Get the most out of your stuff.
Changing chainring size when shortening cranks
Lee,
Thanks for the RideLogic bike setup consultation. Two rides in with the new bar and I’m definitely adjusting, but it’s a way different feel than it used to be. Really liking it, and a lot of moves feel easier (as long as my legs are up for it). I’ve obviously taken a deep dive here, so why not dive all the way.
My next thing I’m looking at is crank length. You talk about switching from 30 to 28 teeth for a switch from 175 to 165. I’m considering going to 155. I currently have a 32 tooth and 170, I believe. How many teeth would I need for a 155mm crank?
Thanks,
Ben
Yet another rider on a bike that’s too big
Hi Lee,
I’ve recently purchased your book Dialed to help me try to understand better where I’m at with my current mountain bike, all the changes in frame geometry (not to mention suspension) in the past five or so years, and now the changes literally in how people ride.
I’ve been riding a long time, which may be part of the problem. I’m a 50 year old woman who got her first mtb back in the days of the 26″ wheel. I rode and raced xc for years, mostly on a singlespeed 29er. And then I got into a really big wreck – I don’t race anymore. Still riding though and I love all the suspension being offered by manufacturers now. Last year before shit hit the fan I bought myself a Pivot Switchblade. I just love it. But… when I went to test ride the demos, the XS felt ridiculously small, uncomfortably so. My husband said it looked like I was on a kids bike. The small felt pretty good. The deal is, I am 5’2″. The size chart says I’m totally within the range for the XS, not even on the cusp of small. So, based on my initial impression, I went and bought the small anyway because I just didn’t like how the XS felt.
Fast forward a year of really learning how to ride my amazing new bike – I can ride so much more stuff I can’t believe it. But, there are times on the trail, mostly steep or technical or both (up or down) where I suddenly feel like I’ve got a shitton of bike underneath me and it just feels really unwieldy, hard to manage, clumsy. I started looking into sizing and the fact that I’d colored out of the lines by buying a larger bike than Pivot recommended for my height, which lead me to your book.
I measured from my knuckle to the floor in the stance you specified. 77cm. Bike from BB to midpoint between grip throughline, 80cm. SO… does this mean that I truly am on a bike that’s too large? According to the equation you also suggested, (height x 4.6) = 724.5. Is this so much l lower than my knuckle to floor measurement because my legs are long?
Anyway, do you have any advice? I realize a long travel 29er isn’t going to be a spry, ‘playful’ type of bike and I really should be on something more like the 5.5 – but size will still matter for that if I decide to buy another bike (cringe).
Thanks for such a good manual for evaluating frame fit!
Best regards,
Lisa
Should I ride a small or medium Specialized Epic?
Hi Lee,
The information in these books (Dialed and F6) is great. I do have one question. I am planning on upgrading from a 2008 Med S-works Epic to a 2021 Epic Pro. The geometry has changed drastically especially with the release of the 2021 bike. Based on your charts in the Dialed In book, you recommend a reach of 410mm for my height (5’ 8”). Based on the radically different geometry this puts me on a small frame. As you are very familiar with Specialized can you give me any insight into going longer with the new geo on the med frame (possibly shorter stem depending on SHO) vs. holding back and riding a small frame? I live in the SE USA and the most technical riding is done during my Xterra races at Oak Mountain (way less technical than out west).
Thank you,
Trey
Solution to terrible hand and wrist pain?
Hi Lee,
Hope this email finds you well my friend. You might remember our convo, but I’m writing you b/c I’ve been experiencing terrible hand and wrist pain on my rides and wondering if you could provide some help as the discomfort is so bad, it’s really bumming me out.
Some background info (again):
- I’m 173 cm tall / 215 lbs
- All my riding is New England roots and rocks
- Riding a medium Ibis Ripley V4
- Handlebars – One up – cut down to 760mm
- Stem – been constantly going back and forth between 40 & 50mm. I know you said 30 is better (and I know it improves my RAD) – but I found the 30 made my steering just too twitchy
- Grips – I played with ESI, all the Ergons and currency running the PNW Loams
As mentioned I keep going back and forth on stem length. TBH – 50mm is most comfortable, but 40mm adds a bit of confidence in the steering when I’m hitting the blue/black tech trails (though I do feel a bit cramped in the cockpit).
