Road bike shopping for short person

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Originally Posted by Catrin

G. Terry doesn't own Terry Bikes any longer...I forget who she sold it to.

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Vermont Teddy Bears I think :rolleyes: I don't know if she still designs/builds the bikes or if she's kicking back, riding and enjoying the check :). Check their forum, people list used Terrys there. If you know your size/specs you may find one for sale.

+1 on Waterford/Gunnar. Knot has a Waterford she bought used right here on TE. It's a beautiful bike.

I would consider a Rivendel for custom. Yes, I know, I know, they are mostly tour/city bikes. But Rivs can be fast. I think Veronica here on our board has a Riv or two. And I know they are comfortable with the right fit.

Subliminal hint/vote .... custom steel :p

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Originally Posted by WindingRoad

For your budget, go custom: Serotta would be a great option.:)

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+1. I love my Serotta.

Goldfinch, I keep thinking about you comment about short arms. I, too, have short arms and found that it is very important that you're fitter recognize this. Head tube length will be very important to you. I don't think there is a stock frame that would have met my needs, thus the custom Serotta.

When I bought the Aegis is was to be my dream bike but it didn't fit. At the time I trusted this LBS, the "fitter" was well known in the area and trusted as the best bike fitter, but he was used to working with men and average sized women, not small ones like me and he eyeballed bike fit. My major problem was my handlebars were 4 cm too low, he missed the short arm issue. The bike shop had cut the steerer tube on the fork so I had to buy a new fork. With a new fork and lots of spacers I had better fit but the bike doesn't handle well. My custom Serotta has a much longer head tube, therefore, I have better fit and much better handling. When I return from my bike ride I will post pictures of the before and after changes on the Aegis and the custom Serotta.

My advice to you is find a very good bike fitter who understands your needs and one you can trust. Don't worry about size, brand or frame materials at this point, the right frame will surface once you learn what your needs are. This will only come about with a very good bike fitting by a knowledgeable bike fitter.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

G. Terry doesn't own Terry Bikes any longer...I forget who she sold it to.

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Georgena sold a majority share in the company, but she still works for the company.

Kathi, what you describe is pretty much the difference between my Kuota (48 cm men's bike, with short reach brifters and short and shallow bars) and the Guru I am getting custom. My steerer tube is cut off so much, there's like none. The bike is twitchy, which is not good for someone like me. But, it fits other than that and I am not getting rid of it. After I get the Guru, the shop is going to try and help me more with the fit of the Kuota... this has been a 5 year saga. For what I paid for it, I could have got a custom bike.

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Originally Posted by Kathi

+1. I love my Serotta.

Goldfinch, I keep thinking about you comment about short arms. I, too, have short arms and found that it is very important that you're fitter recognize this. Head tube length will be very important to you. I don't think there is a stock frame that would have met my needs, thus the custom Serotta.

When I bought the Aegis is was to be my dream bike but it didn't fit. At the time I trusted this LBS, the "fitter" was well known in the area and trusted as the best bike fitter, but he was used to working with men and average sized women, not small ones like me and he eyeballed bike fit. My major problem was my handlebars were 4 cm too low, he missed the short arm issue. The bike shop had cut the steerer tube on the fork so I had to buy a new fork. With a new fork and lots of spacers I had better fit but the bike doesn't handle well. My custom Serotta has a much longer head tube, therefore, I have better fit and much better handling. When I return from my bike ride I will post pictures of the before and after changes on the Aegis and the custom Serotta.

My advice to you is find a very good bike fitter who understands your needs and one you can trust. Don't worry about size, brand or frame materials at this point, the right frame will surface once you learn what your needs are. This will only come about with a very good bike fitting by a knowledgeable bike fitter.

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Please, post pictures. And thanks for your thoughts.

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

Please, post pictures. And thanks for your thoughts.

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Here goes:

The 1st picture is my Aegis in the original state. The bike shop simply took the measurements from my old bike and set it up that way. They never looked at me on the bike. This was done in 2000. Note how low the handlebars are and the setback on the seat post. The head tube is very short which was a common build back then. I don't know if it's obvious but the nose of my saddle is pointed down. I kept sliding forward.

Picture 2 is after the refit in 03. New fork, new stem with a high rise but still lots of spacers, zero degree seatpost and flat saddle. My handlebars were 4 cm too low.

Thanks Kathi. Given my neck issues I want to be sure that I do not end up with handlebars too low. Plus, I want the option to move them up if my neck gets worse.

For some reason I couldn't post the 3rd picture but here's a link to one I posted several years ago.

