KeeganBikes

I am planning on purchasing a bike a found on craigslist that is a little too big for me. It is a great value, $550 for a scott scale with deore xt components, shimano hydraulic disk brakes, and a nice rock shox fork.

The problem is I am 5'5" and the bike is an 18.9" Large. I was previously riding a crappy mountain bike, size medium that fit me pretty nicely, and I don't know if this will be just too big to ride comfortably. I have a 31" inseam.

Should I just go for it because it's a good value or look for other options because it's too big? Have any of you had experience with bikes too big?
(It's a hardtail btw if that makes any difference).

prj71

The best you could do is get the shortest stem possible and move the seat forward as far as it will go, but it will probably still be too big for you.

It's a chance you can take though.

twodownzero

I wouldn't care if a bike was plated in gold, I would not buy it if it didn't fit me.

I'm 5'5" also and we should be on a SMALL!

Standover does not matter, it's the reach that will be behind excessive on a bike that is too big.

I'd much rather have a bike that was too small than too big.

Skipjacks

If the bike is truly undervalued and you really can't ride it, you can always sell it at a higher price than you paid.

Might take some time and effort. But if you're SURE the bike is undervalued at $550 (and I have no idea personally) then it's a low risk proposition.

You can also go there and test ride it first and see if it's ridable.

HerrKaLeun

Welcome to BF!

Unless you like discomfort and want a bad posture and not ride to your potential, your two statements don't belong in the same sentence.

Would you buy shoes 2 sizes too large just because they are on clearance?

Not sure the flipping idea is good because someone else may have snagged that bike already away if it was worth much more. Even if it pans out, lot of hassle for $50 or whatever? and if no one buys it from you, you are stuck with a bike that doesn't fit.

Kanegon

Fit is everything, IMHO. I just downsized from a 19.5" Trek frame that I rode for 5 years, to an 18" Trek frame and the difference is huge. According to specs, I could have gone either way, but the smaller frame is more nimble, the strokes feel more natural and the cockpit more reassuring. Less pressure on the wrists, cuz I'm not as stretched over the frame (though a little more pressure on the saddle). We're talking fractions of inch here and there, not smaller all around, due to geometry difference. The wheelbase is almost the same, biggest difference coming from the top and seat tube. If you had to negotiate a tricky course, which would you prefer?

Kapusta

While hieght alone does not determine fit, a 19” bike is usually going to be absurdly big for someone 5’-5”.

With a 31” inseam there is a good chance you could squeak by on the height, though you might be limited how low you could run the bars (depends on the stack height).

However, the real issue is going to be the very long reach. You can only go so short with a stem, and if this is a more recent design then it may have been designed around a shorter stem to start with.

Long of the short is that no bike is a good deal if you are making compromises on fit. I would much rather ride a $1000 bike that fits just right than a $5000 one that was too big.

So unless you know something that you have not revealed that would indicate that you should be on a freakishly large bike for your hieght, I would skip this bike.