Need advice from ~182cm, ~78kg XC/Trail riders

[Caeneus]

Hey people,

I am looking to get back into the mountain bike scene after a prolonged layoff and have decided to finally bite the bullet and get a new bike. Currently I have an old HT Avanti Montari Comp. Long story short the LBS where I bought this from back in the year 2000 sold me a bike that was way to big (from BB to seat post is 50cm which would be an XL I think) and in my newbiness back then never thought to demo the bike nor question the sizing the LBS decided on for me. I think this poor sizing and my resultant lack of control of the bike eventually put me off the sport after one to many crashes and forever being off balance. Only recently have I got back into MTB'ing again (XC and trails mainly) and after riding a few mates bikes in the medium size realised what I was missing by continuing to ride the oversized Avanti.

The LBS' around town are saying I would be in the 20 inch sizing but being paraniod about getting the wrong size again I am curious as to what brands, models and sizes riders of around my size and weight were riding.

I'm not after any sort of specific recommendations on what to buy just real world examples of what you ride. From here I was thinking I could check out the geometry of these bikes and get a feel for what may work for me before I go demoing. I haven't yet decided on whether to go HT or dualie so feel free to comment if you rider either type.

Thanks in advance for any information you can give.

 

[888bomber]

My mate bought a bike from anaconda... he is 150cm tall and they gave him a large just because it was the last one left he was told buy the staff that it was his size when I saw it you could see everything was wrong.

 

[spinner]

I'm 183 cm and 85 kgs

I have a Giant Reign 20". It's slightly too big for me , but I have put a shorter stem on and slid the seat forward a bit.

I'm too big for an 18". If they made a 19" it would be spot on.

 

[organicrye]

stooged by lbs as well

i am 181cm tall and 83-85kg. i was sold by lbs a 17.5 haro hard tail a few years back as it was the last in the shop and they though i thought it looked cool. eager for a sale they let me walk out with it. i snapped a number of seat rails as the seat was so far back. now i have a lge giant trance with a 90mm stem. all good news. it may be possible to put 100-110mm stem on a med frame or a shorter stem on a lge if you want a neat fit. i would saya a large if you are going to be xc for the most part and a med if you really want have a bit of fun but will not be spending too long in the saddle or climbing too much.

 

[indica]

Im 185cm and 92kgs.
I ride a 16" stinky , use it for downhill as well as trail riding , and my previous bike which was bought as xc was also 16".
Ride your mates , find out what feel good , then find a new bike shop.

 

[Caeneus]

Spinner/Organicrye good to hear you talking about Giants as that is where I am focusing my attention at the moment but had my apprehensions about going 20 inch. Once you put shorter stems on did that fix any size issues for you? Is that the sort of thing an LBS would do for a demo?

 

[gl1]

I'm 180 cm, 77 kg, I like long walks along the beach, sunsets and unicorns....

Just kidding. I owned a Giant XTC hardtail and it was a 21-inch bike (L). I had a Trek Liquid, it was an 18.5-inch bike (L). I've got a Cannondale Prophet, it's an 18.9-inch bike (L). Basically (huh!) bike sizes change between makes, models, full-suspension and hardtail. Generally speaking, as you are a similar height to me, and unless you have disproportionately-sized legs, I would say that you are a large.

Nevertheless, I'm a firm believer in test riding a bike before buying, so that will help you figure out the correct size for you.

 

[Jon]

First thing 50cm=20" so dont make the same mistake again.
Secondly- first rule of retail- the customer is always right. If they wont let you test various sizes exercise your right as the customer and go somewhere else.
Try different sizes in the same bike,it is the only way of picking the right size for you.

Everybody has had a crap LBS experience so use yours to get the bike you want in the size you want and dont be bullied to buy the last of their floor stock if it is not right for you.

 

[Benzy]

I am 190cms and 96kg and ride an 18" Frame (hardtail). I really could not go any smaller with the frame size while still being able to have the seat up (350mm long seat post) for the XC rides I do.

Just make sure you ride a few different bikes before you buy it based on measurements alone. You will find that the top tube length comes into play just as much as the seat tube length...

 

[dain2772]

I am 183 cm and 76 odd kg, and I actually ride a 15 " iron horse Mk III. I bought this size as it was the last one left and at a very very cheap price (more than 50% off) as it was an old demo model.

I have actually been able to get by on the bike by putting the seat as far back as possible, without problems. If I was buying a new bike, I would go for a larger one.

I think the best way to go about it, is to ride as many of your mates bikes as possible. this way you can figure out better what you like, and what feels good to you. not everyone with the same height/weight/leg and arm length will actually like the same size bike. It is also really hard to go into a shop and figure out if a size feels right, without having tried a few first. longer test rides are good too, if available, much better than a 1 minute ride in a carpark

 

[frostbite]

Im pretty much your exact size (except 2 kg less) and I ride a medium specialized enduro. Ive also got a medium GT idrive (both are duallies).

I like the medium size over a large because the bikes are that little bit easier to throw around, especially for more technical trails. A large would suit me better for just hardcore XC I think, but I ride DH as well when I can where I really appreciate the smaller bike.

 

[Refreshinglygood]

I'm about the same height, but i haul around 1ookg's most of the time 90 when race fit.

medium is the way to go. 17-18 inch frames, anything bigger feels like a gate.

A large is doable if you put a short stem on it, but a smaller frame is more comfortable.

