I think my mtn bike is 2" too large for me.
#1
I think my mtn bike is 2" too large for me.
Is this an issue for a casual rider ?
Also, when adjusting seat, I made it higher so that when I stop, I have to get off the seat.
This allows fuller extension of leg on downstroke. Knee is just bent at bottom.
Is this a side effect of too big frame ?
Also, when adjusting seat, I made it higher so that when I stop, I have to get off the seat.
This allows fuller extension of leg on downstroke. Knee is just bent at bottom.
Is this a side effect of too big frame ?
#2
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2 inches... you mean this much?
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#3
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Needing to get off the saddle when stopped is not a sign of the bike being too large. My bike fits me fine, and I have to get off the seat when stopped. Casual rider here, not an issue. You said it was a mtn.bike. The only time I can see the height of the seat being a problem would be on descents, and that could be handled by a dropper post (tho just saw a thread on dropper posts that most said they didn't actually use theirs). On my mtn.bike, if I know I'm going to be riding a trail with lots of descents, I may just lower my seat a little-don't do it often, as it makes pedaling harder on the legs with the loss of leg extension (I don't have a dropper post). If you got a smaller mtn.bike frame, you'd be raising the seat higher to get good leg extension, would still end up getting off the seat when you stop.
Last edited by freeranger; 08-25-21 at 04:42 PM.
#4
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My bike fits me fine, and I have to get off the seat when stopped.
You said it was a mtn.bike. The only time I can see the height of the seat being a problem would be on descents, and that could be handled by a dropper post (tho just saw a thread on dropper posts that most said they didn't actually use theirs). On my mtn.bike, if I know I'm going to be riding a trail with lots of descents, I may just lower my seat a little-don't do it often, as it makes pedaling harder on the legs with the loss of leg extension (I don't have a dropper post). If you got a smaller mtn.bike frame, you'd be raising the seat higher to get good leg extension, would still end up getting off the seat when you stop.
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#5
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About 10-15 years ago the bicycle industry came out with crank forward bikes. This allowed the rider to get proper leg extension, due to the crank being offset forward from the seat tube, but also let the rider touch the ground while seated.
Because the majority of the weight was on the rear wheel, the front wheel was less weighted and the steering felt less precise. The design was also not good for climbing, except grinding up a hill. They were “almost” a recumbent but still retained more of a tradition hybrid appearance, but with a longer wheelbase.
They have since fallen out of favor, but for shorts trips, once someone got used to the steering, they delivered to their intended rider. My brother had one, and while it was definitely a different feel, I could see it being a serviceable bike for lower speed around town riding.
Have no idea what is available today, but it is an option for short rides and feet down stops.
John
Because the majority of the weight was on the rear wheel, the front wheel was less weighted and the steering felt less precise. The design was also not good for climbing, except grinding up a hill. They were “almost” a recumbent but still retained more of a tradition hybrid appearance, but with a longer wheelbase.
They have since fallen out of favor, but for shorts trips, once someone got used to the steering, they delivered to their intended rider. My brother had one, and while it was definitely a different feel, I could see it being a serviceable bike for lower speed around town riding.
Have no idea what is available today, but it is an option for short rides and feet down stops.
John
#6
When you stand over your top tube in front of the seat with your feet flat on the ground, there should be at least an inch of clearance to your groin. Preferably a couple of inches.
How is your reach to the bars? If you are having to stretch forward more than feels comfortable and your arms are locked out straight, then the frame is too big. If you are sat bolt upright and feel cramped when pedalling out of the saddle, then it is too small.
#7
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Is your question whether needing to raise the seat indicates the frame is too large? If anything, it's an indicator that the frame is too small, and it probably isn't an indicator of that either. Seats are made to be adjusted for a reason.
In my experience, if you can put your foot down without getting off the seat, the bike is too small and/or the seat is too low, Probably not true if it's a BMX, but I don't ride those.
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#8
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The desired setup for most riding is to have the saddle at such a height that your legs are almost straight, only a tiny bit of bend in the knee, when the pedals are at the bottom of their stroke. If you think about the basic geometry of a bicycle, and the fact that you need some clearance between the ground and the pedals, this correct setup will result in not being able to put your feet flat on the ground when on the saddle. In most instances riders can either barely touch with their toes or cannot touch at all when in the saddle, and so nee to move forward and stand over the frame in order to get feet planted on the ground when stopped.
Another option is to stop next to a curb or other road feature that is raised up a couple of inches and put your foot on that, but this could result in forgetting to step off the saddle when no feature is available and falling.
Another option is to stop next to a curb or other road feature that is raised up a couple of inches and put your foot on that, but this could result in forgetting to step off the saddle when no feature is available and falling.
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With seat set to proper extension, you can expect to have to get off the saddle to put your foot down. This is because the bottom of the pedal stroke is several inches above the ground.
