Size UP or DOWN? What To Do If You're in BETWEEN Bike Sizes 

5'10 I like to buy medium bikes for the nimbleness, weight savings, and increased durability of a smaller bike. I ride mostly urban where going in between cars, on and off curbs(plus potholes) and I carry the bike upstairs/through hallways often.

I think if you're forced to choose between a little bit big and a little bit small, almost always go small. You can make adjustments for a slightly small frame, but if the frame is just too big, you're pretty much screwed. You'll be a lot less comfortable, possibly less safe, and much more likely to get overuse-type injuries. (I've gone too big more than once.)

Another thing to keep in mind is that using a different wheel size or tire width might change the stand over height.

As a fellow in-betweener of the M/L verity, I prefer the feeling of the smaller frame where I can more easily move my cg than a large frame that “takes me along for a ride”! Mountain biker at heart I guess….as always thanks Russ and Laura for the great nerdy content, I’m not alone in my nerdy thoughts thanks to you two!

This is the video I've been waiting for! I've been binge watching your videos all summer, riding a kid's Walmart-special mountain bike, and I finally put a deposit down on a Kona Rove that can appear at the shop at any time. I'm just under 5 ft and have a 26.5" inseam. I can tip toe/one foot a 29". Standover is the bane of my existence. If the rest of the fit feels good, I'm going for it! Thanks for endless hours of knowledge and entertainment, Russ & Laura!

Oversimplifying I realize, but since I rarely spend time straddling the top tube, I pay more attention to other aspects of frame sizing. So in other words, I'm more invested in how the bike fits and feels while riding. Good video and great explanation of the options available.

Great video. Life long SMedium here. I've gone back and forth on this for many years. I'm generally into sizing down on MTB's and sizing up on Road and Gravel bikes. But the thing that's helped me the most is to ignore the listed sizes and just look at the actual geometry and measurements.

In my experience, as long as you have adequate standover, it is always better to buy the larger bike even if you have to push the saddle forward and use a shorter stem. Buying a too small bike is nearly always a mistake. It would be wonderful if all bike manufacturers made all bikes with lower standover. Standover shouldn't be the limiting factor on what size bike a person chooses. Unfortunately, shorter people and those with short inseams often get left out by the bike industry which tends to designs bikes for average to taller height men with average proportions which then leaves out shorter men and shorter to average height women.

Well stated. Never got those details from 4 different local bike shops. Went with the upsized Marlin Larkspur. No stand over height issues. Put on toe clips, bike computer with wheel speed and cadence setup, handle bar bag and water bottle cage. Has me back into enjoying bike rides at 58 years young. Averaging 16.5 to 17.4 mph on 12 to 14 mile rides.

The Bearclaw is one of the best looking bikes I’ve seen, the teal bar tape and tan sidewalls just works. It puts me in mind of the old Yeti ARC frames

You hit all the points which became a minefield when choosing my first upgrade bike. I went for downsize as I wanted to be more nimble when off road and also able to lift over gates or fences when needed. I’m very pleased with my build. Best of luck... it’s tough choosing when your a inbetweener, especially when your a first timer.

Great content, Russ. I feel ya, because I am also 5'8", but have a 32" inseam. All of my bikes are mediums/54cm, but I end up running short stems (e.g. 80mm) to get the comfortable reach I like. In contemplating new future bikes I'll look at brands that offer more size options... a 53cm hits my sweet spot. I'll say, that even on road having some jump off clearance over the top bar can be a plus! The last thing I'll add for other readers is never go for the deal over proper fit. My first road bike, so many years ago now, was a 56cm frame, bought when I didn't know as much about bikes and the bike shop didn't bother to size me before I walked out the door. The result? I hated the bike, never felt comfortable, never enjoyed riding, and walked away from drop bar bikes for a very long time. Those pretty used bikes in online ads can be tempting, just make sure you get the proper sized bike for you!

Just bought a step-through for my most recent bike to nullify the stand-over height issue, since I’m in between medium and large. Best bike buying decision ever!

One of the things I find annoying about the bike industry these days, lack of sizes. I believe the sizes we see now is for the convenience of the bike industry. Since good new bikes cost thousands of dollars anyway I find it's best to spend the little bit extra to get a custom build. Thanks for another very informative video.