This is my beautiful Serotta. Note how long the head tube is. Not sure if you can see the spacers but the bike is designed to raise the handlebars by rearranging the spacers. I can also change the rise in the stem. At this point the fit is perfect. I hope I never have to go to the extreme I had to on the Aegis. This is what a custom frame can be. BTW, I'm 63.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attac...6&d=1192890559

I absolutely did not want to compromise handling so this frame is built for 650c wheels. I'm glad I stayed with 650's, handling is a dream, sure and confident. It's a 48 cm frame, I'm just barely 5'2.

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Originally Posted by Kathi

For some reason I couldn't post the 3rd picture but here's a link to one I posted several years ago.

This is my beautiful Serotta. Note how long the head tube is. Not sure if you can see the spacers but the bike is designed to raise the handlebars by rearranging the spacers. I can also change the rise in the stem. At this point the fit is perfect. I hope I never have to go to the extreme I had to on the Aegis. This is what a custom frame can be. BTW, I'm 63.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attac...6&d=1192890559

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That bike is gorgeous.

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

Thanks Kathi. Given my neck issues I want to be sure that I do not end up with handlebars too low. Plus, I want the option to move them up if my neck gets worse.

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The Aegis is at it's limit, the Serotta has room to "age" so to speak. :)

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

That bike is gorgeous.

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Thank you, it was my retirement gift to myself. It is carbon and ti, Campy Record, and custom made wheels which were cheaper than the ones my LBS wanted to sell me.

Just a bit more to reinforce the good advice that has already been posted:

I'm 5'1" and my Rodriguez is effectively 43cm with 650C wheels. It still has a bit of toe overlap, but I never turn that sharply. The bike it replaced was custom for its original owner, 42cm also with 650C wheels. Both are steel, smooth rides.

With your budget and needs you really should consider custom. Find a fitter you like, ask them how long it takes them to fabricate a bike, how many adjustments they will give you after delivery.

Hopefully with the right bike you'll be able to stay limber and hold off that arthritis a bit longer!

Terry Fast woman has 650 Wheels, Steel. I have a 2006 Fast Woman great bike. Very quick. No problem with overlap and I keep up with the 700 wheels no problem.

Also look at Felt ZW petite if you want carbon. This is also with 650 wheels. I spoke with Felt reps and they put the ZW4 petite on the Demo truck. I met up with the truck and took it for a ride, very smooth. I have a ZW1 petite on order.

I spoke with many different bike reps.. about 650 wheels for smaller frames.. it is the best fit but for some reason most people want 700s. I like my 650 wheels even if my choice is limited. I have 1800 miles on my bike and have done multiple day rides with no problem.

I have the Felt ZW petite on my list to try. If I can't locate one I take your idea and call the Felt rep. I feel that it is most likely I will be on 650 wheels. I have no problem with that at all.

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Originally Posted by NbyNW

J

I'm 5'1" and my Rodriguez is effectively 43cm with 650C wheels. It still has a bit of toe overlap, but I never turn that sharply. The bike it replaced was custom for its original owner, 42cm also with 650C wheels. Both are steel, smooth rides.

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I was wondering about the Rodriguez, their prices are very reasonable.

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

I was wondering about the Rodriguez, their prices are very reasonable.

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Let me know if you have any questions.

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Originally Posted by NbyNW

Let me know if you have any questions.

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Was your bike the full custom or one of their standard frames?

Just got a note from the VP at Guru. They started building our "dream machines," as he called them.
They seem quite easy to work with. Now we have to zero in on the components...

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

Was your bike the full custom or one of their standard frames?

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I ended up getting the smallest standard frame that they make. If it helps, my inseam is 27".

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Originally Posted by Crankin

Just got a note from the VP at Guru. They started building our "dream machines," as he called them.
They seem quite easy to work with. Now we have to zero in on the components...

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Cool. Let us know how you fit it out.

Well, decision made and I have a new bike, a 43cm 2011 Trek Madone 4.7, with 650 wheels. Here it is in the kitchen of the family cottage, in front of the sink I used to get baths in as a baby. :)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X...E/s640/066.JPG

I ended up having discussions with two fitters, one who does bike fits down in Minneapolis and works with several shops. The other works at a bike shop in Duluth, Minnesota near my home base. The Duluth fitter is well recommended by local people I talked to who bike extensively. The local guy is really well liked.

