recommendations for frame size for my 5'2" wife...

[djb]

Hello all,

In the time that I have been married to my wife, she has always ridden hybrid style bikes with straight bars. Middle range bikes and she hasn't really ridden more than shortish distance commutes.
This summer however, we participated in a supported 6 day tour that she enjoyed very much, and began to appreciate that a drop bar bike would be more comfortable for long days (we did days of 50, 70, 100k) Before we met, I had done a lot of touring, France a few times, West Coast of the states, around here in Quebec, Vermont, NH, so it was very nice to hear her acknowledge that a proper road or touring bike could be interesting to her now.

Part of her concerns have always been with "leaning too far forward" with drop bars, and while I have to no end explained that bike fit is the big issue here, it was great on this 6 day tour as we spoke with many women bikers who were able to show my wife the advantages to a road bike and drop bars. We do not have women friends who are really into biking that much, so this was her first exposure to serious women bikers.

I realize a good bike store could give opinions on sizing, but I figured why not ask similarly sized women who have toured for some examples of frame sizing.
I ride an old touring bike and a cross-bike (Spec. Tricross Sport) on the road which both have bar levels nearly the same as my seat, and I am fairly certain that this setup would be ideal for my wife. (I mention this just so that an aggresive roadbike stance won't be recommended)

I realize that stem changes can make a huge diff, but what are some suggestions for top-tube length for my wife, who is pretty much regularly proportioned leg/torso/arm wise?

Part of this idea is to start looking around for a used touring or a cross bike like mine which can play many roles depending on wheels, tires, racks or not (I love my Tricross, a great "inbetween" of road bike and tourer).

It was great to see her enthusiasm and I would like to encourage it more.

thanks in advance

[Cataboo]

This is a thread that someone 5'2 started today:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=40328


Basically - it depends on your wife. She is probably going to need something in between a 44 and 48 cm seattube - but the top tube is entirely dependent on her build.

I'm 5'1-2, I like riding about a 48 cm frame, 520-530 cm top tube, 73 degree seat angle if I can find it. I'll run about a 100 mm stem on that - seat about level with the handlebars. I don't ride wsd 'cause my torso is relatively long and my legs relatively short. However, I have a couple 5'2 friends that find my bike just stretches them out and leans them over...

You might want to consider trying her on a 48 cm jamis aurora, a 44 cm surly long haul trucker, a trek 520, maybe a surly cross check.

Kalidurga on here is about 5'2 and rides a specialized tricross - probably like a 46-48 cm one, because I fit on it.

[djb]

thanks for the other link, as well as the size suggestions.
My old touring bike that I did the numerous month long trips on was always a bit long for me, reach wise, I changed the stem to a shorter one and figured it was alright after.
In looking at various cross bikes this summer, it helped to compare bikes to my tourer, measuring tape in hand. Sure enough, the 54cm Tricross I got fits me even better than my old bike, even with the stock stem.

again, your suggestions are a good start, and as you say and which comes up in the other thread, individual proportions are the real kicker.

good food for thought

[oz rider]

I'm a smidge under 5'2", but with short torso. I run a 500ish ett on both tourer and roadie, and the 42cm Surly LHT fitted (bit high in front though, and heavy as a % of body weight). Another my height, but with short legs, is quite happy with a 510mm ett. If you're looking at cx bikes, keep an eye on the standover, given the BB height.

[djb]

ta Oz rider for the numbers, I suspect those tt lengths would be pretty close for my wife. I agree that a LHT would be overkill as I really dont ever see us doing touring with much weight. I tend to take the things we need in my pannier/s so she doesnt need one (makes a real diff if there is lots of climbing as we all know). For this reason I will keep an eye out for a more sport tourer or a cross bike like the Tricross that has similiar geometry to a light tourer, ie not too quick steering and the bb is not too high either (but yes, standover comment well taken)

cheers, we are just starting to get colder, I guess its the opposite for you...

[oz rider]

cheers, we are just starting to get colder, I guess its the opposite for you...
:)It's been a good year for me; I spent a month of our winter riding through a Canadian summer and it's a beautiful sunny still 24C here today. Roll on summer #2!

