Bike Size

Pennar

Hello,

I've ordered (not yet received) a Giant Trance 27.5 SX. They didn't have one in the shop but had medium and large Trance 2. I'm 5 10" and wanted a medium but was convinced in the shop that a large would be more suitable. I sat on and rode both sizes and the medium felt a bit small and the large felt a bit big. My previous bikes have been a Stumpjumper FSR in Large and a Lapierre Spicy in Medium. The Spicy did feel quite small when going any distance. The Large Trance felt great around the car park but I'm wondering whether the extra travel will make the bike feel shorter or longer? Should I have gone with the medium and put a longer stem on it. The bars did feel low though with the saddle at the right height. Can't help but feel I've ordered the wrong size. If I have then I can change the order. Any thought please?

Chunkers1980

Slightly small is always better than slightly big as it is easier to make things longer.

miceden

What was the shops reasoning for pushing the large? According to this, and providing you are a "normally" proportioned 5'10 you should be on a medium - https://www.giant-bicycles.com/backoffi ... e_size.pdf

But otherwise yes, I'd say you probably should have gone for the medium and then just changed stem/bars, maybe increasing the rise on one or the other if it felt low.

rockmonkeysc

Specializeds sizing is bigger than Giants so if you have a large stumpjumper then a large trance will probably be right. Suspension travel is irrelevant in sizing. Giant do have a fleet of demo bikes, see if you can get one for a day before you pick up your bike. Once you have taken the bike from the shop getting it changed for a different size might be very difficult (I made that mistake).
A bike which is to small is just as bad as one which is too big.

kajjal

Chunkers1980 wrote:

Slightly small is always better than slightly big as it is easier to make things longer.

You should be able to tell on sizing if you are used to mountain biking, but this is the best guide. A bike that is slightly too small can be adjusted in a variety of ways. If it is too big there is nothing you can really do.

rockmonkeysc

Too small is not good. You end up having to run a long stem which ruins handling and your weight is in the wrong place and the bike is awkward to control.
I learnt the hard way to never take advice to go for a smaller frame.
Take your time and get the right size.

Chunkers1980

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Too small is not good. You end up having to run a long stem which ruins handling and your weight is in the wrong place and the bike is awkward to control.
I learnt the hard way to never take advice to go for a smaller frame.
Take your time and get the right size.

Quite, but that's too small, not slightly too small. Slightly too big is just rubbish.

Pennar

Thanks for your replies. I don't think they were pushing the large. I'm quite stocky so they thought the medium just looked too small. I've been to another of their shops and sat on a large and it was definitely too big for the type of bike. Sitting on the saddle the reach was just about okay but no arm flex at all to be able to slide off the saddle. So I've changed the order and got a medium on its way (week 7 though, gutted).

With regards to the raising the bars is changing the bar to a riser the best option?

cooldad

Unless there is enough steerer tube above the stem, which is unlikely, riser bars are the only option.