I have a question, I dont know if i have heard wrong but does it matter what size bike you get compared to your body size? I was told some bigger riders ride a smaller frames so the have better control of bike. Im a 6'4 220 pound and im looking for a new frame to transfer parts too. What size frame do you guys recommend? I was thinking of going to a 18 inch.
Size Of Bike For SIze Of Rider
- Thread starter BigMllr
- Start date
I am 5'5" tall I weigh 175lbs I can ride most 17" frames with ease. I can ride some 16" frames with ease. One thing I have noticed is that stand over height kills short riders. Top tube length gets tall guys. My bullit had to high of a standover height but the reach and the pedal length was perfect. I would suggest you pick out what you want before you get it. Then you will know how it fits or does not fit. Every bike company has a different bike with a different feel. This may have confused you more. So let me say it like this when sex is good you don't have to ask. You just know you can and or did ride the hell out of it and it felt like you could not say!!!
Seattube size isn't really the most important thing, esp. when you're 6'4". Top tube length matters most, and it's really a matter of comfort/your style of riding/stem length you prefer...for a DH bike, I'd personally want at least a 24" tt if I was your size. Guys with BMXy backgrounds tend to ride shorter top tubes.
I'm 5'11" and find a 23" tt suits me for most bikes.
MD
I'm 5'11" and find a 23" tt suits me for most bikes.
MD
BigMllr said:
First and most important; what is the bike going to be used for? Are there any particular frames you are looking at?
Seattube doesn't matter as long as your tall and standover isn't a concern. Pay attention to TT length. I'm 6'1" and I like longer bikes. My current bike is a bit shorter than my last and I got used to it but I still bang my knees on the shifters when I sprint. My gf is 5'8" and rides a medium DHR. She has really long arms and legs so she can move around on the bike without a problem. Everyone says she should be on a small but it just doesn't feel right to her. Ride several bikes with different length tt and pay attention to which ones feel "right"
I'm 5'8" 130 lbs. I switched beteween a 15" and a 17" for a few weeks before realizing the 15" made my lower back hurt. I agree with the other posters that top tube length is most important (as long as you have the stand over height).
im 6'5" and selling my frame what a coincidence!
I'm about the same size as Desiredusername and I always go for the smallest i can get. However you have to find a bike with a reach that suits you, going by toptube length alone is insufficient especially on bikes that you don't sit down on most of the time. Unfortunately nobody out there tells you the reach on thier bikes, partly because it's a nebulous measurement from the bb axle to about where your bars will sit, and partly because it's highly unconventional. The solution is to actually measure prospective frames, for reference, i find, around a 28" reach works for me.
CreeP said:
There is a measurement called the "front center". It is the distance from the bb to the front axle. If the headtube angle is the same it is a good indication of how long the bike will feel. If you do some trig, you can compare bikes with different angle.
good on ya, i hadn't thought of that. Like; didn't put two and two together.
but then again a lot of companies don't give you the front center either, and you have to factor in fork height (for your other side to get the full three part trig equation)
but then again a lot of companies don't give you the front center either, and you have to factor in fork height (for your other side to get the full three part trig equation)
it really matters how the bike is setup. i rode a 18" surly and found it too small by a long shot, now i ride a 16" banshee morphine and find it to be just right. the reason is that the top tube on the morphine is about 2" longer than the surly and has nothing to due with the standover height or anyother measurement. at your height you need to look at bike with top tubes that are about 23-24"+
btw im' 6'4" and 240 lbs
btw im' 6'4" and 240 lbs
I've wished front-center would be listed as a measurement for a loooong time. So much more informative than some random "top tube" measurement, especially on bikes where you're not going to be sitting down the majority of the ride.