MTB standover hight question.

bretttp1

Hi all

I've just bought a trek 6000 with a 17.5" frame but I have a concern that its too big.
When standing over the top tube with feet flat on the ground I've very little clearance for the wedding tackle :eek: (about 1 cm).
I was going to exchange it for the 15.5" but according to the trek website the differance in standover height is only 2.2cm and it would take till march for the shop to get swap.

Would it be worth the wait for only 2.2cm difference ??

I'm a bit confused that for a 2" difference in frame size would result in so little diff in standover height.

Any advice would be great.

-Chris-

If you're comfortable on it, and don't feel too stretched, I wouldn't bother changing - certainly not if I had to wait till March for it.

C3PO

I wouldn't be too worried about the stand-over height as long as you can touch the ground! I'd be more concerned about the other measurements! Can you get the correct saddle height within the norms of the saddle adjustment? Are you comfortable with the stretch to the bars?
Here is Treks rough guide to frame size; http://www.trekbikes.com/faq/questions.php?questionid=63

at1withmyself

In general you should have about 1 inch clearance and for off road use you should be sure you have a minimum of 1".

I'm pretty small so have always struggled getting bikes to fit and have a 15.5 inch specialized with about 1" clearance but am changing to a Tomac in the new year which will have another 20mm clearance for more comfort and safety factor on the trials.

Try this site for more information:

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=40

Also note the other links on the side for bike fitting.

bretttp1

Thanks for the replies everyone.

It seems that I fit the bike well apart for the standover but what I am confused about is the fact that there is so little difference in standover height between the 15.5 and the 17.5 (2cm not 2inches).

If the difference was 2" then I would change. Could the info be wrong on the trek site?

kuro_man

The 2 inches is in the different length of seat-tube from bb to seat-post.

The stand-over height, however, is incomparable (esp on different manufactures) because the top tube may have a different angle or not straight or mounted higher or lower on the frame. E.g. Lady-specific frames often have kinked top-tubes to reduce stand-over height.

The 2 main criteria for sizing is frame size (aka seat-tube length) and "effective" top tube (imaginary straight line from top of seat-post to headset tube) . If you are happy with these, then keep the bike. A smaller frame will a lower bb clearance which might negate any benefit.

bretttp1

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I had an opportunity to try a 15.5" frame and it felt cramped, so I'm delighted with my 17.5" frame.
I took the bike for a good trail ride yesterday and it seems to fit well.