Bike size

[robert]

Thinking of buying a decoy, not sure of what size, I’m 5”9 noticed a lot of people going a size up I’m usually a medium ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

All YT bikes are born and grown. not manufactured , using a cellulose carbon production technique.

The weather's been a bit hit and miss this year and most of the top spec hydroponics gear has been bought up by the dutch for growing medical marijuana, hence a lot of the delivery delays.

If you order a small, you should get it 3 months quicker. ;-) XL's .. they're going to be a long wait..

 

[Matt00]

Thinking of buying a decoy, not sure of what size, I’m 5”9 noticed a lot of people going a size up I’m usually a medium ?

I'm 5'11" and rode a L and an XL. The XL felt the same as my L 2019 Levo (which feels a bit too big). I had more fun on the L so I would probably go for that over the XL.

There was another guy the same size as me going for a Medium. I guess it depends how you like the bike to feel....

I think they do feel smaller than what I've normally had i.e. a L focus SAM2, L Lapierre and L Levo

 

[Joeblaze]

Hi guys
Here's what I think about sizing so I hope it helps...I've ridden a m..l..& XL...I'm 5'11 & found the XL was good at full tilt on an open track but showed its size wen it got thight...the medium I liked how agile it was downhill but uphill on steep stuff the front still wants to lift ..& the large was a nice balance for me it climbed well down to my weight being in the right place while seated & still ripped the downs....for me I'd go for the large but my best advice is try before you buy as for me I could never buy any bike blind..ie not riding it before I buy it ...that makes no sense to spend that much dough & not no for sure if its rides right for you....having said that I'd love 1 as it really is a grin machine & you won't be disappointed full stop...

 

[Gary]

the front doesn't actually "want" to do anything your body position isn't making it do.
ie. on a short bike when climbing weight the front wheel and the nose of the saddle and if pulling on the bars always pull back rather than up.

shorter bikes are more difficult to climb steep technical terrain on as you need to pay far more attention to body position and weighting each wheel for grip. but it's actually quite rewarding managing a super steep technical climb on a short bike and everywhere else you gain a playfulness no long bike can match. Especially a 50lb one.

I'm 5'11" and would ride a Medium Decoy

 

[Joeblaze]

When seated on a medium with the saddle fully extended your weight is further back hence the wheel lifting Its got nothing to do with body position it's where you natural riding position on a medium...my weight is in a natural riding position for climbs on a large frame for my size... I'm not talking technique I'm talking about the right fit of the bike..
I agree I ragged the medium on the downs & it aired better & also realised I didn't have to WWF it in tighter sections...but when climbing the trade off of the mediums agility is having to put more effort in to keeping the front end down & tracking because of natural weight distribution dew to wheel base length & other boring geo numbers ..
Your perched on top of a decoy climbing that's to small for you....& it reveals it first steep climb...
The large with a longer wheel base has a better seated natural riding position for me climbing meaning less energy fighting the front on a steep un ....it can be a tuff call choosing what size you like but I will sum up slightly differently than my last post
Medium decoy climbing put my natural weight more towards the back wheel so had to put more effort,technique in..etc.
Jibbing the Dh on the medium was more of a lively ride than the large.
I'd want the medium for the Dh's & the large for easier climbing...
Problem solved...???

 

[Gary]

When seated on a medium with the saddle fully extended your weight is further back

no it isn't

Think about it?

Its got nothing to do with body position

think about this even more.


Chainstay length and seat angle are exacly the same on a small, medium, large and XL Decoy
so your saddle position relative to the rear wheel axle and BB is in exactly the same place on all 4 sizes.
it's only front centre (reach) that changes as you increase frame size.
This actually means your saddle is closer towards the front axle of the bike the smaller the frame size you choose. Not further away.

Body position actually has EVERYTHING to do with how each wheel is loaded.

bending your elbows slighlty more on the medium and bringing your chest lower to the bars will weight the front wheel more when climbing.

There are other ways to gain climbing traction and stability than simply buying a longer reach bike and sitting on it like a pedalling potato

 

[Motoxfreak]

All YT bikes are born and grown. not manufactured , using a cellulose carbon production technique.

The weather's been a bit hit and miss this year and most of the top spec hydroponics gear has been bought up by the dutch for growing medical marijuana, hence a lot of the delivery delays.

