Viewing 31 posts - 1 through 31 (of 31 total)
  • Is my bike to big??
  • renton
    Free Member

    Im starting to think that my bike is too big for me!!

    i havent been doing as much riding latley as normal and when i get onit i struggle to keep it under control going down twisty tracks and always run wide??

    my bike is a 20″ inbred running 130mm revs , 70mm 16deg stem, saddle in a good postition.

    i had an 18″ but felt cramped on it and got a lot of lower back ache hence why i got the bigger size frame.

    it feels good doing lots of miles on it but point it down a twisty track and its all over the shop and handles like a boat.

    i cant bunny hop it either .

    the only change i have made recntly was to switch from spds to flats and put a new front tyre on.

    im 6 foot with 33 inside leg if it helps.
    whats your opinion then is it too big or set up wrong??

    cheers

    steve

    GW
    Free Member

    yes it sounds too big.

    renton
    Free Member

    the problem is that there is no inbetween size in the inbred frame range??

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    TooTall
    Free Member

    Almost no difference in length wheel-to-wheel, fork angle etc. Stop being a jessy and ride it some more. Are 130mm forks a bit long for an Inbred?

    tinsy
    Free Member

    Its a bit overforked for a standard Inbred isnt it?, I run mine with 125mm travel forks but theyre very short axle to crown so get away with it, maybe the revs are a big axle to crown, so its pushing the front wide on turns instead of digging in, run a bit extra sag to see if it helps….. But soft forks also feel wierd.

    I think most people run Indbreds with smallish frames and lots of seatpost.

    5′ 8″ 32 inside leg and on an 18″ (most my size would go for a 16″ I believe..

    anotherdeadhero
    Free Member

    Inbreds are pretty long in the top tube, so as a gut instinict the 18″ was probably actually a better fit for you.

    But its impossible to fit a bike properly over the internet. You’d have to go to a shop that knows what it is doing for this. You’ll only get tips here.

    Did you try different length stems, handlebar height, layback/inline seatposts before you swapped frames?

    clubber
    Free Member

    Sounds (a bit) too big to me… I’m 6’5″ 35″ inside leg and I also ride a 20″ on-one (though with a 100mm stem).

    A pic of you on the bike would help in giving a better idea of what changes may help.

    As to the fork length, it just depends – all the recent (last 3 years or so) are designed around a 5″ fork.

    renton
    Free Member

    i treid loads of different stems and seatposts to get the length right on the 18″ but i just couldnt get the saddle postiotn right with regards to foot position on the pedals (knee over pedal spindle etc) and i was getting a lot of knee and lower back pain which made me think it was too small.

    the seating position is fine on the 20″ it just isnt as flickable and handles like a barge.

    i have the newr style inbred frame which is ok for forks upto 5 inches.

    i also run the forks sagged to 100mm

    wierd isnt it??

    could it be im not used to moving a bike around without the need for spds??

    tinsy
    Free Member

    Yes, sounds wierd, what made you change back to flats? Could you pop the SPDS’s on again to try? Was it a new tyre but the same as the old one?

    How about the conditions your riding? On my ride last night it was really fast going but the trails were so hard there was an element of riding on marbles in some areas, could it be you trials have dried up a lot too and their isnt anything much for even the new tyre to grip?

    anotherdeadhero
    Free Member

    Or you need to learn to ride the fork a bit more.

    I’m 5’10” and have the same inside leg as you, I ride 18″ frames with 100mm stems and inline posts (mostly), though all of my bikes have shorter toptubes than inbreds. Maybe you just need a frame with different geometry? Something with a shorter top tube will feel more flickable … I had a Pipedream Sirius, that was a great handling frame, very Kona-esque.

    I have a 16″ Kona which is pretty tiny for me, it rides OK with a layback post and a 100mm stem, its no good for long days in the saddle, but nothing beats it in the tight and twisty singletrack.

    Andyhilton
    Free Member

    I’m 6ft tall with a 33inch inside leg and ride a 17 1/2 inch spesh, 18inch zaskar and a medium prophet. A 20inch frame must be like a gate!

    GW
    Free Member

    renton – don’t be so anal about saddle position reletive to pedal axle etc. it’s not a road bike! – stand up more while you ride and move your arse position forward and back on the saddle while you’re seated.

    anotherdeadhero
    Free Member

    don’t be so anal about saddle position reletive to pedal axle etc.

    Mmm I dunno, when I had a layback post on my 5-spot it felt a bit like trying to pedal a recumbent. It sapped my energy and just felt dead draggy and inefficient. Feels fab with an inline post and a slightly longer stem.

