advice for first-timer getting a mountain bike?
 

Hi all,

Thanks for your time.

I've gone to a couple of those super-duper bike fitting sites (rather than pay the $75 at the shop) and did my measurements. I did this since I tried a bike earlier and got a pretty bad back ache from it not fitting. In fact, exercising in general has been hard for me without getting various injuries. But I digress...

I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm planning to try and find a mountain bike on Craigslist, but I'm not sure how to translate those bike fit measurements into a bike and I'm not sure of a good starter make / model.

Here's the measurements I'm talking about...
competitivecyclist.com
Actual Inseam 35.5 In
Trunk 24.3125 In (24.5 & 24 1/8)
Forearm 14 In
Arm 27 In
Thigh 24.6875 In (24 5/8 & 24 3/4)
Lower Leg 22.625 In
Sternal Notch 58.25 In
Total Height 71.125 In

XC fit (I guessed that XC fit would be a good start?)
Standover Height Range 33.7 - 34.4 Inches
Virtual Top Tube Length 23.5 - 23.9 Inches
Stem Length 10.2 - 11.8 Cm
BB Saddle Position 79.7 - 81.3 Cm
Saddle Handlebar 55.4 - 57 Cm

Any thoughts?

Thanks so much for your time.
Jon a thon

Just from the figures it looks like you are tall. Posting your actual height and weight would be helpful.

A 21"-23" frame seems to be in your future. If you are over 6' 3" a 29er would be a good guess. I am 6' 3" and still ride a 26" bike. I am comfortable with it, we got history.

When buying Craigslist, and that is how I got my MTB, I rode a lot of bikes and learned a few things before putting some cash on the table. Take your time, people will often drop the price if you start to walk away.

Go to www.performancebike.com and select a mtb, after conferring with a customer service person about ordering the correct size.

Make sure that you get a ht mtb that has the lockout feature on the suspended fork.

thanks [MENTION=351995]WestPablo[/MENTION] for that site tip and conferring with a customer service person.

Post a picture of what you get.