Recommend me a bike. Tall person content

Im looking for a new full sus with 140 / 150mm of travel not fust if its a 27.5 or 29 but being 6’5” I seam to be limited in my choices and was wondering what other people of a similar size are riding.

The new trend of bikes with longer reach is great meaning I have more room than before but I find that there also seams to be a trend in low stack height is reducing the height of a the cockpit.

On my whyte 905 which has a stack of 650 I had to put on a riser stem and bars to get the bars level with my saddle. Is it that my positing is wrong but i feel that I have to much weight over the front wheel when the Bars are lower than the saddle height I would be interested to know how other tall riders bars and saddle height compare

Budget?

Tall friends are on Santa Cruz hightower ($$$$$) and Giant Reign ($$$$) and they like both of them.

I think you’re going to struggle though to get bars level with saddle. A couple of inches of drop is not unreasonable unless you’re really inflexible.

Yeah budget would help. About £3500 though a little higher for the right bike

The new Tallboy comes in XXL, reach 506 or something. They say it goes up to 6 foot 7 I think. The alu one should be within reach

Xl bird Aries it’s a very long bike and with that budget you’d get one hell,of a bike.

Banshee Prime here (6’6″)

Spec stumpy in XXL

Hi blakec

If you want a comparison, i’m 6ft 5″ and this is my Whyte 905, standard cockpit but I have got a 170mm reverb as the standard dropper was too short!

All

thank you for the comments

Batman

the reach is great but I feel the stack 607 is to low and I would feel like I would have to much weight over the front

maccruiskeen

How do you find your saddle bar hight comparison

chocolate teapot

Glad I wasn’t the only one who’s saddle was a way up in the air it dose look like your inside leg looks longer than mine from the saddle position

6’6.5 here and on a tallboy LTc xxl – admittedly it isn’t is new geo longer reach modern wonder but it is the best fit I’ve had, would post a pic but don’t have one hosted.

Definitely go and sit on an xxl Hightower IMO

Didn’t think the new Santa Cruz’s were that long, despite being lengthened.

Mondraker
Whyte G130/G160
Mojo Nicolai
Maybe an XL Reign if you can find one.
Nukeproof Mega XL

Turner Sultan 23″ here – plenty spacers and some riser bars. Some Trek FS are made in a 23″ frame (although closer to 22″ IIRC) and Specialized do a couple in big, but Giant don’t.

A mate is going through the same thing.
Firstly don’t dismiss riser stem, spacers and bars, it’s about making it work for you. He had some great results with swapping out stuff.

He is currently on a 29r Trigger and loves it but is looking for something a bit burlier but for general riding the bike looks spot on at 130mm

Didn’t think the new Santa Cruz’s were that long, despite being lengthened.

Not into super tanker lengh (Mojo Nicolai) but comparable with most other bikes.

Photos of XL+ bikes

don’t dismiss riser stem, spacers and bars, it’s about making it work for you

That’s been my answer so far. Might not look pretty but it works fine.

Either L or XL (Longest or Longesterer) GeoMetron 27.5 or the 29er depending on your preference either can be set up to run 150/160mm front and would fit properly with a 35mm stem.

XL is 681mm ETT, 535mm reach, 633mm stack, 150mm HT length for the 27.5. The 29er is the same but slightly shorter travel front and currently a special order.

Possible to do a sensible slx/Hope build from Mojo for approx £4k but with the top notch important parts (frame, X2, 36 and Transfer seatpost) best to discus directly with Mojo. Test ride important!

just under 6’5″ on an XL Transition Smuggler, bit less travel than you want but it fits well. 483mm reach if I recall correctly

i’m not a giant like some of you guys, i’m only 6’2″. But I think i was about 9 the last time i had a bike where the handlebars and saddle were level.

even on my ‘upright’ comfy commuter, my saddle is roughly 10cm above my bars.

The concept of much weight over the front wheel being an issue depends a lot on the geometry of the bike and the characteristics of the front suspension/tyre. It all comes down to confidence.

I’m 6’5″ and ride an XXL Tallboy. I’m interested in trying the XL Rocket Max from Cotic, perhaps something to add to your demo list.

Same height Blakec and will soon be riding an XL Cotic RocketMax. It’ll be my first XL bike and my first with the new trendy geometry (and 29 foot wheels). Will probably do a shite e-review when it arrives early next week. Currently ride a L Stumpy Evo and 20″ 456 SS and don’t find them too small tbh. Could be due to ignorance tho.

FWIW my seat is much higher than my bars when seated and around level when dropped. Feels spot on to my ignorant self.

maccruiskeen
How do you find your saddle bar hight

I’ve never thought about it (I’m not near the bike just now to check)

The bars are where they need to be and so is the saddle. Where one is compared to the other hasn’t concerned me. Should it?

