Is a 17'' frame too small for a 5 foot 11 15 year old?

Question

My brother owns the norco katmandu and wants to know if its too small for him

Answer 1

way too small, im like 5 5 and i ride a 20"

Answer 2

i'm 6 foot, i ride a medium sized santa cruz jackal, but it rides liek a bmx/mtb and i like that ride, it depends on how you like to ride, smaller is more bmx-ey and larger is more mtb-ey

Answer 3

Way too small. You want a 20" or 20.5"

Answer 4

For dirt jumping, no.

For XC, yes, it's too small.

A 5' 11" rider should fit most brands 18-19" or L frames, look more into toptube length of about 23"-23-1/2".

Guys that are saying he should be on a 20" frame must not ride off road as he would be racking himself quite a bit.

Answer 5

I also agree that that frame is to small. I;m about your size and ride a 19 in frame and it fits me fairly well. Make sure before you buy a new bike that you do some test rides with it. Try to not just do the parking lot ride either. See if you can take it for a 15 or 30 minute ride through a neighborhood or on a trail. This will help you see if you like the feel of the bike and how well the bike fits you, regardless of the length of the seat tube.

Answer 6

I'm 6'4 and i ride a $4500 Rocky mountain RMX its a 19.5 and it fits me fine

Answer 7

Fully agree with Zel69.  Way too small. Better size for a mountain bike would be in the 20 to 21 inch range.  I am 6'1" and ride 25"/52 cm road bikes.  Problem with small frames is the lack of handlebar height.  You are able to buy amazingly long seat posts, but are extremely limited on the ability to raise the bars more than 1-1/2 inches, when you may need upwards of 9 inches to be comfortable.

Answer 8

I agree with dsfa. At 5-8 I use a 16.5" fame. Most 5-11 riders use 18-19 for general trail riding.

Answer 9

Yeah too small but that's better if you're freeriding, downhilling or dirt jumping because you have more control over the bike. im 5 foot 7 and i ride a 14" frame Dirt Jumper