If you order a small, you should get it 3 months quicker. ;-) XL's .. they're going to be a long wait..[/QUOTE
I am 5'9" and rode a medium today. It felt just like my large Levo and if you look at specs, it is slightly larger in most areas than the large Levo. The person that bought the bike is 5'6" and she said she could have went with the small. I myself liked the medium.

 

[Jpzeroday]

I tested a L and and XL.

I’m 5’10.75” with a 32” inseam.

Own a 2019 Levo L and a Yeti SB130 L for reference. I have owned a M eOneSixty 900e.

Tested the XL first and the bike felt spot on pedaling and straight and steep. When it got narrow and twisty the bike was cumbersome and the front was harder to keep on line.

Tested the L second. Did not feel as “in” as on the XL. The pedaling position was not as comfortable. Seemed to handle the steps fine, but was much more agile in and out of turns.

Decided on the L. Could have gone either way.

 

[MarkH]

If you're between sizes I'd generally recommend sizing down to gain some playfulness, as the weight of an ebike provides plenty of stability anyway. At 5.5 I tested both M and S and the small was much more fun

 

[Joeblaze]

no it isn't

Think about it?


think about this even more.


Chainstay length and seat angle are exacly the same on a small, medium, large and XL Decoy
so your saddle position relative to the rear wheel axle and BB is in exactly the same place on all 4 sizes.
it's only front centre (reach) that changes as you increase frame size.
This actually means your saddle is closer towards the front axle of the bike the smaller the frame size you choose. Not further away.

Body position actually has EVERYTHING to do with how each wheel is loaded.

bending your elbows slighlty more on the medium and bringing your chest lower to the bars will weight the front wheel more when climbing.

There are other ways to gain climbing traction and stability than simply buying a longer reach bike and sitting on it like a pedalling potato

Have you really thought about
I don't have to think about it I've been riding 20+ years dude..your talking rubbish just for the sake of it.....ive always sized down as I no the feel of a smaller sized bike...they don't make size s.m.l& XL to be the same...top tube & wheel base these days gives you your size your looking for full stop....I founded tidworth freeride 17 years ago dude & have been threw some bikes in my time...size & technique are to totally different things....but

 

[Joeblaze]

The wheel base is what puts you in a natural riding position....not the reach as reach on any bike can be changed...wow dude you need to get out & ride more

 

[Joeblaze]

I rest my case

 

[Joeblaze]

Front centre reach ...I've heard it all now...is it not called top tube length these days....keep thinking g man

 

[Joeblaze]

Body position still has nothing to do with what size bike you buy...that only matters when you bought the wrong size for 6 large

 

[Doomanic]

I’m 5’9” (and a bit) and I rode M and L Decoys at the FoD when YT were there. I rode the same route each time and was faster and more in tune with the bike on the M. I also rode the route on my L Trek, the M Decoy was faster, the L was slower.

 

[Joeblaze]

Come ride with me & the lads at tf g ...better riding em than chatting about em..aey....big love

 

[TimVW]

I'm not clear but are all suggestions above based on the Decoy, as there seems to other makes mixed in which would mean that the geo of each model needs to be considered.

I note that the YT sizing chart has a small cross over height for each size, but the sizes seem to me to suggest larger frames at a smaller starting height. So, it depends on where you sit in the suggested height range as to how short and playful versus long and relaxed the bike will be?

e.g. if you are 5'9" tall you would be in the middle of the suggested size L, but 2" taller than the upper size for a size M so, on a Decoy an M may be too small, however, on another bike size M may be just right?

Another reason to try b4 you buy I guess. if possible!

 

[KenX]

Hi guys, first post here! FWIW, I received my Decoy Base 3 weeks ago, size S, partly because I prefer a more agile feel and also with a 29" inseam, the seat post length of the M was borderline......I'm 5'7" btw and had a 2016 Lapierre SX800 before in M which was a tad tall and rode like a sled in twisty stuff, great on the DH though! Really pleased with the size choice and the bike is streets ahead of the Lapierre, shows what 3 years of development does!

 

[Mauko]

Up until I read this thread I was committed to a L size Decoy due to the recommendation from YT. I’m 178cm with inseam of 79cm. My current fat bike has reach of 425 and stack of 628 (and 60mm stem). Size L of Decoy is 455 and 629 so in practice the Decoy is 30mm longer. Size M is 435 and 625, so still 10mm longer. I do get that the riding position on the fat bike is quite upright. Also Decoy has only a 40mm stem.

