sizing dimensions and measurements

THATmanMANNY

THATmanMANNY

Well-Known Member
Very excited to hear my wife express interest in MTB but I have no idea what size bike to get her? She did great at Jorbafest demo a few years ago but I didn't take notice what size the frame was and the Trek archive geos are nonexistent. Probably get her a FS because she really liked the FS at the fest


how tall are you? your inseam?

What is your bikes toptube length? Seatube length? Stand over? WSD or not?
 
Manny I commend you for doing your research for her! I know a ton of people stress stand over but as a short girl (5'0'') stand over isn't THAT important. Its nice to have but not the thing to focus on. You want to pay attention to the actual top tube length. That's important because if its too short for her then she will have back pain and if its too long it will make the bike handle like poo poo for her.

Even though I am short my torso is longer than my legs. I also like having a shorter stem and wider bars because I like the response the short stem gives me and the leverage the wider bars give me while I corner. So my bike top tube is 21.8 inches. That allows me to have a 60 mm stem and 26" bars (which are wide for my little self). If she likes a longer stem and shorter bars then go for a shorter top tube length. The best way to find this out is a bike fit but a cheaper way is to borrow bikes from friends and try things out.

Ideally when she is descending and out of her saddle she needs to be able to keep her hips/weight in the pedals while still being able to get her chest over the handle bars with her elbows bent this way she can put her weight over the front wheel without having to completely unweight the rear wheel. I am not sure how tall she is but if she is a short like me she can try out my bike.

As far as full suspension vs Hardtail, I would say go with a FS if you can. I started off on a hardtail and I managed but once I got my FS I was way happier and wished I had gotten one sooner. The FS allows the rear tire to stick to the ground better thus avoiding spinning out on climbs or bouncing around too much on descents. FS tends to be more expensive so if you want to save $ then there is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned hard tail its just not as comfy.

WSD just means that the frame is a bit more women sizing friendly (i.e. sometimes the geometry allows for better stand over clearance). Since I have weird proportions most of the women specific frames are either too small or too large so I had to get a standard frame size.

I would only concern yourself with the top tube length and stand over all the other measurements and angles are pretty much default and don't make an incredible amount of difference.

If you want to chat more please message me and we can chat over the phone. Sorry for the HUGE post lol
 
Manny, which Trek and which size are you looking for?
I can get you complete geometry.

A very good friend of mine just bought the Lush and LOVES it with a Goose-bump kind of love. I demo'd the bike myself and confidence inspiring was the term that came to mind.

Just PM me and I'll pull the numbers for you.
 
At 5'6" myself, I ride a medium frame. Although I agree with everyone about getting a full suspension, a hard tail will actually teach her how to handle her bike properly without depending on suspension for everything. I see lots of people starting off on FS bikes that never truly learn how to ride because they count on suspension instead of learning proper techniques.

For dimensions, you can find geometry of most bikes on the manufacturer's websites. For me at 5'6" I have never felt the need for a women's specific design bike. Things to adjust are stem length and seat height to. Don't go too small on the frame because she will never ride it. Best bet as others have said is getting sized at the local bike shop or letting her demo different bikes at some of the festivals. Or test out other people's bikes if they will let her.
 
Thanks for your responses.

I will definitely try to get her on a FS.

She is about 5'6" pretty average proportions.

This past weekend she rode my Medium 650b hardtail with some adjustments. She lookedpretty smooth for her first time out. She said it fit her pretty good and it looked so too.

The demo at jorbafest was a carbon wsd topfuel from like 2 or 3 years ago. All I remember is it was pink/black/white and looking fly. I would assume it was a medium.

Is your friends Lush a 26 or 29? I didnt even bother to mention to her she was on tweener wheels because I didnt want it to get to her head. Just ride and have fun and she handled them just fine. Really curious to hear from ladies of her stature on FS 29ers as a trail bike.
 
