# Mountain Bikes for Tall Girls



## JacieCady (Jan 22, 2009)

I was planning on getting a Gary Fisher Marlin GS as my first "serious" mountain bike, but then I noticed that the GS tops out at a medium (17.5") frame . . . at 5' 9", I'm reasonably sure the correct fit for me is a large frame.

So far, the only women's bikes I've found that come in large or extra-large frames are Terry Bikes (roadies only, boo!) and Giant (on _some_ models only). Does anyone know of any others?


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

are you sure you need womens' geometry? There is a lot of info in the FAQ about the body types that it is designed for. If you look at regular frames too you will have a lot more options.


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## JacieCady (Jan 22, 2009)

formica said:


> are you sure you need womens' geometry? There is a lot of info in the FAQ about the body types that it is designed for. If you look at regular frames too you will have a lot more options.


If you mean the FAQ for the Women's Lounge, there is _no_ information there that seems at all relevant -- it's all about bikes for _short_ women.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

That may be so ( and maybe we need to address this!!) but the larger concept is that women's geometry is for women with long legs and short torso, so importantly, is this you?


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## santacruzchick (Jun 27, 2007)

I am a tall woman (5'11") and find that "regular" bikes fit me much better, I have never sat on a women's specific bike that fit. Yes, I have longer legs and a shorter torso than men my same height, but I usually find a men's medium frame with a very short stem is the perfect fit.
The short stem is also an advantage for your handling capabilities. In general, I would agree that women's bikes are are just bikes made for short people, and allot of short guys would benefit from getting on one. If you are over 5'8", I say just ditch the concept of 'women's specific' bikes because it isn't doing anything for you.


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

Yes, you will likely be able to find a non-women-specific bike that will fit you comfortably geometry wise. Add your favourite saddle, then hit the trails.


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## JacieCady (Jan 22, 2009)

formica said:


> That may be so ( and maybe we need to address this!!) but the larger concept is that women's geometry is for women with long legs and short torso, so importantly, is this you?


Kinda-sorta; at my height, it's really more "long_er_ legs and medium torso". I've test-ridden both male and female frames, and it's something of a toss-up as to whether a 19" men's frame (too bloody long) or a 17" women's frame (too bloody all-around small) is more uncomfortable.

I suspect a 19" women's 29er would be as close to an optimal fit as I'm going to get out of a factory stock bike, but I haven't found anyone that actually makes one yet.


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

JacieCady said:


> Kinda-sorta; at my height, it's really more "long_er_ legs and medium torso". I've test-ridden both male and female frames, and it's something of a toss-up as to whether a 19" men's frame (too bloody long) or a 17" women's frame (too bloody all-around small) is more uncomfortable.
> 
> I suspect a 19" women's 29er would be as close to an optimal fit as I'm going to get out of a factory stock bike, but I haven't found anyone that actually makes one yet.


It sounds like you just need to keep shopping, and expose yourself to a few more brands, if that is at all possible. Many people find themselves between sizes. And, not all 17" bikes are the same. This height is measured from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube. Bikes that share this same measurement may have considerable variations in top tube lengths, which will make the bike feel short or long. And of course, you can swap a few components around to alter the fit, such as a shorter/longer stem, or bars with more or less sweep, and sometimes seatposts with or without setback.

Good luck with the bike search.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

I wouldn't put much stock in how they size frames and pay more attention to the geometry numbers such as effective TT length. I'm 5'8" with approx 33" inseam and I found the most comfortable ride I've ever had in a 19"/Large '02 Marin East Peak. Strange that they thought that was 'large' in a guy's bike, but given how great it is to ride I don't care. 

I would also recommend heading over to the Cal forums and asking about local shops that are really good at fitting, then work with them to dial you in. When nothing else feels right, paying talented people to get fitted right is money VERY VERY VERY well spent. Note that I'm saying that as the biggest cheapskate around! You only get one body to get through life with- treat it right.


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## LadyDi (Apr 17, 2005)

I'm ~5'8" and ride non- gender specific bikes. So consider yourself lucky that you need not limit yourself to wsd, and start test riding EVERYTHING. If you've really gotta have a wsd, the Specialized Safire FSR in "Large" might work for you. Suggested rider height is 5'8"-5'11". I've been on that bike and it feels pretty darn good. Don't be surprised if you have to special-order it.


