Bicycle buying

I saw that Nikishi.  I liked the aluminum frame but wasn't sure if that price point meant it was a crap bike.

So I'm 6'1", 205 ish, and have a 31" inseam.  That sounds like a 17-19" frame should do the trick for me from context above?

I'm assuming the main reason that just getting a "normal" frame and raising the seat won't work is because of handlebar height?

I don't think a 3 speed will cut it here.  Plenty of hills.  Including my street.

In reply to Curtis :

The concern is more handlebar reach than height.

That's one of the reasons that for a given height, a shorter inseam may mean that you want a *larger* frame; if your inseam is shorter, your torso is likely longer, and that's the part that's harder to adjust; that distance from the seat to the handlebars fore/aft.

Modern bikes mostly have threadless headsets, so adjusting handlebar height has to be done by changing stems (beyond sometimes up to an inch if there are a bunch of spacers already there to move from one side of the stem to the other; once the amount of spacers is determined, the steerer tube is cut, and that's the limit of how high your stem can move). So even where handlebar height will get you what you want, it's not nearly as adjustable as seat height, or as adjustable as handlebar height used to be with quill stems.

I haven't gotten my head entirely around it, but there's a move afoot to talk about bike sizing not in terms of just seat tube length or top tube length, but in terms of "reach" and "stack". It may be illuminating, or just confusing to google that up.

EDIT: I can't imagine anyone 6'1" on a 17" frame; 19" maybe. I'm going to guess 19-21", and underscore the point that no amount of math will substitute for seeing how you fit a specific bicycle.

I'm 5'10" and 160 lbs. I ride a 17" frame offroad and a 19" frame fits fine on-road. 

I would definitely go for the 19 if I were you Curtis.

That Jamis linked earlier is a good buy - modern enough that it shouldn't need much maintenance but good enough components that they shouldn't break prematurely. 

I personally recommend a steel frame. Steel comfort over a pound of weight savings any day. 

https://lancaster.craigslist.org/bid/d/quality-bicycles-for-sale/6570425054.html

that guy has a right size rockhopper 

Dear lord, go buy that Rockhopper! That is a classic bike, especially with that fade paint. That is one old bike you won't lose money on if you take decent care of it.