newbie looking for bike advice (warning: long!)

Hi there!

I’m brand new to the world of cycling. So brand new, in fact, that I don’t have a bicycle (yet) and haven’t a clue where to start. I’m hoping all the lovely people here can help provide some advice. :)

I haven’t been on a bike in, oh, 14 years or so. I’m also very short: 4’11” tall (on a good day). I’ll primarily use my bike around town, but I would like something good enough to join other riders too (a cycling club or friends). I don’t want something that I’ll want/need to upgrade within 6 months if I get really into this.

Unfortunately, looking at a lot of small-framed bikes online, their standover height is still too tall for me (could make for a painful dismount!). My inseam is about 27”. Does anyone have any brand recommendations for very petite women? I was thinking of a hybrid for flexibility in use, and a lot of those have the step-through frames. But a friend encouraged me to find a bike with a higher crossbar for stability. Should I avoid step-throughs?

Oh, and my budget is very low, so I don’t have a lot to work with (just to make things more difficult!)

Sorry for all the babbling… I have sooo many questions!

Thanks for your time!

Visit your local bike shop and ask questions and test ride. I am only 5' and have a road bike, although my inseam is a bit longer than yours (28"). I am sure you will find a nice bike that will fit you if you take your time and look around.

What made you decide to start riding again?

This answer might give us more insight as to what you might need/want.

Thanks for replying :)

Actually, when I rode before, it was as a commuter to school. Now, I'd like to take it up more seriously: mostly I want to get active and get in shape, but I'd also just like to get outside more, possibly join a group to make friends, etc. I also don't have a car, so it would act as a means of transportation (like trekking to the store).

Since I don't have a car, it's really hard to get to any LBSs. I'd need to take a bus or beg a friend for a ride. Can anyone recommend brands to look into, just to help narrow down the hunt?

Thanks again!

Bike Friday?? They're folding bikes - low main tube and can be custom sized. They fold, so you can generally bag them and take them on transit at any time (in my experience). They can be set up as road, commuter, touring, mountain and anything in between.

We had a few issues with ours when we got them, but we've worked them out, and I would recommend them. They have a wide range of prices (I don't think any are in the really low cost category), but you might be able to find something pre-owned through the company or on ebay.

Just a thought:)

Thanks for the info! I haven't heard of those but will have to look into them. I'm willing to give pretty much anything a shot, if it gets me up on two wheels :)

Echo, if you really want a bike, I think you need to hop on that bus or BART
and go to a bike shop. Think of it as an adventure, a field trip.
Once there, you can see and touch the bikes.
And keep asking questions. Another good way to get an inexpensive bike
is looking on Craigslist.

and here's a whole thread about bikes we found for shorter women

Thank you for the thread link, Mimitabby! That's actually exactly what I'm looking for. There are so many bicycle manufacturers out there, I'm completely overwhelmed right now. Narrowing things down a little should help (I hope!).

Thanks!
~e

I'm a lot taller than you, so I can't help on bike size.

If you're looking for a car replacement, pretty much any kind of bike that isn't a super-light racing only bike will work. You will want fenders and a rain jacket, so that if it rains your wheels won't get you all muddy and you won't get soaked. You will want a headlight and taillight, so riding in the dark or fog won't be as dangerous. You'll also want reflective tape (for your fenders and helmet), and maybe some more reflectors. You may want a messenger bag, backpack, bike rack, a front basket, a rear basket, or wire or cloth panniers for carrying things.

Helmet and gloves are safety features. A cracked head or roadburned hands are not good. Glasses too, eyeballs are expensive.

If you plan to ride for more than about 20 minutes, you'll want a water bottle and a way to carry it. I keep mine in my backpack.

A lock (or two) so people can't walk off with your bike. A kickstand if your bike didn't come with one. A pump and spare inner tube so that when you get a flat, it's not the end of the world. A mirror can help in traffic.

Most bikes do not come with anywhere *near* what they need to be an effective car replacement. Plan for this in your budget. Depending on the bike you find, you may need to add nearly all these accessories right away.

I'm finding that a backpack I already had is doing fine for grocery duty. It's a bit hot on my back, but livable. I wear glasses, so I didn't need to buy special ones (and if I get tired of blowing dust, I'll start carrying my lab goggles with me). Cheap helmets are just as good as expensive ones at keeping your head intact. A lock is worth a bit of a splurge. Lights and reflectors are also worth a bit of a splurge. Don't go nuts, but a light with lots of LEDs tends to be easier for drivers to see and easier for you to see with.

