Bike charts say I'm a 17/18 inch but cross bar touches groin

Waddyuk

Bought a new boardman pro 29er last week, I tried it in the store and spent a while sitting on it, salesperson said I was a 16 but I've always been an 18 I thought. I'm 5 feet 7.5 inches. Anyhow I bought the 18 inch.

Thing is when I stand over it the cross bar more then touches my groin, its pushing into it, is the bike too big, therees zero gap.

Thanks

nicklouse

And?

Since when as stand over meant anything?

Put a 100mm travel form on the front and everything moves up.

Waddyuk

Sorry I don't understand your answer?

nicklouse

Read viewtopic.php?f=10002&t=12692834

The Rookie

Standover capacity is irrelevant to whether or not a bike fits you, that is determined solely by the relationship of the pedals to saddle to grips. As Nick says, you can fit longer forks and change the Standover but it doesn't change the bike size.

That said an 18 does sound big for your height.

mxp27824

I want my money back. Having read the title, I was anticipating a racier thread.

weescots,am

I have just recently bought the same bike and I am not much taller than you at 5 feet 9. I ended up getting the 19inch frame. Although everything I read says I should never be on a large frame it is the bike that felt right for me. I have tiny 28inch legs but a long torso and this is the bike that felt the best in a riding position.

It is a really nice bike and I am chuffed to bits with it.

Giraffoto

Waddyuk wrote:

Bought a new boardman pro 29er last week, I tried it in the store and spent a while sitting on it, salesperson said I was a 16 but I've always been an 18 I thought. I'm 5 feet 7.5 inches. Anyhow I bought the 18 inch.

Thing is when I stand over it the cross bar more then touches my groin, its pushing into it, is the bike too big, therees zero gap.

Thanks

Is it too late to take it back and swap for the correct size? That seems like the best course of action now. Sometimes the people at Halfords know what they're talking about

Waddyuk

Not too late no.

Waddyuk

So confused lol.

Waddyuk

Standing over the bike crossbar I cant put my feet flat on the floor, so would that confirm it's too big.

mcnultycop

Waddyuk wrote:

Standing over the bike crossbar I cant put my feet flat on the floor, so would that confirm it's too big.

No. It doesn't matter, why do you need it stand over the bike top tube with both feet flat on the floor?

nicklouse

I has nothing to do with the size of an MTB.

as I said at the start. add 100mm of travel to a bike and the frame has to do something. it can not stay in the same place. the frame does not change size it just moves up.

hence standover means nothing.

paul.skibum

To try and express what others are saying badly in this thread, standover height is an outdated concept in as far as mountain biking goes.

What you want is a good position on the bike to reach the bars and be able to move about on the bike. That said, in the event of an unplanned dismount or foot down being able to not remove a ball on the top tube would be nice. Personally as a shorter gentleman I have no real stand over on my bikes and it doesnt cause me issues generally.

If you can sit on the saddle and achieve a good pedalling position which doesnt strain your back or shoulders reaching forward and still have room to move back and forward on the bike when standing then the size should be OK but only you can tell this as telling us your height and the frame size tells us nothing.

I am 5'6 and ride a 16" hardtail and a medium full susser and a 54cm road bike all of which broadly have the same effective top tube length.

batmo

paul.skibum wrote:

To try and express what others are saying badly in this thread, standover height is an outdated concept in as far as mountain biking goes.

What you want is a good position on the bike to reach the bars and be able to move about on the bike. That said, in the event of an unplanned dismount or foot down being able to not remove a ball on the top tube would be nice. Personally as a shorter gentleman I have no real stand over on my bikes and it doesnt cause me issues generally.

If you can sit on the saddle and achieve a good pedalling position which doesnt strain your back or shoulders reaching forward and still have room to move back and forward on the bike when standing then the size should be OK but only you can tell this as telling us your height and the frame size tells us nothing.

I am 5'6 and ride a 16" hardtail and a medium full susser and a 54cm road bike all of which broadly have the same effective top tube length.

It's not impossible to have a bike with a frame design that means that saddle-to-crank and saddle-to-handlebar dimensions suit you, but also you can stand over the top tube without discomfort. It just means that it takes a little longer to find and you may have to sit on more bikes. As someone of 5'10" with only 29" inside leg, I'm speaking from experience. I ended up with a Specialized Camber.

The Rookie

Last time I checked I didn't ride my bike standing over the crossbar, so I wouldn't bother finding one that allowed it but rather one that fit me properly when riding it, had the right components and was the right price. Dropping the crossbar on a bike otherwise sized the same reduces stiffness which means it will either be not as stiff or weight is added to make it as stiff......

batmo

You're compromising somewhere whatever you choose, it's just making an informed choice that counts. I was just not comfortable on several of the bikes I tried (Nerve*, Anthem, Whyte T129...), my long back meant that to get sufficient reach meant risking my prized possessions. I don't mean just in the case of an unscheduled stop, but stopping on anything but the mildest downslope.
*owned for 3 days and returned.

rockmonkeysc

On my xc bike my plums gently rest on the top tube, on my dh bike I have an inch of testicular clearance. It makes no difference at all.

Wheelspinner

RockmonkeySC wrote:

On my xc bike my plums gently rest on the top tube, on my dh bike I have an inch of testicular clearance. It makes no difference at all.

Is this the summer or winter specification clearance?

Oh, and try wearing shorts.

Waddyuk

Went back to sit on a 16 inch 29er from Boardman and felt too small! I felt over the top of the handle bars.

My head hurts.

rockmonkeysc

Wheelspinner wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

On my xc bike my plums gently rest on the top tube, on my dh bike I have an inch of testicular clearance. It makes no difference at all.

Is this the summer or winter specification clearance?

Oh, and try wearing shorts.

Thats summer clearance. With winter shrinkage clearance is increased.

eric_draven

Waddyuk wrote:

Went back to sit on a 16 inch 29er from Boardman and felt too small! I felt over the top of the handle bars.

My head hurts.

so do ours!

Mister_g

Waddyuk wrote:

My head hurts.

Obviously the stand-over height is OK, then!

(FWIW, I would say go for smaller rather than bigger if you are still unsure.)

Giraffoto

However irrelevant the standover height may be to the mechanics of riding, it's suddenly very significant on those rare occasions when a sudden unexpected stop requires you to put both feet on the ground. If you don't have a few centimetres of clearance, you're going to get injured. Or possibly dent your top tube, depending on how tough you are.

The Rookie

Or like the vast majority of people you lean the bike over, have one foot on a pedal and one on the ground....sorted!

supersonic

I think it's preference, as with most things. if you think you need it, look for it. Many frame designers seem to integrate it in, to a degree. Or even push it.

The Rookie

In other words, buy a bike of the right size that has clearance, not one of the wrong size to try and create some!