Wanted: Tiny Touring Bike - 40cm-44cm Terry-40cm-46cm Novara Randonee - LHT - Soma

[rosa7]

Hi,

I'm looking for a tiny bike that I could use to go touring with taller friends. I'm only 4'8", and I cannot afford a custom bike or a newer, nicer touring bike; but I sure would love to find a 40cm Terry Despatch or Symmetry or another, perhaps better, small, used touring bike.

Thank you.

[Triskeliongirl]

I recommend an older terry classic/madelaine. Those are their touring models. An older symetry/isis would also work. The terry website used to have a buy/sell a used terry feature, so I recommend that you start there.

[eofelis]

I have a 42cm LHT frame/fork for sale but it may be too big for you. It has kind of a high standover (70cm).

Are you looking for a bike to do true fully loaded touring? 4 panniers, 20-30 lbs of gear? Or lighter touring; credit card/supported touring?

REI used to offer the Novara Randonee in really small sizes. This was back in the 1990s. They had 26" wheels.
The current ones have 700c wheels. Anyways, I have two in the 13.5 inch size (my commuter bikes) and I did see one that was even smaller once, maybe a 12". It was being sold on ebay a long time ago. They are steel frames with a low standover, but are kind of long in the top tube. There has got to be more or them out there, may do a general web search.

I have also occasionally seen older steel frame mtn bikes in very small sizes. One of those frames might be nice to build up as a loaded touring bike. I saw one on local craigslist a few weeks back. Frame and fork for $15. If I really needed a frame I might have checked it out at that price.

My bf just informed me that back in the 1990s Trek made 13' size 970s and 930s, nice steel frames that would be good to build for touring. Jamis also offers/offered a 12" frame mtn bike.

It's not easy to find very small bikes suitable for touring, but keep scouring the internet and put watches on ebay. Something will come up. I ended up with 7 bikes somehow.

Anything here that might work for you: http://www.bikesdirect.com/primalstuff.htm

[eofelis]

Here is a discussion from a couple years back on touring bikes for petite riders. Yes I participated in it.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/619793-Looking-for-a-touring-rig-for-short-female-rider-(my-buddies-wife)

[Sylvia]

Do you know what your inseam measurement is? I'm 5 feet tall with a 25" inseam and most Terry's would probably not work for me. However, I do have a Terry mixte that I purchased from a woman who was 4'9" and I believe she used it for touring ; she sold it to me with full racks front and back. So you might consider a small mixte as well. Or perhaps even a Bike Friday.

If you have questions about some of the older Terry bikes, you could always ping Georgena. She's really great about answering questions, and she definitely knows her bikes. Here's her website (http://georgenaterry.com/how-to-contact-georgena/) with contact info.

[rosa7]

I recommend an older terry classic/madelaine. Those are their touring models. An older symetry/isis would also work. The terry website used to have a buy/sell a used terry feature, so I recommend that you start there.

I have been looking for all those models except for the Madelaine. I'll add it to my wish list. I did find a lovely Tange-1 Symmetry for $300 but it is 44cm or 48cm with a 72cm standover, which is almost 10cm higher than my inseam, the best I can tell, though I can ride a 19" mixte with about a 28" standover. Maybe I slide back some on the mixte so it's lower than I think; it's hard to tell. I also found a Symmetry that's a 40cm, much closer to what I need, maybe even ideal. However, I know the Symmetry was not as well-made as the other bikes of that time. It has a seamed Infinity chromo frame with lugs on the seat post, but in the picture it looks like it is TIG in the front without eyelets in the front. I also read somewhere a comment by someone who crashed and broke the TT at the seam that the fork is not as good as in other models. So I'm pulled between something I love that is too big, but I can ride it, something that fits or comes as close as I'm likely to find, and waiting for week, months, years - I don't know. I sure hate to miss having a good bike this summer, and summers here are short.

[rosa7]

Not sure if this would work. But worth checking. (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=47493&highlight=breeze)

A good mechanic could probably do a lot to convert it into something suitable for touring.

If it is still available; the seller is not around much, so you'd have to PM.


Thank you. Maybe my best alternative to a Terry is an old steel MTB conversion, but I had not thought to consider a Terry MTB conversion. It's certainly the prettiest MTB possibility I've seen. I hate to be so girlie, but the ones I've looked at have been uugh-ly. I guess most were marketed to teenage boys, at least in the 80s and 90s.

[rosa7]

I have a 42cm LHT frame/fork for sale but it may be too big for you. It has kind of a high standover (70cm).

Are you looking for a bike to do true fully loaded touring? 4 panniers, 20-30 lbs of gear? Or lighter touring; credit card/supported touring?

