Sizing question for a 29er

R

Rooster00

Guest
I recently purchased the GF Cobia in a 17.5, I was sized for the bike by a LBS and that is what they recommended. I wasn't able to test ride one because it wasn't in stock but rode the X-Caliber which felt good. On the Cobia it feels a little tight and i noticed the stem is shorter then the one on the X-Caliber. I can swap it for a 19 but it will have to be ordered but I'm worried about the standover clearance. Does anyone think a longer stem like the one on the X-caliber will fix my issue or should I go with a 19. I am 6' with a 32" inseam if that helps.

Thanks in advance.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
Does anyone think a longer stem like the one on the X-caliber will fix my issue or should I go with a 19. I am 6' with a 32" inseam if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

You and I have the same dimensions (at least height and inseam). My 18" Haro Mary and Niner are slightly tight in the Top tube. I use a 120mm stem and push the seat rearward to get the fit I want.

Unfortunately, only you can decide on this. I would recommend using the Top tube length/fit as a bigger factor in your choice. While stand-over is important to shorter riders, I've never payed attention to it while choosing a size. The Seat and Top tube lengths are much more important.
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
I recently purchased the GF Cobia in a 17.5, I was sized for the bike by a LBS and that is what they recommended. I wasn't able to test ride one because it wasn't in stock but rode the X-Caliber which felt good. On the Cobia it feels a little tight and i noticed the stem is shorter then the one on the X-Caliber. I can swap it for a 19 but it will have to be ordered but I'm worried about the standover clearance. Does anyone think a longer stem like the one on the X-caliber will fix my issue or should I go with a 19. I am 6' with a 32" inseam if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

Perhaps Jim can step in since he has some experience with GF that I do not.

Generally TT is the most important dimension. I would be surprised if a 19" would be too long.

Riding a small frame with a long stem on a short TT can lead to an awkward font wheel weight bias and weird turning feel.

Chris G runs a 130 stem on a pretty small frame and i think his bike is almost unrideable. He does really well on this set up. He and I are nearly the same height but we ride very different positions.

I guess if I had to choose too big or too small I would go small.

Lastly there is what IS right and what FEELS right. A guy who has 15 years on a BMX frame would usually go small on his 1st mt frame since they all will feel huge as compared to a bmxer.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i rode a rig, 19" flavor and actually felt cramped. i'm not sure what it was, something just felt off. my mary is a 16" with a 100 x 0 thompson that feels just right. not sure if that helps but...

for the record, i'm 5'10" and ride a 54 road bike.
 

CycleBoy

Sussex Bike and Sport
Shop Keep
I'm 5'10 with a 31" inseam. I can ride either a 17.5 or a 19, and have owned both. My current bike is a 17.5 Fisher full suspension. I opted for the smaller size because this was going to be a "fun" bike. It has a taller headtube than my 19 rig did and I think thats what made it work. I think the newer fishers have similar length headtube on the 17.5 and 19. Maybe at the most its 15 mm. One thing I did with mine is switched out the 90 mm stem for a 110. Like Jdog said though, I think 120 should be about max because the steering gets really funny. I call it the mack truck feel.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
try wider bars first. i own an '07 19.5" rig, and love it. i'm 6'4". the main gripe i had was the width of the handlebar. once i changed that i was good to go. there is a bit of personal preference involved in bike setup. before swapping to a larger size, try a wider handlebar, then a wider handlebar with a longer stem. it could make a world of difference.
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
The X-Cal and Cobia use two different geometries...The X-Cal is a G2 bike so the top tube is longer than that of the Cobia...So test riding the G2 bike probrally wasn't the best way to check for sizing, I'd have ridden the Piranha as it's a little closer, even though it's a 26"...Either way at 6 foot you're more likely a 19 in a Fisher...The standover will be plenty, I'm 5'8" and can standover a 19 without any problems...

As a side note, this is a great spot to spend just a little more and get the X-Cal anyways...It's a much nicer bike than the Cobia and the fork alone is worth the upgrade!! Besides once you get on a G2 bike, you'll never want anything else!!

-Jim.
 
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