[djb]

what part of Canada were you in?

as for temps, I had the poly pro top, thin fleece and a windshell on the other day on a 3C ride (bit cooler than usual) so we are in the last stages of riding over here, alas.

Always sad to begin riding less...November and Dec are the kinda "blah" months, more rain, colder. Riding in cold and dry is alright, but cold and wet...blah.
December is too early to have any lasting snow, so cross country skiing hasnt started yet (especially the last few years our winters have been milder than usual, not as much snow by far)

c'est la vie

[Triskeliongirl]

Another suggestion would be a used terry classic/madeline in 17.5". You can get these used for a good price. Try the buy/sell a used terry on the terry web site. They will have small front wheels, but a good solution for a short top tube without toe clip overlap. Get an older steel, 2001-2005 for 9 spd drive train. If you are carrying most of the luggage, a symetry/isis would also work.

[azfiddle]

I'm 5'1" and ride a 44 cm bike. it's not a touring bike specifically- an aluminum road bike. I'm short-waisted, with proportionally longer legs, if that helps.

[oz rider]

what part of Canada were you in?
Vancouver to Inuvik, via Vancouver Island.

We have to go looking for snow in winter, so our annual snow ride is a novelty. hehe. It surprises me that you have so few trackies over there, given the weather.

[featuretile]

I'm 5"3" and I ride a Specialized Ruby Compact 48cm. The handlebars are slightly higher than the seat so there is very little difference between it and my previous straight bar Specialized Vita. It was very easy to get used to.

I bought a used Bike Friday that was close to my size. It seemed fine at first for short distances, but after a 40 mile ride (with handlebars level with seat) my hands were numb and my privates hurt. Changing the saddle (to one like my road bike) fixed one problem, and getting an adjustable stem that raised up the handlebars fixed the other one. I am thinking that I must have short arms because when I lean over too much, there is too much weight on my wrists. I am not talking about a bolt upright position like on a cruiser, just a more gentle lean.

Your wife might want to try an adjustable stem on her new bike (it was only about $30) to see if that is why she is leery of dropped bars. When I want to get lower, I can use the drops, but when I am just cruising along the hoods are more comfortable. She could play around with the height and change it at a later date if she wants.

[djb]

First of all, I dont have this set up so that I get emails when there are responses, so I have to remember to check in.

Triskelion--thanks for that Terry mention, I have never heard of that company (and its in Vermont, not far from us in Montreal) but just looked at the website. Neat, even just for the basic bike sizing/geometry explanation videos.
Very good pointer for the used section and your model suggestions too, very much appreciated.

Az-tks for the size reference, I now have to make a chart with the metric/imperial equilavents to keep track...

Oz- Wow,neat trip. When we got married we drove across Canada (in car) and took the ferry from Prince Rupert down to Vancouver Island. I'm sure you had to be extra careful of bears, much more than out here in the east.
My grandparents were Brits, so I am familiar with Britspeak, but I'm afraid you lost me with "trackies"--do you mean people who ride in the winter?

Feature- you are a good 2 inches taller than my wife, but again, a good comparison, and my wifes present bike is a Vita. The adjustable stem idea is a good one. There are so many factors in what is a good set up for any given individual-ones flexibility, or even early in the riding season our backs and gut muscles arent as strong, and as we bike more, we will pedal a bit harder and consistently, taking weight off our hands a bit more too. The added weight of an adjustable stem could really be outweighed by the quick-changing aspect as you mentioned. And as you say, saddle choice and postion play a big part also.

again, thanks to all for the real world experiences.

[oz rider]

Sorry djb. Trackies is people who ride track, as in velodromes (usually indoor). We seem to have a very strong track tradition for a country with such beautiful weather, as the Comm Games showed. And I was surprised talking to the Canadians that they have few international standard velodromes. Melbourne has two; one is only available for special events but anyone can access the other one and local clubs race there every week. Plus half a dozen shallower outdoor ones.

