just penny for your thoughts here guys.

I find going backbehind saddle really cumbersome . When riding proper steep stuff , with long reach bike i end up having way too much weight on my bars , making me feel uncomfortable and even less confident to attack the trail , as I get tired a lot faster as I have to soak up bumbs through my arms/ upper body a lot more but with my previous bike I had much better stand on bike taking most of impacts through my legs – the way it should be to keep safer and also faster.
I’ve been riding this new bike for about 6 months now , and for comparison with my previous bike reach 657mm now , 640mm before , same handlebar and stem on both bikes. What are your thoughts on this subject ?

I’ve only got a few bikes to compare in the mix, but i bought a Kona Process 153 from a nice chap on here and just hated it, everything about it really. That was the new modern school geo, i replaced it with a 2015 Whyte T-130Sx which is the year before they went crazy long in the TT/reach too, i absolutely LOVE it,… It has the slack head angle, but isn’t a weird riding position at all. It’s superb.

When I see comments like this I look at how long 17mm is, and think about how much that compares to the distances you shift about in riding position on a mtb. How much is that likely to contribute to the feeling of 2 different bikes, with all the other variables going on?

I bought a bike with shorter top tube I find its easier to manoeuvre. Lots say the companies bike ‘come up short’. Whats best depends on the rider.

You can remain more centred on a longer bike with, you don’t kneed to shift your weight as far back, so you need to adapt your riding style slightly to get the best out of them.

If you shift your weight back too much you will be unweighting the front wheel and losing traction.

It is a subtle change but can be hard to reteach yourself if you have years of automatically shifting your weight back all the time.

If you shift your weight back too much you will be unweighting the front wheel and losing traction.

isn’t that the opposite of what will actually happen?

Bike too big?

Totally agree with MSP, on the likes of my old Heckler, and the various hardtails before, I was regularly over the rear wheel on steep stuff, I only ever do it now as a reaction on a new trail, but it’s a reaction, I try not to do it.

On most of the steeps at the likes of inners and Ae, there is usually a turn straight after a steep section, too far back and I won’t make that turn, as MSP says, no weight over front wheel = no traction.

Like anything, I guess the answer is, ‘it depends’.

As a gravity racer, I like the long, slack, low theory. However not to the extreme. Stuff like the Nicolai’s/Mondrakers etc, i’ve tried & really don’t get on with.

They force you to ride in a certain way to make the bike work properly IME.

I’ve never adopted it, due to having long legs and short torso – possibly why a Capra seems to suit me

It’s definitely a more aggressive position (long) forcing you onto the fork, which let’s it work and improving traction on the front tyre. Is it possible that your fork isn’t set up properly? Are you wanting to back off because it’s diving or is it taxing because the front end is too stiff? What you mention about a centralised weight isn’t new and some folks are doing this, Geoff Apps, Jones and I believe the Stooge geometry draws on this too. As things get faster and gnarlier riding the front seems to be the way to go.

My XL RocketMax has a reach of 463.31. WTF are you riding that’s 200mm+ more than that – a tandem? 😀

OP probably means ETT, but even so a 640mm ETT is bang on trend for long low slack, 657mm is on the extreme end of the current scale.

I find with a long reach bike you just don’t need to get off the back so much. I’m able to keep a more central position.

I’ve gone from a 125 to a 150mm dropper on my medium process 153 and I think this helps too, I’d like to try a 170mm.

Did take a while to get used to it but I’m riding steeper stuff faster on this bike than I did on my old short tt DH bike, let alone the trail bike it replaced.

I had a go on Gotama’s Geometron G13 and found it a bit cumbersome at 530mm reach. It was filthy conditions though and he motors on it. Bought a Trek Fuel Ex with 485ish reach. Love it. But I’m over 6’3″. Don’t know what this proves. Not much I would have thought. Oh look, a squirrel!

+1 for fork setup too, maybe that’s why all the luftkappe type mods are also popular- helps with more grip at first and less divey

Isn’t being more centralised on the bike on the steeps a good thing for more overall control? Often see skilled riders adopting a pretty neutral position on steep gradients, whereas the less skilled, like me, would intuitively want to hang off the back.

I reckon hanging your aris out the back, so to speak, shouldn’t be a regular occurrence. Only for silly steep stuff that you’re prob taking slow.

I’ve got so pissed off with modern frames I test rode and ordered a Jones on Monday.

I love longer frames. My Aeris has a reach of around 490. Feel miles better uphill and down. I like my pinnacle miles more than my 45650b because it’s longer (and lighter, and lower front).

It’s not for everyone but I love it. Had a couple retro bikes and sold them now as I felt like I was riding my kids bikes. If I was into jumps and stuff I’d probably go shorter but for what I do these bikes are great.

I’m kind of confused about this whole thing. So far I think I prefer moderate frame reach but long front centre geometry.

Running a 50mm stem and 810mm bars makes my 430mm reach frame feel plenty big enough but never stretched and then the 64 deg head angle and 160mm fork sticks the front wheel well in front of the bars.