First Bike, Short Girl

After my mountain bike got stolen, I convinced my husband to let me upgrade to a road bike (I've NEVER been on one). I'm really excited because I LOVED riding my bike everywhere and last year I did my first Triathlon and felt really inferior with people passing me on my $100 bike.

Anyway, my budget was $500, but I convinced him to let me get the Trek 1.2 WSD.

I got measured/body scanned and I'm going to need the 43 which comes with 650 tires. One disadvantage I've always had was working harder to keep up because my bikes have always been smaller than standard. I'm 5'1.5" with a very small torso, 28" inseam. LBS is calling tomorrow to see when the 2008 43s are coming in. So, since I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to bicycles I have the following questions:

1. Will I be at a disadvantage with the smaller tires/smaller bike?
2. Is the Trek 1.2 WSD (2007 was the Trek 1000) a decent starter bike?
3. Is the transition from mountain bike to road bike difficult?

Thanks for your help, I already got a wealth of information lurking around here!

Smaller tires/smaller bike: believe me, when a bike fits you, you fly! The advantages of a bike that fits you FAR outweigh the disadvanges (which some folks debate) of smaller wheels.

Enjoy!

You may want to try 26 inch wheels rather than 650's.

There isn't a whole lot of difference between the 650's and the 26's. However, 26 inch tires seem to be a bit easier to come by.

We spec'd 26's on my wife's bike and it's made the bike more comfortable for her.

Here are the differences you'll feel going from a road to mountain bike:

1) The road bike will be lighter and will have tighter frame geometry. This means it'll be faster and feel more responsive.

2) The tires will be a little more flat prone.


Other than that, you will be much happier spending the extra scratch on a bike that fits you properly.

The biggest factor in going fast is your engine. Women tend to be a bit better at endurance. We also tend to develop muscle in our legs a bit more easily than in the upper body. These are all good things on a bike :). A bike that fits well will make it easier for you to take advantage of the good points.

It's easier for the manufacturer to design a small bike with smaller tires. 26" wheels are more common, so if you can find a road bike with those sorts of wheels, grab it. Otherwise, wheel size isn't really a factor for most cyclists. People have raced successfully on all kinds of wheels. Unless you're racing at a high level, it's not worth worrying about what's the perfect wheel size.

Don't worry about 650's, I've been riding them for 12 years and I have no problems getting wheels, tires, tubes etc. Last year I had a custom frame built for 650's and had handbuilt wheels (custom) made for it. No issues with getting the rims. I use a 23c width tire which is pretty common.

Performance often puts tubes and tires on sale.

My biggest issue is when my SO starts to climb I run into him because he doesn't accelerate as fast as I do due to weight and wheel size.

I run 85 psi in mine, recommended by the tire manufacturer for my weight and they give me a nice smooth ride.

I get no more flats than anyone else gets or what I get on my mtn bike. As long as I stay away from the goat heads around here I'm pretty flat free!

I do carry 2 tubes with me because other riders don't have tubes I can borrow.

Awesome! This is ALL very helpful. Now I can't wait for my LBS to call me and let me know how long it will be for Trek to make the 43. I'll make sure to carry my own tubes and ask about the 26s.

Ditto what Kathi said!

I also ride 650's on my road bike. I've never had an issue finding tires as long as I'm happy with 23c. I have found that finding wider tires are usually a bit more of a challenge, but for a road bike, 23c's are usually fine anyway.

I have no difficulty keeping up with the smaller tires. Like everyone else said - when the fit it right, it makes all the difference.

I've only had 1 flat (in 3000 miles) and it was last weekend on a century. It happened as I pulled into a rest stop (nice timing, huh?) and the bike shop SAG guys at that stop actually had a spare 650 tube for me! (So I still had a backup for the rest of the ride).

