I adore my stooge, since May when I got it ridden it more than any other bike, but it hurts my knee and feels a tad small,……altered the seat post to more of a layback running a 70 mm stem but my knee still hurts,…..

So at what point do you say okay thanks time to go even though you like and enjoy so much about the ride quality?

I gave a Mountain Cycle Zen about 20 miles before stripping it and selling the frame. Horrible thing!

Don’t reckon a too small frame would give you sore knees.

I still haven’t given up on a bike that’s 2.5 years old (to me) and definitely on the short side. Maybe when I get the cash to change the frame out, but it’s a 26er so who knows when I’ll find something.

456C lasted a few months before I got rid.

Take it/yourself for a bike fit? They might be able to help you- not only with this bike but cycling in general.
Otherwise- talk to Andy. He might be able to help you with some custom Geometry. I know it’s certainly possible on his Ti bikes.

Lap Spicy 516 I gave it too long, I couldn’t equate gushing reviews with the twitchy handling pogo stick I had, I even had Mojo set-up the suspension for me. 8 Months after I bought it, it got nicked, I was gutted, but the cheap as chips year older 316 was infinitely better and in hindsight that wasn’t a great bike either.

Color that is not a bad idea re Andy……

I do not have the problem on my Yeti sb95 nor Ritchey p29 both are bigger bikes and I sold my 18.5 Rocky mountain element t 29 as it hurt my knee , again great bike.

The Stooge makes me laugh so much……and curse at the moment

Bought a second hand Fat bike, gave it 3 months, it wasn’t for me, lost 100 quid on it.

Took me 2 rides to decide I didn’t like my camber and a third to decide I hated it. And about 20 minutes to fall in love with a Soul.

But it’s not always so simple, I had my mmmbop for a good long time, first frame was too small and second was defective but the third one was good… But it always had things that bothered me and they slowly added up. I don’t think it was ever a keeper but that didn’t stop me enjoying it.

I gave my shand 16 months and three different bike fits but I just couldn’t get comfortable on it. So it had to go gutted tho 🙁

Going against the grain here, I had a Jones Spaceframe bike.

Just couldn’t get on with the rigid fork, even tried a fat front end, but knew it wasn’t for me. Didn’t last long.

Als had a Trek Fuel 650b carbon full suss.
Could never get the Trek tuned forks and rear shock to work for me. Also all the propriety sizes , press fit bottom bracket going creak, lasted a little longer , about six months but a bad pedal clip sending me flying off the bike was the final straw.

Trek or Specialized won’t be for me.

One ride was all it took for me to decide the ‘legendary’ Dialled Alpine was nothing special and had long been superseded by bikes like the 456-evo (which I also owned at the time), riding them back to back it was almost comically bad, the Alpine had once been considered the king of long-forked hardcore HTs but the 456-evo stomped all over it in every way, even the Reynolds 853 tubing of the Alpine couldn’t save it….things just progress I suppose.

it hurts my knee and feels a tad small,

You do cycling for fun I presume? Let it go and get something you can have more fun on.

I gave up on one bike after it tried to kill me 3 times.

Chaapking- the stooge is much bloody fun, challenging thought provoking ang engaging hence my Yeti 29 150mm front and 125 mm rear travel sits unused…..just hurts me knee

When a ride contains no PRs

I lasted two years on my Trance. Was a touch small but really chuckable descending so I enjoyed it enough to keep. Proper fitting bike turned out to be a much better idea

trying to climb in the Rockies (i.e. lots of climbing, not that much oxygen) on a Mk1 Nomad in the granny ring. Compressed the lower link effectively shortening the chain stay EVERY BLOODY PEDAL STROKE.

Sold pretty much as soon as we got back.

shorten your cranks?
worked well for me. i’m 5’8 or 9 with short legs and 175mm cranks were just too long. went to 170s and things got much better.
that combined with rolling the shit out of my muscles/ligaments around my knees after a ride. very painful but in a ggod way.
made a roller out of 80 or 100mm waste pipe wraped in old sleeping mat.

I act very quickly – often too quickly – when my feelings towards a bike or my needs change. I really only have room in my life for 2-3 bikes, so they need to be ones I enjoy.

Incidentally, OP, I had a Stooge for 6 months. It was absolutely great as a winter singlespeed; but I found that as the trails dried out and I upped my pace, I missed my suspended hardtails of old and went back to a Cotic Soul. If I had room, I’d have kept it – but it wasn’t an all-rounder enough for my needs.

Pace 303.
Brilliant if you wanted to thrash around like a Pit Bull on acid.

I’m not a Pit Bull, & Acid is something I take Gaviscon for.

Santa cruz blur trc 6 months never felt right dream bike too.

Very very quick. Less than 1month.

Everything else 2yrs.

Had a few I couldn’t get on with, Voodoo Wanga with paint that wouldn’t stay on the frame, Dialled Alpine that just felt dead and heavy, a Singular Hummingbird which never felt right but I couldn’t tell you why? A Kinesis Decade Versa that I really wanted to like but the seat clamp issues made me drop it quickly and a Cotic Soul that I chose the wrong size so it always felt too small. All bought as frames and then fitted out with my own kit, some nice bikes there and I realise I was probably a little fussy with a couple but when you get it in your head that it’s no good there’s no point in keeping them.

08 Specialized sx trail. Pitched as a do it all bike, but had the geo of an xc bike and heft of a DH bike. 3 proper rides.

GT pro 24 cruiser. Ride to shop at end of street and back again.

Blur LTc – one ride I think, and I paid full price for the frame, instantly regretted not getting a Tallboy

Worse was the 09 SX. I sold my Blur 4X for that to go to the Alps with. Still mad. The 4X would have rocked there

Still got my Pace 303 after ten years! Anyway, had a Klein Mantra for nine years. Loved it, until wife bought me a course showing how to ride off road properly. First time I got into the attack position for a corner, hovering over the saddle, the thing spat me off. Sold it within a week.

Evil Sovereign, 1 ride of 12 miles, just hated it

Why don’t you start another thread like – help with my knee pain

That will get some more specific answers, as so far you’re not much further forward

‘Bike-fits’ are for roadies

How tall and what inseam?

What’s that got to do with cleats position and float?