As always, you have a great approach to helping people, especially newer riders, understand bikes (i.e. fit, geometry, components, etc.) in a straightforward, plain manner. Really the bike industry should be paying you for being such a great ambassador and turning more people into N+1 🙂 riders

I do wonder why gravel bikes insist on maintaining such a high top tubes. Standover height is a thing of the past in MTB because they realized everyone, tall or short, wants clearance to move around. If those frames are strong enough for MTB then the lower top tube should be strong enough for gravel. More exposed seatpost also means more vertical compliance for long rides off road.

This confirms everything I've been thinking with my new build. I'm 5'8" with a medium Fargo frame. Fargo has the sloped top tube for better stand over. Going for a Jones bar with a slightly longer stem. All makes sense.

I’m between sizes also. I’ve been fighting this for 2 1/2 months now since I bought it. I’ve been thinking about selling my bike and replacing it with the next size down, before my bike depreciates anymore, only there’s now a shortage. Thanks for the video! It helps when you don’t feel like your the only one person with this problem. I feel like I was given the wrong info to “Size up” by the Bike shop and wasn’t able to get a bike fit because of Corona. Also, lots of information! 😊

What’s frustrating for some brands is that their XS and S is a much bigger difference than from S to M. That XS is actually more like an XXS and I’d fit another size in between the 2. For drop bar, I appreciate that use numbers and sell more sizes. For gravel, it doesn’t bother me as much since the slacker head angle and longer wheelbase means it’s still stable with a shorter stem. But with road, I don’t wanna go shorter than a 90/100 mm Another note. Other than stack and reach, you need to also consider seat and head angle, as that will affect the true reach from saddle to bar

This is how you want the thought process to go. I know how high I want handlebars relative to the seat and I know EXACTLY the position and angle I want my hands to be in for long rides. There has been no help at all from bike shops to get the fit I want. I've got a Jones now that almost has it dialed. Great video.

Thanks, Russ! Like clothing, I've found that sizes have changed in bikes a bit too. I'm in a good Medium mountain bike but and in between an X-Small and Small on my Cannondale gravel bike. I opted for the Small but after riding it a year I wish I'd gone with the X-Small and played around with the front end. I only have a few small spacers now so my choices are limited to bring the bars closer and higher. I installed a 45° stem and that helped a bit. Modifying a bike to really accommodate your riding preference gets expensive when you have to pay full retail!

On standover; Being 5'8 and going with a 56 Cutthroat, I was afraid I had made an awful mistake since I had no standover. After a few bikepacking trips going over plenty of singletrack I had realized that standover never came into play at all.

Most relatable video ever, almost everyone is between two sizes depending on the stack and reach. Good advice.

I'm the opposite of you Russ, 5'8" and a 84cm(33 inch) inseam. Fitting bikes is always tricky for me.

A quarter inch under 5’7” with 32.5” inseam. With old school road bikes I would look for about 56mm top tube. Which usually put me on 54mm frame measured by the seat tube. Its the latter part thats changed with many modern frames. Currently Im on a Medium Bombora and its definitely the fit for me though I have been on some rough mountain trails lately and were I to be doing that most the time I could see sizing down. Or realistically just getting a mountain bike. Glad everyones putting measurements in the comments!! Its often such a hard thing to find.

I'm a smedium as well. I'm a few mm off from 5'9" and with a rather inflexible back and 31.5" inseam. I'm usually fine with 54cm size bikes with the same length top tube/seat tube. With my most recent bike purchases, Mike Varley from Black Mountain Cycles suggested I get a small (47cm) Road+ and it fits me well due to its sloping top tube and high stack height. On the other hand, I also bought a medium Crust Lightning Bolt that I haven't build up yet and I'm wary of the lack of standover height. It's definitely going to be a French fit/fistful of seat post.

I'm the opposite, 5'8" but with a 34" inseam. I had a to find a bike that was tall and short in the stack/reach department because I have to run my seatpost pretty high on a bike that fits my reach correctly. Thankfully the Litespeed Watia in Medium met that requirement. Strangely enough, the Moots Routt and Specialized Diverge are very similar in geo to the Litespeed so I guess I had some options.

