Mountain biking is looked upon as one of the most adventurous and versatile activities that are capable enough to fulfill all your expectations that you have from a sport.
Be it living up to your passion, casual commuting, cruising, fitness, or a plush amenity to flaunt; a perfect-sized mountain bike is one for all.
Life means action, and if you want to live up to that, own a mountain bike.
While embarking on the journey of mountain biking, generally, the initial and the most challenging step is considered buying a mountain bike.
It takes a lot of research, analysis, considerations, and choices to eventually make the final decision.
Purchasing a mountain bike that does not fit you properly would result in several discomforts and safety hazards on the terrain.
Therefore, choosing a perfectly fitting bike is considered one of the most important factors before buying a mountain bike.
So, if you are the one looking out for a well-suited and perfect-fit mountain bike for yourself, this mountain bike size guide is for you.
You can buy a mountain bike either from the local bike stores in the markets or online, under a variety of premium quality bike brands.
If you opt to visit the city bike store and select the bike after a satisfactory trial, you could be sure of the perfect size and fit.
But if you are looking forward to buying your mountain bike online, there are chances that the bike that you would receive would not fit you perfectly.
There might also be several other drawbacks that could act as an unwanted surprise for you in the case of an online buy.
This mountain bike size guide will help you in detail with all that you are looking for regarding buying a perfect-sized mountain bike to roll across the hills and mountains in style.
I have highlighted some of the frequently asked questions related to the mountain bike size guide for your utmost convenience and ease of understanding.
Read below till the very end to learn much and more.
What Type Of Mountain Bike Should I Buy To Get A Perfect Size?
Deciding on the type of mountain bike that you look forward to buying will majorly help you get a perfect-sized bike.
The type of mountain bike for a perfect size depends upon the personal preference of the biker.
The factors to be considered are whether you are looking for a road bike, or a mountain bike, along with your age and gender.
The mountain bikes are much more aggressive than road bikes and are designed for off-road biking over challenging terrains.
Hence, you must look for a smaller-sized bike for comfortable riding over rocky terrains.
Therefore, it is advised to try out several bikes before finalizing the eventual one. In the case of online purchases, bike charts are available along with the type of bike that you prefer.
Remember, mountain bike size charts are different from that of the road bike size chart.
Hence, once you decide on the bike type and other preferences, you may consider all the other characteristics from the bike size chart.
Besides, various models and sizes are available in the markets and online that are separate male and female-specific.
Moreover, different sizes are available for kids, pre-teens, teenagers, adults, and seniors.
What Mountain Bike Frame Size Should I Buy?
The mountain bike frame size can be known by taking the measurement of the inside leg measurement or the inseam length of the rider and then comparing it with the available bike size chart.
The frame sizes are measured in XS, Small, Medium, and Large sizes, centimeters, and inches.
The bike size charts are designed by the manufacturers, and hence they may vary a bit.
Thus, always refer to the measurements with the bike size chart of the bike model you are looking to buy.
Generally, you can get the correct mountain bike frame size by referring to two primary measurements of the rider, which are:
1. Height Of The Rider
The accurate height of the rider must be known before you lookout for a perfect mountain bike frame size. In case you are confused about the same, you can check with a measuring tape.
To check the height, you can also stand against the wall straight, shoulders touching the wall, legs joined together, and shoes off. Then mark the point where your head touches the wall and measure it.
This way, your accurate height would be known, which could be further referred to the manufacturer’s bike size chart to match the respective bike frame size.
2. Inside Leg Measurement Or Inseam Length Of The Rider
The Inside leg measurement or the Inseam length of the rider is usually considered the most important and accurate way to figure out the right bike frame size.
It is the length between the floor to the crotch or the area between the legs of the rider. The inseam length is often measured in centimeters.
For more information, you can refer to this Pinterest Image.
What Mountain Bike Wheel Size Should I Buy?
Generally, the mountain bike wheels do not affect the bike size. But while buying a perfect-sized mountain bike, the wheel size must also be considered an essential factor.
To be precise, the wheel size must be appropriate and in accordance with the bike size to maintain stability and balance over the trails and terrains.
You may also consider the wheel size depending on the type of terrain you choose to ride, as the condition of the surface and the traction provided by the wheels, combinedly, affects your overall performance while riding.
