Watch out! Cyclist coming through

Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
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How does one build a custom bike without knowing how it's gonna fit?
Reach, followed by Stack will tell how a bike will fit.
Use a modern/progressive/slack size chart like Canyon has.
Im fairly confident your Reach is 450 mm

HTA combined with Chainstay will give you a good idea of how a bike will ride.

I looked into building a hardtail frame up and it was beau coup dolares that I could not justify.
 

Belchfire1

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Jun 27, 2013
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How does one build a custom bike without knowing how it's gonna fit?
Stock bike = $$$
Custom= $$$$$$$$$$$
Trial and error, man. I usually start with a complete bike that works for me and replace everything I hate/break or buy a frame with close specs to one I currently enjoy riding.
 

Peter1

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Jul 29, 2005
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Stock bike = $$$
Custom= $$$$$$$$$$$
Trial and error, man. I usually start with a complete bike that works for me and replace everything I hate/break or buy a frame with close specs to one I currently enjoy riding.
You best be VERY confident in your builder and your specs if you go full custom. A guy I used to ride with in NYC had a full custom Seven titanium road bike built up for him and it was completely missized, like clearly too small. He had way too much stem and seatpost showing. We didn't really have the heart to tell him, cause it probably cost him $5k, but I'm sure he knew, too. Unless you have some kind of anatomical deformity somewhere there is a stock frame that will fit you.
 

casa_mugrienta

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Apr 13, 2008
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ShiverMeTimbers

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Aggressive reach is great if you're enduro-ing. The more reach the more you're leaning forward. At 47 I'm not all that flexible and find a slightly more upright pedaling position preferable. You can also get handlebars with extra rise to change the position. More people are going to that to counter the long reach thing.
 

sdsurfrat

Michael Peterson status
Jun 2, 2008
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Aggressive reach is great if you're enduro-ing. The more reach the more you're leaning forward. At 47 I'm not all that flexible and find a slightly more upright pedaling position preferable. You can also get handlebars with extra rise to change the position. More people are going to that to counter the long reach thing.

Maybe casa is gonna be an EWS pinner!

in other news:

Not again Canyon...
 
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Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
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Aggressive reach is great if you're enduro-ing. The more reach the more you're leaning forward. At 47 I'm not all that flexible and find a slightly more upright pedaling position preferable. You can also get handlebars with extra rise to change the position. More people are going to that to counter the long reach thing.

Im 50 and at 5’10” I find enduro geometry bikes (approx 450mm reach) to be extremely comfortable bikes to ride. And by that I mean when I’m pedaling on pavement and close my eyes I swear I’m on a beach cruiser.

On the trail I love the feel/handling performance of the weight over the BB/“in the bike” (vs “on”) riding position, the stability/handling(lean to steer) benefits of the slack HTA, and how easy they are to wheelie/manual b/c of short chainstay length.

Business in the front.
Party in the back.
 
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ShiverMeTimbers

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Im 50 and at 5’10” I find enduro geometry bikes (approx 450mm reach) to be extremely comfortable bikes to ride. And by that I mean when I’m pedaling on pavement and close my eyes I swear I’m on a beach cruiser.

On the trail I love the feel/handling performance of the weight over the BB/“in the bike” (vs “on”) riding position, the stability/handling(lean to steer) benefits of the slack HTA, and how easy they are to wheelie/manual b/c of short chainstay length.

Business in the front.
Party in the back.
450 is not long reach by modern standards. The reach on the new Evil Offering in size Large is 491. My XL Evil Following MB reach is 470. In Low setting its fine. In X-Low setting its OK for a while and great going downhill but when climbing my traps are a little sore. Perhaps I'm slacking in my posture on the climbs. I know I'm locking my elbows out which is not good. That's only in X-Low setting. Was thinking about getting bars with more rise.
 

