Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Bike fit ?

Hello, my name is Sam and I'm 5'11" with a 34" inseam. I have not ben on a bike in 15 years or more. My brother in law who is 6'1" gave me his old bike it's a 19" specialized rockhopper. My question is the bike to big for me or do I just need to get use to the fit.

Bike fit is very subjective. First of all, have you ridden it? How does it feel? Do you feel like you have to reach too far to get to the bars? Do you feel like you have to stretch your legs out too far to pedal?

I'd be willing to bet that a 19" frame would probably be pretty close to what you need. A few tweaks to the setup may be in order, but I'm betting you can get it to fit you. Your best bet, however, is to take it to a competent bike shop and have them assess your fit on the bike.

Bike fit is very subjective. First of all, have you ridden it? How does it feel? Do you feel like you have to reach too far to get to the bars? Do you feel like you have to stretch your legs out too far to pedal?

I'd be willing to bet that a 19" frame would probably be pretty close to what you need. A few tweaks to the setup may be in order, but I'm betting you can get it to fit you. Your best bet, however, is to take it to a competent bike shop and have them assess your fit on the bike.

Yes I have ridden the bike, It feels not so much like reaching but more like I'm leaning forward and putting weight on my hands, my arms are not locked but slighty bent if that makes sense. The last bike I road was a beach cruiser were I was more upright then leaning forward.

That's just the way mountain bikes are set up. There are things that can be changed to make it more comfortable (seat angle, stem angle and length, etc), but it's something that would require you actually being in front of someone to make those changes. Any good bike shop should be able to help you with that for not too much cost.

Depending how old the rockhopper is, that is just the fit of the bike. The older ones were a tad more aggressive than the newer ones which really resemble the hardrock. Hop on over to Sheldon Brown's website and check out his fit calculator. It will give you a very good idea if that bike is right for you. Off the top of my head and without seeing you, I'd say it's pretty close.

I thank this is the bike http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2006&spid=21741&menuItemId=0

Just doing some rough math and going off your 34" inseam measurement, I'd say that bike is close to the right size. If you are used to riding a crusier type bike, it will be a different feeling riding a mountain bike.

How many miles have you put on it?

Thanks for the help, I've only had the bike about a week, maybe 35 miles.