UKC

20 or 22 inch frame

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 david100 06 Aug 2014
I want to buy a mountain bike but I don't know what frame size to get. There are some good offers in my local bike store on 20 inch frames. However I am 6 foot 4 inches (2 meters). I don't want to sacrifice ride comfort to save money and when I sit on the 20 inch frame the seat height seems to be OK but the handle bars seem quite low. The store size guide suggests that I go with the 22 inch frame but the store staff though keen to help don't seem to know much about this. Any 6 foot plus mountain bikers out there to give me advice.
 Siward 06 Aug 2014
In reply to david100:

I'm no expert but I am 6'3" (with a 36" inside leg measured as cyclists are supposed to) and have a 22" frame Hardtail. I would not want it any smaller.

I spoke to some extent it depends what you're impart intended use is, whether you are throwing it around acrobatically or doing less technical longer routes. Others will know more on this but that's my 2p.
andreas 06 Aug 2014
In reply to david100:

Noticed a huge improvement switching from 19/20" 26" wheeled bikes to a 22" 29er. Used to go over the handle bars weekly on the old bike and I've not done it yet on the new one. Also decends faster than my last bike on anything, the longer wheelbase (it's about a foot longer) is a massive improvement. Old bike was a 140mm full sus and the new one a 100mm Hardtail. I'm 6'3"
 Chris the Tall 06 Aug 2014
In reply to andreas:

> Noticed a huge improvement switching from 19/20" 26" wheeled bikes to a 22" 29er. Used to go over the handle bars weekly on the old bike and I've not done it yet on the new one. Also decends faster than my last bike on anything, the longer wheelbase (it's about a foot longer) is a massive improvement.

Ditto on that

I used to believe in the mantra of "get the smallest frame you can get away with" - not sure where I got that idea from, but it was complete rubbish. Getting an XL sized 29er 5 years ago was a revelation, and has dramatically improved the whole experience for me.
andreas 06 Aug 2014
In reply to Chris the Tall:

Been modding my bike for the last few years, the mountain bike's a bit like Trigger's broom with the frame fork and wheels being the biggest mod. Most noticable improvements (other than the obvious) for me were longer cranks and spd-sls on the road bike and tubeless tyres & dropper seatpost on the mountain bike. Thinking about longer crankarms and spd's on the mountain bike but both seem like a bit of a compromise. Have you looked into cranksize, flats or sdp's?
 Chris the Tall 06 Aug 2014
In reply to andreas:

Have ridden with SPDs for 20 years (both on and off road), but on my full-suss I have ones with a big platform so I can ride unclipped fairly easily. Since I'm more interested in XC than downhill I love the extra power.

And yes I have gone for longer cranks - went from 175 to 180. Not noticed any difference in terms of power - probably too marginal to notice - but I do seem to be catching my pedals on rocks more often !
OP david100 10 Aug 2014
In reply to david100:thanks for the feedback. You have stopped me making a mistake. 22inch at full price it is.

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