Hi, first post on here, hope this is the right subforum....Am looking to buy a hybrid bike to ride the Front Range, with a few jaunts into the hills...anyhow, looking through the used ads for a better value...but the frame sizes as listed are all much smaller than road bikes...I s'pose this is because of the way the top bar(forgive me am a cycling newb) angles down towards the seat post on hybrids...anyhow...thinking about a decent model hybrid I've found, but the frame size is 15'...has 700 wheels though...I am 5 10' and will be riding this bike daily...is this bike definitely too small for me? thx for your comments(and yes I'm being vague on the model in case someone snaps it up haha)

Edit: after looking at a few other bikes I realize that the frames are daramitcally different, so, will just go ahead and say its a 2012 TREK 7.5, which seems to have much more of a slant down to the seat post than other hybrids, thanks again for reading

blind leading the blind here as I'm rather new but I'd suggest you check the manufacturer's site/info for suggested sizing ranges. If it's a Trek, 15" is probably a bit small for a 5'10" person. I'm 5'9" and take a 17.5" Trek hybrid frame.

Yes, 15" hybrid is way too small for someone 5'10". Maybe a 19" or 20" frame would be a better fit.

I'm 5'10" and ride a 19" frame.

It somewhat depend upon the brand. I'm 5'-10" as well, and according to some brands I should be medium, and others I should be large. I'm a tweener. That's where riding various bikes is important to figure out which is more comfortable for you. By the books most would say medium for me, but I find I am more comfortable on a large. Some people with the same height and inseam will find the medium more comfortable. No way to know, except to go climb on as many as you can.

QT

Depends on the exact model of the bike, and your inseam. I also think 15 is too small ... probably a 17.5 or a 19 would work.

I am "almost" 5'10 and my Trek DS (hybrid) has a 17.5 frame, thats what the store suggested and fits nicely.

I'm 5'11" and my 8.3 DS is a 17.5". I tried a larger size and it just wasn't as comfortable for me.

I would guess that a 15 is too small. You probably need a 17.5 or 19 depending on how long your trunk and arms are. With the slanted down tube on many bikes, the inseam measurement or "standover" height isn't so important. The distance between saddle and stem is also very important and this length can only be adjusted by a few inches by moving the saddle forward or backward along the rails. You can also raise or lower the bars by about an inch by moving the spacers on the stem. If you have longer than normal arms (34 inch shirt sleeve for example) then go with the 19. If you have average arms (33 inch sleeve) then go with the 17.5. If you have short arms (32-inch sleeve) go with the smaller bike. You can easily raise the seat to accommodate your legs, but you really can't shorten the length by much.