The basic wheel size available in mountain bikes is 26”, 27.5”, and 29”.
Although the standard 26” wheel sizes are preferred less by the riders currently, any of these wheel sizes could be chosen in case you are looking for a medium-sized frame.
Check out these best 26-inch mountain bikes.
If you look for a smaller frame, then 27.5” wheels are available in that size.
The larger frames are available with the 29” wheel size. Plus-size wheels, i.e., 27.5”+ are also available, that are much fatter and are up to 3” wide.
These extra wide and knobby tires can roll at a lower pressure offering a better grip and traction over rough surfaces. But importantly, these plus-size tires can fit only a plus-size frame and fork.
Hence, to get the perfect sized mountain bike wheel size for yourself, you are advised to consider your personal choices and your physical characteristics.
Precisely, look out for your height, weight, inseam length, etc., and accordingly refer to the bike size chart of the respective mountain bike to get the perfect wheel size.
What Mountain Bike Size Should I Buy?
The best and the most accurate method to find out the suitable mountain bike size for yourself is to consider the bike size chart available with all the bike models.
The bike size chart varies according to the various types of bikes. Ideally, the manufacturers provide the bikes in XS, Small, Medium, and Large sizes.
Further, you could tally your physical characteristics and specifications with the provided bike size chart and obtain the perfect mountain bike size for yourself.
In the case of mountain bikes, the bike size charts are available separately for men and woman riders. Usually, there are major differences in the physical characteristics of males and females.
Hence, in that case, the bike size charts for both must be referred to as per the biker’s gender.
These charts separately consist of sections including the rider’s height range in inches and centimeters, the frame size in XS, S, M, L sizes, and inches and centimeters.
The inseam length is also mentioned in the chart in inches and centimeters.
Further, the suggested wheel size is mentioned, which are either 26”, 27.5”, or 29”. The plus-size wheel size is also mentioned in the bike size chart, as per the plus size statistics.
For your utmost ease, a basic bike size chart is depicted below. You may consider it the standard version of all the bike size charts available across.
Mountain Bike Size Chart
| Rider Height(in) | Rider Height (cm) | Frame Size | FrameSize(in) | Frame Size(cm) | Inseam Length(in) | Leg Inseam (cm) | Wheel Size |
| 4’10”- 5’2″ | 148-158 cms | XS | 13”-14” | 33-37 cms | 25’-28” | 62-70 cms | 26” |
| 5’3”-5’6” | 159-168 cms | S | 15”-16” | 38-42 cms | 25’-30” | 63-76 cms | 26” |
| 5’7”-5’10” | 169-178 cms | M | 17”-18” | 43-47 cms | 26’-31” | 66-78 cms | 27.5” |
| 5’11”-6’1” | 179-185 cms | L | 19”-20” | 48-52 cms | 27’-32” | 68-81 cms | 27.5” |
| 6’2”-6’4” | 186-193 cms | XL | 21”-22” | 53-57 cms | 28’-33” | 71-83 cms | 29” |
| 6’4”+ | 193 cms+ | XXL | 23”+ | 58 cms+ | 29’-34” | 73-86 cms | 29” |
Conclusion
To get a perfect-sized mountain bike is no less than a task, but that task has to be accomplished for an excellent kickstart to the journey of mountain biking.
This mountain bike size guide helps you understand and accordingly deal with all the essential factors needed for choosing the perfect sized mountain bike for yourself.
The right bike size hunting may seem difficult in the beginning, but once you would get through this guide, I am sure it would be as easy as it could be for you.
The point of getting a perfect sized bike is stretched deeply here several times, as it is a matter of concern that if the bike would not fit the rider and it would either be too short or too big, that may result in several consequences.
That may result in severe neck, back, shoulder, knee, or ankle pain. Even that would affect your speed and performance while riding and perhaps result in serious falls or injuries.
Hence, make sure there are no chances you might get wrong in selecting your perfect-sized mountain bike.
With this mountain bike size guide, I intend to help you deal with the complicated state of dilemma and choose the best one for you.
Remember, whether you are buying your mountain bike from the markets or online, taking a personal trial along with referring to the bike size chart is a must and a necessity.
Also, keep these most important factors before buying your first mountain bike like the type of frames, suspensions, gears, breaks, etc.