Both agreed that the very small Madone would work for me and that I would not have to go custom unless I wanted to. Both favored the carbon fiber Madone over the similarly sized aluminum Lexa. I vacillated a bit and then decided that I would buy the stock bike. I save some money in the process and it also addresses the fact that I now am in the transition time of year and will be gradually heading south over the next few months. I got a good deal on the 2011 Madone, one of few left at the factory. I also am getting a complete fit for no extra cost. At the preliminary fit on the Madone he determined that I needed shorter shafts on my pedals (I am going for speedplay) and those custom pedals are on order. I also am getting a new seat post because my beloved Terry Butterfly carbon seat would not fit properly on the stock post. In the meantime I am riding the bike with my powergrip pedals and the stock seat. The brakes were adjusted and unlike several other small bikes I have tried, these ones are easy for me to operate.

The stock seat is horrible and can't wait to get my butterfly back. But other than my ***, everything else feels great! Though I just got it and don't even have 25 miles on it yet. :)

Yesterday I rode it 18.5 miles, our first nice day in a long time. I would have gone further but for the seat. I rode a nice varied ride to get a feel for the bike and for shifting before I get my clipless pedals. I went up and down the rolling hills in the area, shifting through most all the gears. This is my first experience using "brifters." Once in a while I would mix up whether I was going up or down on the rear derailleur and also would not always pick the best place to shift to or from the big chain ring and the small. Nevertheless, by the end of the ride I was getting pretty comfortable with shifting and knowing where I was at in the sequence.

One big worry of mine was the gearing as it is a compact double and not geared as low as the mountain gearing on my Quick. I previously had ridden a couple of slightly larger bikes (a 44cm Cannondale and Specialized Ruby) and thought that they were not geared at all low enough for me. (They also were too big) So, I was prepared to change out to a more mountain gearing set up, which turns out would be a bit fussy but doable on the Madone. The particular ride I did yesterday had three hills that I always have to go up in the lowest gear on my Quick. I wondered if I could make it up the hills in first on the Madone. I was surprised. I was able to do every hill. On the three steepest hills I was pedaling slow but I made it up. On the Quick I could spin the pedals faster than the Madone. Nevertheless, I made it up. I also used the lowest gear on a couple of lower but longer hills, that worked fine. One thing for sure, the Madone flew down the hills!

My current plan is to keep the gearing set up for the winter in flat Texas, and then see where I am at in the spring and where I plan to ride. My hunch is that the gearing is going to be fine for the kind of riding I do.

My first ride, four miles the day before in the wind and cold, the bike felt a bit twitchy. The twitchy feeling has mostly gone away. Instead, I would call it responsive. However, I had a couple of awkward moments looking over my shoulder.

I really like varying the hand positions, which was one of the reasons I wanted a road bike. I am a little concerned about whether the reach is a bit too far when I am on the hoods. It probably is. I tend to slide a bit forward on the seat if I ride the hoods for several miles. However, part of the problem was due to trying to get comfortable on the Second Worst Seat in the Entire World (The first being the seat on my old so called comfort bike). Otherwise, I can ride on the tops and drops with ease and comfort. Even the hoods feel fine, I just found myself pushing back on the seat to get in the right position. I'll talk to the fitter about it.

This bike takes roughness in the pavement far, far better than my Quick, even when I reduce air pressure on the Quick tires. It is smooth. It is quiet. I even am faster.

I am happy.

:)

I do have some things to mull over as I incorporate this bike into the fleet. :) One is that I am stealing the seat off of my Cannondale. So, I need a new seat for the Cannondale but hate to spend a pile on another leather Butterfly. I am stalking the for sale threads here for a while, and eBay. I do like the butterfly shape.

My other issue is carrying stuff on the Madone. I only have room for one water bottle. I suppose I am stuck with that? Also, what about my pump? It is about 8 inches long. Do you think it would fit on the frame? I will not put a pump on the bottle holder anymore. I broke the holder off on my Quick when my pants caught on the pump.

Finally, it is now getting dark earlier. I have to think about lights. I have none. I do have a rear blinking light that I use on my helmet.

Congrats, nice looking bike.

Congrats Goldfinch. I love the blue color, and am very happy for you that you found a non-custom option.

I must be a bit bigger than you, as the 44 cm Ruby does fit, but my most recent tweak included turning the seatpost around to get the saddle closer to the bars!

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Originally Posted by azfiddle

Congrats Goldfinch. I love the blue color, and am very happy for you that you found a non-custom option.

I must be a bit bigger than you, as the 44 cm Ruby does fit, but my most recent tweak included turning the seatpost around to get the saddle closer to the bars!

