Currently looking for a new 140-160 travel bike. I’ve narrowed it down but only one bike has decent standover clearance. The others are a literally a little touch and go.

So how important is having an inch or two of clearance ? Should it define my bike choice.

To me, makes very little difference as long as I’m not being held off the ground by my plums when I stop the bike

Never risked it.

Being able to dismount risk free seems pretty important.

I like low standover, it’s usually more or less irrelevant imo but every so often you want to get off in a real hurry and it’s nice when there’s not a tube in the way. But it wouldn’t be a big factor in choosing as long as it’s “low enough”.

The other thing is minimum seat height, the two can be connected… Now to be fair not everyone likes slamming the post down low but my mate’s Mondraker just doesn’t have enough drop for me. I could live with the top tube but not the high seat.

depends what your riding, I imagne for a 140-160 travel bike youll be wanting to send it, shred all that gnar etc so it probably is quite important

it is for me anyway

I dont reckon it makes any difference at all to the ride, it’s about perceived confidence should you need to step / jump off

It’ll only matter once… 😳

Being able to dismount risk free seems pretty important.

[genuine question]
in what scenario? More often than not when it’s all going tits up I’ll be trying to find a safe way out of the front door rather than the side
[/genuine question]

The other thing is minimum seat height, the two can be connected… Now to be fair not everyone likes slamming the post down low but my mate’s Mondraker just doesn’t have enough drop for me. I could live with the top tube but not the high seat.

^ This…spot on for me

Only just got enough nut clearance on my Fargo…
A smaller frame would’ve felt cramped in the top tube..
I think.. 😳

legend – Member
Being able to dismount risk free seems pretty important.
[genuine question]
in what scenario? More often than not when it’s all going tits up I’ll be trying to find a safe way out of the front door rather than the side
[/genuine question]

few weeks ago down a trail with a small (50cm) drop off at the bottom

1st mate went launched it I was more timid turned out the small puddle at the bottom was a wheel sucking bog, nearly stopped me short threw me forward and onto the top tube, only the low standover on my frame saved me, mate following with not such a low top tube did same as me but bounced off his nuts, went over the bars, broke his new garmin, ripped his jacket and bent his rear mech, which folded into his back wheel taking out a load of spokes on the next climb, all for want of few cm of standover

The standover height on my Medium frame was a little ‘tight’.. fine for most of my normal trails but on steep, techy (i.e slow) sections in the Sierra Nevadas on holiday it made it very tricky if you stalled (and getting going again!) especially with a bit of exposure! Now down-sized to a Small frame..

it’s medium sized frame bikes that I’ve been trying. In the models I’ve looked at the small doesn’t have any lower a standover, just a shorter reach.

For a mountain bike it’s an important consideration IMO – although 2 inches of sack clearance doesn’t sound too bad. Depends on how you ride – if you’re pushing things, riding difficult stuff, throwing the bike around a bit, then coming off the bike / bailing out is pretty common. High top tube doesn’t help here.

I asked the same question on here about a cross bike I was looking at – where I’d be doing none of those things above. Ended up getting it and it’s a lovely ride, completely forgotten about the clearance being a bit snug.

it’s medium sized frame bikes that I’ve been trying. In the models I’ve looked at the small doesn’t have any lower a standover, just a shorter reach.

Look at a different frame?

br
thats why I’m asking the question one of the frames has a different design and no problems with standover, other one is a bit tight. Just trying to decide if that should be the deciding factor.

High top tube doesn’t help here.

It certainly doesn’t but I can’t personally think of one sack smashing incident that’s been helped or hindered by the baw-clearance my bike of the time has had. DH and trail bikes included.

Generally my issues have had my feet blowing off the pedals and getting dragged (nothing is going to help here) and smashing my nuts off the stem due to a sudden stop.

Never ever thought about standover clearance. Isn’t that what they go on about for commuting at cycling proficiency at school>

Slow speed techie stuff OP.

17″ Orange 5 plenty on those and still long enough in the TT

What’s stand over height????