I’m usually in between a Small and a Medium. 5’8” 30 in inseam. Smalls for me usually have too short a reach to handlebars, I feel cramped, but stand over is fine, mediums have good comfortable reach, but a little tighter on the stand over. I went with a medium on my titanium Litespeed Cherohala. Looks more balanced, and it’s very very comfortable. I think small would have been too small. Thanks for the fine video.

Man this is totally me, always right on fence for a med/large. I generally size up on my fatbikes, but on my recent XC 29er I went down and am happy. Of course each manufacturer is slightly different, so it’s really a bike specific scenario.

You’ve explained better than most bike channels thank you. Perfect for 9-5’s 👍🏾

OK, so now when are we going to see a custom bike that fits your unique proportions, Russ? We can feel it coming in the air tonight… And we’ve been waiting for this moment, for all our lives. We can feel it forming, it’ll be a rad bike… And we’ll be watching as you build it up just right, oh boy, oh boy!

I feel compelled to further emphasize stand over height for MTB. It's not merely about stepping down quickly, it's the high likelihood that when you step down quickly your foot or feet will be on a low or one or both wheels will be up on lumps such as rocks and roots. Stepping down from a MTB mid trail is usually because of unexpected trouble and often that trouble is the very uneven terrain. Bad time to take extra pain while also failing to get a foot on the ground. As usual, topic was well presented. This channel covers the topics most relevant to how my wife and I ride. We single track with MTBs, and bikepack off pavement with our expedition bikes.

I'm also 5'8 with disproportionate 29" legs. (I hate the fact that the 2 activities I'm most into - running and cycling - are the ones I'm probably least physically suited to). Anyway, this is the most helpful sizing video I've ever seen, thanks 👍

I think one important factor for many of us is bag fit. A larger size frame will generally give you more room in the main triangle for a larger frame bag. But a smaller frame will lend more clearance for front and rear bags, so less chance of tire rub. For the record, I'm 5'10", and have absurdly long legs, a 33" inseam and small torso. I generally buy medium size bikes, and use tall stems, riser bars and extra-long seatposts to make them fit me. If I go up to a large sized frame, I have to battle the length of the top tube, which seems to be much tougher to counter, since very short stems often give me steering and fore/aft balance issues.

Always end up buying based on stack, I am only 6'3" but more leg than average. I can alway lengthen or shorten my reach with different bar stem combos but the saddle aways towers way above the bars and a taller than average stack helps keep it from being insane (pro racer geo LOL) It aways comes down to what model "XL" has the taller stack. Mountain bikes are really tuff, I have to buy/build bikes from the frame up, manufacturers always hack the fork steerer off on complete mountain bikes, less than ideal buying a brand new bike and the first thing I have to do is pull the fork and replace it with the exact same thing for an extra 1/2 or so of steerer. Its weird, going from a medium to a XL they NEVER increase the sizes evenly.... might get a ton more reach but only a hair of stack or vice versa. I am convinced only mediums are "designed" the other sizes are just compromises. like cramming 700c into a XS gravel bike frame or chain stays on my 61cm frame being the exact length as the medium... makes 2 totally different "bikes" be careful with that watching reviews, the medium being reviewed is a totally different bike that the XL or small you may need.

I size up mostly due to foot size. Front of my shoes can catch easily on the front tyre when turning a low speeds, so a larger frame helps me with that, by adding a little extra spacing.

Stack is the most important thing to understand. Good video. I divide the stack by the reach and get a coefficient I can measure against almost any bike (assuming their figures are correct) and it works. Especially if you have injuries. Look at stack before just ‘size’.

Personally, I'd rather have the bike more comfortable for riding, not for that moment where I've stopped. Stopped time is less than riding time. Obviously there's a limit, to that, but you get the idea. Also, the more seatpost sticking out of the seat tube, the more the seat post can bend, which is also a built-in shock absorber of sorts, much like having thicker tires. It's not like having an actual shock absorber, but it does help.

Thanks Russ! This is one of my favorite PLP Videos yet. I am a marge. 6 ft tall 30 inch inseam, so I am almost always between M and L, and agree that for me sizing up has worked better. But my hard rugged Mountain Bike trail days are behind me for the most part!

Good video, I’m also an SM guy with 172.5 cm height. In my experience as well it is better to size down if you are considering a dropbar bike and to size up if you are thinking of an flatbar or especially a Jones bar (Moloko) bike 👍🏻

I've always sized up when between sizes - nothing worse than a too small frame. I actually prefer the feel and ride of a slightly "too large" frame for everything from road to trail.

