Theortical Top Tube lengths for short riders?

mrbubbles said:

For someone that is short (I'm 5'7"), wouldn't a long top tube have me stretching out on the bike?

I prefer shorter top tube, I tried to find a 29er under 57mm, but couldn't find any.

Click to expand...

How about a Salsa Fargo? ETT 55.5cm

Apparently, some 29er producers keep the top tube (or "reach") long to prevent your toes from hitting the front tyre. Then they recommend short stems to keep your riding position good.

It's still popular thinking that 29"ers NEED a steep head tube angle to get it to turn into a corner. This is a decision that makes 29"er unnecessarily hard to fit for sub-oversized peepz. Long offset forks are setting this stright, but I'm not sure many manufacturers are taking full advantage.
On the Fargo S, consider matching short cranks, to compensate a bit for the on-road-low BB. As a short rider, you have that option. 165mm would not be disproportionately short, at all.

What is your inseam? I'm 5'7" w/ a 30" inseam and fit very nicely on both my 16" Karate Monkey, and Soma Juice. The top tubes on them are both about 22.75", or about 57.5 cm.
I run a 100 mm stem.

CB2 said:

What is your inseam? I'm 5'7" w/ a 30" inseam and fit very nicely on both my 16" Karate Monkey, and Soma Juice. The top tubes on them are both about 22.75", or about 57.5 cm.
I run a 100 mm stem.

Click to expand...

Inseam is 32", so my torso is shorter than most who are 5'7".

pursuiter said:

16" Surly KM =55.2cm

Click to expand...

That's the actual TT, not ETT.

5'7", 30-31" inseam. Even though I prefer a slightly more upright position than most, I've gotten along just fine for 5 years with short stems on my 29ers. All three of them (16" KM, small Lenz Leviathan and custom Vulture) have ETT between 22.5" and 22.7".

paragon

I have a small fisher paragon (15.5") and I am 5'6"...

mrbubbles is there a reason you must have a 29er? IMHO you're borderline on being able to fit a 29er and fit is more important than any other factors. When bikes get small and they're trying to fit a frame with a short TT and no toe-overlap they generally make a steep ST angle and slack HT angle. This will make riding the bike a total gong show.

If you're wanting to try a larger wheel have you looked into the 650B size yet? I'm building a new frame for my wife who wanted to try the larger wheel thing, but sticking her on a 29er would be too much of a compromise. I found that the 650B size was just right.

IMO an important note to make is to center your ETT around a stem that is at least 90mm & not much more than 110-120mm.

Too much shorter really effects handling by removing weight over the front wheel and too much longer really have too much weight over the front wheel.

But by having some choice of stem, it allows you to be a little less concerned with ETT.

Also, as noted w/the El Mar above, different seatposts allow for different seat placement.
Some offset next to zero (straight vs layback), while others move the placement of your seats because of clamp style alone.

AkMJ29 said:

Click to expand...

Interesting. Though I would be worried about KOPS. What is the length from top of saddle to centre of BB?

GlowBoy said:

5'7", 30-31" inseam. Even though I prefer a slightly more upright position than most, I've gotten along just fine for 5 years with short stems on my 29ers. All three of them (16" KM, small Lenz Leviathan and custom Vulture) have ETT between 22.5" and 22.7".

Click to expand...

How short is your stems?

themanmonkey said:

mrbubbles is there a reason you must have a 29er? IMHO you're borderline on being able to fit a 29er and fit is more important than any other factors. When bikes get small and they're trying to fit a frame with a short TT and no toe-overlap they generally make a steep ST angle and slack HT angle. This will make riding the bike a total gong show.

If you're wanting to try a larger wheel have you looked into the 650B size yet? I'm building a new frame for my wife who wanted to try the larger wheel thing, but sticking her on a 29er would be too much of a compromise. I found that the 650B size was just right.

Click to expand...

I'm not worried about toe overlap. I'm looking at 29er because I already have the wheelsets and have enough parts lying around to put on a frame, I just need a frameset and tires..

themanmonkey said:

mrbubbles is there a reason you must have a 29er? IMHO you're borderline on being able to fit a 29er and fit is more important than any other factors.

Click to expand...

Gotta disagree here, 5'7" is far from the cusp of being able to find proper fit on a 29'er.
I would agree with you if the person was sub 5'4".

I'm 5'7" with a 31" cycling inseam, I ride a medium in many brands 29'ers-my target effective TT length is between 23" and 23.5" I usually run 100mm stems.

Mrbubbles,

Go experiement, test some 29'ers and see what works for you. You may find the longer top tube/short stem combo works. The higher handlebars of many 29'ers may help too. Or you may find 29'ers are not for you, but at least do some test rides.

I think Manmonkey's 650B recommendation is also good advice.

mrbubbles said:

How short is your stems?

Click to expand...

50-70mm (with Midge drop bars). The bikes have always handled perfectly fine for me. If there is a compromise in having slightly less weight on the front end, at least for my riding it is vastly made up by the other benefits of the big wheels.

Offer me a slot for a custom frame I'll have him build a good suspension 29" hardtail to fit an average 4'11" rider. Rigid, maybe shorter than that
No toe overlap, no sloppy handling.
2 years from now someone will take my idea and make it commercial, it really not that hard.

Joshua: I'm 5'7" with a 31" cycling inseam, I ride a medium in many brands 29'ers-my target effective TT length is between 23" and 23.5" I usually run 100mm stems.

Agree! I am a bit shorter (5'6" and 29 inseam) and the medium Superfly with 100mm stem works just fine for me. But as a singlespeeder, I actually prefer a longer cockpit because I am out of the saddle so much, even on the geared bike.

Joshua Pattersnap said:

Gotta disagree here, 5'7" is far from the cusp of being able to find proper fit on a 29'er.
I would agree with you if the person was sub 5'4"..

Click to expand...

You can tell me that again in 10 years. Fit and building bikes is what I do. It's all down to torso length and a normally proportioned male at 5'7" is generally borderline. There re many more considerations to fit than toe-overlap. 29ers are so hip right now that people will buy them to experiment and try the new thing. I rode a 29er for 13 years and am a fan of the size, but I know it's limitations.

mrbubbles said:

Interesting. Though I would be worried about KOPS. What is the length from top of saddle to centre of BB?

Click to expand...

What's KOPS? The length from center of BB to saddle is a shade under 29".