MTB Frame size pros and cons

[OffCamber]

Advice needed please - Im in the market for a new bike and I'm thinking about frame size. My height is right on the border between a medium and large frame per the manufacturer's recommendation so I could go either way. What are the pros and cons of a smaller frame vs a bigger one? Bike will be an Epic, my riding is XCO and marathon. My weight is average to light. 

 

Thanks

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Large frame: can go shorter stem. With same width bar, steering is sharper and you can get further behind the front wheel when the going gets rough. More stable at speed due to longer wheelbase. Can't turn as tight in tight switchbacks.

 

Small frame: more over the front, weight forward; less stable at speed but slower steering with same width bar as large frame (longer stem) quicker carving in tight spots due to shorter wheelbase.

[Tatt]

Agree with Myles. If I was buying my OneTen again I would have gone with an XL and the shortest stem possible.

 

Tom

[OffCamber]

Great advice, thanks guys. The shop gave me a large to test this weekend and Ive loved it. It does have a mega 100mm stem and I get the feeling that a 70 would speed it it up in the tight stuff nicely

 

 Im moving from a camber to an epic and thinking that it be better to err on the side of the larger frame. I guess it will be less of a change in terms of wheel base and stability than jumping to a small frame. My camber is a large. BTW it came with a 70mm stem that I replaced with a 90 which made a huge diff to the feel of it. Surprisingly I found it wandered around a bit with the 70.

 

RS

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Yeah, 100mm is MASSIVE. The 70's "wandering" was probably due to the more direct steering you get from a shorter stem, so you would have been better served by going wider on the bars. 90mm on a camber is a sin! ☺