i'm 6'4 225# (34" inseam pants, not sure about actual) and recently got a specialized rockhopper 21". when i stand over the top bar i have about 1.5" of clearance.
i've been riding the bike now for two weeks and have only skipped two days of riding since. so i'm getting a pretty good feel for it. overall i like it a lot and it feels fine. i am considering raising the handlebars though as i do feel a little shifted forward at times. i think raising the bars would shift some more weight back and make wheelies, etc easier. i think id also feel a bit more upright and manouverable. are there any rules of thumb for finding the proper handlebar height or is it mostly personal preference?
and my bigger concern, does a 21" bike sound right for me? i was just searching for ideas on handlebar heigh and i ran across a couple pages saying you should have 3-6" of top tube clearance on a mountain bike?? so now a wave of paranoia has swept over me. is my bike too big? ahh if i'm going to do thinks like balance beams and teeter-totters i often lower my seat a few inches so i can get around it more easily and safer. should i have to do this ? what are the symptoms of having too big a bike/ how can i be sure? ahhh hah
thanks
edit:
oh and here are the specs on the 19" and 21" frames..
Size 19" 21"
Stand Over Height 30.7" 32"
Top Tube Length* 590mm 615mm
Head Tube Length 120mm 140mm
Head Angle 70.0° 70.0°
Seat Angle 73.0° 73.0°
Wheel Base 1070mm 1096mm
Chain Stay Length 426mm 426mm
Fork Offset 39mm 39mm
not that it might matter anyway.. this bike was an '05 demo and i'm not sure if they have any 19"s left anyway. and if they did i dont know that theyd let me switch anyway... hrm. i'm probably being paranoid, but i dunno.
I'm pretty sure a 19" would be too small. Only you can really determine this. Does the bike "feel" right? If so, you should be OK. Adding a riser bar does help if you want a more upright riding position (I like a more upright position, too). the amount of rise is really a matter of preference. As for the ideal amount of clearance above the top tube being 3"-6", that seems a bit excessive to me personally. As for lowering the seat in certain instances, it's a common practice.
I'm sure others will chime in with different thoughts.
thanks for the input. its good to know there isnt a perfect seat position and that you need to change it for different things. i currently have 'street mode' which is the highest/most effecient. 'trail mode' which is a bit lower and allows me to move a bit more. and 'ah **** stunt mode' which is really low to allow for safety and easy bailing out
i just called the LBS and they said theyre pretty darn sure that on a 19" id have to exceed the minimum mark on the seat post to get it high enough. they did welcome me to come down and test fit to my heart's desire and to bring my bike and theyd help get it all setup. which is nice
so i guess a 21" is probably right. maybe its just coming from a kids bike things are feeling different i currently have the saddle all the pushed rearward so maybe if i scoot that up a small bit and mess w/ the bars i'll be set. so tonight i'll go home and tweak my bike and see what i can gather. anyone know off hand if i can raise my stem w/ just the clamp part or if i'll need spacers or even a new longer stem? the manual for my bike is kinda generic and lists all three methods but doesnt say which my bike uses.
If you search the web for bike sizing techniques you will get several opinions on how to do it properly. Some are as simple as how it feels and others suggest you pay for a computer based system that gets the "exact" fit for you. In my honest opinion a mix of the two is best. You could ride the "wrong" size bike for a long time and finally get used to its feel, but does that make it wrong? If you can handle the bike the way you want with out endangering yourself or others I feel that you are on the right bike especially if you are 6'4".
As far a wanting to move your weight rearward on the bike try a set back seatpost and make sure that your seat is mounted in the proper position. If it isnt you could be asking for knee pain in the future.
At 6'4" a 19" frame would be on the small side. I ride a 20" Giant Reign and I'm 6'1". If all the spacers are under your stem, then you won't be able to raise the stem any higher. If there is any spacers above the stem, you can put them below the stem to raise the bars a little. Other wise, you will have to swap the stem for one with more rise or install new bars with more rise. General rule of thumb is 2-4" clearance on a mountain bike. And raising and lowering the saddle for different riding is normal (put on a quick release seat collar if it doesn't already have one). i raise or lower my saddle up to 6 inches depending on what I'm doing. (6 foot drop = saddle slammed; smooth xc = saddle to the sky)
Sounds right to me. I am a little over 6'4" with a 34" inseam and ride a 22.5" trek, my standover is virtually non-existant. My thought was to get the most comfortable riding position not the best standing position. I have never lost control of the bike and ended up standing over the bike in its upright position. Most of the time it is on top of me...lol... Besides when most people stop their bike they put down one foot and keep the other on the pedal. I originally bought a 19" frame and had no problems on short 1-2 hour rides, but when i would ride for 4 or more hours my back would hurt because i was kinda scrunched up with bad posture due to a short cockpit. Luckily my lbs gave me a great trade in on a larger size...
One thought if you lbs said that they'll fit it for u then thats a fast way to find out stuff with the saddle position and handle bar position...i'd say see what they can do for u to get it close then u can fine tune it over a few rides
DMR
imo standover height has become an obsolete equation. Yes, its nice to know that if you drop over your top tube you have clearance for the goods but with todays frame designs its not uncommon to have 1 inch or less clearance. If i grab my xc bike while standing over it and pull it up i have almost no give. My Yeti, with a drop down top tube design (and its a size larger) has more clearance.
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