The consideration for short people and/or people with short legs is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!

My own proportions are the exact opposite, 5'10"/178cm ,leg 34"/88cm.Most important to get a bike fit before you buy,if possible get several. With so many styles of bike and different geometries it can be very difficult to get a good fit.. With a smaller frame the seat tube angle is usually steeper and head tube slacker,get yourself in position for best pedaling first before reach adjustments. With mtb the stand over height is more important,on road the reach is more important the longer time you ride .

I'm 5'11 with a 32 inch inseam. At first thought I needed a large salsa fargo however the stand over height was way too close for comfort. A medium give the clearance I need. I can easily fit a longer and higher angle stem on a medium. I find that a taller stack is more important now that I've gotten a lot older. In 1990 I had a custom frame made with 58cm c-t measurement and a 58 cm top tube. Back then it was a very comfortable ride, now I don't think I could last 5 miles without hurting on that bike.

I've got a similar body type and have run into the same issues. I think it's a common body type, so maybe bike manufactures will take note at some point. I started with a medium frame but ran into problems with stand over height on technical trails. Switching to a smaller frame with a sloping top tube (and 650b wheels to drop things a little more) solved the issue. The bike's still fun to ride on the road, but is really optimized for trails.

The only difficulty, to me, is in the new era of buying online, sight unseen. All my previous bikes were bought in shops after taking them for a short ride. So far that has worked out for me.

I love - l o v e - a diamond frame as much as the next person, but I have come to see how a sloping top tube could help greatly with a "proper" fit. I'm 6'1 and bike shops have tried to get me on 58s in the past. I've learned I'm a 64cm at least and will never get a bike smaller than that no matter what the manufacturer tells me. This means very few bikes are available for me but at the end of the day I am stubborn and will settle for nothing less.

Seatpost Exposure, Thickness, and Setback. (traits that could be better or worse for road riding vs gravel riding) Going shorter = more compliant. Going bigger = Stiffer. also as John mentioned below: Toe Overlap. A very real thing for small sizes and hard to measure. Smedium Here. Chiming in as I'm not sure if I missed it or not. I sized up on the Hakka. the 53 had me using all the spacers and the 55 head tube was perfect leaving me wiggle room to raise or lower stem. The downside I didn't think was going to be too noticeable was the seatpost. First off, I loved this bike as a quiver killer, highly recommended. Yet I sold it because of (the very short amount of seatpost exposure) + (the thick 31.6mm seatpost tube) + (the geometry used was meant for a zero setback) Those three things combined make a significant impact. As a training bike with wider road tires and fenders, it was absolutely amazing. perfect I might even say. The combination described above contributed to it being super stiff as a road machine. This made it so stiff though, my aero bike with aero seat post gave me a significantly more compliant, smoother ride. That was my big tell that the very harsh rides when using it for gravel was not just me being a 10 ply softie. Lessons to take away when sizing up, pay attention to: -Seatpost exposure (more exposure from frame allows it to flex more) -Seatpost Diameter (thicker seat posts don't flex as much as thinner 27.2mm) -Seatpost setback built into geometry (easiest tell is by looking at marketing photos of complete build bikes) The zero setback ingrained into gravel bikes is becoming more popular as some people are wanting to put a dropper post in them. By sizing up, this also hinders your ability to just put a setback seat post anyway and put on a shorter stem, as the reach has been lengthened as well. If intending to use this bike as a winter training bike or commuter on pavement though, these things may even aid in making the bike better (stiffer, more responsive). Great videos as always, Russ!

I just bought a State All-Road, should be ready to pick up this weekend. I'm 5'9", and am in-between what they recommend for a small and medium frame. I figured I'd go small. For one, it will be lighter weight. And with a bigger frame, your seat might be slammed to the frame, and you might be reaching a lot. With a smaller frame, I csn raise my seat height to where I need it, and I should probably be fine with the reach. I'll slide the seat all the way back on the rails if need be.

