mountain bike fit?

[Jones]

I have been riding road bikes for several years, but today when I was at my favorite LBS I saw the prettiest mountain bike and had to take it for a test ride. The LBS guy adjusted the seat and the height was fine, teach felt good and leg extension felt good, but I had no stand over room at all. The LBS guy said reach was more important than stand over but I was wondering is this true? What if I have to put my foot down fast, I could hurt myself.
Do clipless mountain bike pedals add height like clipless road bike pedals?
I would appreciate any help you lady's have to offer. Thank you. Jones

[tattiefritter]

I would say that is rubbish! Reach is important but so is standover clearance on a mountain bike (more so than on a road bike) for the reason you describe. My first mountain bike was similar to what you describe seemed to fit well but had no standover clearance, which was fine for bimbling on the road or forestry fire road but not for technical riding. Landing on the top tube is not pleasant, even for a girl!

MTB cleats are recessed into the shoe so will do nothing to add extra clearance.

I'm 5ft 4 and the inital mountain bike frame was 17" with a 22.5" top tube ( I use it for commuting now and am more stretched on it than my real road bike), I now ride a 14 or 15" MTB with a 21.5" top tube that has decent standover, the difference is unbelievable.

If you have been riding road bikes for a long time you are probably used to being fairly stretched out (from your description it sounds like the MTB frame is too big for you), in general the MTB position is more upright (unless your XC racing). As a general rule I tell friends, male and female, who are buying an MTB to get the smallest frame they are comfortable with even if it means running a lot of seatpost out (I usually have about 9" out).

If you look at my Avatar picture you can probably get an idea how much clearance I have on my full-suss mtb, my hardtail is similar.

[SadieKate]

Ditto everything tattie said. Mtb seatposts are made longer to accomodate the extra length that needs to be out of the frame. A properly sized mtb will have a ton of seatpost sticking out because the top tube will be very low.

[bcipam]

Reach on any bike is always more important than standover. Imagine if you can't reach the brakes and shifters properly especially when mountain biking? And consider when you have to push back off the saddle for descent. You need to make sure even in that position, you can properly use the brakes.

One thing to remember when buying a mountain bike sizes are not as exact as a road bike. You need to reach the shifters and brakes properly plus you need to have proper clearance and standover. If you are a tall woman, you still may be on a medium or 17" frame (I'm 5'8" and this is the frame size I ride) in order to assure reach and standover. If shorter than 5'7" you most likely need a small or x-small frame. Dont forget that many manufacturers also make a WSD frame so if your legs are long but torso short, you get a better fit.

Just make sure you ride the bike and change your position while riding to make sure you are comfortable with the reach.

[Jones]

Thanks for all the advice. The bike I am looking at is a wsd Trek 6700. It comes is a 14, 16, and 18. I am 5'6" but I think my legs are short (30" inseam) and my arms are short, plus I'm round, so I feel like the young boys at the bike shop never really believe I ride. I think I road the 16 yesterday but I will try and make it back up to the shop and ride the smaller bike this week and maybe a different brand or two. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks, Jones.

[bcipam]

You probably should be on the 14 but if the standover and reach are OK on the 16 give it a try but nothing bigger than that. Mountain bikes are always smaller sized for our bodies than road bikes. It's better to get alittle small than alittle large if you are in between sized. You can then adjust the stem and seat post. And if the WSD seems awkward try also the man's bike. It maybe a better fit. It works better for me. I don't really have a WSD body. If your legs are short, the WSD bike maybe alittle tall for you. It's made for long legs, short upper torso (in other wards taller standover but shorter reach). I know my legs and arms are more equal so I'm better off on a man's bike.

ALSO: different models fit differently because their geometry is different. I know I fit well on Fishers and Specialized but not so on Cannondales and Treks. Also another thing to consider are components. Make sure you get the best components for the money. If the bike is full suspension or at least hard tail, make sure the fork is good, especially if you are carrying alittle weight. Sme WSD mountan bike have lighter weight forks which made not be good for you.

