Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
Thirty years ago, when the average American male was about 5'8" or 5'9", the average bike was size 58 or size 60. That was when shops fitted bikes for riding, not for "standing over".
Thirty years ago bottom brackets also tended to be lower, adding 2 cm or so to that measurement. Thus, at 5'8" with a 58cm frame you would still have a little bit of breathing room, and a "fistful of seatpost" as the old rule went.