At least with older road bikes, you can make a small frame work. I got Schwinn Premis with 533 mm frame (crank to seat post top). Couldn't be picky since a thrift store 10 yrs ago for $25. A quality 1990's road bike and light, but much too small for my 6'1" body. I first added a long seat tube, but the handlebars were too low and close, so felt like I might go over them easily. I got an aluminum neck with adjustable angle (for mountain bikes), which oriented the handlebars much better (up and forward). Such mod's are easier with old steel road bikes, though seat tube and steering tube diameters vary, so measure yours. The bike might look a bit funny with long extensions, but less than what you see on fold-ables. I commuted 24 miles RT most days with that bike for 10 years, but the 27x1 tires give a harsher ride than my 1980's Nishiki touring bike with 622 mm frame (27 x 1-1/4) which fits me like a glove (also thrift store $22). Unlike most hard-core bicyclists, I don't spend like a drunken sailor. Another difference, like Tom Anderson said, is that the Premis maneuvers quick and twitchy, while the Nishiki feels more stable like a boat, probably due to the longer wheelbase, more towards a recumbent.

great topic russ! i'm a mlarge-short legs longer torso. two things to add. 1. big feet! i wear a size 11 shoe and so tend to size up because otherwise my feet hit the front wheel on a lot of frames. 2. it was interesting to see how much seat post was showing on the bikes you displayed. often when i size up the seat post disappears and i have issues with seat bags, lights designed to attach to the seat post and other items like this.

Great video: I always see the advice of when in between to "size down" on a lot of the forums. IMO it depends on the bike, your physical flexibility and the type of riding you'll be doing. A larger frame gives you a more upright position and as you've stated you can often dial in reach by adjusting your stem length, saddle fore/aft, etc. At 6'0 with a 34.5" inseam I ride a 56cm road bike and a 58cm gravel bike. I like the more upright feel on the gravel bike as well as feeling like I have a little more bike underneath me on the rough stuff.

I’m 6’3 my bike fitter was adamant on me riding a 59cm I never felt comfortable and went with a 57cm and I have much less pain now when I ride. Everyone is different but I’m glad I went down 2 sizes! I’m faster too

For shirts, I always get L if M/L because they might shrink. For bikes, throughout the years, the smaller size you can always add stems and adjust the saddle. With a larger size, you cannot, it will always feel large. Buying a retail bike too large is the biggest mistake you can make. If you are adamant on a certain top tube length and can't get it in your standover size, then it's time to go custom.

I'm a 5"9 smedium of odd proportions. I'm short of leg and arms and have always tended to size down on advice of local bike shops. However, the shops near me are road focused, putting an emphasis on speed at all costs so naturally getting you in the aero position. I'm too old, to inflexible and frankly don't care for getting from A to B as quick as possible anymore so started to size up.

I too, am a corgi... at least that's what my wife calls me. I'm just under 6 feet tall, but my pants inseam is like 32"-33". I have the legs of a 5'9" person and the torso of a 6'3" person.

I totally feel this. It's led to me buying custom bikes- something I know many people can't do. I think it's about sizing to the minimum measurement- if that's inseam or reach or whatever- the smallest of those is what you size the bike to, and everything gets adjusted around that. THAT SAID: there are lots of small builders that don't cost full-blown crazy money, and I've always been pretty happy making concessions on the drivetrain to save a few dollars (knowing that I'm going to keep the bike a long time and the drivetrain is going to wear out, eventually). I'd rather a custom sized/designed steel bike to an off-the-rack compromised fit in Titanium. I know that's not a trade everyone would make, but I think the further from "average" sized you get, the more it makes sense.

5'11" and a 29 inch inseam so I feel your pain. I tend to size up and hope I don't land on my top tube haha.

a pro bike fit is money well spent BEFORE the bike purchase! then use the data to identify the size frame if not a custom frame.

I know you've covered this before, but getting a bike fit is really helpful. I've ridden for years and have had many bikes but had never been professionally fit. I went to a shop that does Trek trained fitting and it was quite helpful. One thing they said was that going up a frame size will usually help gain a more upright position, as well as more space for a frame bag ;)

5 10 and 1/2 here. First bike was a specialized large frame, 19 inch frame, always felt a little too big, but the medium size seemed waaaay too small. Next bike, trek in M/L, game changer.

