Pretty much set on a medium Soul. Before I hit the buy button just wondering if any of you 6 footers out there ride a small? If so what sort of stuff do you ride on it?
Not going to be doing anything like 4x on it, it's for typical UK trail riding (twisty, rocky, rooty stuff, not too steep, smallish jumps and drops.)
I'm 5'8" and a medium was fine. Buy a medium
I'm 6' and I ride a large. Why on earth would you want a small??
Dunno if this will be any help, but I'm 5ft 9in and had a small Bfe (same geometry innit?) for a little while.
Would have been fine for a "play bike" but was too short for normal riding and I had to get rid.
I would have thought at 6' you would be debating med/large not med/small!
5'10 here - medium soul.
6' would be med/large territory.
I'm 5'10" and a med is perfect for xcish stuff, a small for a playbike
I'm 5'10" and ride a medium doing exactly what you describe - I much prefer that stuff to pedalling up hills. With the saddle at full XC height it looks pretty high up! I'd also considered a small because I like getting (small) air but am glad I didn't get one.
I'm 6'1 and rode a large and even that had a lot of seatpost out (I have longish legs).
Noooooooooo, LARGE. I'm 5'11" tall and ride a large. They were designed with a long top tube so you can use a short stem, 70mm on mine. I use it for technical singletrack, ie rocks and roots as you describe.
I know a guy who's a little shorter than me who rides a medium, seat right back, 90mm stem, moans that his 130mm fork is too long. He looks ridiculous, he doesn't have room to stretch so he can't breathe properly on the climbs and has no room to move around on the technical stuff.
5' 11" and a large is right size here.
Im totally flumoxxed as to why you would go for a small?
Have you seen pics of these built up? Im 6'1" and I make my large Soul look tiny.
Actually, what am I talking about, please buy a small and provide pics..
I'm 5'9ish and our large demo bike was just fine for me. They're small bikes - you would be cramped on a medium - small would just be silly.
I'm 6'2" and ride a medium with a 70mm stem and inline post. I love it like this and can't see what benefit the large would give me. Doesn't feel cramped at all (though my previous hardtail was a 16" Mk1 Chameleon!).
Any pics of you on the bike nixie. The guy I know with the medium must be about 5'9" and has 300mm + of seatpost showing.
5,11 and a half and ride a medium with 710 bars and 70mm stem and spot on. I was debating between a medium and large but leaning towards the medium. Cy popped up on the forum and firmly recommended that I go with the medium - no regrets in following that advice.
i'm 5'9" and rode a medium. My mate GavinB is 6' ish and rode a medium BFe - he said it was really a bit on the small side for proper XC rides
I'm 6'1 and have a large. Fits perfectly. Think even a medium would have been too small. Small, are you sure ? 
I'm 5'9" and ride a medium Bfe. that would suit you fine
no way someone 5'9 has that much post showing. I ride a 16.5" frame (its got a really long toptube, but the seattube is 1/2" smaller than a soul) with 300mm of post showing. For xc, that is perfect (could do with another inch for road use to get a leg fully straight). I'm 6'3
I'm 6'2.5" and my Large Soul is right on the limit of being too small. I have a 410mm inline seatpost with 300mm showing, and 3cm of spacers on the headtube (+ high rise bars).
Edit: Stem is 100mm so lengthwise it's fine, I'd just prefer it to be slightly taller.
Well based on other bikes I have the TTe on the medium is about right. Ride an 18" mmmbop with a 70mm stem and that's about right for me. See a lot of souls with very long seat posts so just wondering about the sizing.
Its odd - I used to ride a medium Soul at 5'8" and when enquiring about a BFe a while back, Cy seemed surprised I got on with a medium at my height! Certainly wouldn't have wanted it any smaller to be honest.
Another just under 6' riding a medium with 70mm stem, layback post and 695 bars.
I feel pretty much at the limit of the sizing. Definitely would not be happy on a small. Happy to 'get away' with a medium tbh!
i guess this thread just goes to show that sizing is very personal. I prefer bikes on the small side, other folks obviously like things large. I think its more about horizontal tt length than anything else though
Why not go to islabikes to get a bike? I'm sure they'll have one for you.
Any pics of you on the bike nixie. The guy I know with the medium must be about 5'9" and has 300mm + of seatpost showing.
Afraid not. I do have a 400mm post fitted, but I don't think I've got that much of it showing. I do ride with a slightly lower than XC saddle height as I found a sweet spot that allows me to get the power down on climbs, but does not compromise descending, meaning I no longer have to fiddle with saddle height on rides.
I'm 5'10" and a med is perfect for xcish stuff, a small for a playbikeI agree but is playing not allowed on your XC rides?
I can't imagine not messing around while out on any bike ride.but is playing not allowed on your XC rides?
Depends on your definition of playing.
The medium (Soda in this case) is pretty good at trail-ey playing (pings off lips brilliantly), but isn't something I'm particularly keen to sail off 6' drops or 20' gaps (not being able to get a replacement if I broke it doesn't help).
The small (BFe) is in its element on the stupid stuff - just much more planted when it gets really steep and the shorter wheelbase means it manuals easier and is more manouverable in real technical situations. No where near as fast point to point though (unless the finishing point is well below the starting one!)
please buy a small so we can all have a laugh!! 
for what its worth, I had a small specialised P3 (which is a 13" frame) as my only bike for 2 years, probably rode around 500 xc miles on it in that time (so not *loads*) and I was probably faster on it than I am now on an xc bike 
I just had to stand up whenever I wanted to go anywhere
Another one here - I'm 6' and ride a medium Soda (same geometry). I asked Cy before buying, and after some humming and harring, it seemed that the medium would be best: you can stick the saddle up for some all-day riding, and drop it for anything gnarrr. I love it.
I'm 5'10" with 31" inside leg and ride a medium with 120mm fork, 50mm stem, 685mm bars and layback post... Perfect size for singletrack/trailcentres etc, but on long XC rides, it feels just a little bit short...
If you're 6 foot and want to ride it everywhere, I would definately not get a small... It's much cheaper and easier to change a stem and post than a frame....
JMTPW
Gratuitous Soul shot:
Nice build. Got another bile for long xc rides, that's not what I want the soul for. Think it's a medium for me. Not too sure about those layback posts though!
Thanks mrblobby,
It was a fight between getting a layback post or getting a longer stem...the stem won... At 50mm it keeps the steering really sharp for singletrack riding... The layback's not so great for steep, in the saddle climbs, but with a 1x9 setup (36x11-34) I'm usually stood up mashing anyway...
HTH
You must log in to post.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
