wow where have i been.....I guess i'm behind the times.......?

I'll stick with MM..

 

[bluebug32]

It depends on the company. Bikes vary a little anywhere by company. The best way to know is just to do the old fashioned way of trying out a bunch of different bikes to find the best fit.

 

[AustinM]

good point, treks run bigger for example.