Cockpit lenth question

[debaucherous]

I've got a '98 4000, medium size.  I love the ride and have no reason to upgrade to the newest suspension designs, but the medium feels small now that I am riding better.  

I was thinking of buying a larger frame of the same EVO-type design.  The top tube is spec'd at a little over 22 inches (medium).  The top tube on the large is just over 23 inches.

Is the difference felt in riding 1 inch, or will seat tube/head tube angles make effectively longer?  (I can't make my ride any bigger, already have a looong stem and lay-back seat post)

Thanks in advance for any input.
D.

[Matno]

I ride both, and there is definitely a difference in stability between the medium and the large. Get the large!

[Simon]

You don't say how tall you are? or what length top tube on your 4000,22"?I'm 6'1" and ride a medium Oz and a large 4500 the diamensions are the basically the same as an evo,I get on ok with the medium but the large is better, you will notice a difference with the extra 1" of top tube lenght and you will feel slightly stretched out in comparison to the medium,but gives you the excuse to fit a shorter stem for a better steering response,currently using a 110mm stem with a long seatpost with about 1-1.5"layback,I'd go for the large evo but best try one first,Simon [smiley=nod.gif]  

[debaucherous]

I'm 5'10" and the tt length on my current 4000 is approx. 22".

Just trying to figure if a large will be a better fit.  I like my current parts spec and just think I want a larger frame. I'd test ride if I could, but I am quite a ways from anywhere that will let me test ride.   [smiley=depressed.gif]

From what I can tell the k2/proflex 4000 frame is essentially the same as an EVO.  

[Carbon_Angus]

if you have "normal" male body proportions and are 5' 10" ...you will fit nicely on a large frame.

you will really notice a big difference with that extra inch length in top tube

there can be some overlap of course, but 5'9" is about max for a medium frame and on the cusp of a large.

[Matno]

Yup. I agree fully. I actually like riding my wife's medium for certain things (nose wheelies, for example, are a little easier with the shorter frame). However, on the trail, the large is much more stable, and gives me a lot more confidence in rough technical sections. It's nice to be able to compare, since our bikes are spec'd very similarly (same fork, similar handlbar height, similar saddle, etc.) She has a shorter stem though.

Oh, and I'm somewhere between 5'10" and 5'11". I haven't been able to find a reliably accurate measurement for quite some time. (Even different scales at the hospital give me numbers varying by over an inch, so I don't know which to believe!)

Good luck. The nice thing about these frames is that you can probably buy one on Ebay and sell your current one for about the same price.