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## JacieCady (Jan 22, 2009)

The local bike shop mostly stocks Fisher and Trek; I'll probably drop by this weekend and see how those feel.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

JacieCady said:


> The local bike shop mostly stocks Fisher and Trek; I'll probably drop by this weekend and see how those feel.


If I recall, the GF 'genesis' stuff is pretty long... maybe someone else could fill in, but if that's the case it may be tough to get one to fit you correctly.

It may be time for a road trip. I drove over 100 miles to an urban area one Saturday so I could test ride more stuff than what's available locally, and I rode EVERYTHING I could get my hands and feet on. It was kind of a frenetic day but highly educational. By riding that many bikes in a short period I was able to discover at least one very important thing: if the bottom bracket was too far back under the seat, my knees instantly protested on the upstroke. When I asked about it later on this forum, some helpful posters said that folks with a longish femur might require their seat farther aft, maybe even a set back seat post. Of course this adjustment has TT length implications as well.


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

verslowrdr said:


> It may be time for a road trip. I drove over 100 miles to an urban area one Saturday so I could test ride more stuff than what's available locally, and I rode EVERYTHING I could get my hands and feet on. .


Yes! I've learned the hard way that you really need to ride a lot of bikes to know what "feels right" and what you want especially when you are not an average build. I think I rode upwards of 10 full suspension mountain bikes before being able to point to "the one", and I'm up to 7 bikes ridden in less than a month for my road bike search (I'm completely carless and will still consider riding/taking transit up to 10-15 miles one way to test ride and am lucky to live in an area where that radius is more than sufficient (easily 10-15 shops).

You are in Cali so I can't imagine there is only one "local bike shop". Find them and visit them, ALL of them.

I'll also concur that Fishers, even WSD Fishers, are longer than most other bikes, so unless you like that feel they probably won't be a good fit.


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## themanmonkey (Nov 1, 2005)

Next time you go to a shop take a tape measure and measure these things.
1. Center of the crank to the top of the seat
2. Top of the seat to the ground measured straight down.
3. Center of the handlebars to the ground.
4. Distance from the middle of the stem to the tip of the seat, or the seatpost cradle if you prefer.
With these 4 measurements you can make easy adjustments to each bike to get things closer to fit. It can also rule out certain bikes without throwing a leg over the top.

A good saddle height is easy to find, but the others are what really dials in the fit. If you know one bike feels a little long you can adjust the height or length of the stem, or slide the seat forward. Just going from the toptube length in the catalog doesn't work that well. As others have said ride a bunch of bikes, and as *verslowrdr* said a professional fit is totally worth the money.
Good luck and tell us what you find.


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## sanjuro (Sep 29, 2004)

First of all, Specialized makes several models in Large or 19". I took a quick peek at the top tube lengths, and they are near 23 inches, which is about a Men's Medium, which is what I ride and I am 5'11".

Keep in mind a few things. Traditionally women rode men's mountain bikes, which did not work at all for shorter women. There are a lot of women's bikes now, but you can still fit on a men's model.

Typically, women have shorter arms and torsos than men, so women's bike geometries usually reflect this. However, it may not be a factor for a taller woman.

The best companies for women, which Specialized is one of, also advertise "women's specific frame tubing", which means a lighter frame than a man's. Frankly, I don't know if I believe that but it sounds good. 

I would try the women's and men's models, and see if you can tell a difference.


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## tesla. (Jan 25, 2007)

JacieCady said:


> The local bike shop mostly stocks Fisher and Trek; I'll probably drop by this weekend and see how those feel.


The trek and fisher brands do run long in the top-tube, with fisher running slightly longer than trek for a given size, and they both have a large size jump between the M (17.5) and L (19.5) frames. Trek recently introduced a Medium/Large size (18.5) in some of their frames, like the EX8/9 series full suspension bikes. That may be a better fit based on your statements above if you are sold on the Trek brands.


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## santacruzchick (Jun 27, 2007)

*Try some different bikes!*

I'd like to agree with the posters that have said that different bike companies make bikes with different geometries. Some will, in general, make longer or shorter bikes. If you are looking for a good full suspension XC bike, try the SantaCruz Blur series. I have had two of those bikes and I think the "cockpit" on them is shorter than on other bikes I have ridden, relative to the height of the bike. Also- they are just darn good bikes.My husband currently has a brand new Blur LT 2 and the cockpit on his medium is even shorter than the cockpit on my Blur LT (last year's bike) medium. At 5'9 I can't imagine you would need a large frame. Also- and this is really important in my opinion- get a really short, and I'm talking dirt-jumper short, stem. Like a 50 or 60 mm stem. It makes a huge difference in how well the bike handles and will further shorten the reach for you.