I know nothing about the Trek bikes - but congrats on what ever you decide to purchase! :)

Be advissed that while 26" wheels, tires, etc. are more generally available, high quality racing width tires are more readily available in 650c. So, if you are buying this as a go fast back, go with 650s. DebW on this board had a custom bike made, that was designed to work with either 650c or 26" wheels, and then she had two wheelsets made, a go fast 650c and a touring 26". Also, please undestand that smaller wheels are not slower. Your speed is dictated by how hard a gear you can push effeciently, so while you may need to be in a different gear to get the same gear ratio with a smaller wheel, as long as you select appropriate gearing you will not be slower. Its the opposite, you'll be slower on an ill fitting bite because you'll be uncomfortable and perhaps not in an effeceint position. Small wheels are appropriate and safe on small bikes (now that doesn't mean some gals here don't prefer 700c even on a small bike, but they accept toe clip overlap and often want to be able to use neutral racing support vehicles that only carry 700c wheels, but if you are looking for a 'starter bike' these things should not be big concerns for you.) I sometimes ride with a gal that rides a trek1000 and I have the impression that if it fits you its a great starter bike. Know less about the 1.2 but have heard gals here say they love it. Treks are generally solid bikes and 'good values' even at the lower end of the range.

Hey SillyMia!

I too am height-deficient (5'1" to be exact....although i am always compensating with 4 " heels....)! I was recently on a 50 cm on my fuji and went down to the 47 cm which fits me great....only prob is that I still need a shorter stem...which I heard once you get that straightened out it might fit you better!

So when you get your trek, check that reach and consider a stem that is 90 cm or less (I am getting an 80 cm stem which according to the nice lady at Performance will make my life --- and shoulders ---a little less painful!). But listen to all the other well-learned and seasoned ladies here on TE....I just started this whole cycling thing myself, so i am always looking for great tips and advice!

Happy riding!

I ride with a gal that leaves guys in the dust frequently. She's almost 60 years old, she's less than 5 feet tall, and she has 650's.

If you are having trouble keeping up, it's conditioning, not size (check out what Eden is doing here on line. she's another tiny lady with a giant engine)

good luck.

I got it!!! I am now a proud owner of a Trek 1.2 WSD (43cm) with 650 wheels. I've been sick but I HAD to take it for a short ride when I picked it up. The difference between a mountain bike and a road bike is AMAZING.

I averaged about 19.5 mph and went only 6 miles because I was really sick.

I didn't realize that you couldn't put both feet into the straps at the same time until I was ready to set off. I was concerned with the scraping when I didn't get my foot in on time, but I got used to it a few stops later.

I also purchased a Trek tire change kit which is strapped on to my bike with a spare 650 tube.

It is very light and a tiny bike, but the fit is great (I think, better than my mtn bike, for sure!). It makes such a huge difference to have a tiny bike (b/c I'm very short).

My hands (between my thumb and index finger) were feeling some pressure in the standard position, but my LBS told me to learn how to gear change and control the bike before I move to a more comfortable position for me.

Thanks for all your help!!!!!

SillyMia
we'd love to see a picture of you on your new bike! congrats! I'm glad it worked and I hope you feel better soon.

Wow, you are fast, girl! Congratulations on your bike! I'm your height too, with about the same inseam (maybe .5" longer), and I have a 46 cm Aegis Swift with 650 wheels. I'm not riding it right now (long story) in favor of my 20" Bike Friday (even smaller wheels!) and mountain bike, but I never felt slower on 650c wheels at all, and they look much better proportioned with the small frame sizes. I really needed a 44 cm myself as the standover is just barely enough on my Aegis, but I got the frame on ebay for a song, so I compromised since the top tube length was fine; it's just a tallish bike. I never averaged as fast as you did (on your FIRST ride and when sick - wow!), but I was normally in the 16-18 mph range on my Swift and rode with most of the faster women in our club on the B-pace rides (just not the VERY fastest who rode with the fastest men on the A-pace rides), so I never felt at a disadvantage with the 650c wheels at all. And since I'm light, I only got about 2 flats in a couple of years of riding, so the tube issue just wasn't that big a deal. Just make sure to always carry one -- or two -- on every single ride since you may be the only one with 650c's on a group ride.

Enjoy your new bike -- and wheels! :D

Emily

First post! Yipee! I have decided to stop lurking now that I have found the perfect (ladies) forum where I feel comfortable enough to converse with you all.

I am also vertically challenged. At 4'11.5'' I'm finding it increasingly challenging to find a bicycle that is in my price range ($500-600) and fits. My inseam is 27''. In order to have 2 inches of stand over clearance I'm going to have to find the smallest bike out there. I test rode the Trek 1.2, 43cm 650c and even that was a bit too big for me :( Wish me luck! And ... any suggestions???

