Quote Originally Posted by ivorygorgon View Post
I have a GF Tassajara. I should preface any of comments by saying that I am an extreme beginner and a really sucky rider

I am having some problems with the GF geometry. My bike is a "men's" bike. I am such a complete noob I had no idea what I was testing for when I bought it.

I am having a lot of discomfort because the reach is really long. We have moved my seat all the way forward. We have narrowed the width of the bars, but need to narrow them some more. We are getting ready to shorten the stem. I am not sure can ever make this bike work for me, but we are trying.

Just my $.02.
Have they checked the seatpost? If there is a setback on the seatpost a zero degree seatpost will bring you closer to the center of the bike. You may need some rise on the stem which will bring you up and back. Handlebars could be too low. Another possibility is you need a steeper seattube angle.

Please keep in mind that I am not a bike fitter only a rider who has experienced the same issues as you. I'm on my 3rd mtn bike, the 1st 2 had the slack seat tube angle and when I bought them I didn't know better and bikes with steeper angle weren't available. No matter what we did the bikes didn't fit. My current bike has the steeper seat angle, zero degree seatpost and has resolved most of my fit issues.

You can test ride a bike with a steeper seat tube angle to see what the difference is. Ask for a 74 + seat angle often found on frames marketed to women. Also try to ride for more than a 10 minute cruise around the parking lot before you decide.

Keep in mind the only way to know what you need is to see a qualified bike fitter and learn your fit needs. A bike that fits your body will make your handling better which will result in developing better skills. Only you can decide how passionate you are about mtn biking and whether it's worth it to you to find a person who can better fit on your bike. Plus, playing the "quessing game" with bike fit is a frustrating experience.