Ok, so today i rode the new Orange R8, 17" frame and 100mm travel fox forks, bike fits perfectly but the 100mm travel is less than what i want.
So im building up an Orange P7, with 125mm travel (was 140mm but shorted the forks travel), i went for a 17" frame as i thought that would be the right size. But when sat next to my XC bike it looks massive, im really worried the bike is going to be too big, but then when i look at smaller frames say 15" there is very little difference only a cm here and there, so am i worrying over nothing?? and im guessing no matter what frame size i have 15 or 17 the bike is going to look big as the front end is bigger??
Im about 5ft6 ish 30" leg, my Full bouncer is a 15.5, currently the P7 gives me no clearance but saying that my smaller trek doesn't ethier!
I have a 17" 05 P7 and used to have a 17" 07 P7. Both felt spot on and I'm around 5'10". Although looking at the orange website, this years P7 looks a little short in the TT (probably something to do with the steeper ST), 580mm ETT compared to ~610mm for my 07, and 592mm for my 05. Orange change the geometry and TT length on most of there bikes every year! So there's only one way to be sure and thats to find a 15" to throw a leg over.