I'm right in between L and XL on Spec Chisel - glad I went with the XL, with a few tweaks it fits well. Forget the sizing tables, too many variables at play.
Nice job shad! This is the best bike fit video yet. So many variables go into sizing a bike. Long torso people are historically cramped in on mountain bikes!
For many years if you were long-torso (proportional to long-legged) you basically had to get a longer stem, because the ETT for your ST length was too short. Thanks to your longer torso. With the combo of changes to STA, HA and WB as of the past 5 yrs or so, long torso people have a lot of accommodation. Short torso, long legged people will have to drop down a size unless they have very long arms. The steeper STA + long legs puts that HT way out there for a short torso, long legs person.
Great video! I am 175cm and went with a 455 reach (+50mm stem) 29 inch trail bike. As a beginner/intermediate rider I like the increased stability downhill, but can still climb quite well with it.
Great video. really makes me think about my current bike. It's very comfortable but may be a little bigger than I needed. I have a long torso and arms, so I sized up to a large, but sometimes I feel like I am just directing my bike and I am along for the ride. 🤣
I went to the specialized website and based on height they suggest the medium. They have this sizer that has you measure your shin length and when I did that they suggest an XS. I’m going to buy a new bike next year and want something where I don’t feel so stretched out like I am now.
Specialized is an easier bike to figure out because there are a lot of Specialized dealerships here in MN. I recommend OneOnOne in Minneapolis. Try one out and see if it fits like you want it to.
I have done videos on that. I think it works for equal proportioned people like me, but for those who are not equally proportioned it's a bit more challenging. If you do the rad measurement with someone who has longer arms, now you end up with a shorter reach and that might not be ideal for someone with longer arms. Also, if a bike has a longer chainstay length, the front end is harder to pull up and RAD doesn't account for that. That's why I did this video. Fitting a bike is a lot more complicated than just doing a single measurement and then saying this is good.
@@ShadLife I think I remember Lee saying he is relatively short-limbed, long-torso'd. His formula is as you say, and better for average proportion people. For super-long-limbs and short-torso person like me RAD sizing does not work at all. I rode Med size frames in MTB from the start in late 80s until 2011 when I got on a Large. I liked how it "stretched me out" and I basically took 20-25mm out of the stem and put it in the top tube, if you get my drift. Suggested M stem was 90 and I rode L with 70 and 60mm stems. By the late 2010s what we see now was pretty ironed out and my 2011 Lg would be a 2023 Med, seated reach sized. One observation I have for "modern" (post 2018, I'd say) geometry is if you look at charts, check what stem length they assume. 35mm, 40mm shorties can feel "behind the axle" and make you push your turns wide or lose cornering knob grip, unless your fork offset is pretty short. Don't be afraid to try 50mm or 60mm stems, they won't make you OTB prone unless you're already riding in way that already is OTB prone.
How important is it to keep stem length larger than your fork offset angle? I’ve heard conflicting opinions online. I feel like I’m currently leaning too far forward (I’m a solid medium on Specialized’s website). I shortened the handlebars to a point where I’m happy, and brought my saddle forward a little but still feel like I’m putting too much weight on my wrists. My fork offset angle is 42* and the stock stem is 45mm, I was thinking of going to a 35mm
Have you tried keeping this setup, but adding a higher rise bar? It's something to try, especially if you feel like you have most of it dialed and still have too much wrist pressure. I can't promise that will help, but it is one of the reasons I run 30mm or 35mm rise bars on most of my bikes.
@@ShadLife forgot to mention that, I threw on the PNW range that has 30mm rise. I’ve cut it down to probably 760, I’d have to measure. After everything I’ve done I feel like it’s aaaalmost there. Like if there’s a balance point between leaning forward and upright, im just past it leaning forward. Im also pretty new to this whole mountain biking hobby, admittedly thanks to your channel, so Im also just not sure if I need to get used to it or if there’s really nothing to change. I’ve been trying to make a small change and get at least one long ride in before making another.
@@andrewnixon4469 I would definitely take time to get used to making changes before you change something up again. Also, pay attention to your core. You do have to engage your core some and use it to support your upper body so your hands don't do all the work. I regularly do core work for this reason. It also helps improve balance and power elsewhere. I will be doing more videos on what adjustments do what and so on. Apparently I am pretty good at explaining it because I keep getting a ton of positive feedback on how I explain things...🤷♂️
@@ShadLife great idea! I’ll work on that before I do anymore changes. And you get tons of positive feedback because you are really good at explaining things Shad! Keep up the great work. I don’t have any friends who are into the sport so it’s really nice to get my information from someone with as much experience and passion as someone such as yourself.