    GW
    Free Member

    just imagine how fab it might feel if you stood up 🙄
    😛

    clubber
    Free Member

    It’s worth reading this on ‘the myth of KOPS’ (Knee Over Pedal Spindle)

    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/kops.html

    renton
    Free Member

    ahh there you go it might be the conditions!!!

    ive spent the past 3 years in cyprus where i never seen any mud , it was all dry,dusty and sandy trails!!

    now im riding places like cannock and the wyre forest which at the moment are proper mud fest!!

    im always nervous going over roots aswell

    prehaps some more riding to get confident in the bikes ability might be in order!!

    anotherdeadhero
    Free Member

    😀

    You can’t pedal standing up for 24 hours. An hour blast round the woods maybe.

    tooslow
    Free Member

    I’m a lanky 6’2″ (36″ inside leg) and I used to have a 20″ Inbred which was fine but I’m happier on an 18″ 456 now.

    Are the Rev u-turn ones? I’d try them at 100mm if you can.

    Also, try putting the saddle further forward. “Knee over pedal spindle” is a load of **** IMO and I’m not alone http://www.sheldonbrown.com/kops.html

    EDIT: Doh, tooslow by name too slow by nature 🙂

    tinsy
    Free Member

    renton, kinda the reverse of what I am seeing at the moment, but yeah it might just be the change in riding conditions..

    Maybe mess about with some free stuff like tyre pressures,& for me rotating my riser bars forward made a huge difference in comfort and feel of the bike for me the other week, lots of variables out there to play without spending. If all that fails then you know its time to move onto something else.

    shortcut
    Full Member

    I am 6’2″ and did have a 20″ inbred and did find it a bit big. would go for an 18″ if i were to get another one.

    As it is i am on a 19″ Santa and a 19″ Turner and they are just nice. I am currently building a 19.5″ DB Love Hate. Don’t think i would want anything bigger.

    I hope this helps.

    GW
    Free Member

    anotherdeadhero – Member

    You can’t pedal standing up for 24 hours. An hour blast round the woods maybe.

    so it’ll take you 24 rides, what’s the hurry? 😛

    anotherdeadhero
    Free Member

    what’s the hurry?

    The hurry is for 475th place dammit 😉

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Renton, your experience with the Inbred sounds a bit like mine with the 29″ version.

    I liked the bike but it was better for long trips than tight windy stuff. Nice and predictable and comfortable.

    Solved the problem by getting a Singular.

    Kept the Inbred though because it’s a good bike otherwise, but if I was getting one for tight stuff I’d go down a size.

    dlr
    Full Member

    I have an 18″ Inbred 456 which I run with 140mm Pikes and a 80mm stem, inline post with the saddle a moderate distance back and its fine for short thrashes flicking it around or long rides. I have the 400mm post quite a way up but then I am 6’3 with 34″ inner leg

    groundskeeperwilly
    Free Member

    renton sounds a little big-I am 6ft2 with a 32inch and am riding a medium NS society (15.5 inch seattube and 22.5 inch TT!) Although this is a tad small if I am honest……18 inbred sounds about right!

    D0NK
    Full Member

    I’m 6’2″ on a 20″ inbred with 100mm stem, suits me OK and the right size for an all round bike (not too short to pedal not too long to throw about a bit) 20″ with 70mm stem is prob on the edge for 6′ depending on how you ride and yur proportions. Maybe try a shorter stem, but definitley play around with setup, when I changed my bars (old ones were getting really old) i wasnt too happy with it for a while until I rotated the bars just so, brought the grips in 5mm each side and put an extra 10mm spacer under the stem. Teeny tiny changes but it just felt a whole lot better and easier to lift the front wheel and hop over stuff.

    Oh and 130mm forks might be a bit long IMO, it might explain the barge like handling but that also should help you lift the front/hop not hinder it, so dunno.

    Spankmonkey
    Free Member

    Bars.. are they too narrow? and what rise are they? I went from a 70 to a 50mm stem and changed from 620mm wide high rise bars to 680 low rise and it seems far more stable

    zaskar
    Free Member

    I normally ride 19.5 for 6ft 1 but bikes vary too.

    Short stem will over steer and twitch (can be good too).

    I’m chucking a 90mm stem on it.

    crotchrocket
    Free Member

    perhaps if you went to the gym & worked on your core & lower back you’d hurt less?

    PJay
    Free Member

    Like you I slip between Inbred sizes, I’m 6′ with a 34″ inseam, and an 19″ would probably have been ideal. I do a lot of long, mostly on-road rides rather than tight twisty high speed stuff and my 20″ with an inline post and 80mm stem (70mm just didn’t feel right) feels spot on (stretched but comfortable) for the type of riding I do. I reckon you could happily ride either size but could go smaller/larger depending on your riding preferences. Most pure off-roaders would probably go for an 18″ but Inbred sizing often gets asked about and I’m pretty sure that lots of people around our size are happy on a 20″.


    Here’s mine (without me on it) to show the setup.

    Shandy
    Free Member

    I’m 6’3″, 34 inch inside leg. I’ve an 18″ 456 with a 50mm stem. I used to have a Meta 5 which was an XL, I felt like I was having to reach out and turn the bars around the head tube and it was affecting my balance. You should definitely try a shorter frame.

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