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## deanna (Jan 15, 2004)

JacieCady said:


> Kinda-sorta; at my height, it's really more "long_er_ legs and medium torso". I've test-ridden both male and female frames, and it's something of a toss-up as to whether a 19" men's frame (too bloody long) or a 17" women's frame (too bloody all-around small) is more uncomfortable.


Sounds about like my build (I'm 5'12")... and I tried bike after bike after bike before I found something I really liked. If the TT was long enough for me to not be scrunched, the bike itself felt loooooooooooooooong and cumbersome. If the bike handled like I wanted to, I felt like a hunchback since it was so short.

I ended up going custom (Seven Sola), though I did finally have a chance to ride a Titus Racer-X in size medium and it felt good for a stock bike.


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## JacieCady (Jan 22, 2009)

verslowrdr said:


> If I recall, the GF 'genesis' stuff is pretty long... maybe someone else could fill in, but if that's the case it may be tough to get one to fit you correctly.


I'm kinda hoping a long medium might work in place of a short large.


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## eat_dirt (May 26, 2008)

a lot of women i know ride men's bikes which leads me to doubt the 'female' geometry.


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

eat_dirt said:


> a lot of women i know ride men's bikes which leads me to doubt the 'female' geometry.


Different companies approach women's specific design differently. Some might do as little as paint the frame powder blue, and spec a women's saddle.

Obviously, not all women are proportioned the same, so many will find a "men's" bike will fit better.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

eat_dirt said:


> a lot of women i know ride men's bikes which leads me to doubt the 'female' geometry.


they do, but the fact is that a few angle changes can make a _real _difference for women of certain stature and/or proportions. You might read our FAQ for more information on that.


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## Cdaleblue (Oct 15, 2008)

My wife is 6'2'' with a 36'" inseam.I'm 6'2'' with a 35.5'' inseam. She has had allot of trouble finding a bike that felt comfortable to her. Including my mountain and road bike. She tried the 21'' inch Hifi delux and She felt right on that bike. She will finally be joining me on the trails!


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## stenu (Dec 8, 2006)

My wife is 5'11'' too and has quite long legs with an inseam of 34'' and a shortish torso. She had also difficulties to find a MTB frame that would fit properly. They were all too low or too long - or both. A 18,5'' RM Blizzard was the perfect solution for her. It's a 2006 model and the sizing is a bit different today, but it's worth to take a peek. Blizzards are relatively high but sloped, they have little longer that average head tubes and are really short. My wife's bike is fitted with a 100 mm fork, a long zero set back seat post and a 15 degree 90 mm stem. She's had it now nearly two years and couldn't be happier.


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https://flic.kr/p/2441801820


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https://flic.kr/p/2440973483


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## X02Supermodel (Dec 23, 2008)

I'm 5' 11 3/4" and have a 36" inseam...very thin and no upper body strength =( talk about having a hard time finding a bike (and jeans hah) that fit that I can also controll. I wish they made a "wsd" bike that big. My prob is bikes that fit my legs are to long in the torso so I feel uncomfortably stretched out. I just have to get used to it and do some modifications. Guess and check always works and after several test rides doing this and that modification on my new bike, I fit perfect.


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## Team Pro Laps (Jul 1, 2004)

JacieCady said:


> Kinda-sorta; at my height, it's really more "long_er_ legs and medium torso". I've test-ridden both male and female frames, and it's something of a toss-up as to whether a 19" men's frame (too bloody long) or a 17" women's frame (too bloody all-around small) is more uncomfortable. I suspect a 19" women's 29er would be as close to an optimal fit as I'm going to get out of a factory stock bike, but I haven't found anyone that actually makes one yet.


I am 5'9" with a really long torso, but have always really liked women's fit bikes. I still have a Santa Cruz Juliana hardtail. There is something fabulous about the geometry of this bike that I hadn't been able to replicate, but really, the frame is a bit too small. I moved on to a Titus Racer X, which have been wonderful, but again went with a small frame to get the feel that I like, but the frame is a smidge too small. Then I discovered, quite by accident, that the Gary Fish HiFi Pro 29er (17.5" frame) was my perfect bike fit, or as close to perfect as I can get. This bike has G2 Geometry and I would certainly recommend it without reservation. I also don't like bikes with long top tubes, but somehow it all comes together on this bike. A Gary Fisher 17.5" frame with G2 geometry could work for you in either 26" OR 29er format (not women's specific, tho). Try it and see what you think.

