I’m in the market for a full squish having owned a hard tail for a few years.
Wiggle have some great deals on their Vitus frame sets at the moment and I’m thinking of picking up an Escarpe.
I’m 5.9/175cm which would put me solidly on a size M. That said, my current NS Eccentric Cromo is also a size M with relatively similar geometry and my only grievance with that bike is that it’s never felt very playful.
My aims for the new bike are to tackle more complex features in comfort and ultimately do more interesting stuff than I do on a hardtail so playfulness and control are a major selling point.
Would going down to a size S in search of flickability be unwise given my size?
Any input appreciated
Geo chart https://vitusbikes.com/collections/escarpe/products/vitus-escarpe-29-mountain-bike-frame-07e7
by Benjiblobs
2 Comments
Can only comment on my own experience. I have two specialized bikes a enduro and a ebike Levo. I’ve had the enduro in s4 large for two years, I’m 6,2 which is the top of s4 sizing. My enduros has been a great bike, sizing is perfect for me this has a reach of 489mm. I got a s5 in my Levo as the s4 was 470 reach a lot shorter.
For S5 I’m right in the middle of the recommended sizing. The s5 is a boat for me, I’ve put a shorter stem on, higher rise bars but just can’t get it right at 507mm reach.
My s5 feels good at speed and ploughing but not playful.
Enduro feels perfect all round. It depends what you prefer really. I always find shorter bikes great at local trails and ones I know then a bit too “underneath” me during tech/steep unknown trails.
I think the only way to be 100% sure is to test ride. Every bikes sizings different. You can compare geo charts, but you still won’t ever know how a bike feels until you ride it.
I think the 437 reach on S feels really small for your height. While the compact size will indeed made the bike more playful, if you’re doing ‘complex features’ which I interpret as tech, on tight turns I don’t know if you have enough clearance between your handlebars and your knees. Longer wheelbase on the M will give you more confidence in fast straight descents too, I think S might be a tad too much downsizing here.