Road Frames (42cm) for a short legged woman.

Hello all,

(Start sad violins) My sister-in-law has been in love with bicycles since she was a child and her family was poor, so she didn't get one for many years. Finally the family pitched in and got her a bike that was stolen after a week. That was 18 years ago and it was her last bicycle. Now, she's working as a chemichal engineer and can afford to try to get back in the saddle. The problem is... she really hasn't grown much since her last bicycle.

I took her in to talk to my builder, and she was sized as a 42. They put her on the fit-cycle and labored to get it low enough.

She wants a bike with drop bars and she really likes my cyclocross bike. The bike she tested on was a 44cm Bianchi and the shop said they might be able to fit her on it with 650c wheels. It looked like the seat post would have to be resting just above the ST though.

I have been trying to compare geometry and I made a list (as well as I could for the info available) and on paper, most look too high.

I would be satisfied to use the geometries as evidence enough, but in my own experience, I found the TT to be lower than stated and I worried for nothing. If I were to assume the Bianchi "could do" then that might open up a few of these similar sized frames as options. Hmmmmm! I had been thinking the 42 cm Soma Double Cross would be great, but on paper everything looks good except the SO. She'd be using the bike for a 15 minute commute and weekend recreational riding. Some good hills, country roads etc and flat roads, but not always well maintained.

Any experiences with these bikes or sizes? Your help would be very appreciated. (Mine is the Salsa I put on for reference).


Measurements:
Height: 152.00 cm (5'0)
Sternum Notch: 126.00 cm (49.6-inches)
Inseam Length: 61.5 cm (24.21-inches)
Arm Length: 55.00 cm (21.65)
Shoulder Width: 33.00 cm (13-inches)

Have you looked at the website for Luna bicycles? they are custom bicycles built by a woman. I think she would be a great place to start - when you are a special size, "making do" with a off the rack bike could be a poor choice. I know Bike Friday boasts about making bikes for people who are not standard (very tall and very short) too, but those are folding bikes, and not particularly built for comfort. I would look into Luna for sure - women here on the forum love their custom Luna bikes! Tokie

I forgot to mention... as a second-first bike... she is looking to spend about $1500 for the whole thing, so Luna is out...though she liked them very much.

Have her look at Terry Bikes. If new is too expensive she can try used. I have an older geometry chart if you wanna PM me your email addy I can send it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tokie

Have you looked at the website for Luna bicycles? they are custom bicycles built by a woman. I think she would be a great place to start - when you are a special size, "making do" with a off the rack bike could be a poor choice. I know Bike Friday boasts about making bikes for people who are not standard (very tall and very short) too, but those are folding bikes, and not particularly built for comfort. I would look into Luna for sure - women here on the forum love their custom Luna bikes! Tokie

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I have a Luna and it's fabulous. I also have a Bike Friday, which was built based on the measurements of my Luna, and it's very comfortable--it feels like I'm on a regular sized bike, but it's a tad heavier than my Luna. Each of them are well over $1500, though. So maybe she could look at that route for her first-second bike.

If she is considering a folding bike, she should look at Dahons. While they're not custom fit like Bike Fridays, they are designed for a wide range of riders. They're also a bit easier on the pocketbook than Bike Fridays. She could definitely find something that would fit her needs within her budget.

I commute on a Dahon SpeedPro TT. Since I'm short and I don't have a lot of hip/back range of motion due to an injury, the low standover is a real plus. it's actually more of a step-over. And I love that I can safely store it under my desk while I'm working, as my boss doesn't like to see bikes in the office and doesn't understand why we don't lock up our bikes outside.

There are models that should be able to handle the road conditions that you described . . . check out their website, it's very well organized to help a person sort through their product lines.

My first road bike was a 42cm Rodriguez and its replacement is a 43cm. Both with 650c wheels. You definitely pay a premium for bikes this small. Even for used bikes in this size range. I don't think there's any way around it. Manufacturers view short riders as a minority, so they don't think they can make a profitable volume of sales on our size. So they'll make fewer small bikes and charge more for them. C'est la vie.

Wow - what a great table you have made. I found a 43cm Cannondale R800 (New old stock) w/ 650c wheels which fits really well - they might be still around someplace.

The most important measurement is reach (ie; the top tube length) - which is why she will need 650c wheels (otherwise the TT can't be made short enough and/or she will suffer from toeclip overlap). Just for reference, I am 5' 1" & have a TT of 48cm. So I reckon that quite a few in the table may be too long. Bike Friday are great - but probably out of budget for a new one - but worth keeping a search open on Ebay - or looking at their second hand ones on the BF website. Luna would be a great choice - they seem very experienced in building for shorter people.

Other things to consider are handlebars - have tried a huge variety & am now very happy w/ the FSA compacts - very short reach & small drops. Also sti levers - get ones that will either take a shim, or have reach adjusters to bring them close to the bar. Then all you need to do is make sure the wheels are very true so you can run the brakes very close to the wheels. Oh yes - and cranks are very important. I struggled to find 160mm - they are available in a variety of configurations from TA - & very pretty they look too.

Good luck

The Bike Whisperer