What 29er For Short Legs

freeflyer

Hi all,

Can anyone out there give me some advice please?

For the last few years my friends and I have mainly been riding XC, with a little bit of trails centres for fun. Slowly all my friends have upgraded to 29ers from 26", although they are all much taller to me. I'm 5' 7" with a 29" leg and finding it difficult to find a 29er with a suitable stand over height.

If we only rode XC I'd be looking for a hardtail, although we do a little of everything, so a full suss is a must.

Can anyone out there help me with some advice on what 29ers would be suitable for me?

Many thanks in advance,

Dave

cooldad

29er is not an upgrade. It's different. And so last year.
Standover height is not important. The right size bike is.

freeflyer

Perhaps 'upgrade' wasn't the best choice of words.........

However when we all rode the same wheel size I was usually at the front of the group. Now they are all on 29ers I'm always bringing up the rear. I had considered a 27", although didn't want to still be at a disadvantage, especially on climbs.

Simply looking for feedback off anyone with short legs that rides a 29er that fits. Need a starting point.

Thanks for the input ;-)

The Rookie

Wheel size has nothing to do with frame size at all, that's just down to the relationship between the three contact points, so what size, well the right one.

batmo

Many riders say standover height is not important and I certainly wouldn't recommend compromising on reach (the saddle-to-bars distance) to achieve a lower standover.
However it is possible to have the right reach in a frame with a lower standover. Good examples would be the Cannondale Scalpel or Specialized Camber, but take a look at the pictures and you'll see the similarities in the frame designs. A similar swoopy top tube is what you should look for.
Before Rookie comes back, I should say that this may mean you will be compromising in another area, overall stiffness for e.g. but if standover height is important to you, it may be the better choice.

Long_Time_Lurker

I have short legs for my size. Only thing that I noticed was that I dropped from a 'Large' frame on a 26/27.5 to a Medium on a 29er.
However I suspect that is quite normal as a mate (who is 'better proportioned'), has done teh same.