# Help! Medium or large hardtail for 5'10?



## ZRX13 (Jun 17, 2016)

Hey guys, i really need your help in choosing between medium (17.5") and large (19") frame on a 2016 GT Avalanche Comp hardtail GT Avalanche Comp - Gears Bike Shop - Mississauga, Toronto, & Oakville, Ontario as i dont have any mtb experience. Im 5'10 and 33" inseam and having a really hard time deciding wich size to buy. I tried to seat on both bikes (as store wont let me ride it) and large feels tiny bit better but my perfect saddle height is almost at lower limit of the seat tube on a large ( i can go lower for a 1" maximum). On a small i have to rise the seat 2-3 inches to achieve my perfect riding height, and its just feels a bit to small in general. And i have no idea how it should feels bigger or smaller till i ride it for atleast a few weeks.. I took a couple of pictures on both bikes and would really apreciate if you take a look and comment on wich size fits me better.
Thanks in advance for your time.
P.S. Sorry for grammar mistakes, english is not my native language.
Medium:








Large:


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

You don't look like a 33" actual inseam measured with a pencil against the wall. If you are the 17.5 should fit because long legs means a short torso and the 431mm reach of the medium would be right., but just ride it in the store. You should be able to get them to put a test shorter stem on the 19. Ride that in the store. The fork on that bike is gravel road and bike path with no rebound damping and plastic instead of metal bushings inside..
This bike is an alternative.
Diamondback Bikes, 2016 Mason Trail
It has a real air fork and Plus wheels and tires. 
27.5 in a hardtail is underwhelming with no up grade path.
Avalanche Comp - Mountain Hardtail - Bikes


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## fishboy316 (Jan 10, 2014)

Are you saying they won't let you ride the bike at all? if so you need to go elsewhere as that will more than likely be the kind of service you will get from them in the future. If you must buy there then I would go large as you have long legs and will need the height. You can always go shorter stem and make adjustments as needed. I would seriously look for a different shop though. Good luck.


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## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

Find a different store, and brand bike if it's not available elsewhere. They should size you, or determine the proper size, and let you test ride. 

FWIW, having an inch of seat tube exposed means the bike doesn't fit. It could also be that the smaller one is s too small, and neither are right for you. You might need one as low as the medium, but as long as the largE. Otoh, that large looks very long. Maybe you need a taller head tube and stack with a shorter reach? 

it kind of looks like you are rolling your shoulders forward on the large, meaning it's too long, but again, the medium doesn't sound right. A short stem can't make a too big big fit, only make it better than it was. There are other bikes that will fit you perfectly. Maybe this is the wrong bike for you. You aren't in a riding position, though, so don't take any answers as correct. 

To reiterate. Take your money elsewhere.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

Don't buy bikes from P-Mart.

If your salesperson does not fill you with confidence by fitting both bikes for you and consulting the manufacturer geometry charts to compare that bike to others, and can't be bothered to help you with some basic measurements, you should not buy a bike from them.


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## unaware (Sep 22, 2012)

It's going to come down to personal preference since you're between sizes. You can buy the medium and feel more on top of the bike or you can buy a large and feel more in the bike. You might have a more rearward weight balance on the large so it'll allow the front to come up easier. Could make steering harder though if you aren't in "attack" position. If you plan on adding a dropper post then you might err towards the medium since it has more exposed seatpost. If you barely have an inch or two of exposed seatpost on the large then a dropper might not work. 

You can shorten the stem and get a riser bar if the reach is too much on the L. This will make the front end feel even lighter though so it could pose handling issues. You really need to ride both to see which you prefer. It's somewhat absurd they won't let you even ride it around the parking lot. It's not like it's some $8k carbon bike.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

What's the stem length for M and L? 

I'm 5'10 32" and typically ride around 600mm EFTT. The M is 610mm so that may be fine for you too. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


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## rlouder (Jun 26, 2007)

zephxiii said:


> I'm 5'10 32" and typically ride around 600mm EFTT. The M is 610mm


Is this the bike? If so, the med htt is not 610.

Buy GT Avalanche Comp Mountain Bike 2016 - Hardtail MTB at Tredz Bikes. £475.00 with free UK delivery

OP, did you notice how the seats were adjusted fore and aft? That can make a big difference. Surely they wouldn't mind changing that for you.