[madisongrrl]

Thanks for all the advice. The bike I am looking at is a wsd Trek 6700. It comes is a 14, 16, and 18. I am 5'6" but I think my legs are short (30" inseam) and my arms are short, plus I'm round, so I feel like the young boys at the bike shop never really believe I ride. I think I road the 16 yesterday but I will try and make it back up to the shop and ride the smaller bike this week and maybe a different brand or two. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks, Jones.

I just pulled up the geometry for the Trek 6700 WSD. Is that 30" inseam with shoes or without shoes? The standover heights for that bike are 26.6, 27.9, 29.4 respectively. If your inseam is 30" with shoes then you want to have a standover height of no more than 28". If 30" inseam measurement is without shoes, you might be able to have a slightly larger standover height than 28". Even so...29.4" on the 18" might be too much for you.

As far as the reach is concerned maybe the top tube/stem length was not correct (maybe a longer stem) or you could maybe adjust the saddle height/setback differently or maybe the geometry of the bike is just not for you and you should look at different manufactures or models. Lots to consider!

So how much stand over on a mountain bike? How much is enough and how much is too much?

I know I have a lot of questions but I went to the shop again today and they say the 16" bike would not have enough reach and that the 18" is fine. I did ride another bike and it did have more stand over but I felt really stretched out on it. I am going to try and go again today and ride a few more.
I did have a tough time finding a road bike to fit me, I think my body geometry is just and in between size.
Thanks again for your help.
Jones

You probably want at least 2" of standover height. Some people like even more that that. It depends on your skill level, riding style, type of terrain or just your personal comfort level. Some of those crazy riders that participate in gravity sports like mountain cross and super D like 4" of standover because they are doing some pretty crazy stuff (taking on huge jumps and drop-offs etc). For me, 2 inches works just fine though.

Try to stick to bikes that have 2 inches of standover, see how you feel when you take a test ride and you will be the best judge if that is going to work or not... if not try something that has 2"+ of standover.

I think I'd walk right out of that bike shop if they are trying to put you on a 18". It sounds like they are trying to take advantage of you just to sell you a bike. I think that the most common mistake people make is buying a frame that is too big for them. So many people that I know have done this, suffered for it and swear that they will never make the same mistake again.

I find that this type of stuff happens a lot to me when I walk in a bike shop. I always get some guy trying to tell me what I need or tell me why or why something is good/bad. I very calmly take control of the situation and tell them what I want/need. If they persist, I'll often change the topic and ask them what kind of racing they do and ask them what bikes they own. (Usually they don't race and don't own very impressive bikes....especially in some of the chain store bike shops and the non-racers tend to back down a bit). I also do my research before I walk in the door so I know what I'm talking about and can ask intelligent questions. Works for me...

Which brand of bike did you feel really stretched out on....what size was it? Maybe we can pull up the geometry sheet and compare it to the Trek that you tested.

[madisongrrl]

The LBS guy said reach was more important than stand over but I was wondering is this true? What if I have to put my foot down fast, I could hurt myself.

I'll preface this by saying I'm not a fitter but I've read a dozen or so articles on fit and I've been though a few 2.5 hour intensive fit sessions (fit cycle for road, fit cycle for mt & aero fitted) with some very reputable/experienced fitters. So I know just enough to be dangerous and I know just enough to realize that I have a lot to learn.

Anyhow...

Q: What is more important to a soccer team? Having a goalie or having a foward?
A: Both....you need both to play the game.

So which is more important standover or reach? I'll have to say both!

If you were to get professionally fitted they would look at many things like cleat position, saddle angle, saddle fore/aft realative to the BB, handlebar/saddle height differential etc. These are all very important factors. To say one is more important than the other is ridiculous because it is how all these factors work together with your 3 points of contact (arse, hands, feet). If the standover height of the bike isn't working, then you should immediately rule that bike out. (You can measure your inseam with your mountain bike shoes on. For example, if your inseam is 32 inches then you will want the standover height to be maybe no more than 30 inches for a mountain bike....give or take depending...for road bikes many people say they like at least 1 inch of standover.).

