A Blog For Short MTBers, By a Short MTBer

My name is Lily, and while I am no one of consequence I have been riding for over 10 years now. I learned to mountain bike in Western North Carolina and recently moved to the Front Range of Colorado. I have volunteered with several veteran’s mountain bike non-profits organizing and leading rides. I am currently an ambassador for The Dirt Therapy Project, a non-profit focused on getting veterans outdoors and on bikes for recreational therapy. 

As a shorter rider I have struggled with bike fitment and sizing. For reference, I am 5’0”, with a 27” inseam and about a 390mm reach. For most small size bikes on the market that is at or below the very bottom end of the size charts. I ride a small Transition Patrol and an XS Specialized Epic EVO 8. The Epic is the only frame I have found where I sit in the middle of the size chart, meaning the fit isn’t just “good enough,” it is allegedly perfect.

It can get expensive trying to make a bike fit you appropriately when manufacturers tend to produce components for the widest group of individuals that makes financial sense. I understand why bike frames for riders outside of the “normal” size range are very hard to come by, and why smaller components are also harder to find. The good news is that in the 10+ years I have been riding mountain bikes I have seen my options improve greatly. 

I reached out to some of my people to pick their brains about the things they have learned trying to make a big shoe fit. Glory, who is also 5 feet, says that comparing geo numbers online has never worked perfectly for her and recommends getting on as many bikes as possible. For her, the stand-over height is important, and she wants to be able to at least tippy-toe over the bike. Being able to get your feet on the ground can help inspire confidence. She said that she will gradually cut bars until they feel right. I have seen many smaller riders who have never cut their bars. Mine are at 740-760mm, and I would cut them shorter, but I’m worried about stiffening up the bar too much. I like a little compliance. I am still on the journey to find the perfect bars.

Misty, who is 5’3”, rides an XS Transition Relay and an S1 Specialized Stumpjumper with 155mm cranks, and 720-740mm bars. She says that “shorter cranks generate more power to the pedals. I like to have more control navigating terrain with a narrower handlebar.” Candice prefers to move her saddle back for more clearance for space over the top tube and that “standover is crucial.” She also prefers a mullet setup. For myself, I moved my saddle forward and have a 35mm stem on my Patrol in order to fake my way to a shorter reach on that frame, something I did not need to do on the Epic. 

Another component that I always change on my new bikes is levers. I have found Freedom Coast to make some very durable and lightweight (but expensive) levers that have a better reach for small hands. Oak Components is another place that makes CNC levers for a premium price. I know for my motorcycles I also change the levers and have found some very good inexpensive levers on Amazon and there are probably some inexpensive options out there for mountain bikes as well. I would just urge caution because if you break a lever that can make for an unpleasant ride back. I am noticing that some manufacturers are adding more adjustability options now. Another part that can help with small hands is grips with the appropriate diameter for your hands. Trail One makes the Farlow Gap grip (shoutout Pisgah) which is a smaller diameter, and I like RevGrips for arthritis issues and they have small grip sizes available too. You trade off some longevity with smaller grips but being able to comfortably grip your bars is far more important in my humble opinion.

Dropper posts. You can take my drivetrain before you take my dropper. My first full-squish bike did not have a dropper, and it was impractical to install an aftermarket dropper at the time. Once I bought a bike that allowed for a real dropper I have no idea how I rode without one. The key with a dropper is to have a bike with enough insertion length while still having a good stand-over height, all while still having a functional amount of drop. Look at the downtube design. The Patrol has a very straight downtube which is why I can get so much dropper travel on that bike. The Epic has more of a curve at the bottom in order to make full-29” wheels fit in an XS frame I imagine. I have had great luck with PNW Components Loam dropper as well as Bike Yoke. PNW is my choice for value to cost. I have 150mm of travel on my Transition Patrol and 125mm on my Specialized Epic EVO. Both are the PNW Loam dropper. Bonus points for being able to grease the dropper while it is on the bike. 

