|   Easy Question - Standover Height | Darrell
Dec 8, 2003 2:27 PM | | At least I *hope* this will be an easy question..LOL
I have purchased a new-in-the-box 2001 Marin Quake 5.0 off ebay for what seems to be a pretty good price of $299. It is a 17" frame and has a 31.6" published standover height.
I understand that the standover height is measured from the ground to the top tube. BUT, when the top tube is not parallel to the ground, how is that measurement taken? Obviously the closer you are to the seat post, the more standover clearance you'll have and vice-versa as you measure closer to the headset.
FWIW, I have a 31.25" inseam and I'm afraid I may have bought the incorrect frame size. Luckily, the retailer seems to be very willing to swap the bike out should it be too large...
Thanks in advance for any info!
Darrell |
| Sound's like a close call..... | FreeRangeChicken
Dec 8, 2003 2:40 PM | | ... a bit too close to the money maker, that is.
Not exactly sure where they measure the standover on a sloping top tube, but my guess would be near the middle. I'd say if the published standover is 31.6" and your inseam is 31.25", that's not enough standover. Usually you want somewhere between 2"-4" of standover on a mountain bike.
Probably the best thing for you to do is see if there is a Marin dealer near you and go stand over another Marin bike of the same size (ideally, the same frame). Next best thing might be talking directly to Marin. |
| re: Easy Question - Standover Height | Jrm
Dec 9, 2003 2:20 PM | | On bikes with sloping top tubes, standover is usually measured from the center fo the top tube to the ground.
If you measured your inseam in socks or bare feet them with shoes ojn you add about 1-1/2 to 2"s of lenght.
Standover isnt as important as your ability or inability to get over the back of the bike. Anyway standover doesnt matter when your riding. |
| Don't think I totally agree with that.... | FreeRangeChicken
Dec 9, 2003 4:46 PM | | "Standover isnt as important as your ability or inability to get over the back of the bike. Anyway standover doesnt matter when your riding."
Standover is pretty important if you're trying to bail out of a bad situation.... especially if you're a noob. Being able to get over the back is important too, but probably not a technique that is used as early in the "learning-to-ride" experience as bailing out of the pedals. Bailing out of the pedals on uneven terrain is where you really need standover height.
True, standover is not important when you're on the bike, but it's pretty important when you come upon an unscheduled dismount on messy terrain. |
| How is 31.6" correct on a 17" frame? | innergel
Dec 23, 2003 7:31 AM | | I have a 21" Stumpjumper and it has a 32" standover height. It also has a compact geometry, so I'm wondering how a 17" Marin could be so close. I realize they are different manu. but how far off can they be?
I would suspect with a 31.25 inseam, you'd need something like a 28" standover, which would translate into a 15" or something like that. Hopefully the dealer will swap it out for you if you got the wrong size. |
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