How tall are you & what size frame do think is best for you?

[shauno]

I know this has probably been discussed but I cannot find any useful, fun info on the topic.

All my growing up I was always riding 17" frames and always thought an 18" was too big for me. I guess a medium would be a best fit being that I'm 5'8".
Now that I'm much older and have a modern trail bike as well as many retro bikes I'm finding I prefer the larger retro frames as they have taller headtubes and a more upright riding position. Much like the newer rides I'm used to. I know the norm back in the day was to be hunched over with a tall seatpost and stem dropped into the headtube all the way. In attack mode
ATM I have a 19" explosif, a 19" hei hei, and an 18" sovereign. My explosif is perfect but I haven't ridden the other two yet as they're in pieces so I cant compare to them. All bikes are from 1994 so they have the similar geometry from that era anyway. I ride simple singletrack and around town lately, nothing steep.

I guess what I'm curious about is whether others feel the same as me with the need for a larger frame as we get older or is it just that these older bikes weren't really designed the way we think riding posture should be done today. Have the times changed that much or are the xc bikes of today still built to the same specs, head down, eyes up type riding?

I know the smaller frames "look" cooler and fit the theme but are they really ridable? I guess that's my question. Do these "cool" looking bikes get ridden or do us builders gravitate to a larger, less visually appealing bike, to get us around in comfort and maneuverability? Not that they aren't nice looking but I find I'm preferring the size up these days. That's all.

So what is your size frame and how tall are you?
Do you ride casually or do you hit the trails?
What size should I be riding?

Any thoughts?

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

I'm 6'4 and ride frames between 18 1/2" and 20".

I go fast most of the time, obviously making allowances for the bike being old /rigid, and I have no need for riding off very steep bits of trail. Remounting can be tricky on moderately steep tracks, owing to the riding position

Mike

 

[k-rod]

I ride simple singletrack and around town lately, nothing steep.

Endowment land trails, mostly?

 

[Sparkzz]

Re:

It was cool to have smaller frames, when I was 15 I had a small Klein which I think was a 17" (measured properly) even when I was 24 I bought a 17.5" specialized sworks
I had to sell that bike because I finally admitted that the sizing was more important than looking cool. So at 6ft I am now riding 19" (large)
Still have small size Klein's because retro bikes have to be cool!!

 

[The History Man]

6'3" with very bad back so XL frames with long headtubes.

 

[daugs]

Re:

It's not just height, but proportions, I'm 5'10'' but "long" legged and now with the ravages of time, what was the right sized frame in relation to height / inside leg is now too much of a stretch especially with Marins which is what I had BITD. Now most comfortable is the smaller frames bought more recently but based on leg length and height it should still be the marin I bought new back in 1992.

 

[mattr]

I'm still riding the same size road and MTBs i did 30 years ago (Well, 25 years for mtb) 17,5"/18" on the MTB and 51/52 on the road.

Oh, i'm 5'9"

 

[John J]

Just an observation but I seem to see lots of people riding frames that I think are too big for them.
I'm 6'2", 34" inside leg and 19" / 20" seem ideal for me.
Also depends on what you ride. I can ride bigger frames on the road or smooth tracks, but not on proper xc where I couldn't get a foot down to balance on undulating ground.

 

[daugs]

...........I'm 6'2", 34" inside leg and 19" / 20" seem ideal for me.........

this is my point a couple of posts ago, I'm 5'10" but at least 33" inside leg; a 19" frame feels ideal with a reasonable amount of seat post getting a good position in relation to pedals but the top tubes are too long, now a 17" frame seems much more sensible compromise.

 

[mk one]

I'm 5'10 and always have, and still do, ride 17" frames. 18" at a push. It all depends on the top tube length.
I also find smaller sizes easier and more relaxed to ride as I'm not so leant forward now I'm getting older :roll:

Mark