I'm a S-Medium too at 5'6" with a 29"-ish inseam, I have a 52cm (M) Diverge and a 48.5cm (S) Kona Sutra, interestingly the geometry of these two bikes is very similar. I also have a single-speed urban bike that's a 43cm, and with mountain bikes too, I can go medium or small, depending on the bike. I like to think that if I want to ride it more BMX-like, then go BMX-like on the size haha

Hey feel free to start doing a watch check, as it appears you’ve got some really cool watches in your collection. I’m a seiko fan. I enjoy this channel a lot. im now trying to convince my wife that I need more then 1 bike and 1 watch

I was so relieved when Salsa had in-betweener sizes in their runs

As a custom frame builder, building bicycles to fit indivuals the first dimension is seat tube angle. My builds are usually long wheel base. Centre front to give toe clearance, long entre rear to give better weight distribution with well braced chain stays for drive train stiffness. Good standover clearance then sort out seat position and stem for handle bar position. Modern road/race bikes are too short to fit most people, built to fit in the smallest box to lower transport costs. The difference in ride quality, handling, safety and comfort far out weigh the minor weight in grease.

5'7" with super short legs. 52cm or 54cm. I prefer to go size up and use a shorter stem to have snappier steering on my gravel bike. Issue I've run into is having the seatpost lower to accommodate the bigger size causes some bag rub with the rear tire when bikepacking.

6ft with short legs; Seeing that 52.5 on you makes me feel mine should be close to a 55.5 frame. Thanks For the great recommendations Rus!

Great topic! Learned a lesson from buying a bike from an online store; its sizing chart was off.

I agree with the conclusions here. Reach is generally easier to fix than stack. As someone who's exactly 5'10" with a 33" "cycling inseam", I am exactly between a 54 and a 56 (sometimes medium and large) on many bikes. As a (mostly) roadie who likes to run a significant amount of saddle-to-bar drop, I generally size down and get the 54 on road and cross bikes. As a result, I tend to run a fair amount of exposed seatpost (especially on sloping top tube frames) and a 100-110 mm stem on road bikes. The same is true of mountain bikes, I tend to go with the medium as I've found frames on most modern mountain bikes have become longer and slacker than I like. The one exception is on my adventure/bikepacking bike where I went with a 56 to get the bars up to within an inch of the saddle, run a shorter stem for less "reactive" steering and get a longer wheelbase. This worked out well, that bike feels incredibly stable for hours on rough terrain.

This is also a good lesson in why manufacturer frame sizes mean nothing, you need to look into the geo numbers. My road bike is a 51, the gravel bikes I was considering were all suggesting size 53, and the one I ended up getting is a 48. Geometry comparison websites are great tools for this!

I worked in bike shops for about ten years, and people usually would say to size down, but I always felt better on my personal bikes when I sized up, if needed.

I sized up my cross country mountain bike, and it was the best decision I have made when it comes to bikes. The stand over is an issue on difficulty terrain, but so is stem length. Prefer a comfortable ride and my hands and back appreciates a longer reach. Had a track bike that was sized down and really disliked to looong stem. Sold the frame eventually as it never felt or looked right. Great video!

This entire monologue, sounds complicated and over-simplified at the same time. Great stuff overall. Btw, I am 171 cm, I have a sloping top-tube S (50.5 cm ) sized road bike. Its a brilliant choice and I never looked back. I also bought a 54 cm, gravel bike. Slightly sloping top-tube. Feels bigger, longish, and stack is slightly higher, but I sense it blind folded. Even the crank is 1 cm higher, which feels so different. It definitely didn't suit me. I am writing all this, hoping it helps others who read this comment. Cheers!

When riding a bike that's just a tad to big, when at stop lights. Move your pedal to between 1 and 2 o'clock. Rest your foot there and shift your body to the opposite side with your other foot supporting your weight. Bike is stable as are you. May sound awkward but it's not uncomfortable if you don't spread out too far. Another thing. If no one's in your way pull up to the walk button, rest your foot on the raised little round section, other foot on the pedal, press the walk button and wait with ease.

Great video. I’m LargeX. My full suspension trail bike is a Large with a bit longer stem. My Karate Monkey was an XL with a Tumbleweed Persueder bar (lots of sweep). My latest all roads bike, Fearless Warlock, is an XL. One thing you didn’t mention that’s important, is if you run a frame bag, the bigger size gives you more cargo room. 👍👍

Thank you for helping to justify my recent purchase of a Davidson Titanium travel bike with S&S couplers travel case and full Campagnolo. It was a craigslist find and killer price, and I thought maybe too big based on stand over closeness. I used your same logic, swapped stems and am very happy with the final fit and handling of my " Credit Card Cruiser" road bike. Found a 16 liter Ortlieb seat bag for 40 bucks and I'm ready for 2 day out and backs or flying with it anywhere for light touring. Keep up the good work.

