Size UP or DOWN? What To Do If You're in BETWEEN Bike Sizes

What should you do if you are in between bike sizes? Size up or down? What are the pros and cons of each?

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[richardbently]

5'10 I like to buy medium bikes for the nimbleness, weight savings, and increased durability of a smaller bike. I ride mostly urban where going in between cars, on and off curbs(plus potholes) and I carry the bike upstairs/through hallways often.

[derekfinn]

Great video. Life long SMedium here. I've gone back and forth on this for many years. I'm generally into sizing down on MTB's and sizing up on Road and Gravel bikes. But the thing that's helped me the most is to ignore the listed sizes and just look at the actual geometry and measurements.

[GMICHAELG]

I’m between sizes also. I’ve been fighting this for 2 1/2 months now since I bought it. I’ve been thinking about selling my bike and replacing it with the next size down, before my bike depreciates anymore, only there’s now a shortage. Thanks for the video! It helps when you don’t feel like your the only one person with this problem. I feel like I was given the wrong info to “Size up” by the Bike shop and wasn’t able to get a bike fit because of Corona. Also, lots of information! 😊

[toddtillinger]

Thanks Russ! This is one of my favorite PLP Videos yet. I am a marge. 6 ft tall 30 inch inseam, so I am almost always between M and L, and agree that for me sizing up has worked better. But my hard rugged Mountain Bike trail days are behind me for the most part!

[tomordr]

As always, you have a great approach to helping people, especially newer riders, understand bikes (i.e. fit, geometry, components, etc.) in a straightforward, plain manner. Really the bike industry should be paying you for being such a great ambassador and turning more people into N+1 🙂 riders

[carlaarden]

You hit all the points which became a minefield when choosing my first upgrade bike. I went for downsize as I wanted to be more nimble when off road and also able to lift over gates or fences when needed. I’m very pleased with my build. Best of luck... it’s tough choosing when your a inbetweener, especially when your a first timer.

[turn]

The Bearclaw is one of the best looking bikes I’ve seen, the teal bar tape and tan sidewalls just works. It puts me in mind of the old Yeti ARC frames

[marshallferron]

Another thing to keep in mind is that using a different wheel size or tire width might change the stand over height.

[ralphsprainer]

Well stated. Never got those details from 4 different local bike shops. Went with the upsized Marlin Larkspur. No stand over height issues. Put on toe clips, bike computer with wheel speed and cadence setup, handle bar bag and water bottle cage. Has me back into enjoying bike rides at 58 years young. Averaging 16.5 to 17.4 mph on 12 to 14 mile rides.

[barrymonaghan]

One of the things I find annoying about the bike industry these days, lack of sizes.
I believe the sizes we see now is for the convenience of the bike industry.
Since good new bikes cost thousands of dollars anyway I find it's best to spend the little bit extra to get a custom build.
Thanks for another very informative video.

[shawngifford]

Most relatable video ever, almost everyone is between two sizes depending on the stack and reach. Good advice.

[jaytaylor]

This is the video I've been waiting for! I've been binge watching your videos all summer, riding a kid's Walmart-special mountain bike, and I finally put a deposit down on a Kona Rove that can appear at the shop at any time. I'm just under 5 ft and have a 26.5" inseam. I can tip toe/one foot a 29". Standover is the bane of my existence. If the rest of the fit feels good, I'm going for it! Thanks for endless hours of knowledge and entertainment, Russ & Laura!

[eliknowsbest]

You’ve explained better than most bike channels thank you. Perfect for 9-5’s 👍🏾

[outbackwack]

Thanks, Russ! Like clothing, I've found that sizes have changed in bikes a bit too. I'm in a good Medium mountain bike but and in between an X-Small and Small on my Cannondale gravel bike. I opted for the Small but after riding it a year I wish I'd gone with the X-Small and played around with the front end. I only have a few small spacers now so my choices are limited to bring the bars closer and higher. I installed a 45° stem and that helped a bit. Modifying a bike to really accommodate your riding preference gets expensive when you have to pay full retail!

[mikefoster]

Really really great video Russ. You succinctly defined a problem many of us have, and then outlined clear considerations that'll guide someone to the best solution for them. Never seen it done so neatly. Chapeau!

[jonpoon]

What’s frustrating for some brands is that their XS and S is a much bigger difference than from S to M. That XS is actually more like an XXS and I’d fit another size in between the 2. For drop bar, I appreciate that use numbers and sell more sizes. For gravel, it doesn’t bother me as much since the slacker head angle and longer wheelbase means it’s still stable with a shorter stem. But with road, I don’t wanna go shorter than a 90/100 mm
Another note. Other than stack and reach, you need to also consider seat and head angle, as that will affect the true reach from saddle to bar

[jim]

This is how you want the thought process to go. I know how high I want handlebars relative to the seat and I know EXACTLY the position and angle I want my hands to be in for long rides. There has been no help at all from bike shops to get the fit I want. I've got a Jones now that almost has it dialed. Great video.

[nikveldkamp]

Such a great overview! Imo you hit the most important bullet points for choosing a frame/bike, depending on terrain, riding style and finishing kit. Thanks for nailing that down!

[tomanderson]

As a fellow in-betweener of the M/L verity, I prefer the feeling of the smaller frame where I can more easily move my cg than a large frame that “takes me along for a ride”! Mountain biker at heart I guess….as always thanks Russ and Laura for the great nerdy content, I’m not alone in my nerdy thoughts thanks to you two!

[sventice]

I think if you're forced to choose between a little bit big and a little bit small, almost always go small. You can make adjustments for a slightly small frame, but if the frame is just too big, you're pretty much screwed. You'll be a lot less comfortable, possibly less safe, and much more likely to get overuse-type injuries. (I've gone too big more than once.)