Short Legs, Long Torso - Dropper Post Advice

MikeWarner

Hi Guys - not posted here for many years as I've not been riding for a while. I just bought a new Canyon Nerve in medium. My body size is annoying as I have short legs and a long torso, which means I have to ride a medium, but the saddle isn't out of the frame very much - only 170mm from the top of the seat tube to the centre of the seat rails.

I'm after a dropper (with internal routing) and I have limited choice as a result of this. I could go for a RockShox Reverb 100mm dropper, but would rather get one with 125mm. The Crank Bros Highline has a 125mm drop with a 50mm stack, which is 5mm too long. The Reverb with 125mm drop appears even longer. I really like the Highline though.

I'm thinking along the following:
- Just get a 100mm dropper post (Reverb Stealth) and be done with it
- Get the Highline and change my 175mm cranks for 170mm ones (was considering this anyway due to my short legs) to get back that 5mm I need
- Get a saddle with a smaller distance between the rails and the top of the seat so there is a little more post out of the frame

Any thoughts or advice? Anyone know of a decent dropper with a shorter stack height? Which saddles have a lower height from the rails to the top? My old Flite saddle from the early 90s looked like it had about 10mm less overall height, but the reissue of this saddle has changed this.

Many thanks.

cooldad

Anything really marginal can create problems. Just get a 100mm post.

The Rookie

I have the exact same issue as you, 29" inside leg and 5' 9.5", you need the bigger size for the reach.

I just went for the shorter travel dropper, the time when that 25mm will make any real difference will be very small and it certainly won't be insurmountable. It also means less faffing around and a better chance you can use it on another bike in the future. I find the top tube gets in the way more than the 'not quite as dropped as I'd like it' saddle - but then mine is more a traditional shaped frame where the Nerve has a dropped top tube to help with that.

MikeWarner

Cheers. I guess I just like the Highline better. The cable operation seems easier to service and the trigger can be positioned in any direction, so wouldn't need to make a final trigger location choice now (like I would with a reverb) as I may go 1x setup in the future.

Going for a 100mm drop makes sense though.

The Rookie - seems we are the same size in this respect!

rockmonkeysc

The Rookie wrote:

I have the exact same issue as you, 29" inside leg and 5' 9.5",

Do you live in middle earth?

The Rookie

No.....just the middle of England......perhaps that was the same place in the 19th century - and I am in the middle of the shire counties.....

Sitting down I look quite tall!

cooldad

The Rookie wrote:

No.....just the middle of England......perhaps that was the same place in the 19th century - and I am in the middle of the shire counties.....

Sitting down I look quite tall!

This is how I will imagine you forever



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_de_Toulouse-Lautrec

kirby700

I blame Chernobyl for my short legs! Although not quite as short as you rookie I find shorts are still a bastard to find!