One thing to consider for those around the 5' 8" mark thinking about a size large is you'll most likely lose the ability to run a 150mm dropper.

 

I'm one of the few people on the planet that this doesn't bother at all. I'd buy a dropper if I could find one that drops a fixed 2-3 inches. I had dirt bikes from age 6-48 and I like feeling the seat between my legs. I've never caught on to the idea of dropping my seat so far I don't even know it's there. Feels foreign.

I have droppers on both my bikes and while I everybody I ride with uses their droppers repeatedly, I use mine maybe once every few rides. It's been used 10X more to get the bikes to line up properly on the bike rack than I uses it on the trail.

 

Appreciate the input on the dropper. This will be my 1st. On the stock larger IBIS I demo'd the dropper felt like it was working well. Are you saying that you won't be able to drop it to a much lowered desired height for DH/Enduro runs?

 

The large will have a 2" longer seat tube than the medium.
Maybe others can chime in but I can tell you from my experience (I'm a bit over 5' 8") I would never be able to run a 150mm dropper with that long of a seat tube.
A 125mm of course would be no problem.
Depends if the reach is more important to you. A 150mm dropper is really nice to have. I've been amazed just how much more I like it and appreciate it over a 125mm

 

I'm thinking of switching frames (well buying a new one).
It's been two years that I got my SC Bronson. It's a great bike ... but it's not very compliant nor plush on small bumps and there is the low link which is very exposed to rocks and others obstacles.
Never been on a DW-link bike. THE question is about the size : my Bronson is medium ans I'd rather stay on a medium size HD3.
But I would be out of the sizing chart : I'm 5' 9,5" tall with a 33 in. inseam (84 cm actually).
I would be able to try a medium one in april, but it's not really easy to find a bike test overseas (I'm in Switzerland).
I will switch the equipments from the Bronson to the HD3 (Pike 150, XT transmission and brakes, custom wheels and change the Reverb - 125 from a one in 150 mm).
About the geometry : reach, top tube, stack are longer on the M HD3 than on the M Bronson so it shouldn't be a problem (the stem lenght will be 50 mm instead of 70). Wheelbase is almost the same.

So what do you think ?

And by the way, since I've also got a RM element carbon, may be it would be smarter if I go for a "bigger" bike like the Nomad. But I like wild spots rather than "civilized" mountains (I choose spots with no cable cars or funicular railways generally) so I do all the climbing "on" my bike. HD3 seems the right bike for that.

 

Large is your size for sure. Don't even contemplate a medium...

 

Thanks for the reply. But seat tube is too high and top tube too long with Large, I'm afraid, I mean for my height (see Yeti SB6C in medium for instance, the frame is smaller than the HD3 Large one but the wheelbase is longer and the Bronson V2 in Large, which has almost the same geometry as the Large HD3 in L, is for people 5'10" or taller).
:madman:

 

Go Largeee, with a 50 mm stem for me (6 ft ). fits great.!

 

I'm same height and ride a medium with a 50mm stem, but I feel I would have been better off with a large. Had no chance to demo beforehand.

 

I am 5'9" on a large have 32.5 inseam which leaves about 1 and a half inches of seatpost showing on a 150 ks lev, sat on a medium and it was far to small

 

It's strange because I've got only 55 mm (2.17") left between the ST collar and the reverb one (125 mm for me) and we have the same inseam. My saddle height is 28.8 ". The ST height of the Bronson is 17" instead of 18.5" for the HD3 in large.

I'd be able to test a HD3 medium size in April and I'll get back to you to review the test.

 

removed by rshalit

xyzzy

 

I could lower stack ~5 mm at most with 2.5 vs 5 mm headset spacer plus a bit of handlebar rotation - but the M reach is only 3 mm less than S, and both bikes have saddles shoved all the way back. I use a zero-rise 50 mm stem - if I got a 30 or 40 mm stem, rotated (a whole lot) my 20° riser handlebars forward, will this get me the lowered cornering I need?? I'm thinking rotating handlebars forward, thus weight, will not be good for descents.

How is M reach 3mm less than S? Why not flip a 10deg stem and run the flattest bar you can find? Having decent reach is way more important to me than stack height, unless it's extreme, and stack is always easy to customise.

 

typo / reach not important

typo - M is 3 mm longer than S.

 

Not really understanding why flat bars are hard on your wrist? I run both on different bikes and blindfolded I know I couldn't tell the difference. I do rotate the flat bars so the back sweep gives me a slight upsweep as well tho.

 

I was on the fence with sizing. 6'0 32 inseam. I went with XL. First ride yesterday and it is amazing. It fits just right I think. Had to go with a 125 mm dropper that is almost slammed. 45mm stem.

 

i'm 5'9" and demo'ed a 16 HD3, 2017 HD4 and 2017 Yeti Sb5
the large HD3 was a perfect fit.
Was on a Med on the other bikes. Inseam 31" (out of the 3 bikes the Hd3 felt the best....)