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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Small frame instead of the medium...right choice? (Read 1702 times)
DamnYankee
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Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
05/03/17 at 5:58pm
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I am right on the line for Giants recommendation between small & medium frame at 5' 7". I got the small after riding it around the lot for a while. The LBS said I could fit either. Basically it was down to my preference. It felt & still feels good based on my limited knowledge of how I'm actually supposed to feel on a MTB. I have no real complaints except a little numbness in the hands while riding. This was my first ever new MTB bike purchase so I was kind of flying blind. Based on the pic do you think the bike is sized right for me?
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #1 - 05/03/17 at 6:37pm
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anything other than yes would make you regret the decision, so sure, you are probably fine.  if you feel too bunched up, you can probably play with a layback seatpost or longer, taller stems.  The small will be lighter so that is definitely a pro!
  
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #2 - 05/04/17 at 12:44pm
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If you're on the borderline of two different sizes you can go with either one but be prepared to swap out a few parts (i.e. stem, bars, seatpost) to get that perfect fit with either one.
  
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flynbryan19
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #3 - 05/04/17 at 1:18pm
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Honestly just put some time on it and see how it makes you feel.  If you feel good leave it.  If you feel like you're cramped on it....  Do as the others have said.  Since you are "in between" then either bike will work for you.  I would have errored to the small frame size as well.
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #4 - 05/25/17 at 2:14pm
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tough to say, but to me it looks small. 

personally, id rather be on the larger frame with shorter stem/wider bars. 

it really doesn't matter what a bunch of us think though, if you are comfortable that is all that matters, ride it and enjoy! as long as your saddle height/position is right, it will be just fine.

try and find a demo day or something and try a larger frame. it will feel weird at first, but you may not feel as cramped.
  
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #5 - 05/26/17 at 1:47am
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Generally novice riders will benefit from a slightly larger cockpit... more experienced trail agile riders can pull off a smaller frame since it can be easier to flick around the trail and a little easier to control while flicking.  As long as you are comfortable on the bike ride the f-u-c-k out of it and enjoy.  It will most likely NOT be your last bike.
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #6 - 05/26/17 at 3:15am
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I like a large frame myself. I must be on the border between a medium and a large. I have a Spec. medium bike and it's okay. My Marin is a large and it fits me better. My Kona DH bike is a large also.
  
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #7 - 05/26/17 at 5:26pm
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DamnYankee wrote on 05/03/17 at 5:58pm:
I am right on the line for Giants recommendation between small & medium frame at 5' 7". I got the small after riding it around the lot for a while. The LBS said I could fit either. Basically it was down to my preference. It felt & still feels good based on my limited knowledge of how I'm actually supposed to feel on a MTB. I have no real complaints except a little numbness in the hands while riding. This was my first ever new MTB bike purchase so I was kind of flying blind. Based on the pic do you think the bike is sized right for me?
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I think the bikes a good fit.

In my experience, if you're close in sizes it's easier to throw around a smaller bike, rather than a larger one. Especially around these parts. And they all require some adjustment to get just right.

And of course, every ounce counts.

Like somebody said there's more play in stem length and seat post setback than most people use anyway. And again, the slightly tighter geometry in relation to your body puts the bike closer to your core. It's like holding a cinder block at arms length, vs. holding it closer to your body.

Other than that, bike fit is a subjective science. Like buying jeans, the size only gets you in the ballpark.
  
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #8 - 05/26/17 at 5:57pm
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I'm on the border of L and XL but prefer the roomier cockpit of an XL. But it's not just about height - two riders of the same height may "fit"  two different size frames depending on their builds. I have a longer torso and feel cramped on the large. If my height was in my legs instead, a large would probably feel better. 

It also comes down to the manufacturer- to me Specialized runs a bit small, but if I was on, say, an Orbea Occam, I'd be on a large.

And, as others have pointed out, feel free to swap out parts to fine tune either way. As for the photo, though, seems like your bike fits fine.

  
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #9 - 05/27/17 at 5:34am
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Me personally I like the bike a little small, feels more nimble for me (at least in my head I guess). More important than whether or not the size is "correct" is whether you feel comfortable on it. If it's the wrong size on some chart, but you can ride it and feel good on it, then you picked the right size. 

I'm right on the line between Large and Medium, and I always choose Medium just because it's my preference and it feels good to me. I like to toss it around and it's easier for me to do that with less bike.
  
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #10 - 05/28/17 at 3:55am
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If you are between sizes it is wise to consider a few things: 

1. What is your inseam?  If you are 5'7'' but have the inseam of someone closer to 5'9'' then you should consider the larger of the two sizes.  Why, you ask?  Because of bar to saddle drop.  A smaller bike will have a shorter head tube and will be lower in relationship to the saddle.  Most sizes vary about 10-15mm per size on their head tube lengths.  Now this is fine if you like to be in a lower/more aggressive riding position.  But if you want to be more upright/relaxed then the bigger size is a better recommendation.  Also you will have more seat post exposed which can, in some cases, cause more stress on the seat tube of the frame because of the added leverage of a longer seat post.  I had a customer in the past that was 6' tall that insisted on riding a medium EMD-9.  He ended up cracking 2-3 frames at the seat tube/seat stay junction.

2. Other things to consider would be top tube length.  Yes you can put a longer stem or slide the saddle back/use a setback seat post to make a smaller frame fit "bigger" but you can run into problems.  If the saddle is too far back to make the cockpit longer you can end of being too far back which can do a couple of bad things. 1.  Put your knee behind the pedal spindle which isn't good on your knees and shift your weight too far rearward which can make the bike wander/make the front end too light when climbing.  The other problem is if you go the longer stem route then you can make the steering pretty wonky with the bars too far forward.

In the end you need to ride what is comfortable and safe.  An ill fitting bike not only is a bummer to ride and wrecks your experience but can put added stress on parts of your body that as you get older, get less friendly to being abused. Wink
  
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Re: Small frame instead of the medium...right choice?
Reply #11 - 05/28/17 at 12:09pm
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In my road/gravel bike I was fitted with a 58cm. The larger size was a 60 cm. I was told that because of a long top tube, I needed the smaller size. I have a 36 inseam. My seatpost showing is especially long. And even though I do feel stretched out,I had to get a shorter stem. But it had to be a riser stem to feel comfortable on the bike. The only other road bikes I used to have were Cannondales. And I was always fitted to 63 cm with those bikes. And I had 4 through the years. It had been a long time since I had a road bike, and I think the excellent of buying a new bike kinda clouded my judgment. Trek has a 30 day guarantee if your not satisfied. But that doesn't mean they will give you a Different bike. Trek claimed that I was in the middle of sizes, and the and what they saw, is I was fitted with the proper bike. And they provided me with a &^&^ load of swag to pacify me. But I learned my lesson, you must research a lot better before you buy. I have learned to live with my purchase, because I will have it for a few years before I can make another bike purchase
  
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