Chocki

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Feb 18, 2007
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450 is not long reach by modern standards. The reach on the new Evil Offering in size Large is 491. My XL Evil Following MB reach is 470. In Low setting its fine. In X-Low setting its OK for a while and great going downhill but when climbing my traps are a little sore. Perhaps I'm slacking in my posture on the climbs. I know I'm locking my elbows out which is not good. That's only in X-Low setting. Was thinking about getting bars with more rise.
True. There’s now enduro and FULL ENDURO geo lol. Pole Taival size S gets you 450mm reach.
I don’t think I’d like FULL ENDURO geo/a bike that long, and/or need it on a hardtail at my age. Rn when I drop the seat out of the way the bike feels like it disappears it’s so agile.

The climbs around here are short and I didn’t get as much saddle time last season as I would’ve liked so who knows there but this kiwi has some legit tips?



For me the dh riding position did highlight some tightness in my hip flexors but nothing I couldn’t fix and I was instantly addicted to chin over stem attack mode riding.

Me and Hardtail Party Guy both think Simon is the dankest Mtb coach goin rn


Still I’ll watch anyone’s instructional vids if they’re dank enough

 
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Chocki

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Just to complicate things, thoughts about this "R.A.D." sizing method?

I’ve watched this guys vids before briefly. My initial impression was legit.
Agree 100 about the “arc”. I call it the “jockey” position and it is dank. Feels like the bike isn’t there.

At 5’10”/178cm, I rounded up to 180 and using his formula (X 2.5) got a Reach of 450mm
Bang on
I would not go any shorter and if I had to go a little longer I wouldn’t sweat it.

How I know = lower the seat all the way and stand over the bike directly over the BB.
Close eyes and raise both hands to neutral positions at waist level.
Open eyes and if the grips are in your hands bike is dank.

That’s assuming you can find one irl lol.
More love for the Canyon.
 

ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
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I’ve watched this guys vids before briefly. My initial impression was legit.
Agree 100 about the “arc”. I call it the “jockey” position and it is dank. Feels like the bike isn’t there.

At 5’10”/178cm, I rounded up to 180 and using his formula (X 2.5) got a Reach of 450mm
Bang on
I would not go any shorter and if I had to go a little longer I wouldn’t sweat it.

How I know = lower the seat all the way and stand over the bike directly over the BB.
Close eyes and raise both hands to neutral positions at waist level.
Open eyes and if the grips are in your hands bike is dank.

That’s assuming you can find one irl lol.
More love for the Canyon.
torso length is important, too. Hardtail party always mentions his long torso/short legs. He's 5'6 and rides mediums. This is why it's advantageous to demo if you can.
 

Chocki

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Feb 18, 2007
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torso length is important, too. Hardtail party always mentions his long torso/short legs. He's 5'6 and rides mediums. This is why it's advantageous to demo if you can.
Very true, but.
The way the rules have been rewritten, if there’s any doubt as to what size to get go up at least with “normal” aka not Pole Taival etc sizing.
Frames on those bikes really are Low(stand over/BB height) in addition to being Long(reach) and Slack(HTA), and as a result in general imo seem “small” ie not unwieldy/very agile/responsive.
Bike that’s a little “long” is an easy fix with a shorter stem and might handle better.

Hardtail Party Guy likes longer than average enduro hardtails b/c of handling characteristics (DH).

With Covid, test rides and bikes in general can be hard to come by.
Casa is lucky in that he’s 5’8”. At that height I’d put him on a 450mm Reach bike without a second thought.

I’d also strongly recommend Casa get a 27.5.
29=fast
27.5=fun
 
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Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
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450 is not long reach by modern standards. The reach on the new Evil Offering in size Large is 491. My XL Evil Following MB reach is 470. In Low setting its fine. In X-Low setting its OK for a while and great going downhill but when climbing my traps are a little sore. Perhaps I'm slacking in my posture on the climbs. I know I'm locking my elbows out which is not good. That's only in X-Low setting. Was thinking about getting bars with more rise.
What grips are you running? I don’t know why but I look at the Ergons on my bike earlier today and thought about your post?

Ergons are dank.