Is there a touring bike with low standover height?

[IBrakeforPastry]

I'm looking into maybe getting a bike for longer distance, supported touring. I won't be riding loaded. I like the idea of steel, but they all seem to have pretty horizontal top tubes and I've got short legs. I think I need something sloping. I'm also looking for an excuse to check out a Bike Friday ;)

All suggestions are welcome. I'm not planning to buy anything soon. I just enjoy the hunt.

[indysteel]

My Jamis Aurora has a sloping top tube. I think it's a 47 cm.

[Catrin]

There are touring bikes with low standovers - my LHT was a 47 cm but no real sloping TT and I am short. What stand over room are you looking for?

[IBrakeforPastry]

Indy, I just looked at their website. The standover is almost 28" on the Aurora. And the top tube looked horizontal. Is yours a women's model that they no longer make?

[IBrakeforPastry]

Catrin - we were posting at the same time. I haven't done the precise measuring yet, but about 25". I'm used to tilting the bike when I stop, just not too much. I'm really hoping to get a Surly Pacer to fit. Their website says the smaller frames can take smaller wheels, but then a different type of brake would be needed.

[Catrin]

Catrin - we were posting at the same time. I haven't done the precise measuring yet, but about 25". I'm used to tilting the bike when I stop, just not too much. I'm really hoping to get a Surly Pacer to fit. Their website says the smaller frames can take smaller wheels, but then a different type of brake would be needed.

The smaller Surly LHT take 26 inch wheels. They are bomb-proof, very cushy, and make great touring bikes...or for transportation after the Zombie Apocalypse. The smaller sizes could be considered on the over-built size, but I loved my LHT (I just happened to love my custom bike more so sold the LHT). I don't know that there IS a touring bike with a sloping TT, but just because I've not seen one doesn't mean they don't exist ;)

[tulip]

Bike Friday--you have permission.

[Sylvia]

I have a 25" inseam and I have a Bike Friday and a Terry Trixie (it is a mixte that Terry used to make several years ago). I believe the woman I purchased the Trixie from used it for touring.

[Crankin]

Terry makes an xsmall touring bike, but not sure what your price range is. I kind of wanted what you are describing, and I ended up with a custom titanium relaxed geometry road bike. It has mountain gearing on the back, regular Ultegra shifters, and I can put both panniers and my Arkel Trail Rider trunk on it. However, I have a 28.5 inseam.
I would also endorse the steel Jamis bikes. They give you a lot for the $ and I loved my Coda.

[goldfinch]

In steel I can stand over the smallest Long Haul Trucker and the smallest Salsa Vaya, but both are taller than 25" even though they have 26 inch wheels. IIRC, the standover is about 27.5 on both of these. Which is my inseam. However, when wearing shoes I found the clearance just fine.

The Jamis Endura is carbon but set up for touring, with the ability to take wider tires and it is set up for racks. The standover is slightly more than 27 inches on the smallest.

When I checked there were no steel Jamis bikes that would fit me.

Terry does have a steel touring bike that will have a lower top tube than these but you are getting into the custom price range, at over $3500.

[eofelis]

I've had a 42cm LHT and I have a 50cm Salsa Vaya. They both have a standover of 70cm.

I have a couple frames (built as my commuter bikes) of mid-1990s 13inch Novara Randonees. Back then they offered the smallest sizes with 26" wheels. They are decent steel frames, lighter weight than the burly LHT. I've kind of been hoarding these frames. They have a low standover, about 67cm. I keep a permanant watch on ebay for Novara stuff and I got one of these frames on ebay a couple years ago and I have not seen one since. There has got to be some more out there.

[Sky King]

Also consider the She Devil by Handsome Bikes and the even the Soma Bueno Vista. I know many on TE ride the Bueno Vista as a round town bike but supported touring would be great as well.
As I invite you to read this post on touring bikes (http://biketouringnews.com/what-size-touring-bike/) for help too and not get to hung up on stand over height

[goldfinch]

The problem is how tough it is if you can't actually standover a bike's top tube. It is at best awkward. And, the secondary problem, which seems common with touring bikes, is the very long effective top tube. For example, if I used the Bike Hermit's seat of the pants calculation for effective top tube sizing I would need a bike with a 46 or 47cm top tube. There aren't any off the rack adult bikes that "short." This is probably why one of my bikes ended up with a 60mm stem and another a 50mm stem. Seat tube angle fits into all these measures as well as I understand every one degree of difference creates a one centimeter difference in fore and aft position.

