Have they reached a plateau? With the 29er and 650b now out that makes us look bell ends if your under 6 ft Have they run out of ideas? Will it all backfire on them? I don’t normally buy the magazines but I stopped and had a look through one the other day and couldn’t believe how much they’re pushing 29ers! I understand they might be better for xc or if your 6 ft 4, but is xc what the majority of riders do?

I think the Industry is taking the piss out of everyone under 6ft! 😆

Shortarse…

Zzzzzzzzz. Put a sock in it shorty.

No she’s right, the Industry is taking the piss.

but is xc what the majority of riders do?

Yes.

i agree! i don’t get why manufacturers are so determined to kill 26″ – if i were them i’d pushing as many wheel sizes as possible and trying to convince people that we all need a number of bikes with different wheels for different terrain. large wheels and small frames just look strange to me, but i know plenty of people 6’+ and 29er wheels make total sense for them.

having said that, i reckon we’ll see a huge marketing push for 66.040cm and 73.660cm wheels soon leading to angry mobs dragging anyone who dares to ride wheels with imperial measurements from their houses at dawn and beating with giant metric spanners.

I’m under 6ft, I think those afraid of being so are taking the proverbial with every heightist post they spew

Oh just what we needed, another 29er troll thread.

Well done Op for sticking your head above the parapet, mind you dont fall off that ladder! 😉

I genuinely think 29ers have come of age in terms of geometry. I was a fairly early adopter with a rigid inbred 29er, but never caught the bug from it.

This new breed of slack heads and short back ends has really got it sorted, however IMO. All the advantages of the big wheels, with none of the disadvantages of some older designs.

In November I was riding a 26er HT and FS … they’ve been replaced with 29ers now.

Oh shit! I forgot to put my trademark under me post! Sorry chaps! 😀

Pussy.

I thought we were still all mountain?

26 for life here.

What I dont get (as a short arse) is why I should pay the same price for my frame as lanky gits 😈

Halfords has a massive selection of tiny tiny bikes, admittedly most have peppa pig or fireman sam stickers on them but have you tried there?

Cannondale used to spec their Small womens road bikes with 650c wheels then 700c in the larger frames.

I thought this was a good system.

There is nothing wrong with any of the wheel sizes in there ideal applications. I think this will come through in a year or so. The magazines are just jumping on the latest bandwagons so they look fresh and with it.

Yeah, good point! My 16 incher should be cheaper than the lanky **** riding 20’s

I’m going to lobby it 😉

The ONS said the average man in England was 5ft 9in (175.3cm) tall and weighed 13.16 stone (83.6kg).

Fat bastards!

Rob, 5′ 7 3/4″ 10stone 2pounds – not less than average, just different 🙂

Pussywillow – Member

…is xc what the majority of riders do?…

by a country* mile, yes.

rambling by bike innit, shortarse.

(*see what i did there?)

Actually the oposite is true. How common is a medium/ large frame. You try finding a 22″ full suss frame then moan.
sound familure?

Regardless of wheel size, frame sizing seems to have become more restricted over the last few years.

My better half likes a frame with a 21.5 inch top tube, which was easy to get from almost any manufacturer until recently.

For example, she wanted to replace her 2004 kona kula 26 “, but for the last 3 years their smallest [14”] frame has a 22′ top tube which is too long. This is from a company famous for offering a wide range of sizes!

After about a year of searching, she managed to pick up a 2010 kona kula deluxe bargain from CRC and is delighted. I’m sure someone will point out that manufacturer x still does the size she was after, but she’s a bit of a snob when it comes to bike aesthetics / brand etc, [nothing wrong with that] and almost any bike she liked the look of had gone too long in the TT

At the other end of the scale, It amazes me how many 29er and 650 b bikes top out with a 19 or 20 ” seat tube, which can leave an awful lot of seat post sticking out, and limit seat post choice if you’re 6’4″ or above. So much for them suiting taller riders. If you need a 21 inch seat-tube, there seems to be more choice in amongst 26″ frames.

Daft.

Have you tried Islabikes ?
They even have a little test track.

😉

5’9″ here, on a medium SIR.9
They dont all ride the same you know.
If your near me your more than welcome to have a spin.

Really?!? Grow up. 😉

The ONS said the average man in England was 5ft 9in (175.3cm) tall and weighed 13.16 stone (83.6kg).

Woo hoo I’m above average!

