Being tall has its advantages: you never need a stool, you always have the best view in a crowd and your date never has to worry about being taller than you when she wears heels. However being tall also comes with its fair share of disadvantages: everyone assumes you’re amazing at basketball, finding clothes that fit correctly is nearly impossible and you can’t always participate in fun activities because they simply don’t have the equipment necessary for tall men. Mountain biking has always been one of these activities because most bikes are simply not big enough to fit a man over 6′ 5″ comfortably.
The Problem
Mountain bikes have a frame meant to correlate with the body proportions of its rider. The tires also vary in size depending on your height and weight. Together the frame and tires make it possible to navigate unpaved terrain and easily handle difficult trails, logs, rocks, branches and even small boulders. The problem is that the average sizing chart for mountain bikes doesn’t exceed 6′ 6″, which makes mountain biking for a tall man more difficult. Sure you could always buy the biggest size available and hope for the best, but with all sports if you don’t have the right equipment you’ll be uncomfortable and it could lead to injury.
Not Just Mountain Bikes
This problem doesn’t apply to just mountain bikes, but road bikes as well. Road bikes are typically made of lightweight titanium, carbon fiber, or aluminum. They are also equipped with narrow tires that make biking on paved roads smooth and comfortable allowing you to reach your optimal speed and accelerate easily. Unlike mountain bikes that have rear suspension to make biking on unpaved terrain more comfortable, road bikes have no rear suspension.
The Bike For Tall Men
Finally a solution was made for tall men wanting to bike comfortably, when 6′ 6″ inventor David Folch, injured himself riding a standard sized bike. After years of engineering and testing the Dirty Sixer was made. Folch was able to create a lightweight aluminum frame optimal for men between 6’5″-7’5″. While most bike manufacturers try to accommodate tall customers by simply making their bike frames taller, the Dirty Sixer has a frame, tires, handlebars, and pedals all meant to keep the rider comfortable with no compromise in safety. This bike has even been tested and endorsed by pro-basketball players like Shaquille O’ Neal. The Dirty Sixer has recently come out with a mountain bike so now tall men can enjoy biking on the road and on unpaved terrain.
