[Josh_Still28]

I just purchased an '09 Haro X6 16" bike. It seems to fit very well and I love it so far. It is my first "real" mountain bike. Anyway, I am a little concerned about crotch clearance as I only get about a half-inch even though the folks at Sun and Ski Sports insist the bike is a great fit. My questions are... a)How important is the 1"-2" clearance that is recommended if the bike fits? b)Is there a such thing a low profile tire that would give me another quarter-half-inch crotch clearance to make it safer or at least give me more peace of mind?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[logbiter]

a- it's nice to have some crotch clearance, especially for technical riding, but it's overrated as a fit characteristic. Toptube length is much more important. Is that 1/2" at the mid tube when standing over it?

b- generally, narrower tires will be "lower profile" in that they have less volume. But, narrower tires need to be pumped to higher pressures & will ride a harsher compared to a fatter tire, as well as offering less offroad grip. Lower, more comfortable offroad pressures will be more likely to result in pinch flats when hitting hard objects. Another caveat in tire sizing is that the width stated on the tire is often actually less.
Check out shiggy's mtb tire database to see how different tire widths vs volume's are.

I just purchased an '09 Haro X6 16" bike. It seems to fit very well and I love it so far. It is my first "real" mountain bike. Anyway, I am a little concerned about crotch clearance as I only get about a half-inch even though the folks at Sun and Ski Sports insist the bike is a great fit. My questions are... a)How important is the 1"-2" clearance that is recommended if the bike fits? b)Is there a such thing a low profile tire that would give me another quarter-half-inch crotch clearance to make it safer or at least give me more peace of mind?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Josh_Still28]

Thanks for the reply...
The 1/2" is the best possible clearance I get near where the saddle is. On that bike the tube slants upward so I get less and less clearance the closer I move toward the handlebars if I am standing over it.

The guy who fixes the bikes at Sun and Ski suggested I could go with a size 2.0 tire as opposed to the 2.35 that are on it. That might give me another quarter or half inch... Is that a good option? There are two main places that I ride in Houston... One is almost all technical and the other is some tech and mostly xc with rolling hills.

 

[tyler243]

Are you planning on standing over your bike? or riding it? if the latter then it doesn't matter

 

[OLx6]

The clearance height does not matter, until you need to put a foot down. In a bail or dab situation you nuts will be grateful for some extra clearance.r

 

[Josh_Still28]

Uh, obviously riding the bike, Tyler... Thanks for the brilliant response. There are obviously situations in which extra crotch clearance would help in crashes or bail-outs.

Yeah, OLx6, that's what I'm worried about... I just ordered some Panaracer Fire XC red-wall tires that are 2.1 as opposed to the current 2.35. I guess that might give me another quarter or half-inch. I didn't just order the tires to help the clearance, though... I wanted the red-wall, too. Oh, btw... I guess I have some Kenda 26 x 2.35 tires for sale, now. They are the ones that come stock on the 2009 Haro X6 if anyone is interested. I hope its ok to solicit that here...

 

[tyler243]

I only say that it isn't a big deal because I have about the same clearance on my trance and the only time I have had crotch space problems is in mid drift and my back tire catches sending my seat into the goods or in the otb situation and after that crash its the least of my worries. Go with what you want but I say a quarter to half inch is enough.

 

[Josh_Still28]

Well, I appreciate it, man... I have really been worrying about it, tbqh. I guess the new tires will help a little. Basically, I just wanted to know if it was common practice for people to have the 1"-2" crotch clearance for safety reasons. The general consensus seems to be that it doesn't matter so much as long as the bike fits and is comfortable... And it is, for sure.

Thanks for the help. You guys put my mind at ease.