I have a Karate Monkey with a 120mm fork. I'm 5'9" and I've done the math: a large would never really fit me right. I have a put a 70mm stem on it and it's still a bit cramped.
While it suits my needs, I can see why it would not appeal to a lot of people: the compact geometry. I could never seem Andrew riding one, with his love of long wheelbases. the KM is a short, nimble little bike. the reach on the medium is what most modern manufacturers would call "extra small". putting an angleset on it or a longer fork would make the reach even smaller and the BB so high in the air as to be ridiculous. I would not want to put a longer fork on it for this reason, but some people make it work. it works for me, but I'm thinking about getting something roomier.
Feb. 22, 2022, 4:54 a.m. - Jonathan Nolte
I have a Karate Monkey with a 120mm fork. I'm 5'9" and I've done the math: a large would never really fit me right. I have a put a 70mm stem on it and it's still a bit cramped. While it suits my needs, I can see why it would not appeal to a lot of people: the compact geometry. I could never seem Andrew riding one, with his love of long wheelbases. the KM is a short, nimble little bike. the reach on the medium is what most modern manufacturers would call "extra small". putting an angleset on it or a longer fork would make the reach even smaller and the BB so high in the air as to be ridiculous. I would not want to put a longer fork on it for this reason, but some people make it work. it works for me, but I'm thinking about getting something roomier.