How to work out what size bike to buy when you can't try one in a shop

[Boab]

Having thought about it for a bit on this mornings ride, I'm seriously tempted to get a new Canyon Lux Trail, rather than spending £2 - 2.5k on upgrading my gravel bike. However... Canyon being direct to consumer, how do you go about working out what size is the correct size to get, when you can't pop down a LBS and try one on for size...?

The Canyon website has a wee widget for you to put your height and inside leg length in, which tells me to order a small. I've never owned a small, and having ridden my sons bike, which granted is a completely different brand and a hardtail, a small is, well, too small. Does anyone have a link to a website explaining, or can just explain, how to map your body dimensions and a geometry chart into the correct size bike to buy? Or can anyone with a full bounce Canyon comment of the sizing?

[ScotRoutes]

I was looking at Canyon road bikes a couple of months ago and their sizing tool recommended a Small. That was enough to score them off my list as I've never owned a Small bike.

Ideally, look up the geometry of bike(s) you already own or have owned previously.

[Bearbonesnorm]

It's difficult to know sometimes and often personal preference as well as body composition will play a part ... I'm 5'7" and generally ride a small because I have a short body and long legs so a small provides (usually) a shorter TT. The upshot is, my saddle is often higher than others riding the same frame who are taller.

If you've owned something similar before, then it's far easier to make an educated guess. I suppose coming at it fresh, is quite difficult ... no help whatsoever, sorry.

[Lazarus]

Assuming you have never owned a drop bar bike I would jus go somewhere and try them as personal preference will matter
Failing that can you try mates bikes?

[psling]

Canyon do hold demo days in UK and have 'partners' that stock demo bikes. Whether they'd have the new range available yet I don't know but it would be worth investigating I should imagine.

[psling]

Assuming you have never owned a drop bar bike I would jus go somewhere and try them as personal preference will matter
Failing that can you try mates bikes?

[whisper mode]it's a full-sus MTB he's looking at[/whisper mode]

[Shewie]

Likewise, I was very interested in a Grail or Grizl a few months ago, at 5' 10" I was also coming out as a small, just too much of a gamble for me especially when you factor in the import fees etc on top of the £3k, I can imagine making a return is a bit of nightmare too.

[whitestone]

Try this - https://www.pinkbike.com/news/lee-mccor ... et-up.html

[Lazarus]

t's a full-sus MTB he's looking at

if i edit mine will you edit yours so i dont look stupid

Sorry

[psling]

Try this - https://www.pinkbike.com/news/lee-mccor ... et-up.html

I can see that would work well for the more rad off-road MTB style riding where the saddle is an afterthought to perch on as you coast into the car park but maybe not so well for long-time-in-the-saddle riding like bikepacking?

[psling]

t's a full-sus MTB he's looking at

if i edit mine will you edit yours so i dont look stupid

Sorry

chances are no-one else will notice

[Boab]

Ideally, look up the geometry of bike(s) you already own or have owned previously.

If you've owned something similar before, then it's far easier to make an educated guess. I suppose coming at it fresh, is quite difficult ... no help whatsoever, sorry.

Here in lies the problem, I've never owned, or ridden for that matter, a full suspension bike. I'm also not sure I know anyone personally with one locally either... Discounting the Calibre Dune fat bike, the only actual MTB I've ever had was an old third hand Spesh Hard Rock, that I used to commute on.

Canyon do hold demo days in UK and have 'partners' that stock demo bikes. Whether they'd have the new range available yet I don't know but it would be worth investigating I should imagine.

I shall investigate; no doubt if there is one on, it'll be at some far flung trail centre somewhere...

Likewise, I was very interested in a Grail or Grizl a few months ago, at 5' 10" I was also coming out as a small, just too much of a gamble for me especially when you factor in the import fees etc on top of the £3k, I can imagine making a return is a bit of nightmare too.

Evidently Canyon changed their website pricing earlier in the year, and all the Brexit induced poor show is included in the listed price. Still £50 for shipping and £19 for the bike box they ship it in, and yes, I imaging it's a total ball ache to return if wrong.

[Jurassic]

I think that if you have another bike (of that category) that you like riding and feel comfortable on then you can use that as a good starting point, albeit it's often good to take into account the latest design influences and trends before making your choice. As an example I had been riding and loving my Smokestone Henderson fat bike (size large) for a couple of years when I decided I wanted to go back down the full suspension rabbit hole. My new bike of choice was an Orbea Rallon (for a multitude of reasons but primarily because I could get it from my LBS). I compared the dimensions and read everything I could find online about the new bike and came to the conclusion that I would be best on an XL Rallon (for the extra top tube length, the seat tower/standover was only a few mm more than the large frame which is quite common with sizing on modern full sus bikes). During the buying process I was able to speak to the Orbea rep who encouraged me towards the large frame and he borrowed a large bike for me to ride around a bit and try but I stuck to my guns and went with the XL based on my calculations. A couple of years down the line I'm 100% sure I made the right decision and even though the fat bike and full sus are very different animals I can swap between them and feel at home on either one almost instantly.

[Boab]

Canyon do hold demo days in UK and have 'partners' that stock demo bikes. Whether they'd have the new range available yet I don't know but it would be worth investigating I should imagine.