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My fitter said that moving the seat closer would then mean my position over the pedals would be wrong. So, no matter what I was too stretched on the Ruby.

Very pretty!

You may have to dump the pump for CO2. I had a pump on my 47 cm Madone, but on the bottom side of the top tube and then later on the down tube. DH had to jerry rig some clamps that would work on the carbon. There is no way I would do that on my Kuota, since it has unique shaped tubing.

Love the color. Nice looking bike. :)

Congrats! Looks like a lovely bike. I wouldn't worry too much about gearing; that should be fine for most of your needs.

My bike fitter said that ideally you should change your hand position every 5 minutes. That might help with the sliding forward on the seat problem.

Oh my! That is one gorgeous bike! Ride well.

Goldfinch~Beautiful choice! Hope you can get in some rides the next few weeks!:D

My new seatpost came in so the bike shop was able to put on my Terry Butterfly seat today. Happy! Now if the weather would give me a break! Next week my pedals will be in and I want to be really comfortable riding this bike before hand.

She's real purdy!!!! Congrats.

I am loving this bike. Very comfortable and I don't feel too stretched out on the hoods anymore. I still have to go in for my complete fitting when my pedals come it, but I don't think that much more will have to be adjusted. I rode my usual route (16 to 18 miles) with my cousin yesterday and charged up the hills that I was worried I could not do with the Madone gearing.

Thank you Trek for having such a nice bike in a very small package.

But.

My bikeshop said that my Madone was not going to be available in such a small size in 2012. That is why I jumped so quickly on buying one of the last three tiny Madone's. I just checked out Trek's 2012 models. No Madone WSD 4.7, it is now the 4.6 and the smallest is 47 cm, not the 43 I have. The Madone 4.5 WSD which doesn't have quite as nice components comes in a 44cm size but the top tube is nearly two centimeters longer than on my 2011 bike (49.9 vs 48). It doesn't say if the wheels are 650s or 700s. Given the longer top tube my guess is 700 wheels. I need and like the 650s.

I am very glad I got my bike when I did.

goldfinch, also next year's men's Madones are not going to come in the 47cm size. Also when looking at the WSD 47cm they've changed the geometry to what the men's 47cm had been. I had no idea they also were getting rid of the 43cm Madones as well. The 47cm's are 700s. When we were at one of the bike stores they discovered that for us.
I'm very happy you were able to get the bike you wanted and needed. My husband and I both ended up jumping at getting Felt F5 bikes. His is the 51cm and mine is the 48cm one, and mines going to be one of the limited edition ones. The one they currently have is the 51cm, so they had to order mine. When he went to order it he found that they still had some of the limited editions if I wanted that one instead. Yes I had to jump at that.

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Originally Posted by Koronin

goldfinch, also next year's men's Madones are not going to come in the 47cm size. Also when looking at the WSD 47cm they've changed the geometry to what the men's 47cm had been. I had no idea they also were getting rid of the 43cm Madones as well. The 47cm's are 700s. When we were at one of the bike stores they discovered that for us.
I'm very happy you were able to get the bike you wanted and needed. My husband and I both ended up jumping at getting Felt F5 bikes. His is the 51cm and mine is the 48cm one, and mines going to be one of the limited edition ones. The one they currently have is the 51cm, so they had to order mine. When he went to order it he found that they still had some of the limited editions if I wanted that one instead. Yes I had to jump at that.

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No more extra small Lexa either, the smallest is 47cm.

I guess the tiny bike market is not big enough for Trek. Disappointing for us short folks. It looks like all that is left with less than 50cm top tubes are the Felt and the Terry for non-custom options and those can be hard to track down to try.

What about Specialized? According to the Specialized website, the top tube on a 44 cm Ruby is 493 mm.

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Originally Posted by azfiddle

What about Specialized? According to the Specialized website, the top tube on a 44 cm Ruby is 493 mm.

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True. I rounded up too much! My 2011 Trek is a 48cm top tube.

That does suck. I'm glad you were able to get one that was still available.

goldfinch,
I have no help for you as I am just starting out in serious bike riding after years land years of family rides etc. You have given me great points to ponder as I get ready to move to Arizona and begin a new with what I hope is going to be a great bike organization for women in my age range ...60ish. I will take all your info with me as I look for a new bike. Thanks

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Originally Posted by goldfinch

It looks like all that is left with less than 50cm top tubes are the Felt and the Terry for non-custom options and those can be hard to track down to try.

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Terry Symmetry available right now 50% off on Bonktown

http://www.bonktown.com/?sssdmh=dm10...5a4&mv_pc=r105