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As per title really.
I'm a hair under 5ft10, currently riding a small sb66. Got small cos I had an opportunity cheap plus its 23.2" eff TT is as big as any medium from anyone else.
I originally demoed a medium, felt alrite, had a 70mm stem, seated position was fine, as I got tired, felt byself edging forward on the seat to eleviate back ache. Thought it would be fine with a 50mm stem.
Had a good go on a large sb66, 50mm stem, again felt fine, not big, not small. Got none of these "breathing" space or comfort benefits people go on about with larger bikes.
I could happily ride any out of the sizes I've tried, they handled differently as you'd expect, understand the pros and con's of each size and handling, but seated pedaling, made no odds to me.
Do people get too hung up on size?
Am I an exception to the rule where sizing has little perceived impact?
I'm pretty much the same, but I put it down to not riding that often and not that long at a time (max 2-3hrs road or mtb)
I was just gonna say - how long do you ride/how far do you ride. It obviously makes more of a difference the longer you are in the saddle.
People use the lazy height = size idea which takes no account of how long (or short) your arms, legs and torso is. The proportions between your body parts can mean the 2 people the same size couldn't get on with the same bike.
There is also a hangup about large frames as small ones are more chuckable (knees need to clip bars).
A lot of large frames these days don't look it either as they have a good standover and the size change is in the TT not the ST, get the angle right and the frame can scale quite well giving you a good ETT if you can get a long enough seat post.
Depends on the style of bike and the fact you're an average height. If you were 5'4 a large would probably feel big 😀
I'm 6'5 and had a go on a mates 16" Bagger. Really surprising and i reckon i could have ridden it all day with a few minor adjustments but i wouldn't buy a frame that size. I did ride 18" frame for a few years and loved it though.
In general people are too fussy imo, but then there's plenty of choice to allow them to be.
I call that the hora effect mike.
IME some bikes are no different between sizes except for the stand over.
I measured and compared two frames recently. The only difference between them was the head tube length, the seat post length, and where the top tube joined the seat tube. The rear triangle was exactly the same. The axle to crown was exactly the same.
Recently I've tested a Cotic Soul and a Solaris. Medium and large in both. Couldn't feel any difference. Obviously between the two bikes, but not the size. In comparison I had a longish ride on a Giant "27.5" full sus. Cramped, short, and twitchiest thing I've ever rode. And that was supposedly the correct size for me. I "should" be on a large or XL. 6'4" with 34" inside leg, long torso and arms. Think fat orangutan without the ginger hair.
The Giant did make the trail come so alive it tried to kill me though.
Obviously, bike sizing is as much about what you want to do with a bike, and how you want it to feel, as it is about your height and dimensions. You can normally make several sizes of a particular frame "fit", but you should expect the resulting handling of the bike to change quite a lot. If you can't tell the "difference" I'd be surprised personally.
Yep, a lot of modern bikes don't really change that much between sizes.
If you're sat in the saddle all day, you'll notice it. If most of your riding is out-of-the-saddle hooning, not so much.
I've ridden Alpine 160s in Small, Medium & Large at various times this summer, happy to ride any of them (I'm pretty average height at 5'11" as well though - different if you're 6'4" or 5'4"!).
When I compared the two frames it was off the back of "an expert" telling me my bike was too small. He was also trying to sell me a new bike. My Sanderson Soloist is an 18". He happened to have a 20" in stock. So I said prove it. We stripped my bike down a bit and put a tape measure over them both. 12mm in the top tube and the top of the head tube was 10mm higher. He was slightly taken aback. Thinking that there would be more difference. I'm still riding the 18".
I have a 90mm stem on it, I have rode it with a 70mm stem and it didn't seem massively different. A little more vague on the climbs on the front wheel. But that is more to do with the 120mm forks and slippery tyres. But that's all moot as soon as I'm out of the saddle, honking up the climb, as you do when SSing. It felt bit bit more confident when pointing down, but then I mince most places anyway.
Between the bikes I ride or have tested properly, size doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. But they are all of a muchness and are the same type of bike. Between manufacturers and different types of bike there may well be more in it. You may well need a med in one brand and a large in another. Just to get the type of fit you like.
I recently tried a Spesh FSR something in a car park. It was so short in the TT that my knees where hitting the bars. That was a med. I'd ned an xxxxl to be able to get on it.
I don't think most people would notice the difference between the same bike in two sizes, they will between two brands though.
Manufacturers bike sizes are a guide. It should be try what you like/testride.
I imagine I should be on a 20" Patriot but I'd hate it over my 18" one.
Insensitive to sizing
as I got tired, felt byself edging forward on the seat to eleviate back ache
No you're not
I follow this. I've ridden smaller bikes, medium-sized, big bikes - and was loaned a road bike for a year that was waay too big for me and had a 130mm stem on it. In each case, I've found that my body, riding position or whatever, just simply 'adapts' to whatever machine it is put on. Maybe I've got good flexibility, or decent core strength, I dunno. But it's never been much of a problem for me either.
FWIW.. I'm 5'10" and I tend to ride MTB frames that slightly err on the 'small' size for me (by today's standards!) and run 50mm stems. Never feel even vaguely cramped with this set up. My ASR5c is Yeti small.
But it's all just bikes at the end of the day, init.. 😀