How to select what height bike to buy?

How to select what height bike to buy? I'm 6 ft, 160 lbs. If it's a road bike or mountain bike, what height should I buy.

Standover height at the center of the top tube is how the bikes will be sized, as most have mentioned above. How you are proportioned will play a big role in sizing. ~2+" of clearance for a mtn. bike and ~1" for a road bike. I am 6 ft and ride a 19-20" mtn. bike and a 57-58cm road bike. I have longer legs and a shorter torso. You can use these numbers to get you started, but a visit to your local bike shop will be your best bet. Good luck!

For mountain bikes- You should get on the bike and be able to have the seat (at lowest position if possible) be comfortable with your feet touching the ground with enough control over the bike. The sales man should be able to help you with sizing but since you're taller your seat may not be able to be at the lowest setting.
Why not just go down to your local bike shop and try out a couple, because you need to figure in your leg/torso length and all that a bit. They should be able to help you figure out more what you want. If you want a mountain bike, probably 19-20 inch (I'm 5'11" with a 19") , but road bikes use a different measuring system (maybe 26" but I dont know). Oh, and on a mtn bike, you want about 2" of clearance between you and the crossbar if your standing on the ground (for obvious reasons riding offroad :)).
For a road bike, you should stand astride the bicycle and the horizontal bar should be about two inches below your crotch. I would presume that a mtn. bike would be similar.
You should try the bikes before buying. One important part is standover clearance, which is the distance between the top tube (the horizontal tube) and your crotch, but also the distance from the saddle to the handlebars and such. So, if you have a friend thats the same height as you (6'), it would be possible that each would use a different size bike.

You would need to test them.

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Kids Bike Schwinn Bike Cruiser Bike Road Bike Folding Bike Mountain Bike

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