Forget the idea of a "one-size-fits-all" mountain bike. The best mountain bikes should weave agility and toughness as you would expect, but most importantly, they should cater to your individual style ...
When you buy a bike, it's best to try them on for size. But you can get a good idea of what size to start with by measuring your inseam. That, coupled with the charts at Bike Size Chart, can help you ...