why do some bikes 'fit' and other don't?

[Virtual DBP]

Genuine question because i'm thinking about buying a mountain bike (currently a roadie) and have been going to trail centres a few times now and really enjoying it - normally play on the red runs or electric blue (the bit near the buzzards car park with all the jumps)...

anyway, the few times i've been before I've used my son's bike (Giant Talon 2.5 size small) ...however today i was at Glentress and hired a Kona Caldera bicycle. was quite looking forward to it as it's twice the price of my sons.

i'm 5'10 or 5'11 and i'm quite slim, and when i arrived the guy wanted to give me a large, but i plumped for the medium but for whatever reason i just didn't like it, didn't get any confidence from it and struggled on the jumps as i felt the front wheel was really 'heavy'.

the bike looks really similar in terms of shape and dimensions (it's a bit bigger) but without knowing much about them, is there anything obviously different i should learn when considering buying my own mountain bike?

 

[Cyclist33]

Any number of factors could play into your experience... if you have been enjoying throwing a smaller bike around, you would naturally find a medium less chuckable, I guess. Also the length and angle of the stem to the handlebar would affect how "heavy" the front feels, as it has an effect on how much of your body weight is distributed to the front of the bike. Similarly the aft/fore position of the saddle affects where your weight is laid down.

From another viewpoint, the Talon is touted by Giant as a bike designed (geometrically) specifically for British trails, so maybe it is just more at home on them... I don't know about that really. Angles and stuff!

All I can suggest is stick to the Talon until you get your own bike, but don't be tooooo put off by changes in position etc. I went from a very keen, forward and smaller GT to a larger sized Marin this summer, with a correspondingly longer wheelbase and a much higher handlebar setup with a longer stem. It stretches me out a bit and the seat angle is further back than the GT but after a few rides I "got it" and now I think it's brilliant. Much more comfy too.

Stu

 

[Campfire]

I also think that Kona bikes tend to have long top tubes. I tried a Kona and an Orange when I eventually settled for the Orange, as the top tube was shorter. It may not be a problem for you if you're tall however. The Orange felt much more responsive - well it must have been good - I've still got it 16 years on.