sherpaPeak

I am talking about bike frame. Recently one of my friends left the country and gave me his 2001 GT Aggressor 3.0. The bike is not used very much and the frame is in really good shape. he fine tuned the bike more for urban commuting and light trail riding (more like traveling). it has slicks, narrow tires/wheels, light front shocks etc.

the problem is I am 5'10" and the frame is 21" i guess, which is a little too big for me. I have a K2 zed 4.0 (19" frame) for my regular trail riding. if anything, this bike would be used for urban commute and site seeing, nothing aggressive. Now, Would I be able to use this bike for type of riding I mentioned (without hurting myself)?

or is it better to sale it? How much does it worth? Please help me. Following is the specification:

Frame: 7000 series butted aluminium with replacable derailluer hanger
Fork: Mozo with 63mm travel
Frond Der: Shimano Acera
Rear Der: Shimano Alivio
Shifter: SRAM grip shifter (3X7, 21 speed)
Cranks: Shimano
Wheels: Alex Y 2000
Brakes: Tektro V-brakes
Handel Bar: Truvativ
Headset: threaded


Your help would be much appreciated. thanks.

never

Have you tried it or are you just assuming it will be too big?

wearyourtruth

as never said, ride it, does it feel too big?

if it is a 21 it probably is too big for you though, i'm 6'0" and i feel a little stretched on an 18... (depending on the model)

sherpaPeak

Hi there,
thanks for your reply. I have tried it. last weekend I rode it on a 10 mile tour. it feels fine to my. not much clearance in terms of stand over, probably an inch or so. and the top tube feels a bit too long, though it could be adjusted with a shorter stem.

My concern is about the standover and clearance. is one inch clearance good enough for the type of riding I am planning to do with this bike (touring, commuting, light trail riding)? thanks again.

sherpaPeak

thanks for your reply. though, it felt okay when I rode the bike, but I know that the conventional wisdom says its too big for me. is there anything I can do? I really like the looks of the frame and I the height of the front end of the bike. it allowes me to ride on a more upright position.

I would think that an 18" frame would be perfect for a 6'er. but, you are right it depends on the geometry and type of riding. I personally like a little larger frame(hence I ride a 19" instead of a recommended 17.5" or 18"), probably a "little man syndrom". but hay, I am still alive and have not hurt myself too badly in recent time.

thanks again.

born2bahick

I ride a hybrid type bike for commuting, Its too big for me, but the fact that I'm not bunny hopping it, or trying technical rocky ascents, or tight descending corners in the timber with it, I never notice the fit being bad. Your mileage may vary!

never

If you have clearance, and feel comfortable, you'll be fine on the bike for that type of riding.

never

That's funny because I am 6'1" and my wife's 18" Kona hardtail feels like a toy when I ride it. My trail bike is a 21" and it feels like it was designed for me (after fine tuning all of the little things like seat, post, stem, bars, etc).

Just shows you how variable fit is from person to person...even when there is only a small or negligible height difference between them.

sngltrackdufus

If you feel comfortable on it & thats all you use it for is tame untreachorous ground & you tarnt a hi-velocity dust kicking dufus on it. it will be fine for you.

sherpaPeak

hi STD (SnglTrackDufus),
thanks for your input. you are right, i am not going to do anything crazy on it. I have my K2 Zed 4.0 for that and thats a 19" (although K2 frames are little smaller than some other brands like GaryFisher, Giant, or Trake; specially interms of Standover and top tube length).

what I have noticed with the GT 21" frame is that, the long top tube makes me a little uncomfortable on longer rides (10+ miles). It currently has 90mm stem and a 20mm riser handle bar. Do you think a shorter stem and a 1.5" riser bar would make a difference? or any other suggestions? please let me know.

sherpaPeak

Thanks Never, I know what you mean. that is exactly why I prefer mm measurements, as opposed to inch measurement, cause they allows more precise fitting. I will try to play with the fitting and different component settings. hopefully I will find the right combination.


thanks again

EJ123

im 6'3 on 16.5 and love it If I get a HT ill probably get it to a 17.5-19

BCBike

You need a 16-18

Mountainclimber

I have the same problem i have a 21 inch rockhopper and im 6ft. It only has one inch clearence. I wish the guy in the shop told me i needed at least three.

Mountainclimber

So are u saying that it doesnt matter that i dont have much clearence?

sherpaPeak

thanks STD for bringing it up. I think the body measurement and proportion has a lot to do with bike fitting. I think I pay more attention to top tube length than the standover height for bike fitting (provided that I have at least an 1" clearance).

Almost every person is proportioned differently, like I am 5'10" and my inseam is 33". That makes my torso little shorter than other 5'10" people. This is why I find it difficult to fit in a Gary Fisher bike. cause, they tend to have longer top tube (I could be wrong, since I have not tested all the available brands). as for the GT bike, the standover is of some concern cause I never rode a bike frame more than 19". But, the main problem is with the top tube, it feels way TOO long for me and puts me in a really uncomfortable position for riding.

STD is right, I felt some lower back problem after riding it for a while. I will take some necessary actions to fit it better. if it does not work, I have to sale it, I will start from $300. if nothing the frame is in great shape and is very strong.

thanks for all the input guys. best regards