Last edited:
The "mudchix" (Allygadget) took my answer 😛

When ever I have tried woman's specific geometry I was not comfy on them until I tried an extra small womans 29er, that felt pretty good. But since I still prefer my 26 wheels....
That being said, my one bike has a longer top tube and better stand over, the other almost no stand over but shorter top tube. One is better for fast corners and maneuverability (short top tube), the other is better for bombing over stuff with no thought to technique (log top tube).

Geometry can play with the handling just as much as wheel size too. The womans 29er I rode handled like a 26, but the 26 "big" bike I own handles almost like a 29er when it comes to maneuvering. Womens "design" takes into consideration that the "average" woman has longer legs and shorter arms in relation to torso when compared to a man. But like Allygadget, I dont fit that description.

Let her try out a few different style bikes. Jason at Halters is a wiz at sizing. He hands me a bike and knows exactly what he has to do to make it fit me before I even have to sit on it 😀

Things like chainstay length, bottom bracket height, etc, can all have a big effect on how the bike handles and how she feels on it. Add to that that everyone has a slightly different riding style...

It took me a few bikes to find the right one. Let her practice and play and start a bike account for her 😉 remember, you can never have just one bike.
 
while I did start out with a FS bike, it was a bit overkill, for what I was riding/used to. Unless you plan on taking her to the Sourlands (and I know you won't 😀), I think a HT will suit her riding just fine. I like what Kathi had to say...riding a HT will allow her to gain handling skills - and the bike **should** be lighter.

I highly recommend getting a proper fitting when you buy the bike as well as down the road/after she's gotten comfortable with riding - I've now been re-fit to all of my bikes after progressing with ability and fitness. Just changing the stem and seat position have made a difference on my bikes.
 
I also agree that having your wife fitted in a bike shop is a good idea. Although top tube length is a good place to start, there is more to making a good fit. For instance, a tiny detail like a poorly aligned brake lever could make a beginner feel as if the brakes did not work.

I also think a HT may be a better idea if you are unable to spend the money to keep a FS under 26 lbs. A small beginner woman could get pretty discouraged trying to pedal 30+ lbs of bike up hill. The money may be better spent on tubeless and a good fork IMHO.

With a broad range of choices in regular and WSD geometry, you should be able to find something that will suit her well. If she loves her first bike and takes to riding, she will most likely want to upgrade anyway. 😀
 
J, Too bad she couldn't make that Giant demo. I would of had her try the Anthem W. If you have to change the stem on the Overdrive does only giant make them?

Hell, I don't even ride a 26# full suspension. Yea I would like to spoil her but let me spoil myself first. 😀 I guess if she has one mtb and I have several than I guess it's fair :hmmm:

While we were on the canal path I explained to her how a HT makes you a better rider. Also, I tried my best to coach her proper technique like elbows out, keep your momentum and some things she already does on a road bike like lifting a bit and level pedals for choppy roads and which pedal to have up through a turn. On the other hand, I think the less she knows about bike travel, specs, geo, etc the better. I just want her t focus on fit and function and let her ride carefree. "If you think, you're dead" - Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. YEA I said that on our ride lol

My medium HT fit her quite well. If I wanted to I could probably set her up on that. No joke. I will probably have her ride that for the time being while I/we shop around. Hopefully we get out a few more times so she develops a good base before I pull the trigger on a bike for her. But honestly, I think I would get her a FS for the comfort standpoint and I don't want to count her out of the potential to ride at more challenging trails so I'm prepped to drop mid thou$andish +/- a couple hundred times headtube dia divided by seatpost dia. As much as I want to order a bike that I can use too haha, I think a WSD bike would really speak to her and be estatic to have a mtb call her own.
 
Last edited:
Manny Sounds like you got it handled. Most local bike shops will take care of you. Halters is a great place if you live in the area. I would keep an eye out later in the summer as there are some skills clinics for women in the works. It will help build her confidence and her skills 🙂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom