200 lbs?

my height is 5'11" two hundred pounds.

I'm a bit over 6 feet and rode a large, it felt a bit small for me (I ride a 25in C-C TT bike), not bad just a little on the small side - this is a VERY LIGHT bike, at 200 if you are riding hard I would look for some more beef. If your a climber and a carefull decender, you should be fine.

A buddy of mine maybe 180lbs snapped a rocker on a log jump haven't heard yet if it was a weak rocker or just to much rider input. It was a disgusting sound hearing the rocker snap, still sends chills down my spine.

I know this post is useless cuase I don't know if said bike had SN# on the rocker - Sorry bout that, I can find out if it's that important.

 

Hello. I'm 5'10" 175 lbs with a 31.5 in inseam. I ride a med Epi with a 100mm stem and it feels great. I do have about 8.25 in of exposed seatpost (maxing out a 330mm post). At your height, you can fit on either a M or L. A med has a 23.5 TT and a large has a 24.25 TT. If you do run a med frame, you will likely need a 410mm seatpost.

 

I am 5'10.5" (to be exact), fairly short legs for my size (31-32" inseam?) but long arms and long torso. I weigh approx 195 pounds. I ride "agressive XC", i.e. I don't do BIG AIR but I don't fit in with "XC riders" that seem to want to do road riding on a trail.

I went with a medium and I am glad I did. I "accidentally" test rode a large and felt way to stretched out on it. I tend to like a compact but not too snug cockpit for twisting through the tight and technical trails. I was doing some FAST downhill gravel bits of road last weekend and it felt plenty stable on that too. The medium is a very versatile frame size and you can play around with stem length a little bit for cockpit size too.

I have a serialized magnesium rocker and no problems yet, although I must admit its a pretty new bike still. My STYLE of riding could have gone with a Truth, probably. THAT might have been pushing it. If you plan on Going Big....I would personally recommend going beefier even than the Epi. Otherwise it SEEMS like plenty of bike to me anyway.

Bigger issue at 200 pounds seems to be finding a fork that works. I am on my third fork and FINALLY happy. Most "spring" forks seem to sized for 160pound riders, so either plan to get the "upgrade" kit for your size, or go air....I finally went air myself.

as for frame size. Test riding would be ideal. A medium is pretty versatile. But all disclaimers apply if you don't end up liking a medium.....

 

I would have to say the Large for ya. I'm 5'9"/205 lbs and love all the room I've got. I was on a medium sc before ( I know different brand/different setup) but, I got to test ride the two sizes up at the Sea Otter in '06 and knew right away that the L was it. The thing climbs like a goat and holds its line pretty well going downhill.

With the L thing in mind though, its tough to bunny-hop stuff like sudden BFRs and logs. But, the added room is good for my back. No more pain from being scrunched up. I have some easton riser bars to sit me more upright too.

Overall, it works really well for me. I just want to kick myself sometimes for not making the switch sooner.

 

I have been demoing a Medium Epi for about a week now. Ran with a 110mm stem at first and then settled into a 90mm stem for the last few rides.

I am 5'11.5" with a 31.5" inseam. My torso/arms are a bit longish, but not so much that the fit calculator on Competitive Cyclists web page still suggested a TT length of 23.5". Most all other people always said that I should be riding a Large by looking at my body type.

Anyway, I had been riding a Large Ellsworth ID that has a 24.25" TT and it seemed roomy, but it still required a short 90mm stem to feel comfy for me. Anything longer and it was too stretched out. That bike is wonderful, but it doesn't seem to be the right size for me.

With this demo Epi in Medium, I am more agile on the bike. I can bunny hop easier, just like the previous poster mentioned. I can also take drops and small jumps and the bike is just pure balance. The bike is very "flickable" and I have NEVER ridden faster than on this bike.

Medium seems to be the perfect size for me and it could very well be the right size for you. Remember that you can change stem lengths/rise angles to dial in the fit. The right stem makes ALL the difference in the fine tuning for the optimal control of the bike.

Check out http://www.competitivecyclist.com and measure yourself using their fit calculator. It should give you a really good starting point.

Good Luck,

Jose

 

help with ellsworth epiphany sizing

thanks for the input. if i change the recommended stem of 100 to 90mm, how does that affect my handling? so as i understand it i have two options:
option 1 get a medium but with a longer exposed tube
option 2 get a large with a shorter stem.
which of the two would be more suitable for me? more of crosscountry riding with dirt road climbing and descents but not downhill. will the long bike make me cofortable going on descents (again, not downhill crazy) on dirt roads? i feel when i was using a frame and going on descents, im not confident. yet when going up hill i hated the out stretched position of the large. im really undecided on the frame. another question, how are the new 2007 rocker arms holding? any corrosion or cracking problems? if im going to get a moment to avoid alltogether the epiphany rockers, are the moment rockers any tougher than the epiphayny's?
thanks

 

Hi
I'm 5,9/80 kg and couldn't testride it either. My dealer recommended to go with the L. The epi is truly an awesome bike. technical uphills are no prob with that bike. Downhill is the same. In retrospective I would choose the M size because in very tight and steep curves is the only point where my previous bike was better (that was an M). On fireroads the L is comfty. At your weight I would consider a Moment - that the favourite bike of most of my fellow bikers and all just love it.

 

A lot of dealers are out there suggest a Large frame if you are over 5'10" almost by default. I had a dealer just tell me he was SURE I should be in a Large Ellsworth Epi because I am 5'11" and it had only a 3/4" of difference in TT length.

The deal is though that a lot of other bike manufacturer's Large frames have 23.5" Top Tubes. Some exceptions are Ventana El Ciclon is 24" and Titus MotoLites are 24.25".

The Ventana El Saltamontes Large 20" Frame has a 23.7" Top Tube. I test rode a 19" KONA the KING bike that was a Large and it had a 23.5" TT as well. It seemed like a perfect fit to me and I almost bought it instead

So, I think you really have to take into account these facts when you are looking into a frame and you are in between sizes.

I would agree with Seibukan above that the M size seems easier for me to negotiate steep tight stuff (downhill and uphill) than the L size was. The wheelbase is also .8" shorter on the Medium frame and it makes the bike handle a little quicker, but maybe a bit less stable on rough stuff. But hey, the Epi is pretty damn balanced to begin with.

Another benefit, smaller frame=less flex, less weight