Most stable under load

Which frames put the most bike behind the bottom bracket?

How this is ranked

Longest average chainstay across published sizes.

Chainstay length sets how much of the wheelbase sits behind you, and therefore how far a loaded seat pack hangs past the rear axle. Longer stays also leave more heel room with panniers. What they cost is a longer bike in tight singletrack, which is the trade — that is why this is a criterion and not a verdict.

Every figure comes from the manufacturer's published geometry — see each bike's page for the source. Nothing here is a judgement about how a bike rides; it's one measurable property, ranked. Disagree with the criterion and the order changes, which is the point.

The ranking

  1. 1
    Jones
    Plus LWB

    chainstay, 1178mm average wheelbase

    483mm chainstays, 48mm longer than the 435mm median across the 65 current frames here. The fork publishes cargo mounts, and the frame publishes up to 3 bottle or accessory positions. A rear rack bolts straight on. Widest published tire 83mm on 700c / 29in.

    483mm
    from $1,740
  2. 2
    Salsa
    Fargo 32 Steel Frameset

    chainstay, 1183mm average wheelbase

    481.9mm chainstays, 46.9mm longer than the 435mm median across the 65 current frames here. Bottom bracket drop 106mm, 36mm more than the 70mm median. The fork publishes cargo mounts, and the frame publishes up to 3 bottle or accessory positions. A rear rack bolts straight on. Widest published tire 61mm on 32in. It takes a dropper post.

    482mm
    from $1,799
  3. 3
    Trek
    920 Frameset

    chainstay, 1087mm average wheelbase

    465mm chainstays, 30mm longer than the 435mm median across the 65 current frames here. Bottom bracket drop 85mm, 15mm more than the 70mm median. Trek publishes no fork cargo mounts, and the frame publishes bottle or accessory mounts. A rear rack bolts straight on. Trek's tire clearance wording doesn't give a figure we can compare.

    465mm
    from $989.99
  4. 4
    Salsa
    Fargo Ti

    chainstay, 1107mm average wheelbase

    462mm
    from $3,299
  5. 5
    Salsa
    Fargo Steel

    chainstay, 1107mm average wheelbase

    462mm
    from $3,399
  6. 6
    Genesis
    Longitude

    chainstay, 1144mm average wheelbase

    458mm
    from £1,499.99
  7. 7
    Tumbleweed
    Prospector

    chainstay, 1160mm average wheelbase

    456mm
    from $1,650
  8. 8
    Ritchey
    Outback

    chainstay, 1067mm average wheelbase

    453mm

Other ways to rank these bikes

Most frame bag space

Which frames swallow the biggest full-frame bag?

Best bag space on a small frame

If you ride a small frame, which bikes don't punish you on carrying capacity?

Most tire clearance

Which frames take the biggest rubber?

Bikepacking bikes with fork cargo mounts

Which frames let you bolt cages to the fork?

Best set up for cargo out of the box

Which frames let you bolt things on without straps and improvisation?

Cheapest frames that publish the full mount set

Which bikes come ready to carry luggage without buying an adapter or improvising a strap?

Takes a dropper post and a rear rack

Can I run a dropper and still carry a real load behind the saddle?