I’ve decided I’d rather get my cardio in the woods this summer instead of killing my knees on a treadmill indoors. I need a new MTB to replace my ancient 26" bike I never, ever ride.
My question to all you MTB gurus is about bike fit. I have weird proportions. 6’ tall, but 35" inseam (not pants size, but floor to taint measurement) and a 6’7" wingspan.
For example, Specialized bike sizing is by height. S4 is for 5’-8" to 6’2". S5 is for 5’10" to 6’4". S6 is for 6’2" to 6’8". The S5 seems like the most ideal based on my height, but I have the inseam and especially reach more typical of someone 6’2" to 6’4" that would be needing an S6.
I like a playful bike but I hate feeling cramped on the bike when climbing. I have never ridden a modern geometry bike. And I haven’t ridden in long enough that anything will feel small and flickable compared to a motorcycle. I see an incredible deal on a 2022 Stumpjumper EVO carbon in XXL, and I’m wondering if I should go get it.
Highly recommend you go to a good shop and ride a few. Many dealers will let you demo a bike and take it on some trails. Bikes and set up are very different today. Once you have a feel for riding a few (just going to a 29er is different) you can make a better online choice. My $0.02
What Chris said. Ride a bunch, and different brands.
But also, if your proportions are weird enough (yours are getting there), you might check out Zinn in Louisville. They make custom and semi-custom bike for tall guys, and it’s all they’ve done forever. Leonard Zinn is a giant. My buddy Jake (who you gave the Revit pants to) finally ordered a Zinn a couple years ago after a lifetime of ill-fitting XXL bikes, and he loves it. Not unlike your proportions, he’s 6’4" with a 37" inseam and a tiny torso, and an orangutan wingspan; I think he can scratch his kneecap while standing upright. His bike fits perfectly. @BrotherPicnic
A good fitter can help guide you to a purchase you won’t regret as well. Holler if you want recommendations. Plenty of folks here that know good fitters.
While I can’t answer most questions in this forum, this one is right up my alley.
I have rode alot of bikes in the Specialized line-up and always tend towards an S3 (I am 5’8-5’9). Specialized has done a nice job with their sizing because the sizing is akin to the experience the bike is designed for. Meaning, the Stumpjumper 15 is a do-it-all bike and with that has a shorter, more playful wheelbase/reach. The SJ evo predates the SJ15 but will ride in a similar manner. Being my height, I can ride either S3 or S4 and chose to size down since it was my only trail bike, and I was riding at places like Lefthand, bike parks and Hall. Your logic to size on the smaller side is sound. To chris’ point, ultimately, demoing a bike is going to help alot and if you can try before you buy, you are doing pretty good.
My background - worked for Specialized for 13 years with a focus on bike fit/ergonomics/human interface product design. I joined as part of an acquisition Specialized made of a bike fit start-up called Retul.
Good suggestion on Zinn. Lots of fitters in Boulder, which is awesome. Another route is About CU Sports Medicine & Performance Center | Sports Medicine Boulder CO . It’s part of the CU sports medicine and performance program and was/is run by Dr. Andy Pruitt. An old friend of mine, Charles Van Atta used to be, maybe still is the head fitter.
If your unusually long inseam is part of a very long femur, then you are meant to cycle …it’s a gift that benefits cycling biomechanics. You might luck out with a particular mfgs XL frame. You’re far better off not getting a fit from a shop because they are likely going to want to fit you on a frame that they sell as opposed to an independent fitter exploring the entire world of frame options. Customer builders can make it work …costly though.
Sticking my wet finger in the wind (just for fun) is telling me that you need a long seat tube and head tube with a shorter top tube. There are backwards stems these days that put the bar’s grips behind the forks (with a swept back bar) like a moto, that could accommodate that shorter reach without having to find a shorter top tube.
I love Specialized bikes and owned Specialized bike shops. I think the S5 would be the right call. Your torso is sort of normal length, so you don’t want the top tube getting too stretched out. You’ll need to make sure the seat tube can extend enough to accommodate your inseam, but if the stock one doesn’t do it, there are aftermarket models that will.
My racer buddy Garth is built a little like you and always had to run a size large with a giant seat tube.
That looks like a very ill-fitting bike unless you’re a World Cup XC racer.
This issue you just described (huge saddle height vs. short reach) is why I mentioned Zinn. If a tall guy with long legs and shorter torso doesn’t want to be ass-over-tea-kettle, custom may be the way to go.
Comments seem to be more focused on inseam, when I thought my extremely wide and disproportional wingspan would be more relevant to bike sizing. Also comments mention “sizing down” and “shorter reach”. So, I’m wondering if I am completely missing something.
I’m looking to buy used, and spend maybe $2500. I’m just getting back into this! I know custom would be ideal, but I can’t imagine a custom bike being under $10k.
Thank you so much for chiming in here. Gino has helped me see the good sense of getting a bike fitting before buying anything. If I know the ideal relevant dimensions of a bike for my body, I can choose from bike frame sizes from different manufacturers, and be fine tuned from there.
I am curious what frame size you would steer me towards in the Specialized lineup, given a 35" inseam, 72" height, and 79" wingspan. Thank you in advance, Garrett!
This is bad form in our forum. The first time you have posted is to tell the group you have something for sale? A better start would be introducing yourself, what you ride, that sort of thing.
So, to start, let’s try utilizing the Specialized sizing calculator. Let’s use one for the 2022 SJ evo since that’s what you are looking at. You should see it right above where you select the size of the bike. This calculator is based on a ton of retül data. You will input your height and shin length. This should spit out a recommended size.
Now, one thing you might not be able to get around is the fact that your Ape index falls in the 99% percentile. This would explain why you hate feeling cramped on the bike, and if I’m to guess, based on your anthropometrics, you feel cramped more often than not. The size the Specialized calculator is going to tell you would be great if you are closer to the mean. This, of course, gets to Gino’s point that a bike fit is probably a great idea.
I’ve worked with both of them, and they are some of the best in the world IMO.
Final point, if you are comparing different bike geo’s, these are the values I’d focus on:
Stack and reach - These are industry standard measurements that compare the X/Y coordinates of the top of the head tube to the center of the bottom bracket, you can use these to compare how long a bike is to another.
Top tube length horizontal - Takes into consideration seat tube angle (which has changed a ton in the last 10 years). This value can be used to determine how stretched out you’ll be (you can always adjust stem length or saddle setback) so not the most valuable, but nice to see.
Chain stay length - the longer, the more planted, the shorter, the more playful. Most modern bikes have some adjustability here. People will say wheelbase is key here, but from what I’ve observed in this space, chain stay has the biggest impact (all MT bikes have a longer wheelbase these days; it’s chainstay length that has the biggest impact on COM).
Also, there are so many good deals on FB marketplace for slightly used bikes, it’s crazy. Goodluck!