This is so timely Russ. And a great explanation of the trade-offs in size decisions. I just ordered a new bike and had to make this decision. I'm 5' 61/2" with a 30 in inseam. The last time I went with a size small, it was an XC bike, and the standover is great. It's fantastic off-road and I got it for more off-road than on-road. It's cramped when riding on the road and so limits where I want to ride. The bike before that was a medium and I road it more as an all-road touring bike, cause it was the 90's. Now I want to get back into bikepacking and want a bike that is more stretched out, so I sized up and went with something more road bikish. The standover clearance on the new bike is going to be tight. I may end up sizing down the wheels to 650b anyways and possibly gain back the standover height.

Im a 5'11" and here in the Philippines we rarely get a LARGE SIZE 18-21 Frame. Before I use a 16-17 frame. Now I got lucky because I bought a 29er size 21 hardtail frame for $80🤣 and man I never really felt this much comfort before! Then I put a Loop Bar on it dang I can ride more like 6hours and still I feel comfortable and not that much tired. The only con/s I have for this frame is that the maxi tire it just a 2.1. Well still works for me because I switched to a 700x35c Continental Mountain King. Been riding for more than 3mos already 😃 Nice content again! 👏👏👏👏👍

Very relevant content! Bike sizing could be a bit tricky and some factors could be adjusted by stem, set back of seat post, etc. I do understand why people choose custom geo for their bike (pricing aside). I think though that one would need to have ridden a few bikes and years of riding under their belt to know what they want exactly when going custom. Keep up the awesome vids.

Nice video again...i always tend to size down. You can always play with stems, handlebars and seatposts and even cranks to figure out a nice position on the bike. And you most likely get a lifely bike, wich i prefer in most cases... When im 50 in Neal future...maybe i'm trying out some less lifely bikes...but when my reaction time stays the way it is right now...i'll stick to what has worked nearly 30 years now...

If you’re buying a bike for fully loaded touring, stand over height is the most important! I replaced one that didn’t have sufficient clearance with one that did at a financial loss just to have better balance when stopped & mounting.

Ohhh Man thank you very much! That "bike insights" webpage was a savior. I was freaking out about being oversized by one size due to my knee pain. To my surprise the difference between my "correct size " is basically non existent, only the standover was 20 mm. Lower. I think I am going to change to shorter cranks instead.

I'm like yourself. 5"7" with stumpy legs and more height in my torso. On a traditional diamond frame, If I buy a model with adequate stand over, I feel like I am on a child's bike. 51cm center to center seems to be about right for me for reach and pedaling to be right, but the top tube is jammed into my crotch and I will simply lean over a little when at a stop. Sloping top tube models do certainly help with better stand over clearance. Related to this, I have a photo from 1984 (dating myself a little there) on a morning I rode a metric century. I do not look overweight, but I know I was on the Air Force's weight control program at that time. They went strictly by height to weight charts at that time. I didn't realize until many years later that I was always pushing that limit because of my stumpy legs and longer upper body.

I have a trek marlin 5. I'm definitely between sizes. I'm 5'6 and went with the medium because the ride itself felt so much better and less cramped than the small. My problem is that I am literally on my tip toes while on the top tube. I only really ride my bike on gravel and road and maybe some grass but overall, i love the bike. Just wish there was a way I could mount and dismount the bike quickly without feeling like I'm about to fall over

Perfectly timed video for me. I'm a SMedium and trying to decide on a size for a Ritchie Road Logic frame. I'm somewhere in the 51, 53, 55 range and now I'm leaning towards the 55 as it will be on road 99%. Thanks Russ!

Tire volume is also a factor in standover height. Geo charts assume a given tire width, and the stock width is usually less than the frame allows.

I am 6ft 1" and ride a 54cm surly long haul trucker with 26" wheels 1.75 tyres and its the most comfortable bike I have. The seat post is set back and the stem is 120cm flipped. I suppose the 56cm would be better but I can't find a frame or would buy it, I have long legs and a short torso and would take the bike on any tour as it rides great and feels planted and relaxing to ride and climbs any hill with ease.

