Hi
Looking for some advice im looking to buy a new mtb or maybe just a frame, not sure on make yet. anyway im 5ft 6.5 with a 29″ leg. Looking at most makes im kinda in-between small and medium my current cove stiffee is a medium and a 17.5 frame but ive always felt abit short on reach to the handles bars even after changing stems, handlebars, and stem height etc etc.
any advice on what frame might be abit more suitable or advice would be a great help

thanks
Tom

I’m a smidge smaller than you and nearly always go for a small mtb but it depends on the bike. You might be a medium on some bikes and a small on others. Only way is to go to demo some.
The geo of modern bikes has changed so much though that you’re going to get a longer top tube – giving you a more stretched out feel – as well as reach on a small modern bike than on your medium stiffee.
Just had a look at the geo charts
The cove stiffee (2011) in medium has 21.75in top tube
On a Cotic Bfe (maybe not too different a bike) in small has a 23.8in top tube.
It’ll feel like night and day to be honest.

As for bikes, depends what kind of riding you want to do?

Manufacturers’ labels of “S”, “M”, “L”, etc. are nearly meaningless. The key measurement is the reach, which is the horizontal distance from the bottom bracket to the center of the upper headset bearing. Bikes have generally become longer in recent years so you’ll find that some small sized frames now are nearly as long as large frames were 15 years ago. Ultimately, you need to try sitting on the bike or riding it to know.

Yeah I’m gonna go to my local bike shop and try a few see what feels right. I can’t believe they have made it so even small frames are just as long as say a medium surly that gonna cause issue with reach?

Yeah, it can do. My LSS bike gave me back ache and bikes with long top tubes aren’t always great for women! You’ve got to adapt your riding position but sometimes LSS are just not for you and you have to look for something with more traditional geo.

I’m a touch taller at 5’7.9” (172.5cm) in bare feet, but I have the same inside leg. My BB to saddle rails is about 620mm and I wear 29” leg trousers. I have short-ish arms too.

My Bird Aether 9c in medium worked very well for me. 455mm reach & 40mm stem. But it wasn’t the reach so much as the short seat tube and stays.

The 395mm seat tube meant I could fit a 160mm dropper.

The 430mm stays meant I could get my weight back for drops and steep descents without getting a Maxxis in the nadgers.

Ibis and Transition also do short tubes and fairly short stays off the top of my head.

The last thing to mention is that the Bird Aether will have a much steeper seat angle than your Cove. That shorter ETT will make the bike seem much shorter when you’re seated.

Make a table in M$Office and slowly add the geometry for your frame, and every frame you like out there. Then add some of the others you weren’t considering. You may be surprised when you look at all the numbers raw.

Reach is a pain for overly tall riders too. I’ve got 484mm reach measurement on my XL (20″) Marin Sq3 frame and had to fit an 80mm stem. Bike came with a 45mm but was no good. I fitted a 60mm but when I stood up the bars were too close to my legs. That’s when I made my table for XL frames.

I want a stiffer frame as this one flexes in the BB too much and I’m concerned it’s not really strong enough for my sloppy riding skills. Almost every frame that isn’t Giant, Marin or Merida is out in my area of the world. Just waiting for stock of XL (18″) sized Dartmoor Hornet Pro 2022 to come in and hope I can grab one (slightly more than RRP and need to buy their 60mm headset) 480mm reach which isn’t an improvement and will still need to use the 80mm stem. But all the other frames that could be available where i am state a ridiculously short 423mm reach (19″ dabomb sentinel 29er, 18″ Kinesis TX529)