[emily_in_nc]

This is why my touring bike is a Bike Friday. Plenty low standover height and short effective top tube to boot!

[Trek420]

The Soma Mixte comes with braze ons for touring, fits fatter tires. Can't beat a mixte for low standover height :)

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=24182

[Sylvia]

The very smallest Soma Buena Vista mixte has a 42cm frame and a 25" standover. Since your inseam is about 25", you might want to check with Soma to see where that measurement is taken. Or better yet see if there is a dealer near you that might have one in stock.

You should definitely be able to get a Bike Friday that will fit (I'm a fellow 25" inseamer and have a Bike Friday). Otherwise you may need to see what is available with 24" wheels or try a Terry mixte (if you can find one).

[Sky King]

yes, the top tube on the 46 LHT measures 50cm (we have one in the shop) We have several customers who use more of a swept back handlebar along with a stem length to help counter that issue.

[goldfinch]

yes, the top tube on the 46 LHT measures 50cm (we have one in the shop) We have several customers who use more of a swept back handlebar along with a stem length to help counter that issue.

Can you suggest some bars?

[Sky King]

goldfinch, take a minute and look at the photos in our traveler's gallery (http://store.biketouringnews.com/travelers-gallery/) You will see several with "swept back" bars like the Nitto "albatross" also look at components-handlebars-upright (http://store.biketouringnews.com/upright/) - Upright is a bit of a misnomer for the category because I also want you to see the "upside down mounting" that Genevieve did on her Sam Hillborne (10th photo from the bottom of all the photos) as you can tell, that shortens her reach by quite a bit - a similar look to a moustache but not as stretched out.

[goldfinch]

A couple more questions, if you don't mind, Sky King. These swept back bars look interesting. I ride drop bars and on my hybrid had the bars cut off to be shorter as I am a very narrow shouldered person. Do people feel these swept back bars are too wide? Is there much variability in widths available?

Also, how do people like the hand position for long rides? It looks like you pretty much have to keep your hands in one place except for the mustache bars, which won't work to reduce reach anyway as they are way too far forward.

Any thoughts you have are appreciated and I hope this isn't too much of a thread hijack.

[GLC1968]

Another vote for the Soma Buena Vista. I'm drooling over one as my 'all-things' bike. I'll use it around town, for commuting and for light touring. The smallest frame size is a 42cm and it fits 26" wheels. I'm certain the stand-over is short though I don't know the exact height. (just looked it up: 25" stand-over)

http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/buena-vista

[Owlie]

I've been wanting a mixte...that Soma looks amazing!

[IBrakeforPastry]

I didn't realize my thread was still going. My LBS mentioned building up a Soma, so that has been a consideration. On the description page, it says the frame is "more sporty, than comfy". I wonder if that means the geometry or the ride/stiffness?

A friend and I might take a trip out west this summer and decided we might just have to swing by the Bike Friday factory. I don't think I actually need a folding bike, but it's just so tempting!
Sky King - thanks for posting those photos. I'd love to stop by your shop as well! There are some great ideas shown. The picture below the one with the Albatross bar: what kind of bike is that?Mixte frame, begins with "L"?

[Sky King]

the picture below the one with the Albatross bar: what kind of bike is that?Mixte frame, begins with "L"?
That is a Linus. A nice bike for round town commuting

[Sky King]

Yes, with a swept back you give up a few hand positions. Have you ever seen any of the you tube video's by 3 Wheel Dave - look for 3 wheel journey. He rode over 10,000 miles around the USA and he has swept backs on his bike. Anyhoooo, if drops are important than I would go back to a combination of stem and handlebar configurations. Although I am pretty intrigued by the way Genevieve set her bike up :) I typically have 2 primary positions when I ride - one on the grips and one on the flat section of my bars so I am probably not the best person to ask that. Anybody else?


