Hi All,
Thinking about sizing down on my next bike (Likely an Epic 9). Currently ride an Epic Evo 2022 - Medium. It rides good but frequently I feel I stand too tall. Testing a size Small in my area is tough. I ride a 51cm road bike and a 52cm gravel bike and can’t be happier about my fit. I wonder about your experiences and insights regarding this.
Height = 172cm ~ 5’8”
Inseam = 81cm ~ 32 inches
Knee to Angle = 41cm ~ 16 inches
Thanks a lot.
I am 179cm tall, and I rode a size medium Epic 8.
I’d say that someone your height who’s riding 52cm bikes should probably go for a small..
What length stem do you have on your Evo?
What do you mean by “stand too tall”? That seems more like a stack issue. BTW I’m 165cm and ride a medium Epic 8. The reach difference between S and M is significant (30 mm).
What stem do you use? I’m around 177 cm tall and ride a medium Epic 8 and feel I’m definitely about maxed. I ride with a 90mm/-6 degree stem. I love the fit and handling of the bike and it’s phenomenal on flats and climbing, but sometimes does feel a bit aggressive on more technical descents. Granted, that’s what the dropper post is for, plus my skills could use some polishing for sure.
Yeah, I was in a similar position, but that’s how I liked to ride the bike. I could have ridden a large with a shorter stem..
I was riding 80 - 90 mm stems on it.
I’m now riding a medium/large Trek Top Fuel with a 70mm stem, so my reach with the stem is 535 – right between the 80 and 90mm on the Epic (530 and 540mm).
Get ready for all the “you shouldn’t be riding anything longer than a 50mm stem” comments
I’m in the same boat you are. The last bike I owned that felt like it fit great was a 2020 Mach4SL. I ran it with a 70mm stem and that thing could handle on rails and punch well above its weight.
If I compare it’s geo to the new bikes, most all smalls fit within the wheelbase and reach of that medium Mach4SL, even the new Mach4SL in small is closer.
good luck
60mm. But I wish I had a bit more
Yesss, LOL. As someone with long legs/short torso and have ran anywhere from a 30mm stem to an 80mm stem on the same Diverge it’s all about ignoring the static and meeting the rider where they are at. That being said, I prefer a smaller bike and to tweak fit adjustments via cockpit. OP, my take is that some adjustments you will actually not notice as much as people will make you think, if the fit is dialed. Right now my mountain bike has a 70mm stem on it and it’s not any “sketchier” or slower via testing than the shorter, stock config.
I heard somewhere that Keegan Swanson and @Jonathan are running a size down on the Epic 9….maybe I’m onto something.
Boichi (sp) is also running a size down and longer stem. Bjorn Riley runs a size down as well.
Reading the responses and thinking about my own riding, sometimes I want longer and lower and others times, not so much. I wondered if there was something like a dropper for stems. Turns out there was ~10 years ago. Didn’t catch on, apparently. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/the-adjustable-mountain-bike-stem-is-here-and-were-not-sure-we-need-it
Then you could likely size down.
The Evo 7 has a slightly shorter reach than the same-size Epic 9, so you aren’t getting a full size-down difference in reach. I think that would work well for you.
I have a 100mm on my mtb! (2018 bike and I’m between sizes and went with the smaller size)
Having had an Epic 7, Epic 8/ 8 Evo and now a 9 all within the last year, I had them all in a size large and sizing felt consistent across all of them. When looking at the 8/evo8, I test rode a medium as the Spesh chart had me right on the border of med and large but the medium had me feeling too front heavy and always feeling like I was going otb. The smaller size was a clear negative on handling.
That said, based on what I’ve found. If you’re playing with the idea of a different size, try find one locally in a 7/8 or 9. While the 7/8 won’t be exactly the same, as far as positioning yourself between the wheels you’ll know straight away whether you feel too far forward.
FWIW, the evo 8 has remained in the garage as a light trail/party bike where the 9 is 100% race focussed. If my epic 7 was an Evo (it wasn’t) I would’ve just kept it and put flight attendant on it, saved an awful lot of cash and had 95% the epic 9 experience.
The question for me is if I would enjoy the longer wheelbase. Testing is really hard, bike shops don’t want you to go on the trails.
The wheelbase has been the number I keep looking at. The feel of my older bike has been what I’m chasing, and like I said above, that keeps going back to a smaller frame.
Try to track down the demo truck
I keep an eye out for it. Usually comes around each season.
Local shop has some Santa Cruz for rental, going to check out the Blur.
I ride a L and prolly should be on a XL if a bike shop sized me. I had an XL prior and it seemed so unresponsive and like an oil tanker w no snap. I run a long post and long stem but feels great to me. Similarly I’d like to test ride an XL again w newer geometry but it’s difficult to find in a demo.
Yes, good point. The issues I want to address are:
Issues one and 3 are solved by the geometry of the new Epic 9, either S or M. So for me is a compromise between solving the tight turns issue or preferring the stability of the longer wheelbase.
I don’t have a stability issue but it could be a situation where “I don’t know what I’m missing out”