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## 07stuntin6r (Jun 23, 2016)

My LBS had only a large in the bike I wanted. They let me sit on it and pedal on the machine thing. Measured my legs and asked if I felt like I was leaning to much forward it felt fine to me. I'm 5'9 and it seems fine 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## rangeriderdave (Aug 29, 2008)

Bike fit starts with centering you on the bike . You want to be able to reach the bars without being cramped up ,you don't want to over extend (locking out elbows rolling shoulders) I'm a little taller than you ,but I own mediums and larges ,and they fit fine. They are set up different,longer stems, more seat post exposed on the mediums. By the photo it looks like you are reaching too much ,you might be able to fix that with a shorter stem ,then again that top tube might be too long.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Are you sure that is a medium and a large, looks like a bigger difference to me. If that link is where you are shopping, they only list it in extra small, small and extra large.

You need to ride them to see what feels right, I'd look elsewhere.


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## oneupme (Jan 4, 2016)

One of the most important reasons to buy a bike from a bike shop is the ability to test ride. If you can't test ride, then what's the point? 

5'10" and 33 inseam sounds borderline to me. I am similar and ride a medium 29'er. Based on the picture, the "medium" looks a little cramped, but it may just be the loose shirt.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

^^ that first statement says it all. I would take my money elsewhere too.


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## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

chazpat said:


> Are you sure that is a medium and a large, looks like a bigger difference to me. If that link is where you are shopping, they only list it in extra small, small and extra large.
> 
> You need to ride them to see what feels right, I'd look elsewhere.


I thought that too. Based on the charts, and the pictures.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

rlouder said:


> Is this the bike? If so, the med htt is not 610.
> 
> Buy GT Avalanche Comp Mountain Bike 2016 - Hardtail MTB at Tredz Bikes. £475.00 with free UK delivery
> 
> OP, did you notice how the seats were adjusted fore and aft? That can make a big difference. Surely they wouldn't mind changing that for you.


I went off GT's site:
Avalanche Comp - Trail HT - Mountain Hardtail - Bikes

It says 610mm for the M 27.5


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## ZRX13 (Jun 17, 2016)

fishboy316 said:


> Are you saying they won't let you ride the bike at all? if so you need to go elsewhere as that will more than likely be the kind of service you will get from them in the future. If you must buy there then I would go large as you have long legs and will need the height. You can always go shorter stem and make adjustments as needed. I would seriously look for a different shop though. Good luck.





Muirenn said:


> Find a different store, and brand bike if it's not available elsewhere. They should size you, or determine the proper size, and let you test ride.
> To reiterate. Take your money elsewhere.





mack_turtle said:


> Don't buy bikes from P-Mart.
> 
> If your salesperson does not fill you with confidence by fitting both bikes for you and consulting the manufacturer geometry charts to compare that bike to others, and can't be bothered to help you with some basic measurements, you should not buy a bike from them.





oneupme said:


> One of the most important reasons to buy a bike from a bike shop is the ability to test ride. If you can't test ride, then what's the point?





jcd46 said:


> ^^ that first statement says it all. I would take my money elsewhere too.


Yeah store is terrible especially if you need a bike advice, they even call bike components "this thing" and "that thing", and when i asked wich size is better for me they told me to do standover test and than said both bikes fit and its up to me lol. Sales rep was even trying to convince me that ETT is exactly the same on both bikes :eekster: untill i pulled out the exact frame specs from internet and let him read it...
But its a huge retailer and GT dealer, and the only reason im buying this particular bike from particular store is because they have this bike on sale and price is 30% ( the link i posted is not from this store) cheaper that all the other local stores, but only till the end of the week. And i couldn't find any other bike locally that would have this level of components for this price.


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## ZRX13 (Jun 17, 2016)

eb1888 said:


> You don't look like a 33" actual inseam measured with a pencil against the wall. If you are the 17.5 should fit because long legs means a short torso and the 431mm reach of the medium would be right., but just ride it in the store. You should be able to get them to put a test shorter stem on the 19. Ride that in the store. The fork on that bike is gravel road and bike path with no rebound damping and plastic instead of metal bushings inside..
> This bike is an alternative.
> Diamondback Bikes, 2016 Mason Trail
> It has a real air fork and Plus wheels and tires.
> ...





chazpat said:


> Are you sure that is a medium and a large, looks like a bigger difference to me. If that link is where you are shopping, they only list it in extra small, small and extra large.
> 
> You need to ride them to see what feels right, I'd look elsewhere.