[djb]

ahhh tracks....as I am not into racing at all, this didnt occur to me. You know the 1976 Olympics were held here, and there was a Velodrome (right beside the Olympic Stadium) but ages ago it was converted into a nature center, called the "Biodome" (is really neat, with a number of "climate zones" that one walks through with real and "set-like" environments with birds, animals, fish. A great place to visit with kids)
Kinda sad that an Olympic level facility was not used enough to warrant the change, but I dont honestly remember the details of when it was taking place.
I imagine the use was not warranting the upkeep etc.

cheers

[Catrin]

Indoor velodromes? Did I read this right? Interesting. We have a velodrome in my city but it is outside. It seems to see a lot of use. During the N.I.T.E Ride this summer, which starts at the velodrome, I saw my first race there before the ride started (well after dark). Interesting, but I was surprised at how steep the track was :eek: Fun to watch though!

[djb]

http://cyclingfunmontreal.blogspot.com/2008/08/rip-montreal-olympic-velodrome-1976.html

webpage that shows photos of it before and as it is now. In the blurb below the shots it mentions the Montreal velodrome being the first indoor one in the world....funny, I would have thought they would be all indoor, because of the wood. As I said, I never really paid attention to racing stuff that much, but assumed that like the hardwood floor of your living room, you wouldnt have a wood, banked bike velodrome open to the rain and snow.
But what do I know?

20 years ago I was finishing uni and thinking of trips to do, so the demise of this velodrome sorta went by me. The "Biodome" is however a great place for Montreal, Montrealers and tourists. I went there this spring with some Inuit kids my son's school were doing an exchange with, and it was magic for them to walk through the "Amazon" jungle section (kids from a fly-in-only small community waaaaaaaay up north)

[Catrin]

Very interesting. Our velodrome isn't wood of course, it is concrete.

[oz rider]

It's a shame you lost that one in Montreal, although the new facility must have merit too.

Reading your comments reinforces how lucky we are. Here's our local forum list of 20+ velodromes in the state (http://www.bv.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?p=319273#p319273) and here is the international one that is used pretty much every day. (http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/default.asp?MenuID=DISC/20075/14939/) The other indoor one is inner city but only used for big events (removable seating covers it when it's not in use for cycling).

Only the indoor ones have boards and are banked to the required 42 degrees on the turns Catrin; the others are concrete or bitumen and generally a lot flatter (often with access limited to the club), but still useful for night training and track skills or when you just don't want to play in the traffic. My local one also has toilets that are open late, shared with adjacent hockey pitches, so it's fantastic. Hope you can all agitate for better cycling facilities; it sure beats the trainer. At the other end of things though, we're probably short on curling and skating facilities.;)

[Catrin]

Only the indoor ones have boards and are banked to the required 42 degrees on the turns Catrin...

I do not know what the exact banking is of ours, but it is extremely steep - I find it amazing that anyone can ride on it but it was fun to watch.

I do not know how many non-racers use it, but they do seem to have a lot of races there. As for me, I enjoy my country roads :D

Interesting topic.

[djb]

I'm selling a custom Sweetpea touring/CX frame that could fit. I am 5'3" and never felt stretched out over the TT or had any problems with toe overlap. Here's the CL link in case you're interested:

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/bik/2069448436.html

I looked a while back but it was already gone, but thanks in any case.

To the others, I have still be looking here and there at used Terry bikes, shall keep an eye out still.
As for velodrome, my mother recently reminded me that my sister rode on the Montreal velodrome as a teenager once, she came with her highschool team or something. I vaguely remember but I will have to ask my sister about it, what my mother recalls is that she was scared to bits, especially being attached to the pedals firmly. I must say that while a part of me would be curious....the bigger part will take the country roads. That is what we and our friends enjoy.

As for skating etc, it has been down to -15c last night, and we have had about 40-50cm of snow so far, so biking is definitely out now, but it is quite pretty with all the white stuff, and I dont mind the shovelling.

[moderncyclista]

Are we still talking sizes here?

I'm 5'3" and I ride a 48 cm Trek and 46 cm Surly LHT. Longer torso, short legs, respectively. Best of luck.