# STP for xc and urban biking?



## artara74 (Jun 29, 2010)

Hi all.
I have a Giant Iguana Disc right now and I love mountain biking. also I love urban biking and jumping.
I don't have enough money for buying 2 bikes.
can I make a hybrid Street/XC bike?
I'm going to sell my Iguana and buy a STP frame, and then buy each part seperately. some people told me the geometry is not good for xc biking but I compared my bike with STP and the result is this:








Head Angle : STP: 69 - Iguana: 70.5
Seat Angle: STP: 74 - Iguana 73
Top Tube: 22.04 in. - Iguana: 22.83 in.
Head Tube: 4.64 in. - Iguana 5 in

There is not such a big difference between them except the height that a long length seatpost will OK it.
I just need to have 2 seatposts and thats not a hard thing. is here anything else thats wrong?

my saddle height is usually 26" from BB. If I get a large STP (14.5") my seatpost should be 11.5" and maximum height of a 400mm (15.74") seatpost is 305mm (12").

Then why people tell me to not get STP?

I am 5' 9" (about 178 cm) tall and 143 lb (65 kg)


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

I'm your height exactly, and I play around w/an STP at the local skate park. Last season loaned it to a neighbor kid who rode it all over town, so it definitely can be used to lay down a few miles. Here's the thing though: at your height, you will be standing all the time unless you put in a long enough seatpost to get good leg extension. Then your seat would be higher than the bars, and you might end up feeling crammed in on the bike. 

The geometry is nothing to worry about though. It's perfect for park use, and I can ride mine on singletrack as well. 

Are you able to visit a bike shop and test-ride one at least around the parking lot? That would be ideal, so you can get a sense for how you feel on the bike with the seat extended enough for cross-country riding. 

The STP really is a nice bike. I built mine w/a a rigid fork. Practicing the table-top jump at the skate park (I suck on that, really) has improved my ability to get a bit of air off of kickers that I encounter on singletrack. Even though my skills are still meager, the practice at the park has improved my riding.


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## artara74 (Jun 29, 2010)

I cant test ride it. 

I can change things with a XC one when I want to go XC. like stems and crankset ...


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## ksquared (Jul 30, 2011)

i'm actually looking for the same type thing. ive ridden bmx for the last 6 or 7 years and am frankly getting sick of it. i want an aggresive bike that will handle tails (dirt jumps) and all mountain well, but whenever i get on a full suspension freeride/ trail bike it just feels soooo plush and slow. ive been looking at the yeti DJ, gt la bomba, and transition bank. theres just a few more ideas to look at, any one have any opinions on those?


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## tlcrouch355 (Aug 2, 2008)

That makes three of us. Race BMX for the last three years. I'm looking at a Santa Cruz Chameleon as a hybrid of the two.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

this is a recurring question on mtbr (so check out the threads below).

there are really two ways to look at it. if your background is bmx, that means you are used to standing a lot, and sitting down with full leg extension is really not that important, you're much more interested in the performance in berms and jumps. you don't mind walking an occasional climb. this type of rider can definitely crank a singlespeed DJ bike around XC trails. i do it myself, and i love it. other bmx'ers who i have converted to 26"mtbmx love it also. you can get a long seatpost if you want--and that's the only adjustment you'll need to make.

if your main thing is XC/road, you wear spandex and clip in, you think 'climbs' are fun and challenging, you're squirrely in the air, and not having "proper" bike fit with "proper" leg extension is a problem for you, then most DJ bikes are not going to work for you for riding distance on XC trails.

certain DJ bikes (especially from a few years ago, like the older Specialized P bikes, the older DK Xenia / Asterik and Kona Shred/Stuff) have taller seat tubes lower bb's and basically more mtb-ish geometry. newer DJ bikes are going to be a lot more like a bmx cruiser. seat tube and top tube are very low to get the seat completely out of the way, bottom bracket will be a little higher, fork a little shorter (80mm instead of 100mm)..... etc.

then there are a few companies that have frames out there (like the Santa Cruz chameleon) which are intended to be XC/DJ crossover bikes. i have pretty minimal experience with these bikes so i can't really comment. the one SC Chameleon i did ride on jumps/pump track, i did not like. the frame was a little too long, the seat tube/top tube a little too tall, and the fork travel a little too long. plus, the guy had a longish xc stem. the Santa Cruz website says the Chameleon is designed around 120-140mm fork, and that 100mm would be too low and squirrely. http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/chameleon/faq.php

i would still rather crank my regular DJ bike around xc trails (with the post raised up, or not)...and still have a good handling jumper when i get to the jumps.

*DJ hybrid for an older rider *
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=705456

*What are some dj bikes that would make decent xc bikes? *
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=681469

*XC/DJ Bikes? *
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=658166


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## Mr. 68 Hundred (Feb 6, 2011)

I use my STP for urban and trails. Shortened seatpost and stock seat for urban, Cane Creek Thudbuster (400 mm I think) for trails. I'm 6' 0" in my bike shoes, bike is a large STP.

Couple things: Platform pedals on long steep climbs with rocks/roots to get over are not fun, especially on Holy Rollers in some loose sand over hardpack. I've considered putting my clipless on but haven't tried it yet. Stock bars (may about an inch of rise) and stem (60 mm) are not a problem even with the Thudbuster at nearly full extension. I get killed on the trails by my buddy who has a Superfly but I still have fun.


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