What frame size? Yeti Arc. Also 26er or 29er for XC?

jimmm

I'm looking to make the move from road cycling to off road. With the New Forest only a 15 minute train journey away from where I live, I believe a hardtail will be the best suited to the routes. One aspect that I don't want to lose with the move from road to off road is the speed. Therefore I feel XC is way to go for me.

I am looking to do a complete build (which I'm sure there will be a topic for!), so firstly I need to start with a frame. I have decided to stick with aluminium (as my CAAD10 is), and have decided to get a Yeti ARC. However I am completely stuck with what size frame to go for - this is where I need your help please.

I am 6'1" and currently ride a 58cm CAAD10 (which I was fitted to at a LBS). I am unsure what Yeti Arc frame size to go for. Either medium or large? Medium states it is for heights of 5'7"-6'0", whilst the large is for 6'0"-6'5". My height of 6'1" therefore fits in the large bracket, but I know this is not necessarily always the case! The geometries for both are below (please click the images to see all the measurements):

CAAD10 105 geometry:


Yeti ARC geometry:


Can anyone advise please? I know a road bike and XC bike geometries will be different, but as a beginner I am rather confused! Will it be better to go for the larger frame and have a shorter stem etc.?

Has anyone ridden a Yeti ARC (or any other Yeti)? If so what was the sizing like - are the height guides accurate?

Thanks in advance!

cooldad

Sit on one.

jimmm

The obvious answer - but unfortunately I cannot find any dealers near me. Should have put that in my opening post.

I also have a feeling the ARC is being discontinued, so online may be the only way to go.

supersonic

Road geo has little to do with MTB. I would seriously try and test a few MTBs first to get feel from them.

nicklouse

oh XC not CX

at a pure guess i would go medium.

but then i dont like those figures so I would not be buying one.

jimmm

nicklouse wrote:

oh XC not CX

at a pure guess i would go medium.

but then i dont like those figures so I would not be buying one.

Whoops didn't notice that error in the title. Guessing that confused a few people. Cheers for pointing it out!

What figures do you not like? The actual frame geometry? Or the fact that it is guess work?

I have a Halfords down the road from my work. So will be going down there on my lunch to sit on some hardtail mountain bikes, to get a bit of an indication on what size frame I am.

cooldad

Different manufacturers measure differently, even sometimes between their own frames.

nicklouse

jimmm wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

oh XC not CX

at a pure guess i would go medium.

but then i dont like those figures so I would not be buying one.

Whoops didn't notice that error in the title. Guessing that confused a few people. Cheers for pointing it out!

What figures do you not like? The actual frame geometry? Or the fact that it is guess work?

I have a Halfords down the road from my work. So will be going down there on my lunch to sit on some hardtail mountain bikes, to get a bit of an indication on what size frame I am.

well for me the small is too small and the medium is too big. (and on Yetis sizing i would be a Medium).

my current frame is between the two and has slightly slacker angles for the same fork size and a shorter back end and it suits me well.

jimmm

Well Halfords were useless (as usual) and there was no one there to help me try out some different bike sizes. A trip to my LBS is on the cards this weekend.

One thing that i hadn't considered was is a 26 frame for XC the wrong choice now the 29ers are taking over? The ARC frame has been discontinued due to the Big Top frame - and from what I have been reading, the 29er is a better choice for XC, and also for riders 6'0" and above?

EH_Rob

It probably is, although again, rider preference is a big thing. Try using the search function of the forum and you'll find loads of threads.

One thing I would say to a road rider coming into MTB is that I wouldn't get too hung up on fit, not the same as with a road bike anyway. You spend more time out of the saddle and shifting your body weight around. I'm not saying it isn't important mind you.

You can always experiment with different stem lengths/angles and bar widths/rise too to change the fit to an extent.

The Spiderman

If you are new to this and coming back from a road background I think I you'd be better off with a 29er. Personally I still like the agility of a 26er but most of the manufacturers are pushing 29ers whether we like it or not, and I think k you'll be better for upgrades or an easier sell 2 years down the line, if you get the bug.

Thewaylander

See i'm hoping in 2 years 29ers will just fade away...

njee20

Why? They've been here for 8 years so far and getting increasingly popular, I fear you'll be disappointed.

I'd say a 29er would be spot on for the OP.

jimmm

Is the 26 going to be a dying breed, with companies not spending much in improving the tech over the next few years?

Also not being able to afford two bikes (cash and space), I am having to sell my road bike to fund this. Therefore the bike will have to be used on road at times too. Being a (bit of) a weight weenie I am used to my bike being at most 10kg. I can hit this figure with a 26, but not so sure I could with a 29er?

jimmm

Sorry for another post after my last.

I think that the only thing that is making me doubt getting the 26, is if parts etc. start becoming hard to come by in a few years. This bike really needs to last me 5 years - so I need to know replacement/upgrade parts will be available. The 26 has been fine for this many years, and so I am sure it will be more than fine for my needs. The frame is almost half the price, and I can build a hardtail at a similar weight to my road bike now - so will be more fun throwing around.

The pros for the 26 is - price, weight, accelaration

Pros for a 29er - better suited for my height(?), better speed on a distance, future

cooldad

There are 49 gazillion 26ers out there. Parts will be available for ever and a day.

The Spiderman

But will they be the best parts? It seems as though more and new stuff is 29er orientated. The weights of 29er parts are coming down all the time. The new developments especially in xc parts, will more likely be 29er led.

Not that I think 26er parts will dry up, but I can see the likes of Rockshox putting more effort into 29er versions of the Reba for example, given that a lot of manufacturers are increasing their 29er ranges at the expense of 26er biked. Specialized for example, and then you have Genesis who no longer do the Altitude as a 26er and the new 29er Mantle seems to have superseded the higher versions of the Core.

If you are using the bike as your one bike,the 29er makes even more sense.
Friend of mine has an On One Scandal 29er.Though he has a time road bike and a full susser the 29er is his most used bike as it is so versatile.
He has used it with rigid forks the slicks and racks for touring, once used it on a particularly hilly sportive instead of the road bike and will ride it at trail centres with a change of tyres.

njee20

26" will never die out, but I can definitely see brands stopping innovating in some areas (like superlight XC stuff) for 26" wheels. USE and Tune are doing new wheels, but not offering 26".

I can hit this figure with a 26, but not so sure I could with a 29er?

Depends how much you're spending, but yes, easily. The Cannondale Flash Team Ultimate thingy is 17lbs.

Dan_xz

jimmm wrote:

Also not being able to afford two bikes (cash and space), I am having to sell my road bike to fund this. Therefore the bike will have to be used on road at times too. Being a (bit of) a weight weenie I am used to my bike being at most 10kg. I can hit this figure with a 26, but not so sure I could with a 29er?

From a road riding point of view the faster rolling 29er will more than compensate for the extra weight, given the same (XC) genre of bike. For off-road I think you just need to try a few and see what seems to suit your own style of riding. See if there's any demo days coming up near you where you can try a few different sizes and styles of bike.
If cash is an ongoing issue I would consider going for something more robust over super-lightweight as you don't want to be shelling out for new parts and servicing all the time, especially if you find you like riding hard and /or crash a lot.

jimmm

A possible compromise could be fitting 650b wheels to a large Yeti Arc frame. Is this even possible? I presume there is more clearance than the smaller frames?

nicklouse

or just have some spares for road use.

road rims and tyres on disc hubs. sorted.

jimmm

Sounds good. Is there any online retailers in the UK for 650b wheel sets, forks etc?