You can adjust the roll of the handlebar in the stem. That's an important adjustment to ensure you can feel the front tire's grip. Some people like them a bit rolled back, some like them a bit forward, some are happy at neutral. You can run a longer stem but I can't see you on the bike so I don't know what makes you feel hand-heavy. If your saddle is nose-down that will make you tend to slide toward the handlebar as you pedal. Which will make you push back from your hands, to stop the forward sliding. You may not feel the sliding but instead experience it as heavy hands. Proper saddle angle for seated pedaling for an extended time will be one that lets you ride easily with no hands, relaxed hips/torso. It requires a fair amount of core strength/stability to ride "modern" bikes with their seated pedaling position being so upright, hips forward. You can't recruit your glutes unless you have a good strong core to lever against.
i'm perplexed with bianchi magma 9 boost hardtail mtb generally its a sizing question i'm 5'10 there cm sizing per plexs me thinking i'm med at 43 cm which is medium i normally ride a 48 cm large bike but on my 27.5 marin the bike comes few inchs from my crotch i normally got lean the bike over to get on it . but upgrading to 29 inch tire scares me to try a large not interested in having a bike riding me when i stand over it confused on cm measurement there is no local dealer it be a mail order bike for me i'm one bike family the marin is 9 speed it served me well i want hill climb more and ride faster i avg 14 to 18 mph with effort hence why i want more gears on my marin wildcat i upgraded the bike to 9 speed myself with some help i'm 55 so i'm not looking to aggressive ride just 4k miles a year i love to ride
I just looked at that bike on the Bianchi website. They say it's a trail bike, yet it is not set up how most of today's trail bikes are. The reach sizes are 40mm - 60mm lower than most other comparable brands trail bikes. Bianchi is more of a classic brand and they certainly are maintaining that classic form of sizing. If you are riding XC and like you said, mostly climbing, you will be fine just using their measurements to get the correct size. But if you plan to do any technical riding, jumps, drops, or downhill I would stay away from bikes like these with such short top tubes and reaches.
thank you for the input no i do not do any fancy jumps maybe a curb well three curbs on my ride into work to cut thru the parking lot i avoid road riding when i can my marin has 120 mm fork i have never heard it respond like bottom out i mean . i like the cushion on my shoulders when i hit stones or wash outs in the trail just want simple trust worthy trail bike name un important Bianchi colors looked cool 100 mm fork semi worry me but sizing more a issue my use is normally for work and exercise . loved your video on canyon 5 grand canyon bike theres one hill my marin just cant climb on my hybrid 7 speed i can climb it but i gave that bike to my daughter thank you again for your help and guidance @@ShadLife
Check out this channel. It's called Path Less Pedaled. It might be more helpful for the style of riding you are doing. youtube.com/@PathLessPedaledTV?si=EWAsdIoYgSuz2slV
Best of the best ! 100%, gold! appreciated a lot for share with us.
I'm right in between L and XL on Spec Chisel - glad I went with the XL, with a few tweaks it fits well.
Forget the sizing tables, too many variables at play.
Nice job shad! This is the best bike fit video yet. So many variables go into sizing a bike.
Long torso people are historically cramped in on mountain bikes!
For many years if you were long-torso (proportional to long-legged) you basically had to get a longer stem, because the ETT for your ST length was too short. Thanks to your longer torso.
With the combo of changes to STA, HA and WB as of the past 5 yrs or so, long torso people have a lot of accommodation.
Short torso, long legged people will have to drop down a size unless they have very long arms. The steeper STA + long legs puts that HT way out there for a short torso, long legs person.
@@seanoneil277 cool makes sense.
Great video! I am 175cm and went with a 455 reach (+50mm stem) 29 inch trail bike. As a beginner/intermediate rider I like the increased stability downhill, but can still climb quite well with it.
Great video, this one and the one on front center. Keep up the good work! 👍😍
Great video. really makes me think about my current bike. It's very comfortable but may be a little bigger than I needed. I have a long torso and arms, so I sized up to a large, but sometimes I feel like I am just directing my bike and I am along for the ride. 🤣
I feel like many people think they need to have a bigger bike than they need. This is why I say fitting is complicated.
I went to the specialized website and based on height they suggest the medium. They have this sizer that has you measure your shin length and when I did that they suggest an XS. I’m going to buy a new bike next year and want something where I don’t feel so stretched out like I am now.
Specialized is an easier bike to figure out because there are a lot of Specialized dealerships here in MN. I recommend OneOnOne in Minneapolis.
Try one out and see if it fits like you want it to.
@@ShadLifeI wasn’t aware of that shop. I’ll check them out.
Great vid Shad! What are your thoughts on R.A.D. rider area distance measurements for sizing?
I have done videos on that. I think it works for equal proportioned people like me, but for those who are not equally proportioned it's a bit more challenging.
If you do the rad measurement with someone who has longer arms, now you end up with a shorter reach and that might not be ideal for someone with longer arms.
Also, if a bike has a longer chainstay length, the front end is harder to pull up and RAD doesn't account for that.
That's why I did this video. Fitting a bike is a lot more complicated than just doing a single measurement and then saying this is good.
Thanks Shad!
@@ShadLife I think I remember Lee saying he is relatively short-limbed, long-torso'd. His formula is as you say, and better for average proportion people. For super-long-limbs and short-torso person like me RAD sizing does not work at all.
I rode Med size frames in MTB from the start in late 80s until 2011 when I got on a Large. I liked how it "stretched me out" and I basically took 20-25mm out of the stem and put it in the top tube, if you get my drift. Suggested M stem was 90 and I rode L with 70 and 60mm stems.
