The Best Downhill Mountain Bikes for Tall Riders - Dirt

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The Best Downhill Mountain Bikes for Tall Riders

Over six foot and looking for a downhill bike? Here's a few options...

What are the best downhill mountain bikes for tall riders? These days size is becoming less of an issue.

Most brands are now gearing their rides out with an XL option to suit the tallest of riders, meaning that even if you’re ducking through doorways you should still be able to find a world class ride to suit your needs.

Here are some of the best downhill mountain bikes for tall riders on the market right now…

Santa Cruz V10

The Santa Cruz V10 has been developed for the bigger rider; with Greg Minnaar, Steve Peat and Josh Bryceland, all over six foot, having their input on the frame.

The iconic bike is now offered in both XL and XXL sizes, making it one of the first calling points for the taller riders out there. The XL has a wheelbase of 1249.2mm and reach of 450.8mm, and the XXL a wheelbase of 1278mm and reach of 475mm. The top tube is 655mm on the former and 682mm on the latter.

The bike is playful, fast and one of the best looking rigs on the market.

Pole Evolink 176

The Pole Evolink 176 is a downhill mountain bike for tall people. The reach is 510m on the large. Even the medium has a reach of 480mm and the small of 450mm.

The large boats a wheelbase 1348mm long. That’s long. The small has a wheelbase of 1288mm, longer than the XL on most other bikes. The Evolink is a bike for tall people.

Canyon Sender

The Canyon Sender is a long bike, offering a solid reach and bottom bracket height, and a stack height which increases with each size to meet the needs of the tall downhill mountain biker.

The XL model of the Sender has a top tube of, 1281mm wheelbase and 480mm of reach. It’s an XL alright. We loved the Canyon Sender when he tested it out, and it was comfortably one of our best downhill mountain bikes of 2016. The length of the top tube is 635mm.

Mondraker Summum

Ridden to each of the top three spots at the 2016 World Championships by Danny Hart, Laurie Greenland and Florent Payet, the Mondraker Summum is one hell of a bike.

The XL is a relatively new addition to the Summum range, which previously struggled to cater for riders over six foot with their large model. The XL has a wheelbase of 1280mm. The XL reach is 468mm and the length of the top tube 647mm.

Giant Glory

The Giant Glory has one of the longest ‘reach’ dimensions out there, measuring at 476mm on the XL. The top tube is the same as the Sender at 635mm long and the wheelbase is 1273mm.

It’s quick, it’s quiet and it’s well balanced. A good bike and a serious option for tall riders.

 

Solid Strike

A wheelbase of 1270mm makes this bike bigger than the extra large Trek Session or Specialized Demo. The reach is 453mm and the top tube 621mm as well. It’s a big bike.

The Solid Strike is aluminium but it’s still light – around 36lbs. This is one of the first 650b downhill mountain bikes we rode and it remains one of our favourite.

Pivot Phoenix

Bernard Kerr, Eliot Jackson and Emilie Seigenthaler have been repping the Pivot Phoenix on the World Cup series all season, and it’s another real choice for the taller downhill rider.

With a wheelbase of 1291mm, a top tube of 603.25mm and a reach of 482mm, this should work nicely for the bigger rider out there.

Kona Operator

Connor Fearon piloted the Kona Operator to a top 10 finish in the downhill World Cup this year, and there’s no doubt that there’s some potential in the bike frame.

The reach of the Kona XL is 485mm, with the wheelbase 1277mm and the top tube 641mm.

Specialized Demo 8

The rig that carried Aaron Gwin to the 2015 World Cup win and piloted Loic Bruni, Loris Vergier and Troy Brosnan to top 10 finishes this year is also available in an XL size.

The reach on the Demo 8 XL is 460mm, the stack 614mm, the top tube is 636mm and the wheelbase 1248mm.

GT Fury

The GT Fury is a stiff ride made for rough tracks and speedy descents. There’s no XL option but the large boasts a 644mm top tube, a wheel base of 1269mm and a reach of 456mm making it a serious option for taller riders.

Trek Session

The ride that Rachel Atherton took to the perfect season and one of the most famous frames in mountain biking, the Trek Session XL has a huge wheelbase of 1251mm, a reach of 450mm and a top tube measuring 642mm long.

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