I wouldn't necessarily count out the hybrids with step-through frames (but then, maybe I'm a bit biased since I happen to ride one). For riding around town, especially if you do what I've done and attach a plastic crate on top of your rear rack to carry things, it is very practical. (I'm sure that if I had the standard horizontal top tube and had to mount by throwing a leg over the seat, I'd constantly be kicking that crate!!) Ditto to the craigslist suggestions--some quite decent bikes can be found there for good prices; just make sure you've done your research and figured out what you want and what size you need. I got my bike on craigslist after determining that I wanted a hybrid (for around-town riding as well as some riding just for fun and exercise) and educating myself as to what were decent brands as opposed to department-store clunkers. I didn't do as much research on sizing as would probably be recommended, but once I found a bike I was interested in I emailed the seller, told him my height and asked if he thought that bike would fit. Once I got a reply saying that it would probably fit, I went and did a short test ride, and came home with that bike. The fit seems pretty good, now that I've been riding around on it (it's a 15-inch frame, top tube length would be about 49 cm if it were horizontal; I'm 5'2" with a 30-inch inseam). I did have to get a longer seat post to get the proper saddle height, and now the saddle is at about the same height as the handlebars or maybe half an inch lower. Maybe a similar bike would work for you, as it sounds like our height difference is all in the legs which would just be a matter of not jacking up the saddle as high (although if your arms are shorter the reach could still end up being an issue). This bike is a Giant Nutra from I'd say about the mid-90's, in case you happen to find one on craigslist or somewhere else and want to see if it would work for you.

Welcome to the sometimes confusing world of women specific cycling! Lots of great brands out there and YES you do need to make the tour to different shops.

You'll not only be buying a new bike, but you should also base purchase and relationship with shop (you never know when you'll need their help)..

Again lots of brands entering womens market but you probably find SPECIALIZED to have one of the widest cross sections of womens bikes.

Looking for a commuter bike- give the Globe a try--next best thing to car ( lights, rack sturdy, step through). They also have a good selection of entry road bikes too. Welcome-:D Good luck- be safe!

Wow! Thanks for all the very helpful info, ladies. This gives me a lot to think about. And the list of useful equipment is great, Torrilin. Thanks! I knew about the helmet and gloves, but I'm not sure the rest of it would have occurred to me. I particularly like the headlight/tailight and mirror idea.

As for bike types, does anyone ride Trek? They seem to have the smallest bikes I've been able to find online. I was vaguely looking at their low-end fitness bike--the 7.2 FX WSD--and their hybrids--the 7200 WSD. The standover height with the 7200 would definitely not be an issue with the low curve.

And I really do like the Globe. I keep going back to the website to look at it ;) Can anyone clarify what the standover specs mean? Specialized's website says the standover for the smallest Globe is 687 mm... but my inseam is 685.8 mm. This may be a really stupid question, but is the standover measurement what I need to clear the top crossbar?

Okay, I think I'm hitting the bike shops this weekend. Wish me luck!

I believe the standover height is how tall you have to be for the top bar not to whack you. Keep in mind that a lot of women end up on bikes that are too big for them. Also, they often end up with the seat adjusted too high. Most of the advice online assumes you're a guy. If it turns out the seat is too low, you can adjust it yourself pretty easily on most bikes. But if the frame is just plain too big, it'll be hard to do things like stand at a stop sign or adjust your seat down.

Good luck at the bike shops :).

Can I make a very odd suggestion?

Try the Kona Jake or Jake 2-4. Granted, the Jake 2-4 is a "kids" bike, but Kona doesn't make toys.

The Jake line is cyclocross geometry, which I'm finding is very woman-proportion friendly.

I own 2 Konas, and have no complaints about either. Both cost less than $400, and my LBS says the frames are "bombproof" and components can be upgraded as needed. Both do just beautifully with fully loaded panniers. (I have a Dew and a Smoke)

www.konaworld.com

Plus the Kona company is based just outside my hometown and they do a huge amount of outreach. (see the Kona Africa bikes for an example, also they did a program with my former junior high)

If you are anywhere near Robinson Wheelworks in San Leandro, I highly recommend you go in and speak to Chris. He has quite the fan club among women riders.

I am just over 5' and have a couple of suggestions. I fully recommend Bike Friday (have just got a petite crusoe). They are light & fantastic for the smaller rider. BUT - they are expensive, and I don't feel they are ideal for a newbie (they require a fair bit of fiddling - unless you never fold it - then you are paying a lot for an advantage you won't ever use).

An alternative suggestion is Giant. They do a 24" wheeled bike which I think is aimed at the youth market - but might be just right. They also do a road bike with 650c wheels in a very small size.

As I am the proud owner of at least 6 bikes I am very happy to help out w/ any advice - feel free to email me offline, or via the forum.

Corinne