Reach is very important and your certainly don't want to be in a position that is going to compromise your comfort or your ability to handle the bike and ride fast. But I think standover height is also very important for a mountain biker because the potential to hurt yourself is even greater than riding on the road.

Do clipless mountain bike pedals add height like clipless road bike pedals?
I would appreciate any help you lady's have to offer. Thank you. Jones

You bet they do (see above). Just like different saddles (and shorts) will change the saddle height and the fore/aft to the handlebar. If you can, make sure you have the mountain shoes that you are going to use when you test ride your potential mountain bikes. And if you plan to spend big $$$ on a bike, then find someone to professionally fit you. It will be worth it in the end. If you just want something entry level, then you might want to read a few articles on fit first so you can make some good decisions.

Good luck,

[Jones]

So how much stand over on a mountain bike? How much is enough and how much is too much?
I know I have a lot of questions but I went to the shop again today and they say the 16" bike would not have enough reach and that the 18" is fine. I did ride another bike and it did have more stand over but I felt really stretched out on it. I am going to try and go again today and ride a few more.
I did have a tough time finding a road bike to fit me, I think my body geometry is just and in between size.
Thanks again for your help.
Jones

[shasta]

I just want to pop in and say thanks for discussing this. I am looking at purchasing my first mountain bike and want to know as much as possible before I step into that shop.

Shasta

[tattiefritter]

Jones,

An 18" frame is HUGE for someone 5' 6. Just for reference all the blokes I ride with ride 17 or 18" frames and they are all 5ft 11 in height or taller. Having been missold a frame that was too large for me and paying the price when riding it offroad I would question why they seem to keen to put you on a fairly big frame .
Having a smaller frame helps not only with clearance but also with "chuckability", you need to move your weight around a lot on an MTB and I found this so much easier when I got a frame that wasn't a big old gate.

I've just seen the geometry of the Trek and it is quite short at the 16", but the top tube length jumps when it goes up to 18". The non-wsd trek may actually be a better bet for you as you don't have the body proportions that the WSD is aimed at, I am the same - short legs, long torso and ride "men's" bikes. Its not compulsory to have a WSD bike even if they look better!

Good luck, although if I was you (and knowing what I know now) I'd walk out that LBS and not go back and find somewhere prepared to listen to me. Sit on lots of MTBs if you can until you find something your happy with - this bike buying lark can be exhausting!

Sorry, to answer your question about clearance, I would (pulls a number out of the air) say a minimum of an inch? I have about 2 inches (I think, never really checked it just know it seems good) on my Titus Full-Suss as it has a kink in the top tube to facilitate it. Its a really nice and maneouverable frame.

[mtbdarby]

Jones,
Tattie and Renee are correct. Minimum standover clearance on a mtb is 2 inches. Some people prefer up to 4 inches but that a personal preference.

Stick to your guys on being fitted correctly. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to do that. Good luck!

[madisongrrl]

Jones,

I've just seen the geometry of the Trek and it is quite short at the 16", but the top tube length jumps when it goes up to 18". The non-wsd trek may actually be a better bet for you as you don't have the body proportions that the WSD is aimed at, I am the same - short legs, long torso and ride "men's" bikes. Its not compulsory to have a WSD bike even if they look better!

This is so true! I'm looking at buying a nice full suspension bike for racing purposes. I have it narrowed down to a few bikes. I was looking at the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert WMNS and also the Trek Fuel EX 9 WSD. I spent 2.5+ hours with my fitter yesterday discussing geometry and fit. What we actually found is that my most perfect geometry is with the Trek Fuel EX 9 men's 15.5" bike! The other bikes aren't total rule outs, but on paper, the men's Trek is looking like the best option. No WSD for me.

So certainly look to some of the smaller men's bikes also!

I think it is nice that some companies are doing the WSD thing, they are not always making intellgent design decisions. They make large jumps between some categories (between sizes) and little jumps in others.

This weekend, I'm taking my tape measure and level and I'm heading out to test ride those bikes. I'm going to take over the situation, set up my potential bikes to my fit sheet and I'm going to tell that bossy male bike salesman to back off! I can't wait, it should be fun.