[Steveoworld]

I know lots of 5 Spot sizing questions have been asked before and I have looked at other threads but I really dont want to make a mistake.

I'm 5' 11.5" tall with a 32" inseam. I was able to sit on both a medium and large 5 Spot at the weekend and although the sizing chart and most opinions on this forum put me on a large, the medium felt better. I'm not sure how much the bike set-ups influenced this.

Is there anyone else out there of a similar height and is happy with a medium?

 

[Deano]

Yep, me.

I'm 5ft 11" with at least the same inseam as you (not entirely sure what it is) and I ride a medium Spot.

I run it with a RF XY 410 post almost at it's limit and I'm about to swap out the 90mm stem on my fork for a 105mm (Maverick) which will exactly match my hardtail for seat nose to bar distance (the hardtail is just right for comfort).

Given the choice I'd probably take a frame half way between the medium and the large, but as that doesn't exist I'd rather go slightly small than slightly large. An extra 1/2" on the top tube would be ideal (which I believe the medium Flux has).

It's a tricky question - if you can spend some time on the trail on both sizes your decision will be much easier.

 

[HollywoodUK]

and me

Well just about, I'm a hair under 5'11". I used to ride a large, now ride a medium. You will be able to ride both I would have thought but they feel very different when ridden on dirt. The large was super stable at speed, you will feel that you can hit anything and it'll just plough through it. However it wasn't that manoeverable, I felt it was a bit slow and sluggish when things turned twisty. The medium is just the opposite - very quick in the singletrack, but a bit twitchy at speed, presumably because of the shorter wheelbase and the more "over the front" position that the shorter TT creates. I've actually now fitted a longer travel Fork (Pike 140mm from a Vanilla 125mm) which seems to have sorted this and may yet create the perfect ride (for me)..

As Deano mentioned you will need a 400mm / 410mm post on the medium as the seattube is short - only 17". Thankfully Thomson make a great one, the Race Face XY is also a good post if you can still find one. The headtube is also short, so a bunch of spacers or a higher rise stem / bar combo may be required.

Basically you're right on the limit for the medium but it COULD work well for you - Turner will probably recommend the large and that would probably be the more popular and sensible choice. A straight post and short stem on the longer top tube seems to be what most people go for, Deano and I are just Brits being difficult.. You really need to ride both in anger and make your decision from there.

Nick

 

[Acadian]

Also a hair under 5'11" and ride a Med with a 90mm stem. I like shorter TT's - tend to find it climbs better and much more precise on descents.

 

[Farqui]

The medium is just the opposite - very quick in the singletrack

Excellent, I'm glad I went and ordered a Medium...it's just a shame it's not here yet

 

[Steveoworld]

Cheers guys, this has been helpful. As you mention, a size that is somewhere between the medium and large would be ideal. I'm thinking about the 6Pack too, especially as the medium seems to be sized just so.
I'm in the process of arranging test rides of all three, just to make sure.
Is the small bike thing a Brit thing, as i'm another Brit being difficult?

 

[NealM]

Not a Brit Thing

I'm a 6 ft Brit and ride a large 5 Spot. Tried a medium with a 400mm seatpost but just felt more comfortable on the large. I reckon you'd also need a hell of a stack of stem spacers to get the bars up to saddle height on a medium- unless you like an old school XC riding position.

 

[smelly]

I'm 6 feet and on a large, but I used to ride an Azonic Saber which had the same TT and ST at the medium Spot.. The larger frame has a more XC feel, which I like, and is much more stable at speed. I honestly think you could go either way, as someone else said, the medium will be more manueverable, the large will be more stable at speed and through rough sections. I feel that the larger frame helps me climb better, but Acadian feels the opposite. The large is definitely more difficult to work with in the tight stuff.
All in all, I'm glad I have the larger bike now.