We already chatted stem size, and I still can’t find the answer, but what I do notice is that my wrists are never straight when I grip. My hands are always bent inwards and not parallel with bar.
Maybe I need to try SQlab?
Any advice would be helpful and thanks again in advance.
-J
Question about RAD bike-setup number
Lee,
I wanted to discuss your RAD number idea a little more. I read your article on Pinkbike and used the suggested ratio to calculate my RAD number and then went out to the shop and checked all my bikes. It was interesting. My BMX and 4X/dirt jump bike both were spot on the number. My medium Yeti SB66 with 50 mm stem was 20mm longer and my Specialized Epic WC was 70 mm longer. I found this interesting as did not set up any of these bike with RAD. I got to thinking and have an additional question. Both the BMX and dirt jumper you ride standing up all the time. However with the Yeti and Epic I spend and increasing amount of time sitting and pedaling. I put a long seatpost in the dirt jumper and got my saddle position set and that made the reach to the bars feel way to close for seated riding. Your thoughts? As a side note one thing that I have noticed in the past on my bikes is that I tend to tuck the front wheel in corners as apposed to a front wheel slide. Could this be due to to much weight on the front wheel? Also with regards to “new” bikes out there I would typically be a size M, but with longer reach numbers maybe I need to look at size S as you suggest.
In any case, thanks for you input as always. You have been great to both Susan and myself in the past. I have also gotten the pump track built in the back yard, so if you ever make it up to Spokane you have a place to stay and rip some laps.
Greg S
Questions after reading Dialed
Hi Lee,
First of all, thank you for all your work on the blog – it really is a standout in the bike-internet-knowledge base. As well as Dialed e-book that I bought today.
After reading it, I have some questions. Perhaps you will find time to answer them?
1. How can I access the rider-and-bike calculator (I always get a “This page requires a membership to view” notification when I login with my e-mail: wooyek@gmail.com)?
2. “RAD, RAAD, Reach and Stack Table” – are these actual frame dimensions (“official” reach/stack used by manufacturers) or do they include cockpit dimensions?
3. If handlebar rotation should not be used to dial-in the RAD, what method should be used first, give the stem spacers are not enough?
4. What is your method to measure RAAD?
5. How would you describe rider’s “average proportions”? Do you know the average inseam-to-height ratio?
Thank you in advance, best regards!
Michal
Dialed bike setup and front/rear weight distribution
Lee,
We at Trail Werks Cyclery are trying to use your Dialed theories to fit body/bike but I have some questions that I’m sure you’ve thought about.
Front/rear wheel attack position weight distribution – auto racing wants 50/50. What’s the theory on two-wheeled sports where body weight has such a huge impact? Is it 60/40 on flat ground? How does your RAAD affect that, if at all? We want to be able to set up suspension along with rider position. Does the front/rear weight balance shift with RAAD from xc race to dh? How? Is one more important than the other?
I hope this doesn’t drive you nuts. I’m hoping you tell me they are just two different things.
Thanks again. You’ve made me very busy thinking, talking to customers and measuring shit… Nice work.
Michael K
Finding a new enduro bike that fits
Hi Lee,
Because I am looking for a new bike I just got a copy of your book Dialed.
While the RAD concept fits to my current short list I see no way to get near to the recommended RAAD numbers. My current bike is a Radon Slide 160, a light Enduro. It has a RAAD of about 55.5° and I am happily riding it for 4.5 years now.
Now taking the measures of a Norco Range XL as an example would give me a perfect RAD, but the RAAD would be 53.7°. To get to an enduro RAAD of 60° I need shorten the reach from 475 to 402 mm and expand the stack from 621 to 670mm for the same RAD. Any other bike I am looking at has similar numbers.
What’s your thought?
Cheers,
Christoph
Suspension: You don’t know what you don’t know
Today some real experts helped me dial in my suspension, and my bike feels massively better.