Raven sizing and handlebar height

[Jitensha]

Hi everyone,

Myself and my partner are getting closer to buying a Raven Adventure Tour (thanks in some part to the enthusiasm for the Raven of some of the form members!), but we live in Japan. Taking a test ride isn't an option. After lots of research we have no doubts about the quality of the bike, but sizing is a concern. We simply have to get it spot on. If we don't it will be a very costly mistake.

We'll discuss frame size with Robin when we get to that stage , but if any raven owners out there could shed light on the following question that would be great.

Is it possible to have a handlebar height that's quite a bit above the saddle height? I'll want handlebars that are 5-10cm above saddle height while Laura will be looking for 10-15cm above. We're both somewhat tall so we'd be talking about this kind of setup on a 537L frame or possibly even on a 562S or 587L. Considering we both have a standover height (in cycling shoes) of just short of 90cm the saddles will be pretty high anyway, so we're thinking a larger frame size helps guarntee a higher handlebar height. However the raven brochure states that the largest two frame sizes are only for REALLY tall people and we probably don't qualify as really tall, I'm 181cm and Laura is 177cm.

Obviously this is something we'll have to discuss in some detail with the guys at SJS but it's always good to get the opinions of forum members!

Cheers

[luceberg]

Hi there,

I'm not a Raven owner, but have bought a couple of Thorn bikes, so may have some useful advice.

A couple of observations;

Thorn bikes have really long steerer tubes, so getting a large frame for a high handlebar is not necessary.

The most important dimension to get right is the top tube length. Given your measurements, you and Laura have different needs in this respect, as her upper body is a lot shorter than your's.

My suggestion would be 562S and 512S, but don't take my word for it. Robin has a huge experience in this respect.