anyone recommend a XC full bike for a 6ft 7 buddy.

I can’t seem to find anything in the 24 to 25inch frame kinda league for the human/giraffe hybrid

29ers are ace in big sizes.

What sort of budget?

I’m on the largest voodoo bokor 29er, mine’s actually got no original parts left on it (liked it so much went on an upgrade-fest) but the spec it comes with is perfectly decent. Just have to deal with the shame of buying from halfords 😉

(I’m 6’4″ but it’d fit someone a bit taller)

‘specialized carve’ (29er model) available in 23″ – that’ll fit the freak.

sorry, it’s a link to Evans…

i’ve ridden one, it was ace.

i suggest he fits wider bars – specialized bars are always too narrow…

Crikey, it is amazing how the spec of a £1000 bike has dropped! Alivio, octalink cranks and entry level fork on a £1000 bike!

It does look ‘normal’ though so the frame must be huge!

i suggest he fits wider bars

This, something over 700mm (760 here)

He doesn’t need anything more than a 23″ frame. Depending on his proportions, he might be OK on a 21″ frame. I’d recommend Specialized for a first look. I personally have a Turner Sultan in Sasquatch size (23″) and it is the biggest bike most anyone has seen. If he is near Bristol he is more than welcome to have a shotty on it and my 21″ ScandAL.

I’d recommend he gets his leg over a Giant. My HT is a 26 XL XTC (2009 ish) and is huge.

He will probably face the problem of getting shops to get XL bikes in for him to try….I found Rutland Cycling very helpful and the only shop happy to get a bike in with NO deposit.

If you’re oop north, then try Keswick mountainbikes. The manager there is a tall chap and normally has several XL frames in the demo fleet.

I should say, I’m 6ft 7ins tall, 35 inside leg.

Another 6’7″ here – but with much longer legs than ‘giant’ above.

I have several 29ers, a 23″ Spesh Rockhopper, a 22″ Salsa Big Mama, a 20″L Kona Honzo (which is fine in the top tube but borderline in the seat tube for me) and a Salsa Fargo XXl (24″) which all fit me relatively well.

I seem to recall that i had an email from Spesh a while back saying they have a demo bike in every size which they can get to the local Concept Store for a try before you buy. Failing that, he’ll struggle to get a test in most shops as they don’t carry such big bikes in stock (Evans may be an exception here given their size). Depending on where he’s located, he’ll have more luck asking for people on here to let him throw a leg over their bikes.

Also, although there are some who say that 26ers are ok for people of our height, i found the 29er route a far better fit for my frame than any old 26″ bike i’d owned.

I would be cautious about assuming any 21″ frame is okay. I assumed I’d be okay on 21″ frames for years. I’m 6’7″ with a dramatically riduculous inside leg (37.1″). Riding bikes that were too small for me eventually knackered my knee, requiring an operation to remove quite a lot of meniscus. It’s never been quite right since. It’s certainly down to my particular “midget on stilts” proportions I realise, but he might be the same.

Trek and Specialized certainly do some honking great bikes. I had a 23″ Trek 4900 once. Massive but the right size for me. Just seen a 63cm Trek road bike on ebay – they certainly go big.

Also, Surly’s 22.5″ Karate Monkey fits me fine, and 29″ wheels look much more normal on a huge bike like that. Surly do a whole load of their bikes in big sizes:

26″ wheels look a bit sillier:

MrTall – would love to see a photo of your Salsas

A 6ft6 friend rides a Canyon 29er gate hardtail. He previously had a Canyon 26″ wheeled full sus.

Yep, Giant are very good at, erm, giant sized bikes. 🙂

ormond – you have a normal-ish, if slightly short, inside leg.

My road bike is 72cm. Much better than 63cm 8)

72?! Mine’s 63.5cm. I need to see pics. Badly.

Try and get a demo of a Giant Anthem 29er in XL?

If nothing in standard sizes works, I guess you could get a ‘Forward Geometry’ Mondraker, and run it with a long seatpost and a normal stem.

ormond – I’ll put one up later cos I can’t see photobucket from work. Unless trickydisco is around – the wee fella has a habit of posting up pics of my Cannondale and bullying me.

Found this, which suggests you’re not alone

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t/169825/if-youve-never-seen-one-72-cm-bike

With regard to 26″ wheels, I think they’re just fine for a bike to chuck around fast woody singletrack, which is basically what I got the IF above built for. When I got that Surly it was about the only 29er around, and there were hardly any bits available. The IF was made before that. If I did it today it’d definitely be a 29er.

My mate is nearly 7ft tall and rides a 23″ Turner 5 spot. His saddle is about armpit height for me at 5’7″ 🙂

He’s broken a few (well, more than 1 anyway!) of them mind, but Turner keep replacing them.

I’d still say a 29r would be a better bet though

ormond – here ye go:

All 27 stock inches of Cannondale alu frame. You’d not believe the abuse I’ve had that ‘it is too big for me’. Given I sit on the saddle, pedal and hold the bars all at the same time, just where it is too big?

My local comedy bike shop owner:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=025Cb8sTQzI[/video]

I think my 66cm Canyon road bike actually looks ok but i’d still be interested in having a go on that TooTall (obviously on a deserted road at night where nobody could see me…) seeing as we seem to have pretty much the same silly arms and legs.

The other 72cm bike in the link above is the only one i’ve seen that makes the ‘Purple Nasty’ look quite nice 🙂

Ormondroyd – one day i’ll learn to use computers properly and i’ll be able to post up pics. Until then it remains a dark art to me no matter how easy people tell me it is to do.