Caustilicous

Alright, I'm in a need of a new bike. My choice was to get a mountain bike, but then I realised I ride on roads most of the time. So my choice fell on hybrid bikes. I've found a pretty nice bike - Kross Evado 3.0. From the reviews I've read it's good. But now I've got a dilemma on which frame should I choose. I'm 180cm with 33 cm inseam leg height. I'm not sure if I should go for a 21 or 19 inch frame. I've been looking through many websites how hybrid frame sizes work, etc, etc and all of them write differently. I cannot go to the shop and sit on the bike, because it's an E-shop, that means you order something and you come after it.
Right now I am riding on a very old mtb Xtb Sprint (XDDDD). This bike doesn't fit me anymore. My seatpost is all the way up and I still feel uncomfortable riding it. My back and shoulders hurt after a while and my legs don't straighten.
My friend is 186 and he rides a Focus Crater Lake with an XL frame. It fits him very well, but he has long legs. I've sat on his bike and it was very big for me. I could've maybe lowered the seatpost all the way down and rode better, but we didn't think about it. I don't want to buy a 19 inch frame, because I'm scared it's not gonna be enough, but I'm also scared to buy 21 inch frame, because I think it's gonna be too big for me (there's no 20 inch frames). What do you guys think? I'm in a very serious dilemma.

hokiefyd 

Welcome! Did you mean to say that your inseam is 33 inches, not cm? If so, I think a 21 inch frame will probably fit you better. My inseam is about 31 inches, and I can ride a 19 inch frame, but I'm more comfortable on a 20. Of course, without being able to test-ride the bike, you're taking a bit of a risk that it'll fit you right, but the 21 inch size is probably going to be your better fit. Better a bit too large than a bit too small.

Caustilicous

yeah! I meant 33 inches, sorry. Thanks for the adequate response!

Cgswss

Ok, I'll really confuse you. First, I'm 6'1" and I ride a 20" mountain bike frame and a 56c road bike frame. When looking for a hybrid, after a number of test rides, I found (for me) the effective top tube length was the most important factor. There are some 19" hybrids that feel fine for me and others that are just too cramped. So then it became more confusing for me because there are some "sport" hybrids and some "comfort" hybrids. The "sport" hybrids are the ones with the longer effective top tube length, which is more like the road bikes I come from, so those "fit" me better.

Of course all of that will do you little good, because you can't test ride different bikes and then look up the effective top tube length for the one that feels right.

The evade 3 would be considered a "sport" hybrid. The 19" has an ETL of 57.9cm and the 21" has an ETL of 58.9cm. With that in mind, I can say I would order the 19" for me. Worse case, I can swap out the stem to get more room. On the other hand I tried a 20" Trek FX3 disk, and I felt "cramped". The 20 Trek has a ETL of 56.3 cm

So confused yet?

Caustilicous

I was very confused before you replied, but now I am even more confused. I guess I'm gonna stick up with 21' frame, just because I'm still growing and I might outgrow the 19' frame and that would not be nice

RadS

I think your problem boils down to uncertainty of buying it online without the possibility to try it out first.

Being the geek that I am () if I were you, I would:
0. Do some reading on basics of bike fitting and how to measure yourself to find the right frame size.
1. Find out what hybrid bikes are available at your local bicycle shops. Try them and find one with the right size, even if you are not planning to buy this particular model or brand.
2. Download manufacturer photos of the bike you tried and the Evado 3.0.
3. Overlay the photos as layers in Photoshop, Gimp, Paint.net or other software, making sure the top photo is semi-transparent. Adjust photo sizes using wheels and wheel hubs, then align the frames.
4. See if there are any noticeable geometry differences between the bike you tried and Evado. This should make it more likely to buy a correctly sized bike online.

Also, Estonia is in the EU, so I suppose you also have the mandatory 14-day return period on all e-shopping? (Greetings from Poland ) Try the bike and send it back if it doesn't fit you.

Don't underestimate the importance of buying a correctly-sized bike. I bought my Kelly's Axell hybrid bike online a few years ago, and as I read more about cycling, I learned it is too small for me (21" frame for 189cm height). Never mind the fact that hybrids are a do-it-all bike, which means you won't fit in with the MTB or the road crowd... So think a few years ahead.

Caustilicous

0. Yes, I did that, I measured myself to find a perfect frame and I got 21.96 inch frame.. Seemed a little odd to me really.
1, 2, 3, 4. Good idea, but the problem is that those models, that I'd like to try sit on, are always out of stock and there are only smaller bikes.

Yea, I thought of that as well. If the bike doesnt fit me, I can send it back, yes
I want to buy a hybrid bike for about 2-3 years and then switch to a road bike, but I cannot work yet, so I have to deal with it.

I don't care if I wont fit in MTB or road crowd, actually, I will stand out I wanna ride most of the time with my friend to other cities, villages or something. Basically we want to have long rides together and explore our land. And feel how is it to ride with a bike to another city, which is 100km away from us

Thanks for the tips though!

RadS

Hey, @Caustilicous, did you end up buying the bike?

Caustilicous

Yes! I bought the bike yesterday and now I'll have to wait 2-6 business days to get it! Super hyped