miked528

Hey guys, I'm about to purchase a leftover 05 Jamis Durango SX mountain bike and am wondering what is the rule of thumb for proper fit. I know on a road bike you want about an inch of clearance between the top bar and your crouch. For a mountain bike I understand it's two inches. Is this about right? I have a thirt inch inseam and the bike is a 14 inch w/ a standover of 27.56. I think it should be a good fit. It's on ordr so I haven't ridden it yet. What do you guys think? Thanks

cyccommute 

For a 30 inch inseam a 14" bike is very small. A 14" bike is tiiiiinnnnnyyyyy! My wife, who is 5' tall rides a 13" mountain bike. My daughters ride 15" and they are 4 or 5 inches taller than their mother. For your height and leg length you should be looking at a 17" at a minimum.

khuon

You can't judge standover simply by frame size. You also have to take into consideration BB height which varies more on MTBs than on RBs. You also want to make sure there's enough TT length to accomodate your riding style. Some people prefer a longer TT so that they're a little more stretched out while others prefer a shorter one. Unlike with roadbikes, the MTB world really depends on how you like to be positioned on the bike given the terrain and riding style. Most XC riders prefer to be positioned lower and more stretched out while other riders tend to prefer a more relaxed and laid back geometry.

Elton

I had the same question about the KONA STUFF.... my inseam is about 30" I guess, and I'm getting the 'small' "stuff" (15")... yet I still have the option of getting the Large (17")... I ride mostly FS, DH, DJ... Am I doing the right thing here?

Matt

khuon

I have the same inseam size. I however ride primarily XC and would have picked the M (15.5") size for a Stuff. Well, actually a Stuff wouldn't be the right bike for that type of riding. However, for you, especially for DJ, I think you made the right choice. It's what I would have done. If you plan on doing a little more trail and maybe a little bit of XC then you might want to go with the 15.5" frame instead.

miked528

Really?? I got on a 17' and it was just rubbing me. I'm about 5'7 1/2 w/ again, a 30 inch inseam. How tall are your daughters?

roccobike

+1, I have a 30 inch inseam, both my Specialized MTBs, that were fitted at an LBS, are 17 inch frames. In each case the LBSs tried 19 inch frames first, but quickly moved to the 17 inch. I tried smaller frames too, but found my knees and legs were cramped.

Curtis_Elwood

I'd think a 17" is generally going to be on the big end for you. Get to a decent bike shop and have them properly size you. A 17" in one brand can be much different in another.

03SVTCobra

Yes, when I ordered my bike the salesman said it was a good idea to have 1.5-2" of clearance, but that it wasn't always a taletale sign because all frames are different. For example I ordered the 18" Haro V4, it fit me very well...but so did a Giant 19.5" and Iron Horse 17.5"

There is really no way to tell without going to the shop and having them size you up with the right bike, as mentioned above.

Portis

I'm guessing you would ride a 16 or 17".

miked528

Agreed!! I have a Fuji Sunfire MTB and that bike is a 19'. So obviously all brands are different. Now , like I stated above, the 17' Jamis was rubbing me. So when the bike comes in, I'll just have to check it out.

DirtPedalerB

the whole standover thing is a general rule.. I usually look at the stock seatpost.. adjust it so you have to stand on both tiptoes to stand up while you sit on it. If there is a alot of seatpost showing at this position and your real close to the min insert you usually need a size bigger. It's easier to tell if a bike is too big.. usually you can't stand over it at all or there is very little post showing. Also take a look at the top tube length. everyone likes there bikes a little different.

That being said a 14inch bike will probably be wayy small.

also you don't go by the size pants you wear you have to measure your body.. if your pants are a 30 inseam then your probably about 32" cycling inseam.

miked528

My inseam is a cycling inseam. I measured it by placing a book between my legs and measuring to the top of the book. It came out to be exactly 30 inch. I sat on the 17' bike and it was barely rubbing me. I'm hoping the 14' will be good.