A couple more questions, if you don't mind, Sky King. These swept back bars look interesting. I ride drop bars and on my hybrid had the bars cut off to be shorter as I am a very narrow shouldered person. Do people feel these swept back bars are too wide? Is there much variability in widths available?

Also, how do people like the hand position for long rides? It looks like you pretty much have to keep your hands in one place except for the mustache bars, which won't work to reduce reach anyway as they are way too far forward.

Any thoughts you have are appreciated and I hope this isn't too much of a thread hijack.

[emily_in_nc]

A friend and I might take a trip out west this summer and decided we might just have to swing by the Bike Friday factory. I don't think I actually need a folding bike, but it's just so tempting!

We hardly ever even fold our Bike Fridays, but they're great little utility and touring bikes even without being folded. Steel bikes are always nice. And you will get LOTS of attention on a Bike Friday. This can be good and bad depending on how chatty you are feeling and whether you have time to answer questions. Sometimes it's just a thumb's up or "cool bike" (said mostly by teenagers).

[tulip]

We hardly ever even fold our Bike Fridays, but they're great little utility and touring bikes even without being folded. Steel bikes are always nice. And you will get LOTS of attention on a Bike Friday. This can be good and bad depending on how chatty you are feeling and whether you have time to answer questions. Sometimes it's just a thumb's up or "cool bike" (said mostly by teenagers).

I've done self-supported and supported touring on my Bike Friday, and it's great. The advantage is that I can take it places that I can't take a regular-sized bike, and it can fit in smaller cars (like rentals and taxis). I don't notice a difference when I'm riding it.

[Sylvia]

Since the OP had concerns about finding a bike with enough standover height, I thought I'd post a link to a blog (http://georgenaterry.com/how-important-is-the-bicycle-standover-height/) about the importance of standover height when you have a really short inseam (like me :))

[Crankin]

Emily, one time DH and I were riding, just around town, and he was on his Friday. The comment he got from a teenager was, "What the hell????"This was followed by a long laugh.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, one time DH and I were riding, just around town, and he was on his Friday. The comment he got from a teenager was, "What the hell????"This was followed by a long laugh.

I'm sure people must think that a lot when we ride ours, but we get lots of positive comments. Usually riding our Fridays we have racks and panniers, so people think we're traveling, even if we're just buying groceries. Maybe that's what they are responding to more than the bikes themselves.

[tulip]

My Bike Friday sparks comments, but they've all been positive. People are just curious about them. More importantly, they are great to ride and open up all sorts of places where I could not go with a full-sized bike.

[IBrakeforPastry]

We hardly ever even fold our Bike Fridays, but they're great little utility and touring bikes even without being folded. Steel bikes are always nice. And you will get LOTS of attention on a Bike Friday. This can be good and bad depending on how chatty you are feeling and whether you have time to answer questions. Sometimes it's just a thumb's up or "cool bike" (said mostly by teenagers).

Well, I was never cool as a teenager, so maybe now's my chance :D


Since the OP had concerns about finding a bike with enough standover height, I thought I'd post a link to a blog (http://georgenaterry.com/how-important-is-the-bicycle-standover-height/) about the importance of standover height when you have a really short inseam (like me :))

Thank you!

[goldfinch]

Yes, with a swept back you give up a few hand positions. Have you ever seen any of the you tube video's by 3 Wheel Dave - look for 3 wheel journey. He rode over 10,000 miles around the USA and he has swept backs on his bike. Anyhoooo, if drops are important than I would go back to a combination of stem and handlebar configurations. Although I am pretty intrigued by the way Genevieve set her bike up :) I typically have 2 primary positions when I ride - one on the grips and one on the flat section of my bars so I am probably not the best person to ask that. Anybody else?

I picked up an old Terry Classic flat bar road bike. I don't much like flat bars so I put swept back Sparrow bars on it. I really, really like the Sparrow bars. I am liking this bike. And it was an easy swap as the bike had mountain shifters and brakes which fit the Sparrow bar. It also shortened the reach a bit, which is good for me. I've only ridden it in on 12 mile shot. I am having seat post problems, the clamp for the seat won't stay put so the seat won't stay level. I am going to take a hack saw to the ridges in the clamp and see if I can get some more life out of the post before I buy a new one.

Anyway, thanks for the tips on the bars.