REI used to offer the Novara Randonee in really small sizes. This was back in the 1990s. They had 26" wheels.
The current ones have 700c wheels. Anyways, I have two in the 13.5 inch size (my commuter bikes) and I did see one that was even smaller once, maybe a 12". It was being sold on ebay a long time ago. They are steel frames with a low standover, but are kind of long in the top tube. There has got to be more or them out there, may do a general web search.

I have also occasionally seen older steel frame mtn bikes in very small sizes. One of those frames might be nice to build up as a loaded touring bike. I saw one on local craigslist a few weeks back. Frame and fork for $15. If I really needed a frame I might have checked it out at that price.

My bf just informed me that back in the 1990s Trek made 13' size 970s and 930s, nice steel frames that would be good to build for touring. Jamis also offers/offered a 12" frame mtn bike.

It's not easy to find very small bikes suitable for touring, but keep scouring the internet and put watches on ebay. Something will come up. I ended up with 7 bikes somehow.

Anything here that might work for you: http://www.bikesdirect.com/primalstuff.htm


I have been looking for 42cm LHTs, but I did not know they were that high. That is a bit high for me. Is that 70cm with 700c or 26"? Maybe it wouldn't make that much of a difference. In any case, please pm me to let me know how much you are asking.

I have actually been looking for a 40cm-42cm Terry, a 1997 or so Novara Randonee, and a 13" - 15" chromo MTB for conversion (including Paramount 70 and Trek 950 - both are suppose to have great TIG frames, and they were far, far more than $15). No luck with any, so far. Actually the MTBs might be might best options, but sure don't like the looks of the TIG welding or the paint on those MTBs. The paramount is yellow and black with red spiderwebs or something of the sort. The MTB frames are also generally in worse condition than the road frames. I didn't know about the Jamis MTB. In any case, those small, steel, MTBs in respectable condition - despite the garish paint jobs, spider webs and all - are about as difficult to find as a 40cm Terry. I did also look at bikesdirect, and like the LHT, the Windsor Tourist looked like a good possibility, but then I saw that the standover is 28.5", so I've also put that possibility on hold for a while.

Wow, seven hobbit-sized bikes! I can understand that; after looking so hard for something, it must be difficult to pass one by when you come across what was once so elusive.

Any chance you would to let go of that second Nevaro Randonee commuter bike?

Thanks again.

[rosa7]

Here is a discussion from a couple years back on touring bikes for petite riders. Yes I participated in it.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/619793-Looking-for-a-touring-rig-for-short-female-rider-(my-buddies-wife)

Thank you for the link. I may have read it, but I'll go back and check, maybe not.

[rosa7]

I have a 42cm LHT frame/fork for sale but it may be too big for you. It has kind of a high standover (70cm).

Are you looking for a bike to do true fully loaded touring? 4 panniers, 20-30 lbs of gear? Or lighter touring; credit card/supported touring?

REI used to offer the Novara Randonee in really small sizes. This was back in the 1990s. They had 26" wheels.
The current ones have 700c wheels. Anyways, I have two in the 13.5 inch size (my commuter bikes) and I did see one that was even smaller once, maybe a 12". It was being sold on ebay a long time ago. They are steel frames with a low standover, but are kind of long in the top tube. There has got to be more or them out there, may do a general web search.

I have also occasionally seen older steel frame mtn bikes in very small sizes. One of those frames might be nice to build up as a loaded touring bike. I saw one on local craigslist a few weeks back. Frame and fork for $15. If I really needed a frame I might have checked it out at that price.

My bf just informed me that back in the 1990s Trek made 13' size 970s and 930s, nice steel frames that would be good to build for touring. Jamis also offers/offered a 12" frame mtn bike.

It's not easy to find very small bikes suitable for touring, but keep scouring the internet and put watches on ebay. Something will come up. I ended up with 7 bikes somehow.

Anything here that might work for you: http://www.bikesdirect.com/primalstuff.htm


I have been looking for 42cm LHTs, but I did not know they were that high. That is a bit high for me. Is that 70cm with 700c or 26"? Maybe it wouldn't make that much of a difference. In any case, please pm me to let me know how much you are asking.

I have actually been looking for a 40cm-42cm Terry, a 1997 or so Novara Randonee, and a 13" - 15" chromo MTB for conversion (including Paramount 70 and Trek 950 - both are suppose to have great TIG frames, and they were far, far more than $15). No luck with any, so far. Actually the MTBs might be might best options, but sure don't like the looks of the TIG welding or the paint on those MTBs. The paramount is yellow and black with red spiderwebs or something of the sort. The MTB frames are also generally in worse condition than the road frames. I didn't know about the Jamis MTB. In any case, those small, steel, MTBs in respectable condition - despite the garish paint jobs, spider webs and all - are about as difficult to find as a 40cm Terry. I did also look at bikesdirect, and like the LHT, the Windsor Tourist looked like a good possibility, but then I saw that the standover is 28.5", so I've also put that possibility on hold for a while.

