Standover heights?!?

[alimey]

I have just bought an XXS Racer-X - I even flew over from the Uk to get it (just don't tell the taxman). I bought it specifically because it had a low standover height - I am 5' and obsessed with finding bikes that fit me.

I was a bit surprised when I stood over the bike in the shop to find the standover was not as low as I had expected - but the bike was lovely anyway (anodised black, cream SID world cup forks & chris king hubs etc. . . ) AND I love the ride.

One day at home I was curious as to whether the bike actually was an XXS and measured it - sure enough, most of the measurements were about right. EXCEPT the standover height. It was about 3.5 to 4" TALLER than the Titus website suggests. I have had a few email exchanges with them & basically the measurement for the standover of the XXS (can't comment on other sizes) is completely wrong. Titus send me the technical drawing for the bike & I can't for the life of me see how they can quote the standover as under 25" - it's more than that where the top tube meets the seat tube. Anyway - needless to say, I didn't get anywhere with this. I do love the bike - but if I had known about the standover height I would have bought a cheaper bike with a lower standover - & one I could have got in the UK.

By the way - for those obsessed with standover heights the XS Blur has a lower standover than the Juliana . . .

[Puffin]

Cari, I'm about 5"3 and ride the smallest GF Cake, with the saddle quite far back. It's my first full susser and I feel invincible on it. It is very forgiving of poor riding and slippery surfaces.

The key is to test ride in conditions you normally ride in so you have a good comparison. I did find that since I'd never ridden full suss before, all the bikes I tried seemed pretty good. In the end I got the Cake because the price was right (the bogey green colour certianly wasn't! ) and I felt safe on it going down hill - the set up is pretty laid back. It's a bit heavy to pull up hills but I've got lock down forks that help with that, as well as some lightweight components.

Good luck!

[fatbottomedgurl]

So Cari did you ever get a bike?

I'm 5'2". For those interested the Giant Trance has an EXTREMELY low standover. I ride the 14" frame. It is not a racing bike but a great trail bike. The Trek Fuel also has a low standover. On it I fit a 15" (unisex) frame whereas the Gary Fisher Cake gives me no clearance on the same size bike. The 13" Cake fits my inseam but feels a little short in the cockpit, as does the small WSD Fuel. These bikes all come in lower pricepoints than the Santa Cruzes and Titus.

[emily_in_nc]

One day at home I was curious as to whether the bike actually was an XXS and measured it - sure enough, most of the measurements were about right. EXCEPT the standover height. It was about 3.5 to 4" TALLER than the Titus website suggests.

That's interesting. I bought a 2000 Racer X off ebay this summer, size XS (15.5"). All the measurements matched the Titus site for me. If I measure the height of the top tube where it intersects the seat tube, it is 25.5", and about 6" farther forward, where I would actually stand, it's 27". My inseam is around 28.5", so it's adequate standover, but I kinda wish I had even more. That said, the top tube length of the XS is perfect for me. The head tube is a little high, though. Even without any spacers under the stem, I can't get the bars lower than even with the saddle. They're actually a tad higher since they're riser bars. So....I maybe should have gotten the XXS, but I couldn't have gotten the price I did, and the XS suits me fine since I am a pretty casual rider, just out for fitness and fun. How different are the standover measurements on your XXS (assuming it really is one -- I sure hope so since you came all the way over from the UK to get it!) from my XS?

Emily

[alimey]

Hi Emily

delighted to hear you have a Racer-X as well. Interesting about your measurements - not as dramatic as mine - but assuming you have an 80mm fork, your standover is still showing nearly an inch taller than shown in the geometry tables of the Titus website.

Re. your handlebar problem - one thing people often do is to take an upward sloping stem & put it on the other way up, so it slopes downward. In fact, the manufacturers often put the logo on both ways so it doesn't look ugly whichever way up you have it. Also if I were you I would be tempted to ditch the riser bar - I think it's a combination of fashion & people wanting to achieve different positions. As you want a lower position, a flat bar might well work better.

Hope this helps

alimey

[emily_in_nc]

Hey, those are great ideas alimey, thanks! I don't know if my stem can be swapped for upside-down, but I should check that. I could easily replace it if not, and for not a huge amount of $$.

The bars I'm not quite ready to change as they are nice carbon Monkey-Lites, and I have already put a lot of $$ into this bike, but that's something I could do someday if I get more serious about mountain biking. Right now it's a very casual thing for me, and I suck at it since I don't get to do it often enough to improve much. I am hoping that next spring/summer when I can ride more I'll make better progress.

Thanks again!
Emily