By the late 2010s what we see now was pretty ironed out and my 2011 Lg would be a 2023 Med, seated reach sized.
One observation I have for "modern" (post 2018, I'd say) geometry is if you look at charts, check what stem length they assume. 35mm, 40mm shorties can feel "behind the axle" and make you push your turns wide or lose cornering knob grip, unless your fork offset is pretty short. Don't be afraid to try 50mm or 60mm stems, they won't make you OTB prone unless you're already riding in way that already is OTB prone.
How important is it to keep stem length larger than your fork offset angle? I’ve heard conflicting opinions online. I feel like I’m currently leaning too far forward (I’m a solid medium on Specialized’s website). I shortened the handlebars to a point where I’m happy, and brought my saddle forward a little but still feel like I’m putting too much weight on my wrists.
My fork offset angle is 42* and the stock stem is 45mm, I was thinking of going to a 35mm
Have you tried keeping this setup, but adding a higher rise bar? It's something to try, especially if you feel like you have most of it dialed and still have too much wrist pressure. I can't promise that will help, but it is one of the reasons I run 30mm or 35mm rise bars on most of my bikes.
@@ShadLife forgot to mention that, I threw on the PNW range that has 30mm rise. I’ve cut it down to probably 760, I’d have to measure. After everything I’ve done I feel like it’s aaaalmost there. Like if there’s a balance point between leaning forward and upright, im just past it leaning forward.
Im also pretty new to this whole mountain biking hobby, admittedly thanks to your channel, so Im also just not sure if I need to get used to it or if there’s really nothing to change. I’ve been trying to make a small change and get at least one long ride in before making another.
@@andrewnixon4469 I would definitely take time to get used to making changes before you change something up again. Also, pay attention to your core. You do have to engage your core some and use it to support your upper body so your hands don't do all the work. I regularly do core work for this reason. It also helps improve balance and power elsewhere.
I will be doing more videos on what adjustments do what and so on. Apparently I am pretty good at explaining it because I keep getting a ton of positive feedback on how I explain things...🤷♂️
@@ShadLife great idea! I’ll work on that before I do anymore changes. And you get tons of positive feedback because you are really good at explaining things Shad! Keep up the great work. I don’t have any friends who are into the sport so it’s really nice to get my information from someone with as much experience and passion as someone such as yourself.
You can adjust the roll of the handlebar in the stem. That's an important adjustment to ensure you can feel the front tire's grip. Some people like them a bit rolled back, some like them a bit forward, some are happy at neutral.
You can run a longer stem but I can't see you on the bike so I don't know what makes you feel hand-heavy. If your saddle is nose-down that will make you tend to slide toward the handlebar as you pedal. Which will make you push back from your hands, to stop the forward sliding. You may not feel the sliding but instead experience it as heavy hands. Proper saddle angle for seated pedaling for an extended time will be one that lets you ride easily with no hands, relaxed hips/torso.
It requires a fair amount of core strength/stability to ride "modern" bikes with their seated pedaling position being so upright, hips forward. You can't recruit your glutes unless you have a good strong core to lever against.
i'm perplexed with bianchi magma 9 boost hardtail mtb generally its a sizing question i'm 5'10 there cm sizing per plexs me thinking i'm med at 43 cm which is medium i normally ride a 48 cm large bike but on my 27.5 marin the bike comes few inchs from my crotch i normally got lean the bike over to get on it . but upgrading to 29 inch tire scares me to try a large not interested in having a bike riding me when i stand over it confused on cm measurement there is no local dealer it be a mail order bike for me i'm one bike family the marin is 9 speed it served me well i want hill climb more and ride faster i avg 14 to 18 mph with effort hence why i want more gears on my marin wildcat i upgraded the bike to 9 speed myself with some help i'm 55 so i'm not looking to aggressive ride just 4k miles a year i love to ride
I just looked at that bike on the Bianchi website. They say it's a trail bike, yet it is not set up how most of today's trail bikes are. The reach sizes are 40mm - 60mm lower than most other comparable brands trail bikes.
Bianchi is more of a classic brand and they certainly are maintaining that classic form of sizing. If you are riding XC and like you said, mostly climbing, you will be fine just using their measurements to get the correct size. But if you plan to do any technical riding, jumps, drops, or downhill I would stay away from bikes like these with such short top tubes and reaches.
thank you for the input no i do not do any fancy jumps maybe a curb well three curbs on my ride into work to cut thru the parking lot i avoid road riding when i can my marin has 120 mm fork i have never heard it respond like bottom out i mean . i like the cushion on my shoulders when i hit stones or wash outs in the trail just want simple trust worthy trail bike name un important Bianchi colors looked cool 100 mm fork semi worry me but sizing more a issue my use is normally for work and exercise . loved your video on canyon 5 grand canyon bike theres one hill my marin just cant climb on my hybrid 7 speed i can climb it but i gave that bike to my daughter thank you again for your help and guidance @@ShadLife
Check out this channel. It's called Path Less Pedaled. It might be more helpful for the style of riding you are doing.
youtube.com/@PathLessPedaledTV?si=EWAsdIoYgSuz2slV