 

[Caeneus]

I'm currently riding a borrowed medium sized Specialized Epic Expert. The bike rides well and I've taken it off road a few times on the way home from work but the problem I have is that I have to have the seat post out a long way (220mm) to get the correct leg extension. It worries me having the seat post out that far. Also sometimes (not all) I feel like I'm too far over the handlebars. Is this a common sensation when riding a smaller sized bike that can be overcome with time (and maybe a longer stem?)

 

[GordonG]

Insist on riding at least a short distance.

I had a Mongoose Teocali Elite, medium size. Perfect for me at 183cm and 80kg. It was stolen, and when I finally got around to replacing it, I bought a Mongoose Otero. I expected that the medium size would be the right one (hey, same manufacturer, right?) and when I rode it it felt like I was sitting on my hands. A large size turned out to be perfect. Had I not ridden the Otero first, I would have bought the bike and been condemned to riding around looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Not that it makes that much difference, the way this old fart rides

 

[spinner]

Spinner/Organicrye good to hear you talking about Giants as that is where I am focusing my attention at the moment but had my apprehensions about going 20 inch. Once you put shorter stems on did that fix any size issues for you? Is that the sort of thing an LBS would do for a demo?

Well the stock stem was 110mm from memory. I replaced it with a 70mm , so I have shortened the cockpit by 40mm right there. Moving the seat forward maybe 20mm as well got it to where I am comfortable. That put me more upright which I prefer.

For correct leg extension I have the seat post out a fair way , so in that regard , the frame is the "right" size. Plus I can dump the post 4 or 5 inches for light DH fun.

A good bike shop might swap the stem for a test ride , but I think a lot would consider that too much hassle. The best thing I did was sit on an 18" frame , I knew straight away that it was too small (knees almost hitting the handlebars) so the decision was simple , go the 20".

I think sizing is dependant of the bikes purpose too. I chose the larger frame because the bike was to used mainly for longer rides and enduros and I hate feeling cramped up for long periods of time. If I was looking at a bike for chucking around more (freeride - jumping) I'd go for the smaller size being that its going to be easier to move around and long cramped rides aren't an issue.

 

[miko]

Definitely test ride, there are so many factors that go into bike size. Seat tube doesn't tell the whole story either, how long the top tube is affects feel and comfort a hell of a lot as well.

I used to ride an 18" DMR which was a hell of a lot of fun. Unfortunately the frame was too small for me (I'm 185 & 85) so it didn't last so well with the stupidly long seat tube I was running. Then a car finished it off!

I now have a MKIII in 21". I tried the 19" and it just felt too small for riding long distances so I went for the larger bike. I have read that these bikes are sized on the small side, and so far it feels OK.

Having said that I love jumping on my girlfriends STP which is only 14.5, but has a longish top tube. It's small size makes it very chuckable and fun, but it kills my knees to ride to work on.

If you're going to do long treks I'd get something on the larger size so you're comfortable, otherwise something a little more on the smaller size is a lot more fun.

Sizing a bike is something that takes quite a bit of experience. Definitely try out as many as you can and get friendly with an LBS. Make sure they fit you up properly and that you get something you're comfortable on.

 

[John U]

177cm and i have generally had 18 inch bikes

Definately get a test ride and decide from there. the longer the test ride the better. the shop should let you change a few parts if the bike is new to fine tune your position.
Your height when measured against others should only be used as a giude. many things can influence whether a bike will fit you, your height, your torso length, your arm length, your flexibility, so you definitely need to go for a ride.

a cheap bike that doesn't fit you and can't be adjusted to fit without too much hassle is not a bargain, it is a waste of money.

If a shop knows you well enough they may let you take one of the staff members bike for a decent ride. as the spec is the only thing that changes on a lot of models this should let you test ride a lot potential bikes. the spec on a bike generally won't affect the fit.

oh, and get a test ride if you can. having a bike that fits is the most important thing when buying a bike.

 

[cameron94]

ride all you can... I have a ironhorse mk3 sport check out the link all the info is there

http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=117195

 

[fkdbikes]

First thing 50cm=20" so dont make the same mistake again.
Secondly- first rule of retail- the customer is always right. If they wont let you test various sizes exercise your right as the customer and go somewhere else.
Try different sizes in the same bike,it is the only way of picking the right size for you.

Everybody has had a crap LBS experience so use yours to get the bike you want in the size you want and dont be bullied to buy the last of their floor stock if it is not right for you.

Exactamondo! If you dont feel things are right, go somewhere else!
you should be about a 18"-19" I rekon, but it depends on the brand, some measure from the centre of the bb to the centre of the top tube, or the top of the seat tube on the frame. Top tube length varies too amongst sizes and brands, so bear this in mind. I'm 186cm, 80kgs and have had a variety of sizes in different brands. You really need to spend some time just tyre kicking in shops and test riding bikes, try and ride mates bikes if you can. Remember stem length can affect the way the bike climbs and decends. Too short = shit climbing but good control down hill and vice versa.
Be wary of shops that are trying to sell you big bikes that are old stock, or small ones for a sick price. Take someone with you who knows a bit about bikes if you can. Not all shops do this but some might.

 

[Moggio]

I'm 188cm and 91kg... now ride a "Large" trance, while previously rode a 21inch hardtail which was way to big for any technical stuff (though was great for just easy smooth fire trails).

Just rode a 19inch around NZ which was really nice but wouldn't go any smaller for my size.

I had the same question a few months back and dug through old posts finding all the references I could.... proof is in the pudding however.