Cranks. One of my favorite gear discoveries was the Canfield short cranks. They make an all-mountain and a DH-rated crank that go down to 150mm, which I ride on all my bikes. They are very reasonably priced compared to others on the market and can take a BEATING. Going from a 165mm crank, which was the shortest crank available in my budget for the longest time, to a 150mm was a surprisingly drastic improvement. Having a crank size appropriate for your body geometry will undoubtedly improve your riding. One of the other benefits of short cranks is that they allow your feet to be closer together horizontally while in a flat-feet or coasting position. This is easier on your hips and prevents fatigue on descents. If you are comfortable on the bike, you will ride better. 

Pedals. This goes along with the handlebars for something I see all the time. There are pedals out there with sizes, folks. I recommend getting a pedal that matches your shoe size. Crankbrothers and Yoshimura both make excellent flat pedals that come in a smaller size. Yoshi has a better pin design, but they are overpriced. Both can be rebuilt with inexpensive kits.

I think this is a good time to bring up some other aspects of being a smaller rider. It is very easy to over-bike and overdo it on components as well. What I have found is that I can get away with either pushing parts past their expected lifespan, or I can get away with a lot less.

Which brings us directly to suspension. Get your suspension custom tuned if you can. I had such a hard time trying to dial my suspension. I took my bike to a well-known mechanic, and he was able to listen to what I was describing was/was not happening with my suspension and he was able to dial it in. If you can’t pay for a custom tune, play with those knobs. I run my HSC almost full open and just fiddle with my LSC depending on the trail I am riding. I also ended up under-forking my Patrol and replaced the stock Fox 38 with a Fox 36. There is no need for such a stiff fork for 95% of the trails I ride and at my weight (120lbs) and I would be hard-pressed to ever outride the Fox 36. This is very dependent on the rider’s weight, riding style, and trails they typically ride, but less is often more, especially for smaller riders. Bikes have come a long way and you would be surprised how capable some of the shorter-travel and lighter weight bikes are. This is huge for us smaller riders. We can shred just as hard on bikes that are more appropriate for our size. 

Frame. This is probably the single most important part of your bike as a short rider. This is also something I have never perfected. If I had the money, I would get a custom full suspension frame made. Ride as many bikes as you can, and like the MTB Podcast has said before, figure out your preferred reach and go from there. For shorter riders, knowing what your stand over height is can also be helpful. This is came up a lot when I was talking to other short riders and it wasn’t something I had thought a lot about myself.

Wheel sizes. I rode a 27.5 for years because no full-29 ever felt right to me. I always felt like I was way too high off the ground even when the standover was fine. Then I discovered the wonderful world of mullets. I test rode a Juliana Roubion and the Transition Patrol back-to-back in Pisgah National Forest (Trace Ridge and Black Mountain trails) and fell in love with the Patrol. I won’t go into a full bike review, but when you ride a bike and it just puts a smile on your face you know it’s the one. I bought a complete Patrol and shortly after swore off ever buying a complete bike again (…I did) because nothing but the suspension stayed stock for various reasons. This is another struggle with shorter riders, while some companies are getting better about the components on bikes, many are one-size-fits-some across most sizes. I’ll give Specialized a shoutout for somehow making a full-29” bike frame in XS that feels natural to ride and the stock setup, minus the cranks, was pretty much good-to-go from factory for me. I still plan on upgrading the wheelset in the future, but as far as things I needed to change it was minimal and mostly for personal preference, not fit. The cranks were 165mm and I swapped them immediately for 150mm Canfields. Sometimes a sale price will compel you to purchase a complete when you swore that off. 

For my ceiling fan safe friends out there don’t be afraid to experiment with your components. I think what has improved my riding has been riding different types of bikes in different terrain. Get out of your comfort zone and just put as much time on your bike as possible. That goes for you normal-sized humans as well.