question for tall riders 6'3"+

[Brent Eastman]

rivs latest frames max out at 60/61cm. in a semi-recent email, Will explained how these frames are still plenty big enough for the taller riders out there. I'm curious if the tall riders here would agree? 

i have a friend who is 6'4", long legs, and i found a 60cm hillborne i want to build him, but he thinks it's going to be too small. 

my other friend who is 6'1" was recommended a 60cm hillborne and still went with a 57cm, because he rode mine and liked it. so maybe they all fit larger than advertised?

[Kim H.]

@Brent,

Suggestively speaking, keep in mind that every body is proportionally different in their torso length, arms and legs.

Several years ago, I was insisted that a 59cm Clem would fit me with my PBH of 80.1cm. It did not fit me. It was too large for me. I turned around a bought a 52cm Clem after selling the 59cm Clem. Needless to say, I am very comfortable on my 52cm Clem. I have short legs and arms with a long torso standing a 5'11". 

Kim Hetzel.

[Bill Lindsay]

Have him buy the 68cm Atlantis offered for sale on the list right now.  That's a huge bike.  

BL in EC

[Brent Eastman]

Thanks both.

There's a 60cm hillborne frame for sale near me at a really great price so I'm hoping to hear relevant experience on a modern 60-61cm Riv from a rider over 6' tall.

[larson....@gmail.com]

I think the Rivendell frames are able to accommodate taller riders well. I am just over 6'4" and proportional - my 62cm Appaloosa 2TT fits me better than any bike I've owned. I am contemplating a 60cm Hillborne; the stack number is higher/ the reach slightly less than my 64cm Black Mountain Cycles monster cross which fits me well. Your friend may have a little more seatpost showing and need a longer stem, but I believe the Hillborne would ride great. Does he plan on a drop bar setup or swept back bars? This is my Appaloosa, seat height about 85cm.

Randy in WI

[iamkeith]

Suggestively speaking, keep in mind that every body is proportionally different in their torso length, arms and legs.

Several years ago, I was insisted that a 59cm Clem would fit me with my PBH of 80.1cm. It did not fit me. It was too large for me. I turned around a bought a 52cm Clem after selling the 59cm Clem. Needless to say, I am very comfortable on my 52cm Clem. I have short legs and arms with a long torso standing a 5'11". 

Kim Hetzel.

This should be a huge part of the consideration.  Referencing the above examples :

I am 6'2" and have an even shorter PBH than you, Kim.  So I'm "next level," in terms of long torso /short legs.  I have a 60 Clem H.  I don't really have ideally adequate stndover clearance at all, but I feel like the top tube is way too short. At least for my swept back bosco bars.

Brenton's friend, with long legs and short torso should theoretically have the opposite issue - which is to say none at all.  He'll have a lot of seat post exposed, but all that extension translates to the saddle moving rearward and away from the handlebars.  So they'll feel further away.   And then, when he leans forward in a normal riding position (somewhere beyond 45 degrees, like 50 degrees? ), his shoulders won't extend as far forward as someone with a longer torso but otherwise same saddle height. So the bike will still feel long enough.

As an aside, this later case is also why Rivendell's long chainstays are so great, but why mainstream bike people with average builds don't get it.   When a tall person gets on a bike with typical, in-vogue, short chainstays, they end up with their butt right on top of the rear wheel.  It's a totally different riding experience than someone of averge height and proportions has, but those average-built people will still argue that short chainstays are better....  and that all sizes of a frame should have the SAME chainstay length.

On Friday, March 13, 2026 at 10:16:56 AM UTC-6 krhe...@gmail.com wrote:

[Bill Shaw]

I'm 6'4" and my 60cm Platy and 61cm Gallop are perfect fits. I have a 61cm Roadini that feels a tad bit large, but it's still an overall comfortable ride. 

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[iamkeith]

one more thougth:  The very first generation of Hilbornes had a longer top tube than later generations.  I don't know which one you found.  

(These were goldish-green or orange, had gold decals, and did not have creme colored head tubes.) 

[Rick Harries]

The BikeInsights website might be useful, too. It has geometry data for many bikes, including many of the Riv models and different generation of the same model so comparison is easier. 

Randy, I like the photo of your Appaloosa. 

Rick Harries

Easton, MD

[Kyle Mitchell]

My suggestion would be to load up one of their existing bikes (or something close) into https://bikeinsights.com/ along with the Sam so that they can get a visual indication of the sizing. I think that it will also make a difference how they want it to fit. It would probably be better as a more sporty (bars at or slightly below saddle) drop bar bike than an upright flat/sweep bar bike. For a flat/sweep bar bike, I would think that they would be better off with the largest Clem or Atlantis.

[Boon Hughey]

Hey Brent - I'm 6'4" with a 93.5 pbh and have purchased a couple of new Rivendells from the most recent offerings. My 62cm Atlantis is *almost* too large for me with 50cm tires, and my 60cm Hillborne feels just about perfect with 45cm tires. The 62 Atlantis is a BIG bicycle.

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[Eric Daume]

I’m 6’3” with a 34” pants inseam. I find that a bike like a 60cm Sam fits well with drop bars, but for upright bars, something longer works better. 

Eric

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