I'd also have to recommend a Titus Racer X or Titus Motolite in a Medium Frame.

Also, Colorado Cyclist has a screamin' hot deal on complete Santa Cruz Superlight bikes: $1400 for a Tora fork with LX-XT component mix; this is a complete bike for the cost of some frames. Their Santa Cruz SuperLight Juliana is also this price, but don't think the frame would be quite big enough.

Let us know what finally works for you. I certainly sympathize with your situation.


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## Sambolina (May 15, 2007)

Can I ask what bike you ride? You and I are the same and I am having a terrible time with my large mens Specialized. It really gives me low back pain. I am all legs as well at 6'0 with a 35" inseam. I am also looking for that perfect fit and found the XL version of Mens bikes fit me better. I am still trying several different brands as I am not going to select anything, take my time and look around.



X02Supermodel said:


> I'm 5' 11 3/4" and have a 36" inseam...very thin and no upper body strength =( talk about having a hard time finding a bike (and jeans hah) that fit that I can also controll. I wish they made a "wsd" bike that big. My prob is bikes that fit my legs are to long in the torso so I feel uncomfortably stretched out. I just have to get used to it and do some modifications. Guess and check always works and after several test rides doing this and that modification on my new bike, I fit perfect.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

*Stems....*

Santacruzchick mentioned very short stems, which got me curious since I've test rode a few bikes with short stems and never liked how they felt, but couldn't put my finger on why.

Some googling around revealed that while there's nothing set in stone, in general short stems are favored for more downhill stuff since they allow the person to get back farther even through a turn, and don't require as long a turn to get the same wheel rotation. Longer stems tend to be favored for higher speed handling and climbing.

I got to thinking that the turn radius effect might be something for women to consider if they're short armed and/or narrow shouldered to start with. For someone like me with longer than average arms and wide shoulders, it might not be as much of an issue.

I probably spend at least 70% of my ride time climbing (it only seems like 90%, lol) and am mainly interested in tearing off some miles, so the longer stem setup I'm working with seems like a reasonable setup. However, there's also my bike geometry to consider... as I posted earlier, my saddle HAS to be set well back from the BB or else my knees revolt. So I probably already ride with my weight back more than average. Does that also affect why I'm perfectly happy with a rather long stem?

Anyway, that's what y'all get for making me think. Now I'm going to eat some oatmeal.


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## X02Supermodel (Dec 23, 2008)

09 trek X02 58cm. Gary fisher 19" fits me pretty well. The seat is jacked up but not quite to the max so it is a good fit. The 21 is waaay to long in the top tube but fits legs perfect. I don't fit specialized at all. Test rode but hated the fit. I felt the XL was to big and the L was to small. Trek mtb fits me ok (my cross bike is perfect tho) but I really like the fisher's (19") fit/geometry or yeti's (L) fit. Keep test riding and DON'T JUST SETTLE. Thats the worst feeling when you just settle then it always happens, you find something right after and you are like no way this sucks because you settled.


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## Sambolina (May 15, 2007)

Yeah I agree, never settle. I sort of did when buying my first bike because I listened to others and never really knew what to look for. The bike felt good at the time and I was so new to the sport that it did not mean much to me.

Now that I have a bit more time under my belt I am ready to get out there and test ride away. I will try several bikes before I make my decision. Thanks for the helpful info.



X02Supermodel said:


> 09 trek X02 58cm. Gary fisher 19" fits me pretty well. The seat is jacked up but not quite to the max so it is a good fit. The 21 is waaay to long in the top tube but fits legs perfect. I don't fit specialized at all. Test rode but hated the fit. I felt the XL was to big and the L was to small. Trek mtb fits me ok (my cross bike is perfect tho) but I really like the fisher's (19") fit/geometry or yeti's (L) fit. Keep test riding and DON'T JUST SETTLE. Thats the worst feeling when you just settle then it always happens, you find something right after and you are like no way this sucks because you settled.


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## Jason76 (Dec 5, 2006)

This is Jason's Wife I'm not that tall-5'9 and 33 inch inseam. My Husband's Moto Lite Small frame was too small for me but my Medium Intense 5.5 is perfection. I have a super long torso too.


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