mml373

I'm looking into buying a used mountain bike on fleabay, but not sure what size to get. I'm 5'9", 31"ish inseam. Sizing charts put me on a 17" bike. I see that some bike manufacturers don't even offer anything below a 17" frame...and I'm hardly among the shorter guys out there.

Is a 19.5" frame too big or is 17" really what guys my height should be riding? Looking at vintage stuff, 26" wheels. Not sure if the new 29" wheels would change anything. Thanks in advance.

Gconan

Close to the borderline but I would stick to 17" or medium no matter the wheel size.

freeranger

Sizing seems to be all over the place! I've had some bikes that a 17" frame fit and a 19 was too large. And a diff.brand fit just fine in 19". You and I are roughly the same size. Many 19" frames are going to be too large. If you can't ride the bike, check the specs of the bike against your standover & reach against the specs of the bike. I don't know my standover or reach, always ride any bike I'm considering.

trailangel

I'm 5'8" 30 inseam riding 19.5 at the moment. Shorter legs.... I go with the larger frame for the longer reach... longer torso.
Years ago I wanted to buy a Rockhopper, 26 in. wheels. I wanted the 19 in.. they didn't have it and the sales person talked me into the 17 in. frame. I hated it. Too small.
Never listen to people and websites about which size to get..(me included).. go try the bike to see if it fits.

Kapusta

Sizing an mtb using seat tube length is a really bad idea IMO. Much better to go by stack and reach if possible. If that is not possible (as many sellers will not know what those measurements are) you can go by effective top tube (ETT) length to get in the ballpark.

I have ended up fitting bikes with seat tube measurements anywhere from 15" to 19". But all were in the same ballpark in terms of the ETT.

All that said, someone your height is usually going to end up on a medium or 17" bike. But not all bikes are sized the same, and not all people are proportioned the same.

eshew

At 5'10 I've always felt that 18" was about right. 17" is just a little too tight. Look for a 18" Kona, my favorite for 90's steel.

Unca_Sam

+1 for this is you know what your preferred position is. MTB sizing isn't as exact as road bikes because you're hardly expected to sit in one spot and pedal all the time. That PITA-for-measuring sloping top tube is great for getting that seat out of the way for technical stuff. I used virtual top tube, and generally fall where you would with sizing, I look for 17-19 inches in listed size, then check the charts.

Mosyosalyangoz

I would still recommend choosing an average size.

Rajflyboy

17 or a medium should do you fine