What size 29er should i ride

However, getting a longer or shorter stem and adjusting the saddle position can usually dial in the perfect fit. The original wheel size for MTB is strong and flickable. While there are plenty of inch-wheeled bikes still around, These wheels offer the best mix of ride characteristics for the majority of riders. Plus-size wheels, such as Here are our top tips to ensure you always get a great fit when choosing your mountain bike:.

This MTB size guide will stand you in good stead, but if in doubt, feel free to give us a call on , or email sales merlincycles. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

It governs if a bike is too cramped or too stretched out for you. And, unlike seat tube length, reach cannot be adjusted for. You can adjust your saddle height up or down to accommodate seat tube length.

Reach cannot be adjusted. A bike with too short a reach will always be too small. Changing stem length will impair how the bike steers and handles. Check out red blob no. Pic from Kona Bikes. What is standover? Standover is arguably a more helpful version of seat tube length sizing. See the pic above. You do need to measure your inside leg though, as this will tell you if the bike has enough standover for you. However, this playful demeanor comes with some compromises.

First, With a larger attack angle the angle formed where the wheel meets a trail feature , To illustrate this, picture rolling a tennis ball down a sloped gravel path. Now, think about rolling a larger and heavier basketball down the same path.

Because of the lower attack angle, it will roll down the path farther and much more smoothly without getting tossed around by the same obstacles. If you plan to frequent rough and rocky trails, this is definitely something to take into consideration.

This can be great if your local trails include a lot of slowing down and accelerating through tight turns and short uphill sections. As touched on above, That said, In terms of climbing, there are a lot of variables to consider. We find that They will also be a bit lighter on climbs and deliver better acceleration overall. There are plenty of great Simply put, this all-mountain shredder will leave little to be desired and is ready to take on any trail for a detailed look, see our in-depth Bronson review.

Originally paired with short-travel, awkward-to-ride cross-country bikes, they soon became associated with mellow terrain. But now, years later, the landscape has drastically transformed and you can find 29ers on everything from recreational mountain bikes to all-mountain crushers.

Predictably, they come with both benefits and drawbacks, but can be a nice alternative to Largely because of their lower attack angle, 29ers roll over trail obstacles easier than This translates to a slightly smoother ride and a bit less effort to keep the bike going. The majority of mountain bikes have mm or mm cranks, which do the job perfectly well for most riders.

Another important consideration is the top tube length. Together with seat height, stem length and handlebar position, top tube length dictates the comfort and efficiency of your body on the bike. To confuse matters further, the aspect of top tube length that matters is not the top tube itself, which often slopes, but the reach number. A cross-country rider may prefer a long, stretched-out position, but a beginner who has never taken a bike off-road may want to be more upright for extra comfort, with less weight on their hands and wrists.

Find what works best for you, but avoid being too hunched or too stretched out, since this can cause discomfort and back problems. The cranks or bottom bracket are never situated directly below the saddle, and for good reason.

The upshot of this is that you can have two bikes with the same reach that handle differently, due to how they distribute your weight. One of the biggest mistakes made by beginners is to slide the saddle too far back.

This is all assuming that the reach is correct for you. As a general rule of thumb, if you drop a plumb line from the centre of the saddle it should cross the chainstays almost exactly half way between the bottom bracket axle and the rear wheel axle.

However, clipless pedals can be more problematic to get right. See what works best for you. This can take a few rides but is worth persevering with — when you hit that sweet spot, draw a line around the cleats for reference when they need replacing. The bikes are usually sized by their wheel diameter, from 12in up to 26in. As with an adult, top tube clearance and reach are very important. Take a look at the controls: can they reach and operate them effectively?

Take a look at the shifters too: are they struggling to push a thumb lever? Gears and cranks are also often overlooked, with a considerable number of bikes sporting adult length cranks and full-sized chainrings. In other words, you may just need to ride more and do some core muscle training to work things out.

Although everyone is different — some folks may have longer legs and a shorter torso, while others may have long arms and short legs — starting with the correct-sized frame allows you to further tune the position using stem, bar, seatpost and saddle tweaks. The saddle is at the right height when your heel just touches the top of the lower pedal with your leg straight; your crank should be right at the bottom of its stroke.

If you have to tilt to one side on the saddle to achieve this position then the saddle is too high. Place your foot on the pedal in the ready-to-pedal position. If your leg was straight with your heel on the pedal it should be slightly bent at the knee in a pedalling position.