Bike size ?? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

01-03-2007, 05:35 PM

Hi, I'm thinking of buying a used mountain bike for a young man(24 years
old) who recently had his bike stolen. He needs the bike to get to work
everyday. He lives quite a distance away, so I will be shipping the bike to
him. This means no test sitting. He's 5' 7" and slightly built. I recently
found a GT Timberline with an 18" frame.

Is this too tall?

What frame size should I be looking at?

Thanks

01-03-2007, 08:34 PM

"Mike Jenkins" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:tRYmh.6095$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].pas.earthli nk.net...
> Hi, I'm thinking of buying a used mountain bike for a young man(24 years
> old) who recently had his bike stolen. He needs the bike to get to work
> everyday. He lives quite a distance away, so I will be shipping the bike
to
> him. This means no test sitting. He's 5' 7" and slightly built. I recently
> found a GT Timberline with an 18" frame.
>
> Is this too tall?
>
> What frame size should I be looking at?
>
> Thanks
>
>

In my experience typically someone that height on a cross country mountain
bike is 15-18". It's really impossible to say without seeing him on it to
know for certain.

01-04-2007, 05:27 AM

"Mike Jenkins" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Hi, I'm thinking of buying a used mountain bike for a young man(24 years
>old) who recently had his bike stolen. He needs the bike to get to work
>everyday. He lives quite a distance away, so I will be shipping the bike to
>him. This means no test sitting. He's 5' 7" and slightly built. I recently
>found a GT Timberline with an 18" frame.
>
> Is this too tall?
>
>What frame size should I be looking at?

It's impossible to say with just the above information. Not only
that, but the "size" of a MTB is a very subjective thing -
manufacturers determine the size differently (center to top, center to
center, center to top of the seat tube), rendering the measurement
meaningless. Add in the fact that two bikes with the same "size"
might have wildly different "****pit lengths" (top tube plus stem
horizontal).

Chances are you're going to want to find a bike that's in the "size
above the smallest, but below the middle" for a guy who's 5'7". That
would translate to a 15" in my line (not that I'm recommending it,
probably not what he needs). For example, I measure frames center to
top (of the top tube), and they come in 13.5, 15, 17, 18.5, and 20"
sizes (with correspondingly sized top tubes).

Hope that helps,

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Home of the $795 ti frame

01-04-2007, 10:23 AM

A pants inseam would help determine the size better.

Mike Jenkins wrote:
> Hi, I'm thinking of buying a used mountain bike for a young man(24 years
> old) who recently had his bike stolen. He needs the bike to get to work
> everyday. He lives quite a distance away, so I will be shipping the bike to
> him. This means no test sitting. He's 5' 7" and slightly built. I recently
> found a GT Timberline with an 18" frame.
>
> Is this too tall?
>
> What frame size should I be looking at?
>
> Thanks

01-07-2007, 02:06 AM

"Mike Jenkins" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:tRYmh.6095$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].pas.earthli nk.net...
> Hi, I'm thinking of buying a used mountain bike for a young man(24 years
> old) who recently had his bike stolen. He needs the bike to get to work
> everyday. He lives quite a distance away, so I will be shipping the bike
> to him. This means no test sitting. He's 5' 7" and slightly built. I
> recently found a GT Timberline with an 18" frame.
>
> Is this too tall?
>
> What frame size should I be looking at?
>
> Thanks
>

As others have said, impossible to say without further info.
I would hesitantly say it's a bit big.

Why not send him the money so he can buy one that fits?

01-07-2007, 12:07 PM

I am not sure how to measure but from center of the crank to center of top
tube is 19" and I am almost 5'9".
The bike store said I could put on a shorter head set, my legs are long
enough no problem. I am keeping it as is. It is a GT Avalanche 2006 disc
bike. They call it Large. Which is great cause I am use to road bikes
where stretching is better anyway.
A previous bike shop sold me a bike slightly too small. 18" I believe.
Felt like I was riding a tricycle. Had the head set changed to 5 or 6"
longer forward stem but it is not the same as a proper fit bike which I
tried to tell them in the first place. All I got was double talk and no
guarantee.

I have a 59cm road bike which people over 6 ft would be riding. Does not
bother me at all.
If he sent you his leg, arm, back length you might have a better foundation
to theororize with.

Ciau
SN