Originally Posted by
Supernose
Ok, I'm looking through craigs list at the bikes Andy_K mentioned, and I'm noticing that everyone is putting like 16", or 18" in their listing. Call me a FNG, but what does that mean? Obviously it's inches, but from where to where? And if I'm 5'11", what size bike(best guesstimation, I know ya'll wouldn't be able to fit a perfect bike lol) should I be aiming for?
It's inches, yes, and usually it's the length of the seat tube. But bikes geometry varies a lot, and so do people's proportions. If you're thinking about a road bike a rough guesstimate might be your inseam ( crotch to floor) minus ten inches. So if your inseam is 32 inches, a road frame of roughly 22 inches might suit. But the only sensible advice on sizing is to sit on the bike, preferably watched by someone who has a clue, and see what works.
Do you have a friend or acquaintance who rides? One of the people at work, perhaps? Could you get them to talk to you, or maybe accompany you to a bike shop to help you hey an idea? I know you won't be buying, but it would help you figure out what might be useful.