To sum up: If you like a more nimble and whippy ride, are a bit less flexible, are shorter in the torso or are looking for a more casual riding position, size down your mountain bike. Shorter bikes are easier to be on for long periods of time. Additionally, a shorter Wheelbase will ride more nimbly and while the longer cockpit provides a really aggressive riding position, low and aggressive riding positions are tiring to be in, so consider your fitness, endurance and ride length. If you’ve got proportionally longer legs than average, lack a bit of flexibility or generally like to be more upright, you may be a bit more comfortable on a shorter size. Stand-over height will be a tad lower and you might have to extend your seat-post a bit in order to get to your pedaling position, but it’s a pretty minor consideration when it comes to being between sizes. What You Get for Sizing DownĬonversely, a smaller sized mountain bike will have a shorter Reach and a slightly shorter Wheelbase. To sum up: If you’re flexible, longer in the torso and like to monster-truck over your terrain rather than whip or flick your way around it, size up your mountain bike.

On the other hand, if you know the difference between your Tadasana Pose and your Lotus Pose (AKA: you’re a supple yoga leopard), a larger size will reward you with a more aggressive riding position. If bending over and touching your toes sounds like a tall order, a longer bike is going to be a bit more taxing to maintain a low and aggressive riding position. Flexibility and range of motion in your hips is also something to consider. Also, if you happen to have a proportionally longer torso, you’ll want to size up in order to get a neutral fit, since Reach is primarily what’s affected by the size. There’s also a minor corresponding increase in Wheelbase as the whole bike itself gets a little bit longer, so you get the benefits (and pitfalls) of a longer mountain bike. Almost all mountain bikes are trying to get as low as possible to buy the rider range of motion in the cockpit of the bike so you’ll see a lot of bikes with an increase in Reach. When it comes to mountain bike sizing, Reach tends to be what changes more from Small to Large than Stack. Here’s a few tips on when to size up or size down your mountain bike when you’re in between sizes. So you’ve matched your height to a manufacturers mountain bike size chart, and you’re right on the edge - what do you do now? Sometimes you’re in between mountain bike sizes. Sizing Up Or Sizing Down Your Mountain Bike

Mtb geometry calculator