What Is Mountain Bike Reach

Mountain bike reach is the distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the handlebars.

Mountain bike reach is measured in centimeters and it’s a measurement that can be used to compare bikes and find one that suits your needs better. The height of your handlebars should be at least as tall as your saddle height so you can ride comfortably.

How long should my mountain bike reach be?

Look for listed standover heights, and compare that number to your inseam. The difference between your inseam and the standover height should fall within the target ranges. (For example, if you have a 30” inseam, you’ll want a mountain bike with about a 28” standover height.)^[1]

What should the reach on my bike be?

“The stem shouldn’t need to be super short or super long to make the bike fit you.” Ideally, you should look for a reach where your elbows bend slightly when your hands are on the hoods—without your spine flexing and bending to reach the bars—for a good road bike fit.^[2]

What does bike reach mean?

Reach is the horizontal distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the middle of the head tube.^[3]

Is longer reach better?

A longer reach and wheelbase means a more stable place to climb – well, as long as the seat angle is sufficiently steep to keep the front from lifting – and if the bike is stable then you’ll need less of the moving about as on the saddle as you attempt to find traction.^[4]

How do I know if my bike reach is too long?

“If your arms are dead straight, this indicates the reach is too long and you may end up with neck pain as the shoulders and neck take the brunt of road buzz and bumps. “Your shoulder or arm flexion in relation to your torso should also be around 90 degrees.”^[5]

What height is a 27.5 bike for?

What height is a 27.5 inch bike for? 27.5 inch bikes are suitable for adults between 5’2” and 5’10”. That said, adults of all heights can ride this wheel size. Some brands claim that 27.5” wheels are especially useful for riders 5’7” and under.^[6]

Which is more important stack or reach?

For a given reach, a greater stack puts you into a more upright riding position; your hands will be moved upwards and your body position will rise more towards the vertical.^[7]

How long should your reach be cycling?

An easy way to judge where this should be is to sit normally on the seat and spin backwards and stop with one of your legs positioned at 90 degrees, in other words the pedal should be at the 3-o’clock position. Using a plumb bob, the front of your knee cap should fall directly over the spindle of the pedal.^[8]

Does lowering handlebars increase reach?

Bar height is also known as saddle-drop, which is the measurement of how far the top of the saddle sits above (or below) the bars. Generally speaking, a lower handlebar height reduces your centre of gravity. By placing more weight over the front wheel, you increase traction.^[9]

Does bike reach include stem?

We’ll look at some of the reasons for these design differences between Road and Mountain Bikes in a follow-up post, but if you want some clues in the meantime, consider that Stack and Reach measurements do not include cockpit components such as stems and handlebars.^[10]

How do I find my stack and reach?

Stack and reach is essentially any point on the bike, relative to the bottom bracket, measured against true horizontal (x) and vertical (y). These values can be calculated to the center-top of the steerer tube, the center of a handlebar, or the rear edge of an elbow pad.^[11]

Is reach or top tube length more important?

Reach is more constant. Consider a rider who is 6′ tall with two bikes; both bikes have a listed ETT of 610mm, but they have different seat angles.^[12]