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#10
Needing to get off the saddle when stopped is not a sign of the bike being too large. My bike fits me fine, and I have to get off the seat when stopped. Casual rider here, not an issue. You said it was a mtn.bike. The only time I can see the height of the seat being a problem would be on descents, and that could be handled by a dropper post (tho just saw a thread on dropper posts that most said they didn't actually use theirs). On my mtn.bike, if I know I'm going to be riding a trail with lots of descents, I may just lower my seat a little-don't do it often, as it makes pedaling harder on the legs with the loss of leg extension (I don't have a dropper post). If you got a smaller mtn.bike frame, you'd be raising the seat higher to get good leg extension, would still end up getting off the seat when you stop.
I only do street riding on my mtn. bike.
#11
Is your question whether needing to raise the seat indicates the frame is too large? If anything, it's an indicator that the frame is too small, and it probably isn't an indicator of that either. Seats are made to be adjusted for a reason.
In my experience, if you can put your foot down without getting off the seat, the bike is too small and/or the seat is too low, Probably not true if it's a BMX, but I don't ride those.
In my experience, if you can put your foot down without getting off the seat, the bike is too small and/or the seat is too low, Probably not true if it's a BMX, but I don't ride those.
#12
About 10-15 years ago the bicycle industry came out with crank forward bikes. This allowed the rider to get proper leg extension, due to the crank being offset forward from the seat tube, but also let the rider touch the ground while seated.
Because the majority of the weight was on the rear wheel, the front wheel was less weighted and the steering felt less precise. The design was also not good for climbing, except grinding up a hill. They were “almost” a recumbent but still retained more of a tradition hybrid appearance, but with a longer wheelbase.
They have since fallen out of favor, but for shorts trips, once someone got used to the steering, they delivered to their intended rider. My brother had one, and while it was definitely a different feel, I could see it being a serviceable bike for lower speed around town riding.
Have no idea what is available today, but it is an option for short rides and feet down stops.
John
Because the majority of the weight was on the rear wheel, the front wheel was less weighted and the steering felt less precise. The design was also not good for climbing, except grinding up a hill. They were “almost” a recumbent but still retained more of a tradition hybrid appearance, but with a longer wheelbase.
They have since fallen out of favor, but for shorts trips, once someone got used to the steering, they delivered to their intended rider. My brother had one, and while it was definitely a different feel, I could see it being a serviceable bike for lower speed around town riding.
Have no idea what is available today, but it is an option for short rides and feet down stops.
John
#13
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Then again I have no clue why you start any of your threads, other than you enjoy the abuse.
In a moment of weakness, I decided to make an honest response because some people have issues with seat height and not being able to get a foot down. I can assure you, I won’t make that mistake again.
John
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You're going to have to show your math for that combination of factors to make sense. My experience with frames that are too big is that there's no seat position low enough on them.
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As stated by cyccommute, the bike is only too big if when standing over the top tube, with feel flat on the ground, your tender parts hit the top tube. If standing flat footed, and have some clearance (a couple of inches would be good), then the bike is not too big. Are you hitting the top tube when standing over it, with feet flat on the ground? Still wondering what leads you to think it's too big for you.
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As stated by cyccommute, the bike is only too big if when standing over the top tube, with feel flat on the ground, your tender parts hit the top tube. If standing flat footed, and have some clearance (a couple of inches would be good), then the bike is not too big. Are you hitting the top tube when standing over it, with feet flat on the ground? Still wondering what leads you to think it's too big for you.
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#18
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Agree, the OP stated in post 10 that he is only riding on the road. Probably should have prefixed my post with "since you're only riding on the road", in case someone read it and thought that was enough for all mtn.bikes.
#19
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Standover height is less of an issue with mountain bikes and their generally lower frames with sloped top tubes, but there's still the reach issue. On a related note, it's worth noting that road and mountain bike sizing is not consistent: for me at 6'1 height and 35" inseam the optimal road oriented frame size is 58-60 cm, which equals about 23-24 inches, whereas a mountain bike that fits me is around 21 inches (I'm not even sure there are mass-produced mtb frames larger than 23 inches?).
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I’m not sure what size bike CheGiantForLife is riding. No measurements have been forthcoming. On the other hand, mountain bikes really do need to be sized properly since the smaller frame has a proportionally longer top tube which is usually longer than even road bike top tubes of the proper size. My 20” Dean mountain bike, for example, has a 56cm top tube. My 58cm Dean road bike has a 54cm top tube. My 58 cm Cannondale touring bike has a 52cm top tube. A 22” mountain bike would have and even longer top tube and be highly uncomfortable for road riding.
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Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
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Cut 2 inches off and make it smaller.
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Standover is a great way to size a bike when you want to spend less than one minute on bike fitting..