Thanks,

Jenny

I am 4'10". When I went out to find my road bike, I knew I would have problems finding one that actually fit. I ended up with an XS Bella Lightspeed with 650c wheels. I had very few choices to test ride. That was before I found this forum. Oh well, I am happy with my choice. I am not sure my inseam, but it is less than 25", more like 23". I had to go out of my 'price range' to find a bike that I would be happy with and that would fit me. I consider Bella to be with me till my riding days are over. I am closing in on 55. Good luck in your search...

Now that you have the bike and tire change kit (congrats!), it's a good idea to practice changing a tire a few times. That way, when you get a flat out on a ride, you'll know what to do.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SillyMia

After my mountain bike got stolen, I convinced my husband to let me upgrade to a road bike

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The only person I have to get permission from is me :)
Which explains how I ended up with five bikes in one year :o

Jenny,

I have looked around at small bikes a LOT because I am just barely 5' tall, and I recently bought a new bike for my 4'8" daughter. I have one suggestion for you. We found that my daughter (who is shorter than you, but very leggy and has a similar inseam) could ride a Giant FCR Women's in size XXXSmall. The FCR is a flat bar road bike as that is what she wanted, but they also make the OCR in women's sizes that has drop bars. For 2008, they no longer have the XXXS size (has 650's). I'm not sure if they made that size in 2007. I started calling around and a couple of Giant dealers still had or could get 2006 bikes in 3XS for around $500. Actually, I really scored as I found her one on eBay that was a 2006 FCR 2 ($700 MSRP and a step up from the entry level FCR 3). The bike was like new with less than 10 miles on it, and I got it for less than $300, plus shipping. It is very pretty, light and fast! Compared to her cheap mountain bike, she is in heaven.

One more thing - if you look up the bike's geometry in the archives at Giant's website, don't be put off by the standover measurement. They measure standover 12" in front of the seat tube, not in the center of the sloping top tube. On such a small bike, 12" is about 2/3 of the way up the sloped top tube. Thus, it says something like 27" standover for my daughter's bike and that is quite misleading. She can straddle the top bar with a bit of clearance with no problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JennyPi

First post! Yipee! I have decided to stop lurking now that I have found the perfect (ladies) forum where I feel comfortable enough to converse with you all.

I am also vertically challenged. At 4'11.5'' I'm finding it increasingly challenging to find a bicycle that is in my price range ($500-600) and fits. My inseam is 27''. In order to have 2 inches of stand over clearance I'm going to have to find the smallest bike out there. I test rode the Trek 1.2, 43cm 650c and even that was a bit too big for me :( Wish me luck! And ... any suggestions???

Thanks,

Jenny

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Another vertically challenged rider here (just over 5'). Have really struggled to get a road bike with a short enough top tube. I obviously needed 650 wheels - but even many of the bikes w/ 650 wheels were too long. I had a very short Cannondale (now for sale) in polished aluminium in about a 44cm which fitted me very well - but I hankered after titanium . . .

I am now the proud owner of a Serotta Fierte TI 46p (second hand ebay purchase) - which also has a very short top tube (I think about 48.5cm). Both bikes fit me really well - can't agree more with the person who said fit is everything. I also got FSA wing pro bars in compact which have a very shallow reach & drop. Then I double shimmed my ultegra sti levers to bring the levers really close to my hands. My the hoops we short girls have to jump through . . .

Smaller wheels are great - more aerodynamic, lighter, stronger . . . that's why triathletes & time triallists used them for a while (not sure why they went off them - might have been a lack of tyre choice?)

Thank you all for your input. I'm dashing to work now but I wanted to assure you all that I have read your replies. I'll keep you all posted on my journey to find the perfect bike, or maybe the not-so-perfect bike that I will be willing to work with :)

I have 650's on my tri bike and it doesn't seem to affect my speed at all.

I will say that tires and tubes are hard to come by. If you do end up with 650 wheels, if you don't have a local shop with that in stock, or if you want more options, you will probably have to order your tires and tubes off the internet.

Good luck on the new roadie!

here's a good link for you:


http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/petitest.html