I shall investigate; no doubt if there is one on, it'll be at some far flung trail centre somewhere...

Typical! After saying that, they are going to be just down the road at this Gravel Champs thingie that's going down next month. I might have to email them to see if they're bringing all bikes, or only the gravel Taylor ones...

[pistonbroke]

The Canyon website has a wee widget for you to put your height and inside leg length in, which tells me to order a small.

I was looking at Canyon road bikes a couple of months ago and their sizing tool recommended a Small.

Likewise, I was very interested in a Grail or Grizl a few months ago, at 5' 10" I was also coming out as a small

Perhaps they've only got smalls left

[ScotRoutes]

Ideally, look up the geometry of bike(s) you already own or have owned previously.

If you've owned something similar before, then it's far easier to make an educated guess. I suppose coming at it fresh, is quite difficult ... no help whatsoever, sorry.

Here in lies the problem, I've never owned, or ridden for that matter, a full suspension bike. I'm also not sure I know anyone personally with one locally either... Discounting the Calibre Dune fat bike, the only actual MTB I've ever had was an old third hand Spesh Hard Rock, that I used to commute on.

Geometry won't be all that different to the Dune. As I recall, they were "made big" so even the Medium was at the top end of that scale.

[Jurassic]

Ideally, look up the geometry of bike(s) you already own or have owned previously.

If you've owned something similar before, then it's far easier to make an educated guess. I suppose coming at it fresh, is quite difficult ... no help whatsoever, sorry.

Here in lies the problem, I've never owned, or ridden for that matter, a full suspension bike. I'm also not sure I know anyone personally with one locally either... Discounting the Calibre Dune fat bike, the only actual MTB I've ever had was an old third hand Spesh Hard Rock, that I used to commute on.




Evidently Canyon changed their website pricing earlier in the year, and all the Brexit induced poor show is included in the listed price. Still £50 for shipping and £19 for the bike box they ship it in, and yes, I imaging it's a total ball ache to return if wrong.

I think that using the Dune as a starting point is a sound proposition if it's a bike that you're comfortable on but maybe do a bit of homework regarding things that are likely to be different on a modern full sus bike. From my perspective, I'd say try to get your head round the modern long, low, slack design trend and incorporate that into your thinking to some extent. I'd already started down this route a bit as the Henderson that I already owned was longer and slacker than the On One Fatty that it replaced but it's nowhere as far down that route as the Orbea full sus that I bought is. In my experience there are very few negative points to going with a bike that is longer and slacker than you may have ridden in the past, these modern bikes are so much more capable than their predecessors that it's almost like cheating (especially when combined with 29er wheels).
I'm now contemplating swapping my fat bike frame for the Smokestone Bow Ti LS (which is longer and slacker than the Henderson) and I use my fat bike for bike packing with an alternative set of 29er wheels on it so I don't see modern progressive geometry as an obstacle to longer or multi day rides.

[ScotRoutes]

TBF, that Canyon doesn't look particularly Long, Low or Slack. It has a Racing Ralph on the rear so I'm expecting it to be more Euro XC.

[Jurassic]

TBF, that Canyon doesn't look particularly Long, Low or Slack. It has a Racing Ralph on the rear so I'm expecting it to be more Euro XC.

All things are relative, 67degree head angle, 74.5 seat tube angle is pretty up to date for XC/trail riding and the top tube is longer than the equivalent size Rallon which is marketed as an enduro bike (admittedly the Rallon is a three/four year old design now and must be due for an update soon).

[Tomwoodbury]

Bikeinsights and geometrygeeks are my go to resources for sizing bikes.

[Jurassic]

Just browsing the geometry for the Lux Trail and the seat tube length increases quite a bit with each size which makes things a bit more tricky in terms of being able to concentrate on the length of the bike rather than the height of it. It also potentially impacts on the ability to fit a longer dropper post which can be a nice option to have depending on what type of riding you do. It looks like a really nice bike though and something like that would definitely be on my radar if I were in the market for a new fs bike. The positioning of the shock and the ability to carry a couple of bottles is a nice touch for longer rides and would make a custom frame bag an option as well.

[johnnystorm]

Bikeinsights and geometrygeeks are my go to resources for sizing bikes.

I'll second this approach. Pop the Canyon stats in (if they aren't already there) and compare to some more common bikes. If there's anything similar you could try for size more locally then you could see that in the flesh.

I followed Canyon's size calc and ended up with a medium that was too small for me. I later found that if I added a cm here or there to the size guide it would have suggested a large.

I'm not sure that buying a Canyon is all that compelling now with the price increases and potential hassles from buying abroad and than their less than stellar record of customer service.

[fatbikephil]

If you've never owned a bouncer before I'd suss out what the pivot bearings are, how much to replace and whats involved. If its all bespoke it could be quite pricey and may not be up to dealing with UK mud....

Size wise, length is important and I've seen a trend towards silly long top tubes of late.

[Jurassic]

Size wise, length is important and I've seen a trend towards silly long top tubes of late.

Silly long top tubes and short stems are the way ahead ht.

[fatbikephil]

Size wise, length is important and I've seen a trend towards silly long top tubes of late.

Silly long top tubes and short stems are the way ahead ht.

Nah, short top tubes and short stems are the way ahead, its just the bike industry hasn't got there yet!