[Closed] If you were inbetween frame sizes - would you go up or down?

Down, except for motorbikes! 🙂

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Tracey

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Awesome - I know I said it had no bearing - but it's nice when people say what you want to hear! 😀

resists lowering the tone........

After going down last time, I'd probably go up this time, so long as the jump wasn't too big. I think I was best to stick to a large with the last bike given the XL was so much longer (compared to the jump from medium -> large)

At least with a longer frame you don't have to shove the seat back, especially with a full suss where it'll sit back into its travel a bit more going uphill, not having the seat over the back helps with seated climbing I reckon
You can often loose the extra unwanted toptube length off of the stem

A long(ish) stemmed, seat back, short top tubed bike I know I don't get on with too well
With a short toptubed bike, trying to stick a short(ish) stem on, you'll end up shoving the seat back, which would be okay if you didn't do a lot of steep/techy climbs I reckon, but I've not got on with that sort of setup before

Ignore him /\ /\ /\

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I'd agree with James & go up as you can always lower your seat post but can't raise it past its max.
I feel like I'm sat 'on' a 17" bike but more sat 'in' a 19" which feels better to me.
To short in the effective top tube can feel twitchy on fast decents.

with my old bike I went up a size and regretted it, so have now gone down and find it much easier to get it in the car.

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It's a toughie really and depends alot upon the frame.

I went up with a Chameleon and a Soda. It was the right choice with the Chameleon and wrong choice with the Soda.

Top tube is the best measurement though, not frame size.

After going down last time

😯

What I did last year was find a different brand that fitted me, but if your heart is set on this one, then down.

I'd prefer to go down but its probably be better to go up...thats based on effective TT: I hate having too short a reach and there's only so much you can add with a longer stem or layback seatpost before it screws up handling.

oops double post

Please don't explain what you did with your Cove bike in this thread.

I have had the short seatpost problem and fitting a longer one didn't make the bike feel right so for me its up

Thanks guys - yep Daffy I totally agree about tt length being the important one. There's not much in it eitherway and standover is fine on both - I think I'll probably go for the smaller 'more chuckable' frame with an 80mm stem (my current frame is slightly longer but I have a 70mm stem so can easily go up without affecting the handling too much)

Still, I'll see - I'm demoing the larger next week so I'll see how I get on - I'm not able to try the smaller one though, so I'm hoping it'll be obviously too big or perfect!

up

but im a teenager, and probably still growing

Depends.

Down for chucking around, up for long-distance comfort

I think it really depends on the TT, and a bit on the angles of the particular frame. Check on headtube length too.

I went down once, so to speak, and as much as I wanted it to fit me, eventually I had to face facts that it just didn't. Caused me no end of pains in my hands and arms and shoulders and in other more sensitive bits which, ironically, are the bits normally involved when going down has gone on...

I prefered the 'rad' looks of the smaller frame, and the chuckableness, but no matter what stems, forks, bars, and seatpins I tried it just wouldn't work.

Also, there is a tendency to feel a bit perched on top of a little frame. Which has a tendency to look ridiculous. And thus not be quite as rad as you thought it would.

Lots of people saying down. I would go up only from the experience of going down in size on a Kilauea in the mid 90s and regretting it every time my wonky ankles rubbed on the seatstays (i.e. every pedal stroke). I normally ride 19" and this was a claimed 18".

Try before you buy?

Down with a Thomson 410mm

I was recently went up a size (mostly due to TT length) and have to say I'm much happier now. I guess I wasn't as between sizes as I thought!

Go get a frame fit - because it depends on why you are "between sizes" - in practice we all are!

Alright alright - was only a light-hearted - 'out of interest' type of question! As I said above, I'll be demoing the larger frame next week so it's not as if I'm just going to order one online...

Anywhoooo, 'tis interesting that the general consenus is to go down - I do like chuckable frames, but we'll see - I might love the larger one!

having spent years stepping down, the last two frames ive had i went up, from medium to large. I have never felt happier on a bike. Top tube length, get that right and everything else just clicks into place. I used to think the smaller fram was 'more chuckable et etc'. It wasnt' it was just too small.

Yep, I agree - it's ALL about the TT, which as a short-ish woman doesn't make things easy! However, having done my reseach I'm pretty confident that one of these two will do the job nicely (there's really not much between them).

I've discounted plenty of others because of too long/short reach (although, having said that I'm demoing a bike over the weekend that's almost certainly too short for me :roll:, hey ho, it was booked weeks ago so can't cancel now!)

Hmm, having gone up and sold it after a year as I was never 100% with it I'd have to say find a frame that fits...

I demoed a medium and it was too small (it was right on the absolute limit). Don't think I could have lived with that either. - too short is what I mean it was fine otherwise...

That said I went down for a Cotic and its perfect (although also pretty much at its limit too!)

When I bought my Marin East Peak 11 years ago I went for the 17.5" despite only being 5'5". I just found the 15.5" too short. The frame design of that bike also meant I could go up a size without standover being an issue. My current hardtail is only a 15" but the virtual top tube is very similar to the Marin. So I would go for the size that was closest to giving me the virtual top tube I wanted provided that it also gave adequate standover.

Depends a bit on the frame, but generally on a mountain bike I'd say bigger with a shorter stem...

I went down years ago and the bike was just too small for me, then I went up and it just took a while until I got used to it but defo glad I did now.

I'd go up, every time.

Whatever you do though, don't ask a priest if it would be ok if you "went down" you may get more than you bargained for! 😆

Coat please!