Trail bike with low standover height / designed for dropper

I’m looking for a full squish bike in the regions of 130-150mm travel with low standover height. But that can still take a dropper of say 170mm

My current bike is too high so I get saddle hitting me when things get jumpy. But the reach is good. I initially thought it was my legs – I tend trim an inch off regular jeans. But my taller friend was riding my bike yesterday and agreed that even with the seat right down that it’s high for him.

Bird, Aether 7/9 or AM9 depending on what wheel size and travel you want.

Transition are good for this. I’m on an alloy Sentinel in medium (I’m 5’9) and running a 210mm Oneup v2 dropper fine. It’s not even slammed to the collar either.

Perhaps the new smuggler could do similar but be more trail than the sentinel? Although I think a light build on a carbon sentinel could be a good long travel trail bike.

I had a Bird Aether 7 – also medium – and managed to run my Oneup dropper at 200mm drop so perhaps the Aether 9 could do a job for you too.

The key thing is as well as having a short seat tube that it’s straight – some bikes quite a short seat tube but then have a kink in it that limits insertion.

Lots of similar threads recently. I also suffer #shortlegproblems and ratio of seat tube length to reach is a critical measurement for me.

Brands that do it well from memory of my research – Santa Cruz, Transition, Orange (recent ones only), Rocky Mountain, Marin.

My issue is that the suspension pivot runs through the seat tube

It’s got a lot better in the last few years, but the seatpost insertion numbers aren’t easy to find. Thankfully you can tell a lot from a photo – you need seat tubes that are straight or have the bend near the bottom and that aren’t pierced by pivot axles too high up.

and that aren’t pierced by pivot axles too high up.

Or have bottle cage mounts on the seat tube!

“Or have bottle cage mounts on the seat tube!”

Is it 2010 again?!!

Transition with the saddle slammed (210mm drop)

I can’t find one with the Aether slammed but it did get pretty low.

That’s more like it – looks almost slope style!

Santa Cruz Hightower. Super surprised that my XXL frame has a 213mm dropper and still has 50mm of post proud of the frame. Super low standover.

Orange dropped the seat tube length a few years back, XL went from 21 to 19 inch. Long frames too and there’s a decent sale on atm.

My Aether 7 is good, 200mm Brand X post in it.

Evil Following V3?

I am 180cm tall, ride a large Following and have a 180mm One Up dropper post with a good few cm of exposed post.   Might be room for me to run a 210cm dropper?

But as many previous bike had a 125cm dropper the 180mm drop feel plenty long enough …. for now ….

My Aether 9 came with a 170 dropper in ML, got a few mm of collar showing but I’ve got short legs at 5’10

Thanks everyone. I’m off to the classifieds to look for something medium. Like the look of both the Transitions and Birds

I can fit a 180 one up dropper in my medium Cotic Flaremax. I think the new ones make it even easier to maximize the amount of drop you can get.

Nukeproof Reactor, 180mm dropper, nearly half price on CRC.  Stonking deal.

you need to look at reach-to-seattube ratio really. Find something with a reach that matches what you have, but with a shorter seattube. I can fit a 240mm dropper in my saracen ariel 30, but that’s a long way from being unusual these days

Be aware of saddle-tyre clearance on small short-chainstay 29ers though.

My Bird Aether 9 has a 395mm seat tube, 430mm chainstays, and a 125mm dropper 20mm sticking out. If slammed in the seat tube, the saddle would probably just about clear the tyre at full travel by perhaps 5mm. With a low stack dropper like OneUp, I’m sure they’d interfere.

Another recommend what you have here for a bird aether 9 here.
I’m 5’11” with average proportions and ride a ml size which has 420 seat tube 484 reach. I’ve got a 200mm drop brandx with the collar a couple of cm clear of the seat clamp. A 210 one up would fit but I’m not convinced a 240 would due to the cable entry port being a little but too high.

My transition scout feels like a bmx when the seat is right down. It is that low

Ibis haven’t been mentioned yet but they are another brand who have shorter seat tubes.

Transition have short and straight seat tubes. I struggled with some frames with my 164cm of height.

Bold linkin (135/150). Not much else in 29 that are lower

What height are you? Just about to list my ML AM9 on the offchance it’s not too long..

I’m 175 cm. Looking at Geometry geeks it looks a bit too long.

Plus I’m debating going 27.5 after a few rides on some last weekend.