Is my bike too small?
 

Hi,

I'm new to BikeForums- and very new to biking altogether. I just got a KHS Urban X 2013 commuter.

I bought it second hand from a bike rental store. The owner gave me a medium and said it's a good size. I didn't even think to try a larger one.

I am 5'8, 120lbs. When riding the bike, I have the slight sense that it's too small. I raised the seat about 5.5 inches (until my knees don't bend too much) and now I am sitting a bit higher than the handlebars.

Here are general bike specifications with pic of the bike (please click 'GEOMETRY' for exact frame dimensions): http://khsbicycles.com/bikes/2013-khs-models/urban-x/

I would appreciate your help a lot! Thanks!

Mimi

You can rise the stem so the handlebars are higher . For your size ,the bike is the right size for you .

medium is quite likely the ideal size for you
but one size up
or down
could also work just fine

if the bike feels a little small
you can get a slightly longer and or taller stem

also
if you mean to say that the seat post is a total of 5.5 inches out of the frame
then it is very unlikely that the bike is too small for you
but quite possible that you prefer a larger fitting bike
in which case
change the stem

A medium for someone 5'8 sounds about right.
Don't worry about seat post protrusion(as long as you have enough in the frame!). Current designs with sloping top tubes may /will call for a lot of exposed seat post. Adjusting the saddle until your leg is (almost) straight at the lowest point of the pedal stroke is an excellent place to start.
Don't worry about the saddle being higher than the bars either as long as you're comfortable that way. A quick look at just about any performance oriented bike (apart from the acrobatic ones) will show you that it's very common to have a bike set up that way.
Now, if it isn't comfy for you, then try to raise the bars instead. You've got an old-style quill stem which is easily adjusted for height - unless it's already at full elevation. If it is, you can find taller stems, but probably not with the same forward protrusion.

+1

As the others have said, the bike is probably fine. Just to give you a bit of perspective, you're 5'8" tall, how many things do you shop for in the "tall" version.

These bikes have tremendous latitude in height adjustment. As long as there's roughly 3" or more of your seatpost inside the frame, then you're not near the height limit.

If you put your concerns about the frame size away, then you can focus on getting it fitted for maximum comfort.

Thanks so much for your helpful and detailed replies! :) Really do appreciate it. I'm glad to hear you all think the size is good for me.