I'm not familiar with these specific models but I'm pretty much the same dimensions as you and for 95% of manufacturers I would ride a medium frame bike.

 

Im 5'8 and ride a medium giant reign, and its on the small side for me, giants are made small if anything, at 5'10 a small would have been too small and cramped for you, you have the right size, your bike shop was spot on.
If your feeling like its too big throw a 50mm stem on there, and maybe go wider bars, the bike will handle better anyway with a 50mm stem imo.

 

Definitely not a small. Don't worry too much about the standover. Most companies spec 5-10 as top of the medium range

 

Here is a link to Wrench Science Fit guide, you have to register to use it, but I do not get SPAM.

https://www.wrenchscience.com

After doing all the measurements it told me my frame size at 6' 33" inseam was 17-18. One thing the Wrench science calculator take into account is your flexibility.

I have one bike with a 20" (FS) seat tube and the other with a 17" (HT). I have them both setup with the same reach to the bars and the seat height from the BB to top of seat. Both are comfortable and no problems with either with my size 13 feet. I think a lot of people choose a size down when going to a 29er because it just feels bigger than the same size 26er. Some actually prefer it to make the bike more nimble and of course a slightly stiffer frame. Take a tape measure to the LBS and try a bunch of different bikes and then take some measurements.

Good luck in your search, they say it is easier to make a small bike fit you than a big bike.

Todd

P.S. my FS bike says L (20") fits from 5' 7" - 5' 11" . My HT 17" says it fits 5' 8" to 5' 11" .

 

I'm 5' 10½" tall. My cylcling inseam measurement is 34" (from crotch to floor) but I wear 32" Levis. When I buy a new bike/frame I debate between a medium and a large. A small will definitely be too small for you. Stand-over is of no interest to me. My legs are proportionately long compared to my torso. Stand-over may matter to people with short legs. Nor do I care much about seat tube length. The one measurement that is important to me is effective top tube length. I usually try to find a frame with an ETT of ± 23.5". I can raise or lower the seat for my leg length but I don't want a frame that is too cramped or I'm too stretched out.

 

I'm 5'8'' on a REALLY good day and have a 32" inseam. Every bike I've owned over the past 20 years has been a medium (Cannondales and Specialized). I ride 99% off road and 1% on road just to link trail sections. I have never had a problem with stand over height, and I ride the rocky, root infested technical trails of New England. My current bike is a medium Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp 29er. It felt ENORMOUS when I first got on it. That lasted for about 10 minutes, now it seems just like an extension of my body. I can't imagine that a medium is too big for you, just give it time.

 

I'm also 5-10 and i ride a medium,its not a giant though its a specialized epic.I know a small is to small for me and a large is to big.

 

As I flipped through the Giant bike manual, it talks about standing over the bike and bouncing vigorously on your heels and making sure you don't touch the top bar. And it mentions needing a minimum of 3" clearance to your crotch if you are doing any off pavement riding.

I'll bet you a lawyer wrote that to limit liability, not to insure adequate fit.
It sounds pretty ridiculous to me.
Seems like you've got the correct size bike.

 

Yes, they are required to put some verbiage in there for CPSC reasons. Standover is totally irrelevant to any even vaguely experienced cyclist while *riding*. Inexperienced folks often injure themselves when mounting or dismounting, hence the butt-covering liability-speak in the manual. Even good riders can run into problems if clearance is really lacking, especially if trying to mount from the downhill side of a bench cut trail or something. Solution: walk around your bike and mount from uphill.

CPSC regs are also why children's bikes have such insanely high bottom brackets for their crank lengths - so if some superstar kid leans 45 degrees while pedaling through a corner, they won't hit their pedal and crash. Of course, a super high BB makes it quite hard for many kids to learn to ride in the first place, c'est la vie.

Unless you are very unusually proportioned, I'm sure the bike will fit fine. You might someday want to change things about the fit or geometry and then you can start shopping all over again, but if you're comfortable on the bike you are good to go.

-Walt

 

My giant trance 26 is a medium an I am 6'0 with 32" inseam. Feels perfect. Just bought a trance 29er, went with medium again and it does feel a little bigger for sure but still feels like it fits me well. I would think a medium would be perfect for you. Small is going to be way too small.

 

Based on what seems to be the effective TT length, a medium is definitely the right choice.

Standover is a not a good way to size mountain bikes.

 

Definitely not a small.

 

Im a bees dick off 5"10" and buy bikes going on 600mm/24" ETT, this always ends up a MED, adjustments then made with seatpost and stem length.

The spoiler to this rule is if you have legs not in proportion to your arms.... in extreme cases (dinosaur or monkey) having long arms/short legs or short arms/long legs could move you up to a Large or down to a small.

 

I'm 5'9 with 32" inseam and test rode a Medium Talon, it fit perfectly. Sounds about right for you (medium). The only thing to look at is to make sure the fitting is right (stem, saddle position).

I just test rode a bunch of bikes and standover was something I didn't even look at or care about. It was all about geometry, fit, and pedal position.

I'm sure that frame is the right size for you.

 

Thanks everyone for the input, I really appreciate it. I did go back to the LBS to discuss and medium is definitely the right fit.

 

Great. Now just ride, have fun and be confident you have the right size.

For extra confirmation: I am 5'11" and in between Medium and Large size. I chose a Large and I am happy for it. Seat post and stem lengths are quite normal and what I like (90mm stem, 710 bars). There is very little chance someone 1" shorter has the body measurements that would make a small a good fit.