 

[HollywoodUK]

6 Pack

Cheers guys, this has been helpful. As you mention, a size that is somewhere between the medium and large would be ideal. I'm thinking about the 6Pack too, especially as the medium seems to be sized just so.
I'm in the process of arranging test rides of all three, just to make sure.
Is the small bike thing a Brit thing, as i'm another Brit being difficult?

Steve be careful with the 6 Pack sizing thing - the TT is a bit longer as you correctly say, but the different geometry makes the cockpit actually shorter once you're riding the thing. Something to do with the front centre being shorter. Not sure on the specifics but page Tscheezy who has both bikes. Turner makes their bikes so that an individual should always ride the same size in each model, they just adapt the sizes to suit the application the model was designed for. 5 Spot = XC / trail so is a little more stretched out than the 6 Pack = aggro trail / FR.

As for the UK thing - this has not been lost on me either. If you look at all the UK mag tests of the 5 Spot, they've ALL been mediums, and they've ALL had loads of layback post exposed with a corresponding high rise stem and bar to get the correct height up front. The guys in the US seem to be more comfortable with the idea of a straight post and lower rise front end, very stable but at the expense of some chuckability. Maybe it's the trails we ride, or the type of riding we think we do that means we want the faster handling frame. Dunno.

Let us know what you decide. By the way where are you in the UK? You're welcome to have a blast on my medium if you're in the Thames Valley area anytime.

Nick

 

[Steveoworld]

Thanks again folks. I managed to have short'ish goes on both medium and large spots today, not the pack though. As it goes, I’m thinking more along the spot now though. It is very frustrating because even after test rides, I feel so in the middle of the two. The medium is a bit too small and the large is a bit too big. I guess i will be edging towards the medium with a very long layback post and a good choice of stem (circa 90mm / 15deg), bar (2" / 2.5" rise) and fork (tba), which will all contribute to the overall feel.
However, I also have to consider, if I’m not totally happy with the sizing, should i be spending such a large sum of money? Especially when I already own a Slayer (not as good, I agree).
Cheers for the offer HollywoodUK. I'm based in Leeds unfortunately, otherwise I would definitely have taken you up on the kind offer.
I will post again, when I have made a decision.

Cheers

 

[Dirdir]

I am 5'11.5" with a 32 inseam and ride a large 5-Spot. I can't imagine riding a medium. I have a 100 x 10 OS Thomson stem and 1 inch riser bars. I also can't imagine getting the right seat to bar height on a medium. On a 5-Spot, I think the seat to bar height should be within an inch of each other.

 

[Vaughn]

My vote is for a large

I am 5'10" and a little bit more. Inseam about 31" and longish torso. I am far from a trials rider and the trails I prefer out here in my area of NorCal are multithousand foot climbs followed by fast singletrack descents. It can get as tech as you want, but if it gets more than a couple foot drops then I'm walking.

I rode a med 5 Spot with a Romic last spring and summer and decided it was a bit too short. Ran it with a straight seatpost and a 120mm stem. I felt I was getting over the front end too much on the descents and a little too hunched on the climbs.

This fall sold it and bought a large with an RP3. I now have a 110mm stem and the seatpost doesn't show a mile nor flex and creak so much. For me this is a much better fit. I prefer a more stretched feel for climbing and I also prefer the longer wheelbase for a stable feel while pointed down. This frame will be staying on for a while.

By the way, the RP3 which has been working great. I definitely like the improvement in weight and have no complaints about its function. I think the bike built with a not light zoke AM SL and pretty much XTR is around 28 lbs. Just fine for all day riding.

 

[mtnwater]

Another vote for large

I am about the same height - 5'11", 32 inseam. Initially bought a medium spot, rode it for several months, than swapped for a large. The medium felt squirrelly at speed and I was running 9-10 inches of seat post with a 120x5 stem. The large feels much better, more stable, yet still plenty manuverable. I'm running a 100x15 and all feels great.
FWIW most of our riding here in Tahoe is cross country oriented with plenty of technical obstacles. Search for DGC's photos to get an idea of our terrain.