# Giant LIV Lust - Size Help for 5'3" Wife



## guitarman2011 (Oct 11, 2012)

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are getting into Mtn Biking and need some input on getting a Small or X-Small Giant LIV Lust Advanced? She is 5'3", 135lbs, 28" inseam. No local shops have XS to try out but she tried small and felt "pretty" good, although she is new to sport so wasn't quite sure what a good fit feels like. One Bike shop told her XS so she would have more stand-over and the other shop said small so she isn't so cramped in cockpit/reach. They had a much different LIV Tempt in XS she rode and felt it seemed a little too small. 

Based on Giant Size charts she is on top end of XS and almost to bottom end of small. Any input or suggestions, especially from folks similar in size that have rode these bikes would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


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## Lucy Juice (Dec 29, 2010)

Hey! Welcome to mountain biking.

In general, size up for stability, size down for maneuverability/playfulness. Is she a true beginner--i.e., will she be riding technical trails on this bike? Think about what her strengths are and where she could use more confidence.

When you say she has a 28" inseam, is that pant inseam or riding inseam? They are very different! This is the accepted method for measuring: https://www.google.com/search?q=how...1.69i57j0l5.6016j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Based on her riding inseam, she really is right on the cusp.

(Side note--someone else help me out on this if you have insight, please, but I don't really understand Liv's size chart. It says that if you are 5'3", riders with shorter inseams should ride the smaller frame and longer inseams should ride the larger frame. If you have a shorter inseam, it means that your torso will be longer [barring having a really long neck or something??], and then a longer reach will be appropriate, hence a larger size frame, not smaller. Or is it about where your saddle height will be relative to handlebars? But taking that into account, there's only a 5 mm length difference in the head tube between a S and XS...)

Bottom line--do whatever you can for her to ride both sizes, even just around the parking lot, before buying.

Re: standover... Other women here disagree with me on this one, but I don't think it's *that* important. She'll still have enough room under her on both sizes, and most people do not (especially as they progress as riders) stand over their top tube with both feet flat on the ground. (Think instead: one foot on the pedal, one foot on the ground, bike leaned over slightly.) The only time I have ever experienced "clam slam" in all my years of riding was a couple of weeks ago, as a fairly advanced rider, when after failing to get up and over an obstacle, I unclipped and the bike came down the obstacle towards me and the top tube met my... Yeah. Standover would not have made a difference there. :lol:


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## guitarman2011 (Oct 11, 2012)

Hi Lucy, Thank you very much. 

We measured her inseam at 28 inches, but didn't follow the method your link shows, so we will re-do that to verify. After riding the XS LIV Tempt (one of the lower end hardtails) she felt it was to cramped and she kept wanting to sit further back beyond the seat. She is a beginner and has never ridden real trails, just dirt roads and around the neighborhoods. So she will likely need more confidence in stability. I think we have decided on the small. 

Now I just need to decide what new bike I will be getting before tomorrow; 2016 Giant Trance 1 or 2016 Giant Trance Advanced 1!

Thank you!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I'm not sure if this will help, buy I'm 5'4 and on an Intrigue S.

FWIW, my favorite bike coach told me when in between go smaller, not bigger.
If she is new to biking a correct size mountain bike may feel small. People are used to being stretched out on road bikes. A correctly sized mtb may feel small. I've heard it explained as being "in" the bike instead of "on" the bike.


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