The sports equipment must fit the athlete - this is especially true for biking. It is not without reason that manufacturers generally offer five, six, seven or even more different frame sizes. Only an MTB that fits your body size can have the optimum ergonomics to get you through long tours without pain. In addition, heavier riders put significantly more strain on their equipment than lighter riders. Mountain bikes generally have a maximum permissible total weight. With heavy E-MTBs, the approved system weight for tall riders also plays a role on bikes without a motor. We show you what is important and where bikers with extreme dimensions can find suitable sports equipment.
Bikes for giants
The geometry table of many MTB manufacturers ends with frame size XL. What may still be sufficient for riders around 190 centimetres tall is too small for bikers over two metres. The search for a suitable bike for even taller people can become a real problem. Fortunately, there are some brands that have taken this on board and also build MTBs for really tall bikers. However, it's not just a matter of finding the right seat tube length, reach and stack, but also the ratio of the individual dimensions to each other. Why should tall bikers have a different riding experience than short ones?
It is not enough to simply pull the seatpost out as far as possible. An MTB must fit your body size and seatposts should not be used beyond the specified minimum insertion depth anyway in order to protect the seatpost and frame from unsightly defects. Even an unshortened steerer tube with a maximum number of spacers is not a solution on its own. In addition to the size-specific geometry, the frame stiffness should also be adapted to oversized bikes for optimum handling and lasting stability. This is a matter of simple physics: the load on the material naturally depends on the rider's weight and the larger the MTB frame, the greater the leverage forces. Even for large and heavy cyclists, there is no general reason to avoid carbon frames. For special sizes, however, custom frame builders are usually more flexible with aluminium, steel or titanium.
For example, many manufacturers are now focussing on geometry with increasing chainstays. This means that the larger the frame size, the longer the chainstays. This helps taller riders to position their centre of gravity correctly and, in addition to long main frames, can ensure a more harmonious, balanced riding experience. For example the new Raaw Madonna V3 Enduro in size XXL has an adjustable chainstay length of up to 460 millimetres. Raaw recommends this extreme size for riders between 198 and 208 centimetres tall. However, long chainstays also require more input from the rider if they want to manoeuvre their bike through tight bends or onto the rear wheel. In the best case scenario, tall bikers can organise a test ride on an XXL MTB before making a purchase decision.
Massive and large: what XXL bikers should consider
Big wheels for big riders: 29-inch wheels have established themselves in most areas of the MTB world anyway. However, they make twice as much sense for tall riders. In addition to the better rollover characteristics compared to 27.5 or even 26 inch wheels, the large wheels fit much better with the remaining proportions of the bike and rider system for bikers over 180 centimetres tall. For example, 29-inch wheels usually offer taller riders more comfortable handling and a more harmonious riding experience.
Of course, heavy bikers also have completely different demands on the load capacity of an MTB chassis. In the case of full-suspension bikes, the gear ratio, i.e. the quotient of suspension travel and shock stroke, provides information about the load acting on the shock. With a low gear ratio of 1:2.5 or less, the rear triangle is relatively harder and the shock needs a comparatively lower pressure than with 1:3. the rear triangle of the Propain Tyee 55 millimetres of damper stroke in 160 millimetres of suspension travel. This corresponds to a ratio of 1:2.9 and means that the shock must be ridden with a lot of pressure. For heavy riders, this can conflict with the maximum permissible pressure in the shock (e.g. 230 PSI). Extremely high pressures then act in the air chamber, especially during compressions, and can quickly end the service life of seals, for example. Last but not least, conventional damper pumps reach their limits here and special high-pressure pumps become necessary.
When buying a fully, riders weighing over 100 kilos should opt for a model with a rather long shock stroke in relation to the suspension travel. This increases the chances that the shock will last longer and can be adjusted to the higher weight. Logically, heavier riders put more load on the rear suspension bearings of a full-suspension bike than lighter riders. Large ball bearings are particularly durable under high forces. Anyone weighing over 120 kilos may find it difficult to access alpine trails without motor assistance and will tend to limit themselves to rides on easier terrain. Hardtails with wide tyres and suitable attachments are a good choice here.