I’m 6’5 and have the same issue with finding a balance between a long seat post and low cockpit height.

Currently have an XL stumpjumper 29er FSR, which has a 145mm headtube. Allows plenty of scope to adjust the number of spacers under the stem, and am only using a 10mm rise bar with a 60mm stem.

It’s easily the best bike I’ve ever owned

I’m your height and ride an XL 2012 Stumpy FSR. It’s comfy and seems to work for me. If you are round Cambridge, I’m more than happy for you to have a ride round on it to see how it feels.

I was looking at the Bird Aeris and Ben recommended an XL in that for me if that helps.

thanks all for the replys

I use the saddle bar height comparison as when the bars are at that height it feels right when I’m out of the saddle not to hunched up or leaning forward to much.

Maybe having the longer tt and shorter stem combo will pull my weight back a bit which would help with the feel of the weight distribution

Guess the only way is to go out and set a few weekends aside for some demo’s I have a few I will want to try.

Willard

Thanks for the offer but not local

Ive just put my banshee spitfire up for sale. That could fit the bill matey.

My number is 07411650412 so get in touch if your interested.

Based in north east

Mojo Nicolai Geometron G13 29er longtermer final verdict

set a few weekends aside for some demo’s I have a few I will want to try.

Don’t hold your breath. Most places and companies don’t carry demo bikes at the extreme end of sizing.

If I told you my Sultan was the 1st bike I ever test rode (I was 38 at the time) and I had to go from Cambs to Little Rock, Arkansas to do it……

The tall guy in our riding group loves his stumpy 29er.

I had no issues getting an XL test bike from Specialized, even had it for the whole weekend.

i’m not a giant like some of you guys, i’m only 6’2″. But I think i was about 9 the last time i had a bike where the handlebars and saddle were level.

+1 same here.

Use to make me laugh of the tests in bike mags where they complained about how they couldn’t get the front of 29er’s low enough.

I’ve a 29er Camber evo, in large. Only really fits as I’ve a 170mmm Reverb (still got 50mm of post showing)) and due to the slackish seatpost angle it means that having the seat so high up opens up the reach. Also extended the Pike to 140mm.

So why is it large bikes don’t have correspondingly longer head tubes? As a tall rider too I’ve often wondered this.

So why is it large bikes don’t have correspondingly longer head tubes? As a tall rider too I’ve often wondered this.

Probably because the key points where you control the bike are your hands and your feet – and the relationship between those position and the wheels is what makes that particular design bike bike work. Bike makers are trying to make the same bike with the same characteristics for different size riders – not a range of 4 different bikes for 4 different sizes of rider.

Theres nothing to stop you adding height with stems, spacers and risers if you need them thats why all those products exist – to adjust the fit – but its much easier for you to add them if you need them for comfort than it is to take that height away if manufacturers fitted a taller head tube instead

6’7″ on an XL Cannondale Trigger here, loads of seat post showing and 38 mm rise bars.

Precisely, you can get 50mm rise bars if you really want and a stem with some rise. You’d have to be an utter giant to not be able to get a reasonable fit with some 2 inch risers.

Anyway – for the OP’s delectation

Banshee Prime for a 6’6″ rider – thats with a flat bar (renthal fat bar lite). The photo makes it look like bar and saddle are level I’d actually say the bar is about an inch lower than the seat

EDIT thats also with the flip-able doodads at the back in their highest setting- raising the BB and steeping the head tube. When I can be arsed I’m going to reduce the travel down to 130mm at the front too -so you could lower the saddle relative to the bars a little by dropping the back end

Having been chatting recently to with someone with a dealer account… theres some very keen prices on last years banshee frames at distributor level so if its something you’re considering it would be worth chatting up a local shop and seeing what price they’d be able to get if they ordered one in for you.

6’3 XL smuggler it’s longer than a long thing! My saddle is higher than my bars though. Shorter travel than your spec but it’s the same reach as a patrol so I’d look at both.

I find it quite interesting an XL smuggler is approx the same ETT length as a M Geometron (shorter reach) for which I’d recommend a rider between 5’8 and 6′ but has a smaller reach than the Small GeoMetron.

The L and XL GeoMetron are much larger, 20mm and 40mm longer ETT and 40mm and 60mm longer reach respectively.

The geonetron is pretty huge though, the only bikes that get reasonably close are the Mondrakers and Whytes.

I’m 6’5″ and got a couple of Canyons that fit well if that helps.

Bike makers are trying to make the same bike with the same characteristics for different size riders – not a range of 4 different bikes for 4 different sizes of rider.

But that’s exactly my point. How can a bike have the same characteristics when for a shortarse the bars are 2″ higher than the saddle, and for a lanky git are 3″ lower?

Plus spacers look cak.