Wow, seven hobbit-sized bikes! I can understand that; after looking so hard for something, it must be difficult to pass one by when you come across what was once so elusive.

Any chance you would to let go of that second Nevaro Randonee commuter bike?

Thanks again.

[rosa7]

Do you know what your inseam measurement is? I'm 5 feet tall with a 25" inseam and most Terry's would probably not work for me. However, I do have a Terry mixte that I purchased from a woman who was 4'9" and I believe she used it for touring ; she sold it to me with full racks front and back. So you might consider a small mixte as well. Or perhaps even a Bike Friday.

If you have questions about some of the older Terry bikes, you could always ping Georgena. She's really great about answering questions, and she definitely knows her bikes. Here's her website (http://georgenaterry.com/how-to-contact-georgena/) with contact info.

Yes, best I can tell after several tries, it's also 25", and I'm only 4'8". . . . I guess that means I'm long-legged! :) Hmm . . . I started this quest looking for a good, small mixte from the mid eighties. I even found a 40cm Miyata two ten in excellent shape with swing back arms, but was then convinced that a mixte both that it would not be as good a quality as a Terry or an MTB conversion and that it would be too big. This is turning out to be quite a labyrinth.

I thought I had found my match yesterday when someone on the BikeForums gave me a referral to an ad for a KHS Montana Team bike converted to an expedition bike. The owners had found it at a thrift-store for $14 and then upgraded it to a nice touring bike with mega range gears, trekking handlebars, Schwalbe Marathon tires and expedition and low-rider panniers before riding all over two or three continents and then writing a book about it. They were sound like very nice people, but they were steadfast in their decision to sell it locally. They were selling it because they were going to replace it with a Bike Friday and suggested that I consider looking for a used one. I haven't looked at them, but I think they have tiny wheels. I guess I don't know enough about bikes to understand how I could keep up with the grown ups on 700c wheels if I have munchkin wheels. Also, I think it would only accentuate the height anomaly to the point of absurdity . . . but I'll start keeping my eye out for one of those as well. A used one must be rare indeed, and I think the new ones would be out of my price range.

I did call customer service at Georgina Terry, and the transferred me to her voice mail, but she has not called back. That was a few days ago.

Thank you all for the help and support.

[emily_in_nc]

They were selling it because they were going to replace it with a Bike Friday and suggested that I consider looking for a used one. I haven't looked at them, but I think they have tiny wheels. I guess I don't know enough about bikes to understand how I could keep up with the grown ups on 700c wheels if I have munchkin wheels. Also, I think it would only accentuate the height anomaly to the point of absurdity . . . but I'll start keeping my eye out for one of those as well. A used one must be rare indeed, and I think the new ones would be out of my price range.

The gearing on Bike Fridays can make up for the small wheel size. My 5'10" husband and I (5'2") both rode Bike Friday Pocket Crusoes set up for touring across NY state, fully loaded. I think a Bike Friday would be your best bet if you can't find an appropriate Terry, but they are pricey, even used. There are some used ones listed on their site, so you should at least have a look. You can see a bunch of photos of our Bike Fridays in my Photobucket album:

http://s816.photobucket.com/user/emilys7atgmaildotcom/library/Cycling?sort=2&page=1

We love our Bike Fridays! We haven't toured for a long time but have used them for utility cycling (groceries, post office, and the like) since we have them outfitted with racks and fenders. Panniers can be added when needed as well.

Good luck!
Emily

[GLC1968]

I'm going to be selling a 2004 Terry Classic in a month or two. I've converted it to drop bars with bar end shifters but the gearing is still stock. It's a 19" though, so it might be too big. I'd be happy to measure the stand-over on it tonight when I get home. I've only got a 28" inseam and I clear the bar by a good margin, so it may work for you.

[Sylvia]

Yes, best I can tell after several tries, it's also 25", and I'm only 4'8". . . . I guess that means I'm long-legged! :) Hmm . . . I started this quest looking for a good, small mixte from the mid eighties. I even found a 40cm Miyata two ten in excellent shape with swing back arms, but was then convinced that a mixte both that it would not be as good a quality as a Terry or an MTB conversion and that it would be too big. This is turning out to be quite a labyrinth.

