Posted: 10/8/2025 3:16:07 AM EDT
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I already have a nice road bike ( Specialized Roubaix Comp, in a M/54.5 cm ), but the roads near me that I used to ride on frequently are far too busy these days and full of inattentive drivers, so I've been wanting to ride on some dirt, gravel, and woods paths I have access to. At 58, my Mountain biking days are pretty much over for me unless its some easy trail located in the woods. Ended up going into a local bike shop and trying a few different bikes out on different sized frames. Being just a hair over 5'9" with a 30 inch inseam, I've always felt like I was in between M/L bikes and even Trek fitting guidelines had me in a M or M/L..Every single Medium I rode just felt too small, and thinking back to a medium sized hardtail I had 20 years ago that one had always seemed small to me. Unfortunately the store had no M/L bikes. The large framed Marlin 7 is really what felt like it worked for me, it was far more comfortable and I didn't feel " boxed in " like I did on the mediums and it being on sale for $1100.00 was an incentive so I sort of said fuck it and took it home. My question is, how frequently do people size up on a bike ? I know the consensus always seems to be to size down but for the life of me even the bike shop tried fitting me to those mediums they just were not comfortable. Interestingly enough also, even though this is a larger bike than my Roubaix, the amount of crotch space is the same (~ 2 cm from the top tube to my crotch on both bikes ). |
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The staff at the bike store probably know more than most of us. If you hit your knee on the stem often enough a small bike is not fun. On road bikes if you cannot stand over the top tube that is a real problem. It is almost impossible on a mountain bike. If you adjust a few things you can probably get it working pretty well. On my bike I could also flip the stem for changing the ride height. And you could always buy a shorter one. Move the seat forward a bit if they did not already. There are guides online for sizing a bike perfectly for your style of riding. |
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Don't worry. Ride the thing and make fit changes as necessary. IME, In most cases a MTB too small is worse than a bike too big. BTW, I'm 69 and absolutely schralp the local trails. You have a lot of riding left. Get out there and Enjoy. |
"The beginning of freedom from anger is stillness of the mouth when the heart is troubled"- Saint John Climacus
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I'm 57, 5'11" and wear 30" inseam pants and my Trek Roscoe is an XL. I also swapped the stem for one that was 30mm longer than the stock stem. The sizing charts put me on an L but after renting one for a day and test riding various sizes numerous time, I knew the XL was the one within seconds of my first ride. It just felt right. I don't do any technical riding and technical terrainis the only thing I can see being an issue for a larger bike. |
Pour over coffee is best coffee.
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I sized up in my last bike. I'm 6'0" and a 32" inseam (I have a long torso). I went with a 58cm on my gravel bike and the top tube pretty much racks me if I don't tilt the bike a hair when getting off it. I also have pretty wide tires (55c) so I could probably size down a bit there and get the tire diameter down a bit. That said when riding it, it feels great. My Roubaix Comp is a 56cm and it felt a little cramped so sized up. Just wish the top tube was a hair shorter but the Cutthroat doesn't have as much relief there VS the Roubaix. |