Size MTB for me?

[coralhead1]

Hi There...Been a roadie for years, now the kids are getting me into Moutain bikin. All the different frame geometries are a bit confusing, tho...

Im 6'3", 210lbs. I know I have to sit the bike to see what fits, but Im trying to buy used and have to have a starting point. Im assuming a large or XL frame, but so many people list the bikes in inches, and with the different geometries, the inches could mean anything (a really compact frame with tall seat tube, vs a less compact frame with shorter, etc). Is there a general rule of thumb I can go by to get some idea of whether a bike will come close to fitting me?

any suggestions on a good used mtb to start with?

thanks!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

trouble is that it depends on how and what you want to ride. I'm 6" 2'..... and not massively lighter than you

My out and out cross country bike is a 20.5" frame great for riding all day in the hills on not too technical terrain. But for days out in the forest I ride an 18" frame with a sloping top tube as I know I'm going to play on the single track and want something more chuckable.

I think the answer is to try a few MTB's if you can. You are likely to be a big big lad in MTB terms and thus what is a lovely whippy steel framed bike for Mr Avg in its 17" incarnation can become a flexy bottom bracket swinging ghost shifting 'mare in XL form. and that's an expensive mistake to make.

You will want a lot more seatpost showing and a lot more standover height on an MTB than you have on a road bike btw. I want a hand full of standover at least, i.e. I can fit my fist thumb uppermost between top tupe and crotch, on any MTB I ride.

Don't know your budget. I'd take a long hard at used Specialized Hardrocks or Rockhoppers - very competant 'real' MTB's and easy to find. Orange's are built for UK conditions and have very ardent owners. Watch out for older bikes, esp Kona's as they go for silly money to avid 'retro' MTB'ers like yours truly.

 

[Steve Austin]

I'm 6'2" with long arms and legs and ride a 19" Kona. A 20" feels like sitting astride a gate.

Unlike roadbikes, you can get away with riding a smaller (mtb) frame off road. When i first starting riding off road, on the first MTBS in the late 80's it was common to ride a bike as big as a roadbike. Now, a lot of bikes have got longer toptubes and the seatubes are really short.
You won't need a XL or a 21" like you might get suggested to you. But YOU WILL need to try one for size before you buy...

 

[02GF74]

it is all about horizontal top tube length - the seat tube can vary enourmously in compariston to TT.

rule of thumb is your road bike fraem size less 6 inches.

to give you some idea, I am 6 ft 1, ride 24 inch road bike and mtb frames vary from 17 to 19 in. (in that range, top tube is around 60 cm, give or take 1 cm but seat tube vary from 34 to 49 cm).

You would be looking at frame between 19 to 21 in max so that would be L to XL but check the top tube length.

 

[barq]

I'm also 6'3" and ride a 19.5" Trek hardtail, 20" Kona full-suspension and 20" On One steel hardtail. The Kona has the highest top tube of the bunch. I mostly use it for cross country, but on the occasions where I've done something more technical I could probably have done with more stand over. (Having said that, in four years, I've never squished my bits!)

 

[mtb4evr]

Try to find a local Specialized BGFIT certified dealer if possible, they are pretty good at making sure you are on the right sized bike and the can change out parts like the stem and headset for free to make sure the ride is as comfortable as possible.