How small is too small??? Bike size

Interesting topic. Thanks for sharing this info, guys. I'm thinking about buying a new bike and I wonder whether I chose the right size. 

I also looked for the answer on this question and found an article here https://www.bikertricks.com/bike-size-chart/ that enlightened me. As most bike sizes can be deceiving, it’s important to get an accurate measurement for proper leg extension. It should be noted, bike inseam measurements should be taken with a tape measure while standing with your feet together.

Here we get:

- for a road bike – multiply 0.70 by your leg inseam

- for a city bike – multiply 0.685 by your leg inseam

- for a mountain bike – multiply 0.685 by your leg inseam

It is also important to remember that different brands and models of bikes will have different size charts, so be sure to consult with a shopkeeper before making a purchase.

Bike? Size? Height? Riding style? Riding preferences? Terrain? Riding experience? How fit you are?

with modern geometries there is simply a lot to get it right or wrong

TLDR: Personal bike fit has a steep learning curve, don’t max out your budget until you have been on many bikes. I prefer bikes roughly a size smaller than 2023 recommendations. Nimbility ftw!

Long version: I am 6’4” with long arms and I have had bikes from 460 to 515 reach. My preferred reach is 480-485 on all trails. I like the bar to feel like it is under my chest so I have a lot of strength in corners and do not have to shift my weight forward to get front end grip. Additionally, shifting my weight back on steeps is more effective and does not sacrifice steering. Long reach is fun for pointing it through chunk, but for me in particular it is not faster on a timed run with corners, even rocky corners.

Caveat is that your risk of going OTB is higher on a shorter reach bike. Some chest exercises with heavy weights (heavy for you, have good form before adding more weight) and deep hip hinge when you ride and that problem is sorted.

Ultimately, you should try as many bikes as you can from friends, demo days, rentals and even pedal around the parking lot of shops. Try multiple sizes of multiple models and don't buy until you are at least in the ballpark. 

Trying to fix frame size with stem and bars will only sacrifice handling characteristics. That really only works on road bikes and then only kinda. From my specific experience.

Specialized Status from that year had a reach of 430mm in medium and 450mm in large. I had both and I'm 5'11''(180cm) and both were rideable but too small for me. You're taller than me so I'd recommend at least 480mm of reach though ideally something with more than 500mm of reach would be best. Have a look at the second hand bike section and try getting a part time job and saving up to buy that bigger bike. You can always get a Works components +10mm reachset for your status in the meantime.

Just sayin'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM61S2ri7m4

Landing biggish jumps is almost a separate activity than trail riding. Your wobble is probably two wobbles--the first from reacting to the sudden change in head tube angle as the fork compresses, and the second from the front wheel unweighting as the shock compresses. Increasing the spring rates and/or low-speed compression damping in shock and fork should reduce the wobbles. That this bike has 200mm of rear travel and 170mm of front may present further difficulty

@Big Bird: lessons in stack +++

Loved the video! Yes, your bike is absolutely too small for you, but I wouldn't stress it right now. The entire world rode mountain bikes that were too small for the first 30 years of our sport and people managed to land backflips, race the world cup, and huck over the Tour de France on those bikes. Steve Peat was 6'4" and his bike looked like a BMX, but he managed to do alright.

If you're 15 and broke, I'd recommend you keep riding your current bike and learn to make the most of it. You can learn a ton from riding the wrong thing and learning to compensate. Plus, all those skills will transfer over when you eventually upgrade. And watching your video, you were sending it deep! It's perfectly normal to get wobbly when you're learning to huck it deep on big jumps. Like others said, you have the opportunity to work on riding technique, suspension setup, or even good old push ups. Keep shredding!

-From a former tall skinny 15 year old learning to send it on too small of a bike