I thought I had found my match yesterday when someone on the BikeForums gave me a referral to an ad for a KHS Montana Team bike converted to an expedition bike. The owners had found it at a thrift-store for $14 and then upgraded it to a nice touring bike with mega range gears, trekking handlebars, Schwalbe Marathon tires and expedition and low-rider panniers before riding all over two or three continents and then writing a book about it. They were sound like very nice people, but they were steadfast in their decision to sell it locally. They were selling it because they were going to replace it with a Bike Friday and suggested that I consider looking for a used one. I haven't looked at them, but I think they have tiny wheels. I guess I don't know enough about bikes to understand how I could keep up with the grown ups on 700c wheels if I have munchkin wheels. Also, I think it would only accentuate the height anomaly to the point of absurdity . . . but I'll start keeping my eye out for one of those as well. A used one must be rare indeed, and I think the new ones would be out of my price range.

I did call customer service at Georgina Terry, and the transferred me to her voice mail, but she has not called back. That was a few days ago.

Thank you all for the help and support.

Actually, I have very short legs, but I figured given your height, you probably had an inseam similar to mine. I understand how difficult it is to find a bike with that short an inseam. As for Bike Friday's bikes, the size of the wheels is not what makes you go faster. It really has more to do with the gearing. Smaller wheels will lower your overall gearing as you indicated, but there are components that can be used to compensate. Here (http://www.bikefriday.com/service/service_library/84/131) is an article from Bike Friday's website on gearing.

Small wheel bikes are very popular in Asia (google mini velo). And Shimano has created a component group named Capreo designed for small wheeled bikes. Using the Capreo rear hub and cassette, you can get gearing on a small wheeled bike that is similar to larger wheeled bikes. Most larger wheeled bikes only go down to an 11T cog, but a Capreo cassette has a 9T cog. So if you have concerns about not getting high enough gears on a Bike Friday, I'd suggest looking for one with a Capreo cassette. But I would suggest you try one out first and see if you think you will really need the higher gears, particularly if you plan to do any loaded touring with it.

As for Georgena, I'll ping her and see if she got your message (she is a friend of mine), but I did notice that she got back to you on the Terry forum.


I was just thinking, one other option would be to look for a youth road bike with 24" wheels. You might see if any of them could be fitted with racks.

[Triskeliongirl]

The suggestions for a bike friday are really good, especially if you plan to use it for genuine touring where you need to fly somewhere with it, or possibly combine it with other modes of transport like bus or train. My husband and I did a tour from Chiapis to Guatemala on our bike fridays before mine was stolen :(. With the smaller wheels you omit the standover height problem, and the smaller sizes should have a top tube that will fit you. Now I tour on an older terry isis I had s/s couplers put on. I would also consider the terry symetry you found if its a good fit and in good condition. Its components weren't as high end as isis, but u could upgrade.

[GLC1968]

I'd be worried that the Soma would be too long for her. I have a 48cm road bike (Terry) but I ride the smallest Buena Vista frame. It's got great clearance for stand-over of course, but it's kind of long in the effective TT for someone only 4'8".

[eofelis]

This little bike came up on our local craigslist today:
http://westslope.craigslist.org/bik/3838883223.html

It looks like it would make a nice little touring frame. Looks like about a 13" size.
This frame looks a lot like my Novara Randonee tiny frame.
This bike is probably from the mid to early 1990s. It's priced pretty high for a bike that old, but it does look it has not been ridden much.

Here are bikepedia specs on it:
http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=1996&brand=Novara&model=Aspen
It's a 1996, originally $395 retail.

If you were really really interested in it I could go check it out for you.

[goldfinch]

I'd be worried that the Soma would be too long for her. I have a 48cm road bike (Terry) but I ride the smallest Buena Vista frame. It's got great clearance for stand-over of course, but it's kind of long in the effective TT for someone only 4'8".


At 4'10.5" I looked into this and it is too long for me unless I used some kind of swept back bars. I do have a Terry Classic and I improved the reach by using sparrow bars. But the standover would be iffy for Rosa on my Classic, which I think is something like 26 inches. My legs are long in proportion to my torso.

Even though the Symmetry isn't high end I would be inclined to go for the 40 or 42cm Symmetry from Bikes Direct.

[valavena]

Hi,

I'm looking for a tiny bike that I could use to go touring with taller friends. I'm only 4'8", and I cannot afford a custom bike or a newer, nicer touring bike; but I sure would love to find a 40cm Terry Despatch or Symmetry or another, perhaps better, small, used touring bike.

Thank you.

I have an older Terry Despatch road bike, with a 24" front wheel, that I am trying to find a good home for. I am the original owner, and I've kept it in excellent condition. 6 years ago I bought a new bike, but held on to my Terry for sentimental reasons. The only reason I'm looking to sell it is because my husband would like more room in the garage. Please contact me if you are interested.