Stack and Reach

What is Stack and Reach?

Stack and reach are measurements that describe the size and proportions of a bike measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the headtube. Stack is the vertical distance and reach is the horizontal distance.

Compact Stack and Reach

Why does it matter?

Compared to traditional bike sizing which is based on the length of the seatpost, stack and reach measurements have the following advantages:

The size of the bike is described in two dimensions instead of just one. This describes the proportions of the bike.
Compact-geometry and traditional geometry bikes can be directly compared without the length of the seat tube (which is largely cosmetic in terms of bike fit) being a factor.
Differences in seat tube angle are ignored, providing a more fair comparison considering that these differences can typically be compensated for adjustments to saddle setback.

Stack and reach are the most important measurements for assessing the size of a bike. In cases where the bike brand has not provided stack and reach, it is difficult to assess the bike’s geometry. In cases where the stack and reach are not provided, Bike Insights will try to calculate an approximate stack and reach based on the known attributes.

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