I tried an 18″ Alpine 160 up at Glentress a couple of weeks ago. Really quite liked it. With a 50mm stem and an inline post (saddle fairly far forward) it fitted pretty much spot on.

Except the standover was non-existant.

So, I’d like to try a 16″. I’m 5’10” and slightly longer in the upper body/shorter legged, and I want something I can ride all day on up and down (as well as DH and FR duties). the 16″ would certainly be awesome down, but I have a feeling it’ll be too short to climb comfortably – I wouldn’t want to put a longer stem on – the handling was pefect.

Thoughts?

…and does anybody know who has a 16″ Alpine demo bike, ideally in the S/East that I could take out for a day or 2 to ride somewhere steep?

The guys at Orange are always on the road, demoing their bikes. Just give them a call and see where they’ll be in the next week or two and what bikes they’ll have on board.

I didn’t think people worried to much about standover with full sussers? as long you can stand over it.

A mate demoed a 16″ 160 a few weeks ago. He’s about 6’1″ and it had a 70mm stem fitted.

We did a trip to llandegla and three rides around the dark peak including a cut gate loop.

He loved it and was annoyingly fast on it compared to his patriot. Plently of standover height and he did comment on it feeling longer than both his subzero and patriot.

We put it next to a 16″ five and it came out a little bit longer.

as long you can stand over it.

…that kind of being the issue…

Flat level ground, both feet on the floor = contact (only just, but it doesn’t leave much room for error when it gets steep)

I’ve already missed the Cycleworks demo day – thing is I don’t want to ride one in a gentle pootle round some easy trails. I want to be able to stick my own wheels (and possibly forks) on, my own pedals and saddle and go and thrash it up hill and down dale for 5 or 6 hours. I’m prepared to pay for the priviledge, but a 15min ride won’t hack it.

Edit – 6’1″ on a 16″??? Bmx-tastic 8O. And he could ride uphill OK on it?

Yep, he was climbing really well on it, although he is used to riding a 16″ subzero / patriot on all day rides. Long seatpost gives a pretty good position

was kitted out with floats/RP23/lightish wheels/tyres and can’t have been much more than 32lbs.

looks OK size wise to me