Now, I’m not going to be buying a 29er anytime soon. I’m quite happy with the bikes I have.

But:

Working in a bike shop it’s handy to know what fits you personally so you can relate to others. So to that end I’ve been trying any likely looking 29er for size.

Problem:

Any 29er that’s the right length for me is far too tall in the stand over. I have no clearance at all
Any 29er that’s got enough stand over room is way too short like a sit up and beg shopper.

I’m 5’8″. 30″ inside leg, so shorter than average but not a midget. A medium sized MTB normally fits me perfectly

So what’s the crack with the sizing on these things then?

I’m around your height with 32″ legs. I ride a m Salsa El Mariachi. A small would have felt too cramped.

Try some more frames, on all the 29ers I’ve tried the top tube and bb was the same distance from the ground as the same sized 26er and I ride the same sized 29er frame as I did 26er frame (6ft, 34leg, 19inch frame)
The bigger wheels don’t mean everything is higher up, it normally means a bigger bb-axle drop than a 26er..
My full suss 29er has a lower bb than my old full suss 26, and feels lower when I’m riding it..

16″ Inbred 853, then 16″ c456, now 16″ Scandal 29er. Just about 5′ 9″

Medium Cove Handjob, medium Genesis iO, medium Nicolai Helius CC all with 585/590mm top tubes. The first two with 90mm stems and layback posts, the latter with a 65mm stem & a Reverb

Now ride a medium Anthem 29’er and a medium Kinesis FF29 with 595mm & 600mm top tube respectively. They fit me just fine with bags of stand over, I’m 5’11” with a 32.5″ inside leg.

Anthem has a 90mm inverted stem with a layback post, FF29 has a 70mm zero rise stem with an inline post.

air 9 medium should fit you fine, quite low standover

Whyte t129 in large has a top tube of 631 and stand over of 811 fine for me at 6″ 2

5.11 – went from 19 26 frame (voodoo) to 17.5 29 frame (Solaris) with swap from 90mm stem to 80mm stem. (oh and my el Mar is 18)
All about the reach IME – depends on manuf

I’m the same size as you and my 16″ Scandal and medium Superlight fit perfect.

5’9″ / 31″ on medium SIR.9 here. Just feels so right. Fits better than any other 26″ or 29″ bike I’ve tried. Niner only make 29″ frames so they are the all knowing voice. Or something.
In fact, they have an all seeing eye in the sizing department. Plus, they burglarise your house to measure you, while you sleep.

air 9 medium should fit you fine, quite low standover

As above, I had the AIR 9 in a meduim and it was fine.

I’m 5’10 with about 32″ leg and all my 29ers have been a meduim.

My Niner RIP 9 had quite a high standover for a medium. I had an 18″ Scandal 29er which was brilliant, plenty of standover. My current Whyte T129-s is ok for standover, probably about an inch or so before the lads meet the bar 😀

Im my experience of 29er sizing the Ht’s are pretty good. Some FS can be a little high.

I tried a Santa Cruz Tall Boy LT and the sizing on that was all wrong for me. The medium was too small and the large was just massive, stretched right over and no standover at all.

It really should be the same as a 26er. BB will be in the same place as will bars and saddle. Maybe you just don’t fit Treks or what ever you are trying.

I’m the same overall height as you, but with a 31″ inside leg.

I ride a 17.5″ 29er with a 23″ effective top tube with a 90mm stem.

I also have a 17.5″ 26er with a 22.5″ effective top tube and a 100mm stem.

Both have inline posts and are a great fit.

I’m surprised you’re struggling on standover with a 30″ inside leg.

Do you have your jeans half way down you’re arris like some bike shop peeps? if so pull em up and try again. 😀

I’m 5’9 with 30″ inside leg so similar to you. I’ve got a medium 29er. If I stand over my bike the top tube is close to my crotch, so not a lot of clearance, but I really don’t see it as a problem, I never had much stand over height on 26ers I’ve had. I ‘m never really sure what the fuss is about stand over height and why having a lot of it is desirable or advantageous – or is it a fashion thing to enable you to wear your pants with your gusset hanging between your knees?

Ok. So there’s bugger all clearance then. Wonderful.

Never quite understood the need for loads of standover, so long as you’ve got enough clearance what’s the issue?

Exactly. But I haven’t. I have a bit less than zero. My road bike has more.

Really shouldn’t be any difference Pete. What bikes are you trying have to tried the same manufacturer in 26?

I have no clearance on road bikes I’ve had. The top tube is well and truly nestled into my crotch.

What bikes are you trying

This ^^

Give us an idea of what bikes you’re trying, don’t dismiss it just going off what you’ve tried on in the shop.

Really shouldn’t be any difference Pete. What bikes are you trying have to tried the same manufacturer in 26?

Mostly Treks, because that’s what we sell, so I need to know about the sizing but I’ve also tried a Whyte and a Ragley with little change.
Like I said in the OP, I have no intention of buying one anyway, but I thought as least I’d be able to get one to fit me!

Edit
Oh, and a Scott as well.

Give us an idea of what bikes you’re trying, don’t dismiss it just going off what you’ve tried on in the shop.

I don’t think you understand. I have to SELL THEM. I’m not buying one!

But you say you’ve tried some for size and they don’t fit.. Which ones?

Have you tried your local Evans store? they’ll have a good range of brands and some good advice on sizing, fitting.

I’ve a similar inside leg and looking at 29ers the issue I’d have is stack. There are options with enough stand over but I don’t want my bars higher than my seat. If I go for one it’ll be rigid. I’m currently running my rigid bike as a 69er with 440mm forks and that works well. I reckon a scandal with slack set and the same forks would make me a perfect rigid bike b

Have you tried your local Evans store? they’ll have a good range of brands and some good advice on sizing, fitting.

Someone else not understanding.
For the terminally dense I’ll repeat.
I WORK IN A BIKE SHOP. I’M SELLING THEM NOT BUYING THEM.
🙂

I have to SELL THEM. I’m not buying one!

or

I’m not going to be buying a 29er anytime soon

So you were possibly going to buy one sometime soon but now you’re not buying one at all?

Sorry, I do know. You mention it in every thread.

twoniner – Member
I have to SELL THEM. I’m not buying one!
or

I’m not going to be buying a 29er anytime soon
So you were possibly going to buy one sometime soon but now you’re not buying one at all?

Would you like to read that post back you yourself until you understand how you’ve contradicted yourself? 🙂

Which ones are you trying to sell, that don’t fit, are you trying for size then?
I’m curious, my 29 frames are the same as my 26 ones fit wise.. I’ve got a Salsa, Trek and Titus and they all fit fine..

The wheel size is completely irrelevant in this discussion. Some frames have a higher top tube than others.

FWIW – 5’7″ on a Medium El Mariachi. The 16″ Scandal 29er I briefly had was also a fairly decent fit.

I went from a medium 26er to a large 29er, no probs at all at 5’10”.

29er frames are no different to 26ers size-wise, i.e. different brands and designs fit some riders better than others, it’s not a wheel-size issue in my opinion.