Smaller Bike = More Endoing?

You know I sacrifice for the readers of mtnbikeriders.com. A couple of weeks ago, I rode a Medium sized bike when I normally ride a Large. This is a significant sacrifice on my part and it almost ended up being even more sacrifice than I thought it would be.

Medium sized Trek Top Fuel 69er

OK, so I have this theory. If you don’t mind hearing me out on it, I’ll proceed. First the setup: a couple of weeks ago, my friend Tim & I headed out to the Trek Demo Day. Our first rides went well and when we got back to the parking lot we jumped on other bikes before heading out again. Because I wanted to get some seat time on the Trek Fuel 69er I accepted the opportunity to ride a size Medium bike when no larges had returned. Anything for the readers of mtnbikeriders.com, right?

Along the route we were riding there are some small jumps. They’re what I call XC jumps because they’re what XC riders would be willing to jump if they’re willing to jump anything. Usually these jumps are within the flow of riding downhill such as railroad ties that launch you no more than 6 inches off the ground. Other times they’re actual jumps where you can get a little air probably no more than 1 foot, though.

So riding a different sized bike takes some getting used to and I didn’t really give myself a ton of time to do this. Going from a Large to a Medium means a more cramped cockpit. A more cramped cockpit in turn (and here is where I am theorizing) means more of your upper body weight will be pushed forward onto the handlebars. More weight up front means less weight in the rear which therefore increases the chances of endoing. Too much forward mass means the back end will be unweighted which is a perfect recipe for the “superman�? maneuver.

I really got to test this theory out on those little XC jumps I was telling you about. After hitting a couple of them, I began to notice that my front tire was hitting the ground sooner than my rear. This is not a good sign as it increases the chance of losing control and falling hard. I didn’t give it much thought but after the jump below, I did.

I’m going to eat it!

This jump made me realize that maybe riding a smaller bike is not such a good idea. I almost ate it good right here (note the poor form: locked out arms/eyes on the front wheel…).

So my theory: smaller bike = smaller cockpit which distributes your weight differently then what you’re used to. It pushes your weight forward increasing your chances of endoing. Agree? Disagree?

See what I’m willing to sacrifice for the readers of mtnbikeriders.com?