DirtPedalerB

is there a size in between those?? I always try not to get stuck on one model. If I'm buying something I spend alot of time riding the fit is more important than the brand stuck on it.

miked528

Well the thing is that this model and the one underneath it, the Durango Sport, my LBS has them leftover from 05 and is giving me a great deal on either one that I choose. Problem is that they are both 14'. I really hope it's a decent fit because I'd hate to lose this deal.

cyccommute 

You be all leg, Dude My daughters are 5'4" and 5'5" but they are riding older bikes. Old bikes didn't have a high a headtube as current bikes do, nor did they have as long travel forks. Ride the 14" and see how it fits but be aware of saddle to handlebar length too. The 14" is going to have a rather short cockpit and might feel cramped. You can adjust that a bit with stem length if you have to.

Just make sure you are totally comfortable with the bike before you buy it. Trying to resize a bike is nearly impossible

cyccommute 

MOCKING ALERT....MOCKING ALERT

If a 17" is too big, then a 14' is going to be really big!

Sorry, just had a Spinal Tap moment You can now return to our regularly scheduled program and ignore the horse's ass.

achc

All frames have different geometry design. Some with the same seat tube length have different standover, etc. As you mention yourself miked528, 2" is min. Some people like more coz they don't want to HuRt themself when the fall. Remember 2" clearances is measure when you are on pavement, driveway, whatever. When you are on trails, the ground surface is uneven, there might be pot holes, etc. Or one of your wheels is on a rock or root, who knows. That can turn the 2" to -2". I am 5'8". I had a 17.5" Klein and it barly fits. My 16" GT seems ok. Now I have a 13" Santa Cruz. I tried 12.5" GT which was too small. If you are below 5'6", I wouldn't recommand a medium. If you are below 6', I wouldn't recommand a large. I know some people that are 6'3" and they ride a medium. Its fine. If the frame is a bit small, you can always get longer seatpost, longer stem, longer cranks, setback seatpost, etc.
How tall are you?

miked528

I'm around 5'7 1/2. I finally sat on the 14' bike and it seemed fairly comfortable with decent clearance. Couldn't ride it because of ridiculous rain we're having here. The 17' fits me like a normal bike. If it we're a cruiser, it would be perfect. With a mountain bike, that can't be the case. So it looks like I'm leaning toward the 14'. The thing about the 14' is that the top tube is ridiculously slanted. I'll know more tomorrow.

cyccommute 

Most mountain bikes have a sloped top tube. Look at mine below and that's for a 19" frame. It's not a problem really, because you get a tighter, stiffer and slightly lighter frame. For small frames it can be even steeper because the head tube has to come to the same height as every other bike for the fork. As you have already seen, fitting a moutain bike to a smaller person is become rather a chore. Think of what would happen if you were 7" shorter Not a lot of people are making 10" frames.

If the bike fits and you feel right on it by all means get it. One caveat, do make sure that you don't feel too bunched up on it. Small bikes have rather short top tubes. If you feel like the bars are too close, work a deal for a longer stem. It's a pretty easy fix but cheaper to get it right before yo leave the shop.

miked528

Thanks for the advice. It is a chore for us shorter folks. I didn't feel bunched up on it, so I think I'm going to get it. That's a nice bike you have. It's set-up very similar to my Sunfire, which I use as a commute now. I'll try and post pics when I get it.

top506

Geezzz, I'm glad I found this thread!
I'm a roadie with over 40 years on bikes over pavement who just picked up a 19" Sunfire and was wondering about the size; in road bikes I ride 22-23", am 5'8" with a 29" inseam.
Books are filled with what I don't know about ATBs.
Top

Killer B

My best gauge for sizing is definitely the "Stand-over" technique.
If the bike clearance is like a cheap hotel, and doesn't have any ballroom,
then it's too small, Dude... Simple as that