Maxx Bikes: MTBs in oversizes
Maxx is a manufacturer that has dedicated itself to building bikes especially for tall riders for many years. As the company name suggests, the Upper Bavarians have explicitly specialised in tall bikes. Riders between 189 and 207 centimetres tall get the Racemaxx XXL a suitable hardtail with 100 to 120 millimetres of suspension travel. The remarkable thing is that Maxx offers large bikes "off the peg". Without expensive customisation, the giants among the bikers can find what they are looking for here. In frame size 3XL, the dimensions are enormous:
- 600 mm seat tube
- 175 mm head tube
- 475 mm chainstays
- 481 mm Reach
- 682 mm stack
- 1256 mm wheelbase
As tall riders naturally don't just want to ride hardtails, Maxx also has an enduro bike with 170 millimetres of travel at the front and 160 millimetres at the rear in its portfolio. Maxx specifies a steel spring damper ex works, which often lasts longer for heavy bikers than air spring dampers. The Maxx Fab.4 is available in classic frame sizes for bikers from 165 centimetres tall as well as in an XXL version for enduro riders up to 208 centimetres. In the largest version, the Enduro with steel spring shock weighs a massive 17.98 kilos (BIKE measurement). However, the high figure can be put into perspective in relation to a 100-kilo rider. In purely mathematical terms, this would correspond to an absolutely acceptable bike weight of 14.38 kilos with a rider weight of 80 kilos. On the XXL Fab.4, Maxx combines a long reach with a high stack and a moderate chainstay length:
- 540 mm seat tube
- 175 mm head tube
- 440 mm chainstays
- 530 mm Reach
- 697 mm stack
- 1340 mm wheelbase
Nicolai: customised frames and the longest bikes of all
Also known for long bikes is the German frame builder Nicolai. The special thing about this is that, in addition to standard sizes, Nicolai also builds customised frames on request for all models in the portfolio, from hardtail to superenduro. Nicolai customers can opt for either a tailor-made or customised frame. The former option is suitable, for example, for people with unusual body measurements, such as particularly long legs or an exceptionally tall torso. Nicolai then offers to lengthen the seat tube or top tube, for example. Unlike many other manufacturers, Nicolai also only uses 7020 T6 aluminium for frame construction. Although this requires higher tooling costs compared to other aluminium alloys, it has up to 30 percent higher tensile strength and up to 20 percent higher elasticity limits.
If the customisation of the geometry goes so far that a new frame drawing has to be created by the engineer, a new frame drawing is required. Nicolai can also convert this into a custom frame for an additional 730 euros. Even without adjustments, some of the largest Nicolai frames are already designed for riders 2.10 metres tall. In size XXXL and with steel spring shock absorbers, the Saturn 16 all-round enduro bike 17.09 kilos (BIKE measurement. For comparison: the same bike in size S and with an air suspension shock weighs 15.7 kilos. The following dimensions show how big the XXXL-Saturn 16 really is:
- 550 mm seat tube
- 190 mm head tube
- 453 mm chainstays
- 576 mm Reach
- 684 mm stack
- 1391 mm wheelbase
Chicken cycles: extra-large individual pieces
If you are a tall mountain biker and want to treat yourself to a unique bike, you can, for example, opt for a Chicken Cycles turn. At the Bespoked trade fair in Dresden the custom forge presented a special design for a 206 centimetre tall customer. "Jersey Giant", as the steel bike is aptly namedwas optimised from front to back to meet the needs of the giant biker. The special features of the one-off bike, which costs around 14,000 euros, are the 36-inch carbon wheels, which were originally designed for use in touring unicycles, and a matching, extra-long suspension fork from Intend. There are also dozens of special solutions, some of which were only possible with creative 3D printing. Ready to ride with bikepacking bags, the 36-inch bike for long distances weighs just under 18 kilos.
DirtySixer: really big bikes for really big people
In the USA, DirtySixer's home country, it is well known that there are many tall and heavy people. However, their bikes are also available in Europe. As the name suggests, the Americans also rely on large 36-inch wheels. In the absence of suitable suspension forks, the range is limited to hardtails with rigid forks, but with an extra sturdy steel frame and wide tyres, off-road excursions are also possible. The frame size 5XL fits up to an incredible height of 2.25 metres.
Equally impressive is the weight release of up to 181 kilos. To bring this mass to a halt, DirtySixer relies on two disc brakes at the front. As big people also have big hands and feet, the contact points are also huge in-house developments. The 110 x 160 millimetre pedals can accommodate really big feet and the 43 x 150 millimetre fat grips fit the biggest paws. Crank lengths of up to 200 millimetres are also suitable for extra-long legs.
Trek and Santa Cruz: big bikes off the peg
But tall bikers don't necessarily have to buy from small labels or rely on customised products. Real industry giants also offer suitable MTBs for tall people. Trek offers the Fuel Ex all-mountain bike ex works in an impressive eight different frame sizes. The fully with carbon or aluminium frame is suitable for a maximum range of rider sizes from 145 to 203 centimetres. The Fuel Ex is also suitable for heavy riders, as Trek allows a maximum system weight of 136 kilos. In size XXL, the following key data stand out from the geometry table:
- 500 mm seat tube
- 135 mm head tube
- 450 mm chainstays
- 545 mm Reach
- 648.4 mm stack
- 1323.2 mm wheelbase
Santa Cruz also offers most of its models in six different frame sizes. From XS to XXL, the Americans cover a size range from 142 to 201 centimetres. The range of sizes is complemented by chainstays that grow with the rider and size-specific wheel sizes and frame stiffnesses. For heavy guys and gals, it's also nice to see that the bikes are approved for riders weighing up to 136 kilos, i.e. plus the bike weight. In size XXL, the Tallboy trail bike lives up to its name. Nevertheless, it remains pleasingly light on the scales at 13.96 kilos (BIKE measurement) with a C-grade carbon frame and S equipment kit. Hard to believe with the following geometry values:
- 500 mm seat tube
- 155 mm head tube
- 444 mm chainstays
- 520 mm Reach
- 658 mm stack
- 1291 mm wheelbase
Jan Timmermann
Editor
