Trail bike for a tall guy

Hi Lee,

I am helping my friend find a trail bike – the catch is he’s 6’6″ and about 220lbs. While one of the fantastic customs from Lennard Zinn would be great, he can’t really spend almost 4 grand. …

Right now he is is riding an XL (21″) Bianchi hardtail and it feels way cramped for him. Basically he would like a bike that is comparable to my 06 Stumpy fsr 120 comp – around 2 grand, but an XXL or 23″ , and not opposed to a 29er which seems like it would make sense given his size. We ride the demonstration forest in SC, 007 at Bass Lake, etc., and we always ride up, never shuttle. Any suggestions? Thanks –

Michael

Hi Michael,

As a 5-9 perfectly proportioned cyclist, I’m not in touch with huge bikes. But I’ll say this:

Seat tube height isn’t super important. Top tube length is the key. I can see your buddy riding an XL all-mountain bike with a really long top tube. For example, an XL Enduro has a 25.8″ top tube (and a 21.3″ seat tube). The bike comes with a short stem; a longer stem might create a nice XC position for your buddy. The Enduro weighs a few pounds more than a Stumpy, but at 220lbs he’ll pull it just fine.

The base Enduro is $2200. BTW, the Enduro is longer than the Giant Reign, Santa Cruz Nomad, Trek Remedy and GT i-Drive 5.

I hope that helps,

— Lee, the incorrigible Enduro fan