Mountain Biking - Sizing: Freeride/urban vs. xc

Hi guys,

just a quick question... i'm about 5'5" and i ride a 15" xc bike... i'm on the process of purchasing a freeride/urban bike(hardtail). is size 15 on an xc bike the same on freeride/urban bike? in short, should i get the same size? thanks everyone!

I think your Xc bike might be a bit too small for you as is. I'm 5'7" and I have a 16.5" Bruiser 2.

sizing should generaly be the same. Most people like smlerr urban bikes, makes them more "flickable" and such. I know on my new urban ride its a 14.5, seems small but it feels awesome.

I have a short inseam also, i forgot to mention. about 27.5 or 28" even.

I test rode a jamis eureka the other day which was on sale... it's a closeout model and i don't think jamis make eurekas anymore... anyways, the bike seems to fit me real nicely. when i looked at the size it was a size 12. i wanted to try a 14 but they don't have any being the size 12 their last stock. from what i gathered the p's and the stp's are about size 14... when i tried them, i could feel the top tube underneath my jewels already. (sorry for the lack of vocabulary). so, you guys think i should go for the size 12?

Don't take my word for it but i believe that you are supposed to have a good 2-3 inches from your top-tube to umm you know where. i also have a 28 inch inseem so i know how it feels to be "crowded"

I ride a 15" Hardrock, me being 5'4".

Ya, they should be about the same size. I am 5'6" and I ride a 17" mtb, so my freeride (which I am saving up for!) will be a 17. If it's too small, your balance shifts forward, which is never a good thing.

FR bikes will fit similar as most fr bikes are meant to be pedalled. What will change is the angles (ha and sa as well as the chainstay length) and the slope of the tt.

But I do disagree that it will be exactly the same, most people fit xc bikes a little large for optimum power (closer to a roadie than a fr bike), if your bike fits big definately buy a size lower. It will give you the room to move your body around as needed on technical terrain or in the air.

for a size reference I am 6'5 and my fr ht is 19" (which is also my trail bike)...and as for boyd weight to far forward, thats incorrect, if you know how to ride it fairly easy to maintain a centred body on a bike no matter how big or small (heck my djer is 15")

thanks for the info guys!

maelstrom, so i should be fine with the 12" freeride/urban bike, huh? I just thought the tt angle of the fr bike started really high (making it steep) thats why it seems the smaller fr bikes are pretty much the same size with bigger xc bikes, in terms of stand over height at least.
i'm not sure if that made sense. does it?