Tall Cyclists Can Finally Get Their Own Tall Bicycles

It’s tough being tall. While others might envy your height, it’s hard finding furniture, clothing, and sports equipment to fit your towering frame. David Folch, a 6-foot-6-inch cyclist, who once injured himself while riding a bicycle that was too small, feels your pain. That’s why he created DirtySixer, a line of bikes that’s designed for sizable statures like his own, according to Outside magazine.

“A few years ago, I broke my ankle riding one of those scaffolding frame bikes—regular size wheels, with a taller frame—so I decided to make something better,” Folch told Outside magazine. “I learned bicycle design, and set out to make a proportionate bike for my body. By scaling up the wheel size, and every single bit of the bike—tubing, bearings, axles, cranks, pedals, bars, saddle, etc.—we created the first bicycle that looks good under a 7-foot-tall rider."

Folch’s all-road bikes have massive frames, which are fitted to equally massive 36-inch wheels. They come in four frame sizes, ranging from the amusingly-labeled extra-small (6' to 6'4") and small (6'4" to 6'7") to medium (6'7" to 6'11") and large (6'11" to 7'3"). Folch is also happy to custom-design a bike based on your personal measurements and proportions, although he can’t make you one if you’re under 5'10". “We would have to dramatically alter the geometry and fit to accommodate the rider’s size, and the handling would suffer,” Folch explains on DirtySixer’s website.

A team of very tall riders, including 7-foot-1-inch Shaquille O’Neal, have already taken the DirtySixer out for a test spin. Now, after three years of tinkering with the design, the first generation of DirtySixer bikes is slated for mass production. The project is currently on Kickstarter, and it’s already exceeded its funding goal well before its April 7 deadline. Watch the video above to see how the DirtySixer works, or pre-order your own bike for a discounted Kickstarter rate of $3499 (the cheapest DirtySixer starts at $3500).