Lets be Honest here Short people are just an annoyance and an evolutionary throwback…

They’re always asking you to get things off high shelves, whingeing that the only clothes that fit are children’s (which are both Cheaper AND have cool stuff like Spongebob and Transformers on! So I can’t really see the issue there) or complaining if you use their conveniently low heads to rest your pint on in a busy pub…

What really bugs me though is that the various efforts of all the Evil Corporations of the world have simply failed to wipe out these paranoid dwarves that are holding the rest of society back.

Between airbags that explode in their faces, poorly fitted clown bikes bikes, slightly bigger gaps at the edges of train station platforms and tumble driers they can fall into and be slow cooked by accident, we should have wiped almost all of them out by now.

Lets be Honest here Short people are just an annoyance and an evolutionary throwback…

They’re always asking you to get things off high shelves, whingeing that the only clothes that fit are children’s (which are both Cheaper AND have cool stuff like Spongebob and Transformers on! So I can’t really see the issue there) or complaining if you use their conveniently low heads to rest your pint on in a busy pub…

What really bugs me though is that the various efforts of all the Evil Corporations of the world have simply failed to wipe out these paranoid dwarves that are holding the rest of society back.

Between airbags that explode in their faces, poorly fitted clown bikes bikes, slightly bigger gaps at the edges of train station platforms and tumble driers they can fall into and be slow cooked by accident, we should have wiped almost all of them out by now.

Yes but having a girlfriend who is only 5 foot when I’m 6 foot does have it’s advantages –

– she’s easy to carry home when she’s pissed (usually in a carrier bag or rucksack)
– she’s far easier to hold under the duvet when I’ve farted than, erm, larger models <EDIT – HAVE BEEN…!!>.
– I can rest my pint on her head in the pub.
– Nagging goes hypersonic, so far from bothering me all the dogs in the neighbourhood start throwing themselves under buses.

What I dont get (as a short arse) is why I should pay the same price for my frame as lanky gits

And why don’t gingers have to pay more for everything than anyone else??

Don’t worry they still make bikes for those of a limited stature.

What I dont get (as a short arse) is why I should pay the same price for my frame as lanky gits

In your case you’re paying for the added lightness, which us lanky gits have to buy a more expensive bike to get 😀

It’s the opposite. The cycling industry has been taking the piss out of tall people since penny farthings fell out of favour. Cramped top tubes, too small frames, needing seat post extensions. You midgets have had it easy for far too long. 🙂

Yep, It’s the opposite.
Biggest Patriot is 18″
You should see the amount of seatpost sticking out to make one pedalable up hill by someone at 6’3″
Longest post I can find and it’s at the minimum insertion mark.

Short people are just an annoyance and an evolutionary throwback…

But we were so glad of you sniper fodder 6+ footers in the trenches 🙂

Here’s what I’ve been thinking, if your S bike comes with say 140mm forks, then surely my XL should come with 170mm forks, and 29inch wheels (for the same price mind) 😉

You are all correct of course there are still advantages to being a shorty, mostly economic.

-You can just saddle up and ride ride a large dog instead of having to pay top dollar for a Pony or Horse.

-In the event of a fire you have more time to escape as smoke collects at higher levels choking lofty long before you.

-A Single bed is like a king size for you, again saving money.

-You’ll always be able to find work as a Chimney sweep, Circus freak, Munchkin or Specialist porn star.

-A happy meal is plenty big enough to last a week (more money saved)

-Cheaper to get drunk (saving cash again)

In fact thinking about it stop bloody complaining about the cost of your freakishly small bikes, in almost every other aspect of life being diddy saves you money…

I’m 5’10” and thus about “Average” meaning I’m in the group that eat’s and drinks normal sized portions and seldom get’s discounts like those at the freakishly tall or short ends of the scale seem to, simply because of their odd sizing.
You all know what I’m talking about example:

Hurrah! the Helmet I want is available with a 70% discount!
Oh no forget it, the discount only applies if my head is sized either like a Satsuma or a Watermelon…
I am penalized yet again for being normal.

We are the “Squeezed Middle” and we are losing out to Natures freakish mistakes of scaling in almost every area of life! We demand Equality!

Don’t forget VAT free clothing…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFmv22ghzQw

A Mr Newmans contribution to the debate.

Willow, is that you?

OP – stop whinging and ride yer bike. At 5’7″ my MEDIUM El Mariachi is perfect.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OJiB2BGaoc[/video]
😀

My better half is 5’2″ and her new love is a 29er Anthem W. She’s been riding for years and tried a friends at xmas. She’s more confident riding drops and steeps and is a pain to try and keep up with.
I hate it.