This was a big source of confusion to me when I was looking for a mnt bike. The sizing is like t-shirts- small medium and large. It depends on which bike you want as the sizing is not uniform. Check the websites for sizing charts.

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

They all get sized different. I am 6'1", pretty normal proportions as well. I have a 21.5" Felt RXC, but could also ride the 19.5" as well. But I'd also be on the big side for a medium from some manufacturers, and at the lower end of some larges. This is one arena where getting on one really makes a difference.

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"Lemond is cycling's version of Rev Jessie Jackson." -johnnyperu 5/18/07
"Just because I suck doesn't mean my bike has to" -rickn 9/2/08

Tim,

Like in road biking, the different manufacturers make different geometry so one company's 18" might fit like another's 17".

I tried several sizes in several designs when I bought my bike.

In general, your size would be most likely 18.5 or 19". For those brands that don't size in inches, I'd look at a "large" if I were you.

I'm 5'7" and 145 pounds. 29" inseam and I ride a 17" Ironhorse Azure Expert XC bike.

Your best bet is to call around to your local shops and see if they are holding any demo days events in the near future. We have a shop here in the Bay Area who has a great event every spring where you can demo 5 different brands on fire roads at a local regional park for free. If no luck, try a rental shop that carries several brands. See if they will let you swap bikes every few hours for a weekend and try a little bit of everything.

Good Luck.

Dave

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Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach

How do you like that RXC? I'm going to go look at a used one on craigslist?

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

as others have said, sizing varies widely. I'm 6' with pretty normal proportions also. Here's the sizes that I've used:


Barracuda hardtail: 18"
GT XIZANG Ti Hardtail: 18"
Specialized SWorks Hardtail: 17"
Santa Cruz Blur: Medium
Specialized SWorks Epic: Large

Nice bike...no complaints except that mine is an '05 model that doesnt have disc mounts. Compared to other bikes in it's weight class, nothing seems to have such a good price.

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"Lemond is cycling's version of Rev Jessie Jackson." -johnnyperu 5/18/07
"Just because I suck doesn't mean my bike has to" -rickn 9/2/08

I'm 6' and ride a 19.5 inch Jamis Dragon. I still have no idea how mountain bike sizing works. I just go by whatever the bike shop says will fit.

This guy has done some nice upgrades. At 17.5 it might be a bit small but I'm going to go look anyway.

http://fresno.craigslist.org/bik/330412014.html

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

Not a bad build at all!

I have SRAM x.0/X.9 mix, CrossMAX SL's (huge upgrade, you should look in to if you get this!) and some other funs stuff.

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"Lemond is cycling's version of Rev Jessie Jackson." -johnnyperu 5/18/07
"Just because I suck doesn't mean my bike has to" -rickn 9/2/08

ANyone have experience with a Giant Ranier?

http://visalia.craigslist.org/bik/330618155.html

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

None. I don't know what your plans are for this bike, but as is the case with tri bikes, you get what you pay for. A retail price of $750 means the components and fork probably aren't top notch.

I like the way the Felt is spec'd that you posted....check on the Giant

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"Lemond is cycling's version of Rev Jessie Jackson." -johnnyperu 5/18/07
"Just because I suck doesn't mean my bike has to" -rickn 9/2/08