Wahooligan

Let me start out by saying I am a new rider and haven't owned a mountain bike in almost 15 years and it was a chainstore bike. Last week I bought a 15.5" Gary Fisher Wahoo that I purchased from my LBS. The sales guy sized me up by eye as needing a 16" frame. I don't know if there an actual way to measure or not. The GF was on closeout sale since it was an 07 model so I picked up at a good deal after looking at similar priced but lesser quality component 16" Treks. I am 5'8". The bike seems to fit me well and is easy to ride. I've taken it about 30 miles already. However a couple people I know (who are not hardcore riders) have told me it looks too small. Judging by the fact that almost every bike I see is larger than mine I have to wonder if it is indeed too small. I didn't test ride anything bigger than a 16" frame. I also noticed a lot of riders have the seat positioned higher than the handlebars. I have my seat almost even with the bars and when I'm on it I can barely touch the ground but I believe I am getting proper extension to the pedals (knee is only slightly bent).

Sorry for being long winded I appreciate any input from you guys. If any of you are around 5'8" or 5'9" what size bikes do you ride? Also is frame sizing something you can compare from one brand to the next?

Mike

Cyclist30907654

From your description, the sizing sounds right. It doesn't matter if it "looks" too small, and I'd seriously doubt that the people that have told you that are more experienced that your LBS employees, especially since they're not riders themselves, likely only having been exposed to Walmart bikes, which only come in one size. As far as the seat goes, you should only barely be able to touch to ground when you're sitting on your saddle. So, everything sounds right so far. Besides, if you're comfortable, that's all that matters. You may want to check your standover height, which is the distance the top tube is from your crotch when you're straddling the bike.

If you think the bars are too high, you could change your stem or handlebars (risers to flats)

jsigone

yup check stand over and make sure you don't hit your knee when off the saddle climbing.

Wahooligan

Thanks, I checked the standover and I seem to have a couple inches to spare so I should be good right? I don't even come close to hitting my knee on the saddle when I mount/dismount either. I guess I'm just bothered by people telling me what they think when I know the bike feels right to me.

Cyclist30907654

Yep. A few inches is good for general riding.

People come in different sizes and proportions, don't let it bother you.

mtnbiker66

You said it seems to fit you well so you must like it. Sounds right to me.

JonathanGennick 

I'm 5' 8", and my bikes all fall into the 17-18 inch range. I've a 17-inch Rockhopper, a 17.5 inch Hifi, an 18 inch Crosstrail, and a "medium" Enduro that I believe is 17.5 inches.

I am definitely too tall to be comfortable in any 15-inch frame that I've tried.

I am highly uncertain about 16 and 16.5 inch frames. Awhile back I test rode 16 and 18 inch Giant Reigns. I came away completely unable to make up my mind between the two sizes of Reign. I've also test-ridden a few other 16, 16.5 and 18 inch frames (some from Niner and Rocky Mountain). My belief at the moment is that 16-inch frames are probably at the lower-end of the range that is reasonable for my height and body style. 18-inch frames are probably at the upper end.

Don't treat anything I've said as conclusive for you. Your body may not be proportioned like mine; you might have different preferences; etc.

Do you feel comfortable on your bike? If you don't feel cramped in the cockpit, then I wouldn't worry too much. And definitely do not worry about where you have the seat. My seats are all about even with the bars, and sometimes lower than the bars. Heck, you're less likely to fly over the bar that way. Racers, I believe, tend towards having the seat way higher than the bars, but a racer has the sole objective of wining races. You can take a more comfortable position when you're just out riding to have fun.

JonathanGennick 

Oh, yeah, I can relate. I ride with flat pedals. It annoys me when I ride with someone and I get "the lecture" on using clipless. I've gotten "the lecture" more times now than I care to think about.

t-star

remember as you age, you'll get shorter as well- i'm 54, and my old bike that i bought when i was 9 fits better now than my mountain bike does when i was 40- and i'm stilll 5'8''- i just wear boots or something with heel when i use the mountain

Servo888

I'm 5'11", my old frame was 21", and now I ride on a 17" frame (though the 17" frame's top-tube is only 1" shorter; the major difference is the gained crotch space for trial work). I have the seat post up very high; if I take the bike on road I raise the seat up to just under the limit, and when I take it off road I drop it an inch or two.

cyccommute 

Only your spine gets shorter. Your long bones...legs and arms...stay the same so the standover height and reach shouldn't change.

cyccommute 

The size sounds about right. As for the bars, XC guys and roadies ride with the handlebar below the saddle. Most mountain bikes are set up with the bars about level. Mine are a little lower but that's just the way I learned how to mountain bike back when we had to make our own wheels out of rocks

FlatFender

If the bike is comfortable, and you don't feel like you are crammed in the cockpit, then I would say it probably fits alright.

Austin_

I'm 5'8" and just got a 15.5 inch jamis that fits me well. I was hung up between the 15.5 and the 17 but went with the 15.5 because I needed a little more standover room. On other bikes like Specialized though, I definitely need a 17.5 so it does vary from brand to brand

daintonj

I'm 170cm tall. My current bike which is a '97 Hardrock is a 48cm frame, 54cm top-tube and the stem extends forward by 15cm. For the perfect position I've got the saddle set back quite far, with a 4cm drop from the top of the seat to the top of the handlebars. If your bike is comfy then it's the right size but 16" does sound small.

triggersd

It looks like you've gotten some decent feedback here regarding standover height, frame sizing (variations, etc), bla bla bla. . .

Minor adjustments like seat position (fore & aft) as well as stem length can also make improvements on how your bike feels and fits.

Good luck.