I'm 191 cm tall and I want to buy UPTEN ZERO, the problem is the biggest frame size is "L" and is adapted for (173cm - 185cm) only, my question is it ok to ride a small bike? dose it effects me or what are the consequences? Thank you
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4What sort of rides are you planning to do? The answer may be different between all day endurance rides and short trips– Chris HDec 9, 2019 at 9:39
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I am fairly confident saying the bike is too small for an ideal fit. If your looking for a commuter for 1-5km trips it might be OK, but if you looking for day long MTB trips a better fit would be advised.– mattnzDec 9, 2019 at 20:38
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1It all depends on the length of you legs which is more important than general body height.– CarelDec 9, 2019 at 21:09
2 Answers
Is there a local bike shop near to you where you can go and try one for size and perhaps get advice?
I think, generally speaking, it's easier to get a slightly small frame to fit rather than trying to adapt a too big frame...
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1Slightly too small might be OK but in this case the frame is for a body size that is on average 10cm smaller than OP's size. I'd be cautious here.– CarelDec 10, 2019 at 8:34
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@Carel: Raising the saddle by 5cm and using a 4cm longer stem is almost always possible (at least on road bikes, not sure about MTBs).– MichaelDec 10, 2019 at 17:06
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@Michael You will most likely also have to raise the handlebars or get higher rise handlebars to make it comfortable to ride on Dec 12, 2019 at 3:35
Generally, it's not OK to ride a bike that is significantly too small for you, it's going to cause you problems.
Firstly, you may not be able to raise the saddle far enough to accommodate your leg length. You may find you are having to flex your hip joint too far which is inefficient and uncomfortable.
The handlebars will be too close to you, resulting in a cramped feeling and a riding position that is too upright.
You can replace the seat post and stem with longer ones but it's better to get a bike that fits you in the first place.
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addition: When using a frame which is too small, even if you can adjust the seat height far enough so it is correct for your height you will have issues, especially with the handlebar height in my experience. The higher the seat is the lower your hands will be relatively/the more hunched over you'll be. For short trips the difference in frame size will not be such an issue but on longer trips (150-200+km) you will start to notice. There are certain fixes you can do such as angle adjustable stems, riser bars (with more rise), setback seat posts, longer stems etc. Dec 12, 2019 at 3:34