Would you recommend the L if I go for a bit lower riding position?

 

[roQer]

The Decoy is pretty low and definitely smaller than same size 29 Capra. My wife (170 cm) is currently riding my XL Decoy without any problems. It doesn’t look way to big on her and it seems she gained some confidence and speed with it. No need to downsize, IMO.

 

[Sapientiea]

I'm 6'3" on XXL and I can push the bike hard. It's more the weight difference compared to my other bikes that get I had to get used to.

 

[Gary]

Come ride with me & the lads at tf g ...better riding em than chatting about em..aey....big love

thanks for the offer but I'm not sure I'm ready to progress from the steep technical Scottish tracks I've ridden for over 30 years to tackling the Wiltshire mountains just yet. ?

Only kidding bro.. 20 years back I lived less than an hour from you in Somerset (for 4 years or so) and rode all over the South, SW and Wales . We may well have mutual friends (or even ridden together back then). The DH and DJ scene was great there then too.

You missed the point I was making entirely but don't lose any sleep over it.

Trust me. I too know how to ride a bike ?

 

[roQer]

Chainstay length and seat angle are exacly the same on a small, medium, large and XL Decoy
so your saddle position relative to the rear wheel axle and BB is in exactly the same place on all 4 sizes.

This is complete bullshit.
In a smaller bike you have to extend your dropper post more (or use a longer one) to end up at your usual saddle height. Thus the effective seat angle will get lower which affects directly the climbing ability of your bike.

 

[TimVW]

The seat angle doesn’t change. The angle of an arc is constant no matter ho far you extend the length of each side. What changes is that as you raise a saddle (on a seat tube of less than 90 degrees) it moves further to the rear, unless, you slide it forward on the seat rails. This moves sitting weight rearward and potentially un-weights the front wheel.

 

[roQer]

The seat angle doesn’t change. The angle of an arc is constant no matter ho far you extend the length of each side. What changes is that as you raise a saddle (on a seat tube of less than 90 degrees) it moves further to the rear, unless, you slide it forward on the seat rails. This moves sitting weight rearward and potentially un-weights the front wheel.

The effective seat angle as measured between the middle of your saddle clamp or whatever and the BB will get lower, the actual seat tube angle will get not.
You can counteract this effect to a certain degree by sliding the saddle forwards on the rails, of course.

 

[TimVW]

If you don’t change any part of the saddle position, the angle should not change as you raise it. This is largely irrelevant as most people need to adjust saddle position in a number of planes to be comfortable and pedal as effectively as possible. This is probably more important on a road bike where seated peddling position is key.

Sizing from stock will almost always be a compromise and require adjustment to suit the individual rider. Just look at the thread above which has suggestions of every frame size from S to XL for similar size riders.

I am currently in the quandary of size selection and the Decoy is just one possibility. From the thread I am still not clear which size to start from. I’m a shortstock at 163cm (5’4”) but have a reasonable 76cm (30”) inseam and longish arms for my height. I was leaning towards Medium, as a more all around size, but Small would be the usual suggestion, with YTs site suggesting that I fit into the lower M category as well as S.

 

[Joeblaze]

Would you try clothes on before you buy..would drive a car before you buy...are you going to buy a specialist bit of equipment for 5 to 6k...ie a decoy without riding it 1st...personally I'd take a big step back & think about it....
Has anyone thought about spending a little extra money going to Germany on a little weekend break to yt to try before you buy...this to me is common sense if you are unsure about what size you might like then a little trip to yt could be on the cards...I get the direct consumer bit but your sure to get a test ride if you make that trip....if not maybe it's worth holding off spending your hard earned till you can throw a leg over someone elses who has been lucky enough to own one in the UK or where ever you live.....just a thought guys & gals...5 to 6k on a blind buy is not the best idea I've ever heard ...but for those that do & get it wrong I'm always up for buying a discounted grin machine...big love to all of ya jb

 

[Sapientiea]

YT has a good, no fit return policy. No need to be uber anal about fit i.m.o

 

[TimVW]

YT has a good, no fit return policy. No need to be uber anal about fit i.m.o

That would be all you want eh, wait an age for your bike to finally arrive, and then send it back and wait again for a different size ?.