I'm 5'10" and tend to ride a large in every style of bike I have. Long legs for my height and the need to be stretched out made my decision for me.

You said it was a balancing act while talking about bikes. This made me smile:-)

As long as there is no toe overlap or heel strike I dont mind sizing down or up. The so called standover height issue wasnt even a thing before when 29er mtb bikes first became a thing, pretty much all small or medium 29ers had high standover height. This issue is now resolved with the new slope top tubes which are more common.

Russ. This is excellent and timely as I’m considering a new bike. I’m exactly your height but with longer legs and I’m several years older. I’ve touched base with you in the past and as you know I’m a relatively new cyclist…..just over one year. Most comments I read on the net as well as some bike manufacturer’s websites suggest I buy a small road-endurance style bike. When I purchased my bike I wasn’t aware of this and the store owner suggested a medium which of course I purchased. Although I feel a bit stretched on the hoods I’m honestly not experienced enough to know for certain if my medium is too big or if I simply need to improve my form and fitness. (Of course I need that!) Your comments regarding the larger bike having a taller tube allowing a more upright riding position may suggest that the medium was in fact the correct choice. I visited the store about a month ago and mentioned that I’d like to consider a small for my next purchase. I was told by the LBS that the small would probably have me too scrunched up and would probably cause back pain. I honestly believe the store owner is offering me his best advice but I can assure you that this is an extremely complicated decision especially considering my next bike will be fairly expensive at least in my mind. Again thanks as always for sharing your knowledge and insight and for making such wonderful videos that are interesting, informative, and thought provoking.

I'm 6'1.5" with a 32" inseam. I ordered a 60cm Trek 520 and I'm so glad I did. I ended up getting a shorter stem and a handlebar with less reach, and now the bike fits like a glove. The smaller size was a 57cm that I know I would have been cramped on it.

I'm 5'2" with a 27in inseam I just wished more manufacturers made bicycles that I can ride. I usually go for 48cm and below of possible. I use to ride a 52cm for all of high-school, looking back I can't believe I did that.

For mountain bikes or any bikes rode standing, use R.A.D. rider measurement. I'm 6' and the RAD put me on a medium which is a hair small and a size lower then factory recommendation. Depending on the bike type and components, it's worth considering if longer or shorter stems or bar rise can be used to adapt your size either way.

Brilliant, been riding for years and always sat dead mid sizes, your stack height breakdown clarified at lot of issues i have with maxed out seat post height and setback as well as stack, when you size down

I’d include toe overlap as something to consider too; I’m the same size as you Russ and tried a Niner RLT in the 50; everything seemed right but there was the slightest of toe overlap. Not a huge deal but not ideal especially if slowly climbing up loose gravelly roads. But thank you for walking through your thinking on this bc I’m definitely in the smedium camp.

Good video. I’m 5’10” and for years when between two sizes I would size down. However, when I bought my Timberjack and Bombtrack Hook EXT I actually sized up. With the Timberjack I did it knowing I was going to run Jones bars which have are swept back quite a bit. With the Bombtrack I was going for a taller head tube and shorter stem. I’m also running wider bars which furthers the need for a shorter stem. Stand over is more like an old school road bike and I have only a fistful of seat post showing which looks odd by modern standards.

I was so happy to find your video here on youtube, while I was buying a new bike online. Thank you so much for providing this service :-) Greetings to you from Susanne, Denmark

So envious (in a joyful way) of all of the bikes you pulled out of your garage that it was hard to keep remembering we were talking about size. Excellent points about checking and comparing the geometry. That was eye-opening and made me realize I give too much weight to the idea of "small" and "medium" and not enough to the specific geometries at hand.

In the past if you did not fit off the rack, the solution was a custom-made frame. We did not have the huge range of cockpit and seatpost component sizes that exist now. Credit MTBs for that. FWIW, I've had many of the standard off the rack frames and been able to fit them well, reproducing near exactly the stack/reach/width/etc. But I still find the custom steel bike I had made around 1989 fits best. There's like that last 5%-10% of the fit that I've not been able to reproduce on a regular production bike. If you can, it's worth looking at a custom build.