Is longer reach better?

A longer reach and wheelbase means a more stable place to climb - well, as long as the seat angle is sufficiently steep to keep the front from lifting - and if the bike is stable then you'll need less of the moving about as on the saddle as you attempt to find traction.

How do I know if my reach is too long?

“If your arms are dead straight, this indicates the reach is too long and you may end up with neck pain as the shoulders and neck take the brunt of road buzz and bumps. “Your shoulder or arm flexion in relation to your torso should also be around 90 degrees.”

Is reach more important than top tube length?

When the seat tube gets steeper the ETT will get shorter relative to the reach. So if you left the reach (distance from center of the cranks to center of steer tube) identical and made the seat angle steep ETT MUST get shorter. Keep ETT the same however and reach has to get longer.

Are longer MTB better?

Longer bikes give you more stability, and a longer front center helps, especially on steep descents. With a central riding position on a long bike, the rider doesn't need to move about so much, which helps on fast trails.

How does reach affect MTB handling?

A bike with a smaller seat tube angle, and longer reach, has the potential to move weight too far rearwards and cause problems while climbing, such as a front wheel that is prone to leaving the ground under hard pedaling efforts.

36 related questions found

Is reach important MTB?

A bike with a longer reach will have a longer wheelbase. That makes it more stable, especially on high-speed descents. That's great for riders who like to plow through rather than pop over rough stuff on the trail.

Is stack or reach more important?

For a given reach, a greater stack puts you into a more upright riding position; your hands will be moved upwards and your body position will rise more towards the vertical.

Does stem length affect bike handling?

Stem length is one of a number of factors, along with head tube angle and fork rake, that affects a bike's handling. Generally speaking, a shorter stem will result in faster handling, while a longer stem will result in slower, more predictable handling.

Does 1 degree head angle make a difference?

TBH 1 degree dont make a difference. It feels the same, unless you change your stem and handlebar and then your bike will feel a bit more of a difference.

What is aggressive bike geometry?

Aggressive geometry puts your upper body down lower for aerodynamics and the bikes tend to favor a more twitchy handling traits. Relaxed geometry has you sitting in a more upright position and the bike is setup to feel more stable at speed.

How important is top tube length?

For decades, top tube length served as a reasonable metric for providing bike size estimates, but it's an arbitrary metric and always has been. The troublesome part of its continued use isn't that it's arbitrary, but rather that with modern bicycles it's irrelevant and often misleading.

What should my bike reach be?

“The stem shouldn't need to be super short or super long to make the bike fit you.” Ideally, you should look for a reach where your elbows bend slightly when your hands are on the hoods—without your spine flexing and bending to reach the bars—for a good road bike fit.

What is the correct saddle height?

Calculating your ideal saddle height based on your inseam is easy. On average, the seat height should be 109% of your inseam. You can thus use your calculator to multiply your inseam in millimetres by 1,09. Multiply by 1,09 and you know your correct saddle height.

Is 70mm stem too short for road bike?

'Needing a 70mm-80mm stem [on a road bike] probably means bike sizing needs to be reviewed, but many riders are happy to ride a 70 or 80 or 90mm stem without difficulty.

How do you know if your bike is too big?

If you struggle to make turns or need to sit up straight to reach the handlebars, the frame is likely too large. You may also notice that you cannot quickly turn or pick up speed easily due to the way that you sit in a larger frame. Pain or discomfort after riding also indicates that the frame is too big for your size.

How much does seat tube angle affect reach?

Rule of thumb: a degree change in seat tube angle changes the reach by approximately 1cm. So the difference between the frames will be about 1cm.

How do I increase the angle of my head tube?

Flip the bike upside down in the stand. Grease the offset lower cup and sit it on the head tube. The '-' should be at the front if you want a slacker head angle. Use the notches on either side of the cup like a gunsight to line it up centrally with the down tube.

Is a 67 degree head angle slack?

That's a slack head angle. 65-ish is for Dh race bikes. 67-ish is 'normal'. 70-ish is a road bike*.

Why do pro cyclists ride small frames?

So, why do pro cyclists ride small frames? Pro cyclists choose smaller frames to acquire a more aerodynamic position thanks to the lower head tube. Also, compact frames are more agile, easier to manipulate, and have a shorter wheelbase resulting in more stability when cornering.

Is 110mm stem too long?

No. 110 is no more an indication that a frame is to small than 90 is an indication a frame is too big.

Should I shorten my bike stem?

Put simply, if you want a racy, aggressive and aerodynamic position, a longer stem will provide a more stretched out riding position. If comfort is your top priority, a shorter stem length will bring the bars closer to the saddle and put you in a more upright position, placing less strain on your back.

What is bike frame reach?

The reach of a bike is the horizontal distance measured from a vertical line up through the centre of the bottom bracket to a vertical line through the centre of the headtube, and translates to the position of your hands on the handlebar and how 'stretched' you are on the bike.

How can I increase my bike reach?

A bike's reach is determined by the frame and you cannot change it. However, you can artificially increase the reach by purchasing wider or longer handlebars. This will force you to sit further forward while you bike, which is effectively the same thing as buying a bike with a longer reach.

What is reach+ Canyon?

Canyon has adopted a measurement system dubbed Stack+ and Reach+ with the Grail. This is essentially a regular reach measurement plus the length of the stem and a regular stack measurement taken to the centre of the tops.

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