Hi all,

Been riding a 20″ fury for a while now and am starting to think it’s too small for me. (I’m 6’4).

Got a mate to take side picture of me on bike, basically wanting your opinion.
Is my bike too small for me??

*this might be fueled by me wanting a new bike..

29er time fella…

*dons tin hat and ducks*

I’d say yes, it is too wee.

Get a 29er, see stoner’s posts.

29er time fella…

I’d actually agree tbh. You’d look in proportion on a 29er.

You sir, look similar to a performing bear on an undersized bicycle. I also suffer from this.

29er fixed it though.

Agree, top tube length looks too short for starters.

i’m not sure it’s too small but you are certainly the top of the height range and the next size up might be a better fit.

You look like a monkey on a mangle. Get a bigger bike or sell some of your tallness to me.
Are 29er frames bigger than 26ers? Cos if not, your’e gonna look like youv’e got big wheels on a frame thats too small. Your standover might be better but your’e still gonna look cramped.

IMO, only

Saddle looks too far forward but difficult to see given pedal position. Top tube does look a little short though. I have the same problem with mine and feel a little upright but find it nimble on technical stuff. I was looking the other day for a fitment guide and read that the handlebar reach would be about right if you put your elbow against the tip of your saddle and then your forefinger should be at about the midpoint of your stem. Don’t know if it’s reliable or not so would be interesting to see others’ responses on that!

Hmm, looks like you all agree.

I was exploring the 29er route but still not sure. Would it actually aid my riding (being tall) or just make me look more in proportion?

I have also been considering a nerve xc in xl (even though their tool suggests a large…!)

Why are you on a kids bike?

Saddle is as far back as it goes, it’s just over the max limited in fact. And I believe the stem is 100mm.

Are you sure that’s a 20″ frame? It looks too small! Photo angle could be playing tricks etc.. but seat. tube and head tube look wee!

Looks tiny, as per the above posts

Looks too small for you. Can you borrow a larger sized bike from a mate to try out?

Are you sure that’s a 20″ frame? It looks too small! Photo angle could be playing tricks etc.. but seat. tube and head tube look wee!

Second that!

TT/HT/ST are way too small on that to be 20″ frame

Go ride a 29er, beg, borrow, steal, demo…you’ll know once you’ve slung a leg over it 😉

20″ frame? Looks more like 20″ wheels! The more i look at that photo the more it looks like a really tiny bike.

Looks too short.

That’s nothing to do with 29ers though I understand that for some, the way their bike looks is the most important thing to consider, particularly in the car park 😉

(clubber, rider of 26 and 29″ mtbs who’d hate to limit himself to just one type)

Are you too shy not to include your noggin in the pic ??

That in my opinion is NOT a 20″ frame, it just looks all wrong.

Lol, I can assure you its a 20″ frame. Attached another photo taken from lower, might be that first photo making it seem so small.

Anyone here got much experience with an xl canyon nerve who is also around 6’5?

I’ll take your word on that, but the frame proportions look all out to me, short top tube etc.

You must have a long torso and short legs because you dont have much post showing.

You need something with a longer TT.

How much standover do you have?

I’m the same height as you. I run with a 600mm distance from front / nose of saddle to centre of bars. Curious to know what your setup is? Looks a little short.

Yes my mate is around 6ft 5in. He had a Canyon Nerve AM. Big bike. He now has a 21in Trek Superfly 29er.

Distance of saddle to centre of bars is 570. I have a 35″ inseam. If only 29ers were cheaper.. Don’t seem to get much for your money.

Lol, I can assure you its a 20″ frame. Attached another photo taken from lower, might be that first photo making it seem so small.

Anyone here got much experience with an xl canyon nerve who is also around 6’5?

A post on this forum from last month has the Fury TT length at 604mm on a 20″. No idea if that is right or not. A Nerve XC 20″ has a 620mm TT and an XL 650mm.
Im 6’1″ and ride a large Nerve XC which works for me. You’re best off seeing if someone local has one that you can sit on I guess.

Standover wise that looks ok to me but it looks way way way too short in the top tube and the headtube looks a little short/front end too low.

Don’t forget there’s 2 kinds of 20″ frame

20″ centre (of BB) to top (of seat tube)
20″ centre (of BB) to centre (of cross bar)

The latter is often effectively an inch or two bigger.

I think at your height for XC use I’d definitely be looking at 29″ wheels as an alternative.

EDIT: I haven’t ridden one yet myself so speaking from an interest not experience perspective (and I’m way shorter than you).

You are al from police squad and i claim my five pounds.

Oh, and go and get a bike that fits uou.

indeed, bear on a clown 20″ inbred, before 29ers existed 🙂

21″ Scandal, luverly. Also ride 19.5″ Ti29er.

Further to my earlier comment, If the OP gets a 20″ frame with 29″ wheels, will the frame be the right size for him?
Serious question because I’m still trying to get my head around all the fuss with 29ers.

Hub to tyre OD is 13″…
Now compare that to BB to centre of top tube…
That looks more like an 18″ to me. Plus them Carrera’s are pretty short anyway. Something like a 20″ Inbred or Soul would feel better.

I’m 5’9″ & had an 18″ Inbred, now on medium Niner. Both a perfect fit.

I would say a20″ frame will be too small with either 26 or 29 wheels . You ride the same size 29er as you would 26″ unless you read MBR who tell you that you need to go up a size when riding a 29er and then put their 6ft 4 tester on a L frame Scott , still they think/hope it’ll all go away ha ha .

Stick a man on a 29er and he looks like a boy again. Neat trick Stoner 😀

Does it feel small when you’re riding it? Leg room looks ok but it’s really short up front. I can’t imagine a lot of thought went in to that frame other than a taller seat tube.

Seeing as you’ve already thought about getting a new bike and it’s officially spring…

Yes it does feel small. Served me well as a starter bike but I think it’s time to move on. Time to consider my options.

I agree, TT is too small. Do you think going from a 605 to a 650TT would be too much of a jump?

My riding is mainly the trails around surrey hills and swinley by the way.

esselgruntfuttock – Member
Further to my earlier comment, If the OP gets a 20″ frame with 29″ wheels, will the frame be the right size for him?
Serious question because I’m still trying to get my head around all the fuss with 29ers.

29er or any other wheel size has nothing to do with fit at least certainly not in this instance. His 20″ frame is too short. Other 20″ frames are longer. You could build a 26″ wheeled bike with a 16″ seat tube and a 30″ top tube and it’d then be too long.

This thread is confirming to me that people care more about how their bike looks than how it rides.

You dont need a 29er, just a frame thats the right size.

This thread is confirming to me that people care more about how their bike looks than how it rides.

Having seen you bikes clubber, I know what camp you are in. 😉

It might be a good time to get a proper ‘bike fit’ done.

Find out what position you need for the various contact points and then find a bike that delivers them.

Wheel size will make an aesthetic difference (and a dynamic one, too) but in terms of bike fit it’s irrelevant.

I agree, TT is too small. Do you think going from a 605 to a 650TT would be too much of a jump?

You also need to work out the relationship with the seat/bars. You mentioned that the seat was as far back as possible, so if that moved forward 10mm, and you ran a shorter stem (say 80mm) you’re real TT has moved from 605mm to 635mm, so now only a 15mm increase.

But tbh once you ride the right size you’ll suddenly realise the difference it makes, IME the ability to climb and put effort in as you are able to ‘open’ up you chest – different world.

+1 proper bike fit – there use to be a US based website where you could put in all your dimensions and it would recommend frame/fit dimensions. Here you go:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

I found it after I’d got my bike right, and then on measuring it was pretty near to where I’d got to 🙂