Yes my inseam is 33" and bikes is large and medium i checked it twice in store, its might be just bad camera angle. If you notice large bike is closer to the camera on a picture, and no the link i provided is not from the store i going to buy, that link just have more specs info.


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## ZRX13 (Jun 17, 2016)

Muirenn said:


> Find a different store, and brand bike if it's not available elsewhere. They should size you, or determine the proper size, and let you test ride.
> 
> FWIW, having an inch of seat tube exposed means the bike doesn't fit. It could also be that the smaller one is s too small, and neither are right for you. You might need one as low as the medium, but as long as the largE. Otoh, that large looks very long. Maybe you need a taller head tube and stack with a shorter reach?
> 
> ...





rangeriderdave said:


> Bike fit starts with centering you on the bike . You want to be able to reach the bars without being cramped up ,you don't want to over extend (locking out elbows rolling shoulders) I'm a little taller than you ,but I own mediums and larges ,and they fit fine. They are set up different,longer stems, more seat post exposed on the mediums. By the photo it looks like you are reaching too much ,you might be able to fix that with a shorter stem ,then again that top tube might be too long.





unaware said:


> It's going to come down to personal preference since you're between sizes. You can buy the medium and feel more on top of the bike or you can buy a large and feel more in the bike. You might have a more rearward weight balance on the large so it'll allow the front to come up easier. Could make steering harder though if you aren't in "attack" position. If you plan on adding a dropper post then you might err towards the medium since it has more exposed seatpost. If you barely have an inch or two of exposed seatpost on the large then a dropper might not work.
> 
> You can shorten the stem and get a riser bar if the reach is too much on the L. This will make the front end feel even lighter though so it could pose handling issues. You really need to ride both to see which you prefer. It's somewhat absurd they won't let you even ride it around the parking lot. It's not like it's some $8k carbon bike.





zephxiii said:


> What's the stem length for M and L?
> 
> I'm 5'10 32" and typically ride around 600mm EFTT. The M is 610mm so that may be fine for you too.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


I just noticed on a picture with large bike the saddle sticking out at the front wich might mean that i slid a little bit backwards and thats probably why i look stretched. Also seems like the stem is around 90-110 mm, so i can always buy a shorter stem and slide saddle a bit forward. If there would be a size in between medium and large for this bike it would be exactly what i need...And notice how my wrists bent on a medium because of uncomfortable break levels position, and on a large wrists are straight, this might be another reason why i look stretched out on a large bike, and not so much on a medium.


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## thegolfpilot (Apr 14, 2016)

I am also 5'10 and had the same dilemma with the giant talon. I ended up going with the large because I prefer slightly wider handlebars and with the large those don't hit my knee on a tight turn. My 2 cents


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## rlouder (Jun 26, 2007)

zephxiii said:


> I went off GT's site:
> Avalanche Comp - Trail HT - Mountain Hardtail - Bikes
> 
> It says 610mm for the M 27.5


Wow. The gt site is the first place I looked when you posted that, but I didn't see the chart when using a tablet. Found it under desktop. Don't know whether or not to believe their data, given what is shown on the other site and 610 being unusually long for a med.

Since different companies size their bikes differently, sizing from other bikes doesn't help much. Zephxiii has the best idea, but you may need to take a level and tape measure to the shop.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I was looking at buying a medium Zaskar 29er a few years ago. I remember that the frame seemed extremely long, 610 ETT sounds right.


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

You need the large.

I'm just under 5'7 on a 18 inch medium frame. I have a ton of seat post sticking out and a 60mm stem. I wouldn't mind having a larger frame. 

People who are 5'10 should be on larges for nearly every brand. Some high end exceptionally long medium frames may fit. You're very squarely into large frame territory. If you're inches taller than me, don't get a smaller frame than what fits me!


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## ejewels (Jul 16, 2009)

fishboy316 said:


> If you must buy there then I would go large as you have long legs and will need the height. You can always go shorter stem and make adjustments as needed. I would seriously look for a different shop though. Good luck.


Reviving this thread as I'm trying to understand the logic here. I thought with long legs/short torso you want the smaller frame otherwise you'll be too stretched out. In other words, you never size a bike on seat tube and how much seat post is exposed.


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