Does this frame "look" too small for the rider?

This was one of the last build incarnations of my large MK2 Soul.

I was running a 70mm stem with 762mm bars with the forks at 120mm.

There was still the recommended 100+mm of ST in the frame

Original build with inline post, 100mm stem & 685mm risers:

Looking for honest thoughts as considering a return to a L Soul 8)

needs a rider on it for me to judge

Proportionately longer legs than arms and it might work.

As above, without the rider on it it’s difficult to tell although needing a layback post too might mean going up a size woudl work.

Nope, The bottom photo looks better, but that’s only looks.

I’ve had plenty of frames with that amount of seatpost out.

Did it feel small? If not then no. Better a bit small than too big. Quite a lot of seatpost showing but not the worst I’ve seen. How tall are you?

I found I needed the lay back post to counter the shortening of going from a 100mm stem to 70mm.

I was thinking possible inline post and a 80 or 90mm stem.

Sadly no luck of pics with me on it 🙁

I’m 6′ 3”

I had an XL Solaris but that felt a bit big

not the worst I’ve seen

quite.

Does this help???

edit – ah, just reread and seen you are 6’3″, good guess

seems fine to me – do they do an XL?

You should probably get a 29’er 🙂

Not to me as I have very long legs and shorter torso .. All my bikes have a lot of seatpost showing(plenty in seat tube) though

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Untitled[/url] by Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr

As a 6’3″ individual myself, this goes to the heart of all the issues I have with the wheel/frame size debate. With an L, let alone an XL, frame we are perched way above the wheels. The overall centre of gravity is much higher than in the case of a rider on the same bike but with a small frame. I’ve seen pictures of myself on both my old Flux and my Sanderson and it does look faintly ridiculous. My 650b Norco looks more in proportion and, echoing what ninfan said above, people our size are probably the natural constituency for 29ers!

Good luck with whatever decision you make, but if I was looking at the same bike I would be going for the XL

letmetalktomark – Member
I’m 6′ 3”

I had an XL Solaris but that felt a bit big

What about a Solaris in large?

A large is the largest Soul. No XL.

My issue with lay back posts are they can put too much weight over the rear. Although the Thomson ones are no different offset than running posts like this:

Personally the bars look a little low, for me nothing that could be fixed by an angled stem and some riser bars. Not fashionable, and it’s all personal. I like to be sat more upright than stretched forward.

At 6’3″ a sorted 29er is probably the right choice, but I still haven’t found one that’s as much of a hoot as my 26ers. I’m 6’4″ with orangutan arms FWIW.

I am the same height as the OP and had an XL Soul (one of the few they made). It was a bit too flexy.

If I were you, get something like an XL Swift, you will never look back, particularly if you are riding around BSE.

Bike looks too small to me, having ridden similar looking beasts in the past.

The problem with using a layback post to correct reach is that’s the wrong use for it. Layback posts, and indeed saddle rails, are all about getting the right saddle/pedal relationship for your legs. Nothing to do with bar distance.

Put the saddle in the wrong place and you just end up with sore knees etc.

(6’4″ here, biiig bikes. Smaller being more “chuckable” etc. is a bit rubbish IMO – the easiest bike to ride is the one that fits)

My first thought was get a 29er too….

What did tall folk do before manufacturers decided they needed 29ers…

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Thanks all.

I have a full build of bits that are currently mounted to an old Kona.

was just looking to transfer the bits for a bit of extra life and to keep the 26/29 numbers about equal 😉

This is the build of bits currently on my 1999 Caldera (albeit with the forks back at 120mm) …. an even smaller (19”) frame …

May look at the 20” Inbred as thats a bit longer in the TT than the Soul IIRC.

How wide are those bars????

The 17″ frame is *slightly* too small for me, so a 19″ would be ideal. Plenty of post in the frame though.

762mm 8)

….and I thought I had wide shoulders!

See those bars look mental wide, and mine don’t – but I also run 760s.

But then mine are on a ~23″ 29er, so it just looks like a big bike. And I’m quite tall, so when I’m on it, doesn’t even look like a big bike. I’m just generally further away than you think I am 😉

Definately too small, let me have it 😆

whilst on the same subject, Im also 6ft3 and thinking of a L roadrat but cant for the life of me find one to try – anyone got experience good or bad of tall riders on RRats?

Looks fine to me, Cotics tend to look small with the little triangles. My Hemlock looks about 3 sizes too small…

what happened to the poor child in ‘that’picture ^ from smiththemainman ?? will nobody help!

I’m 6ft3. Mtb is 22inch and road bike is 60cm.

As above I always found the balance not quite right and the steerer tube too big. I had a tendancy to go over the bars.

I bought a 29er and never looked back.

I now know why my friend who is 5ft7 was so much better than me……but not anymore! Well the gap has closed a bit?