Originally Posted by
Jipe
Yes, of course its average size, not individual size and I was thinking to the sizing of bikes like the Tyrell aimed at the Japanese/Asiatic market that are great bikes but unfortunately too small for most European male riders. Sorry to say that, but 5'11" = about 1m80 is just average for European male men. Tall European men are 6'3" and (far) above! If you compare with the Brompton, the M type is made for people like you (even the standard 520mm seatpost could fit for 1m80). There is the H type for taller people.
I do not understand your last statement: if for your size the Helix is already a little short and would be better with 1 or 2cm more, how could it fit for much taller rider let say 6"3"and more? From your review, I have the impression that your size is about the maximum for Helix because adding more than 2cm to the stem seems unrealistic ?
Your commentary about height got me thinking... so just how tall are people these days? This is from:
https://www.medicinenet.com/height_men/article.htmCountry and Height in Centimeters and Feet
Denmark 181.4, or 5 feet, 11.5 inches
Germany 179.9, or 5 feet, 11 inches
Norway 179.7, or 5 feet, 11 inches
France 179.7, or 5 feet, 11 inches
Australia 179.2, or 5 feet, 10.5 inches
Canada 178.1, or 5 feet, 10 inches
U.K. 177.5, or 5 feet, 10 inches
U.S. 177.1, or 5 feet, 9.5 inches
South Korea 174.9, or 5 feet, 9 inches
Brazil 173.6, or 5 feet, 8.5 inches
Singapore 172.6, or 5 feet, 8 inches
China 171.8, or 5 feet, 7.5 inches
Japan 170.8, or 5 feet, 7 inches
While European and North American men are taller by a significant amount (say, 8 to 9 cm) on average... the difference is not so drastic. Most folding bikes should be able accommodate riders between an average height of 5'7" and 5'11"... at least according to their marketing claims - doesn't Brompton claim a fit range of 4'7" to 6'8" depending on the seat post you get?
https://brompton.zendesk.com/hc/en-u...-rider-height-. Of course, these are height averages, so just as there are tall Asians, there are short Europeans. So, if you are especially tall or especially short, you might be running up against either extreme in terms of fit.
As for my sizing... good catch... I didn't phrase that too well.. what I meant to say is is that if you're a tall individual, the Helix is probably one of your better choices for a folding bike because of its larger and stiffer frame, but if you're much taller than me, it could still be a challenge. For me, what I meant regarding the 1 to 2 cm accommodation isn't the vertical height of the stem itself, but the stem extension (protruding an angle outwards in front of the stem) for the handlebar. Mine feels just a tad too short and maybe just shy too low for me to extend my arms to the exact position I want - it's okay, but maybe I want just a bit more. A slightly longer extension that is at a slight higher angle and just a couple centimetres longer should do it. This should not affect the fold because the stem extension protrudes outward from the fold position. This isn't the first bike that I feel this way about either. For lack of better terms, the "cockpit" seems a tad compressed. It could be that for me, my torso is a bit longer, so my height is distributed through my legs and torso, not less through just my legs.
My seat post height is more than adequate. On my Brompton, however, I got the extended seat post.
And back to height... I think it depends on where you go in Europe! I visit there for business periodically, and while I'm not the tallest, I'm tall enough. At least to take pictures overtop of most crowds. LOL