I’m looking to get a new hardtail frame at some point to strip my trek fuel ex components onto as i’m a bit over full sus at the moment. I’m pretty sure I want either a Stanton Slackline or a Cotic Bfe.

The trick seems to be that being 5,11 which i always thought was a very average height puts me right between sizes! In my head its always been right to choose the slightly smaller frame especially for hardtails. But now with all this talk of long bikes with short stems etc i sort of wonder if i’v had this backwards.

My heart wants a Slackline, but the sizing really confuses me here, the 16 has a 23 in effective TT, the Bfe medium is 23.25 i think and the 18 Slackline is 24 ETT.

I’m aiming for something ‘enduro’ ish I suppose. Its going to be thrashed and jumped with a 140 mmm Fox 36 up front and big tyres.

I know a few people on here have slacklines and cotics are always popular, so has anybody ridden both and happen to be around 5,11 got any advice?

dave

Take heigh, inside leg, torso length and arm length into account too.

And reach and seat angle

A lot when you’re on the edge of either comes down to personal preference.

I used to prefer a smaller bike, then my last few have been Large rather than Medium, now a medium feels like a kids bike and large feels ‘right’ to me.

Previous bikes have included a 2003 Marin hardtail (one of the ‘trail axc’ ones) a new shape 26er Heckler and the current bikes which are a trek fuel ex9 which is an effective 17 i think they called it and a ‘medium’ charge duster from 2011 ish i think.

The marin was awesome, loved that bike, heckler felt short an nervous especially jumping (dh kind ajumps not dirt jumps), the trek is great but doesnt feel very stable and the charge is also awesome. Though that doesnt get airtime as i’m scared of the carbon fork and my terrible landing skills!

So what do the other measurements really affect? I’m having hardtime relating geometry sheet numbers to how bikes feel.

If that makes sense!

Try measuring what you have, compare and contrast. But with lots of variables like angles in there its tough.

Compare the geo chart with the bike you have with the one you want, bearing in mind that not all geo charts are created equal.

At 5’11” I’d have said you were firmly in large territory most of the time.

And remember for a bike like the Slackline, it’s fit stood up, when you’re doing what it’s made for, that matters, not seated.

It’s a fair point that the move to longer TTs and short stems (a good thing I think) does remove the option of using 20mm give or take of stem length to tune fit. Quite right really as stem length is a handling variable it never should have been a fit variable on MTBs IMO.

I’m a hair under 6′ and I ride a large slackline with a 40mm stem. Medium would be way too small for me. Slacklines have a relatively slack seat tube which makes for quite a short reach when stood up on the pedals.

In my head its always been right to choose the slightly smaller frame

Your head is wrong.

5’10 here, had a 18″ Slackline, was worried it would be too big (or long, rather) since I had only owned the equivalent of medium bikes before (including a Soul, btw). Turns out it was a great fit with 45mm stem. I think the new trend of sizing up rather than down if you’re between sizes makes sense. HTH.

I’m 5’9 and ride a 16.5 slackline. I love it, it’s easily the best hardtail I’ve owned. However it is on the cusp of been to short for me. If I was any taller I’d want the 18. Hope that helps.

Cheers guys! Especially bongobob, svalgisand stevet1 for the firsthand experience. I’m coming around to the size up and run a proper length stem (40-50mm)

Many thanks!