Child's bike for a small woman?

[ms pepperpot]

I am pretty short (5' 1") and it's difficult finding bikes that fit. My number 1 bike is a surly LHT 42cm and it fits perfectly. I'm currently looking for a number 2 bike. I have a pretty specific idea of what I want and it doesn't seem to exist in my price range.

I live in the UK and my in laws live in the south of spain. We visit relatively regularly and the cycling has always looked fantastic. I want a bike to keep down here I can use. I'm looking for a bike to ride on the roads, but some of the back roads are pretty rough and there are some unpaved roads. It is also very hilly. I was thinking a cyclocross bike would be good, also something I could put a rack on for a bit of light touring. The problem is small cyclocross bikes don't seem to exist at an entry level. Also I don't want to spend too much as it'll only be used a few times a year when I'm over here.

I was feeling a bit disillusioned, when I came across this http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/luath700lrg.html

It's a kid's bike, but a pretty serious one. Seems to be able to be used for cyclocross and touring, so should suit my purpose. The largest one may even be a bit big for me, but there are smaller ones. A bit more investigation found this http://www.dawescycles.com/p-232-espoir-3000-26.aspx

What do people think? Would these type of bikes work for smaller women, or are there obvious drawbacks? I like the sound of the small reach brake levers in particular.

[oz rider]

I'm the same height and looked at these recently cos I needed a touring/cx bike with clearance for fairly wide tyres. It's heavy at 10.6kg and I wonder about the geometry (which isn't on the site), cos I don't think you can get a good seat tube angle in my size frame with 700c wheels. The short stem gives a hint of the compromise. But the price is right and I quite like the gearing as a versatile bike, so if it's not for really long rides it might be worth a shot. I'd certainly ask about the geometry first though.

If it's any consolation, I couldn't find anything at Dawes either. REI's little one was also heavy and not available here, the LHT a bit heavy for light touring and the little Ridley cx bikes were 700c with steep seat tubes and $3-3700. At which you go custom. I didn't find anything else in a 500-ish effective top tube. It's not easy.

[eofelis]

I ride a 42cm LHT also, I'm 5'2". The Surly Pacer road bike frame in 42cm has the same fit as the 42cm LHT, 50cm eTT. I rode a Pacer for several years. It's a sport touring road bike and takes 25mm tires with fenders.

I think the 42cm Crosscheck is also the same fit, maybe a bit taller standover. The CC would be a great bike for light touring and rough roads. The CC takes tires up to 45mm.

[ms pepperpot]

Ideally i'd get another surly but I can't afford one (or justify the expense for a bike which is only going to be ridden occasionally). An off the peg cross check or lht over here are more than twice the price of the Isla bike and almost 3 times the price of the dawes.

I've e-mailed the isla people so should be able to get some more info. I'm not too bothered by a bit of weight as I'm used to my lht for my daily ride.

[Eden]

I think the 42cm Crosscheck is also the same fit, maybe a bit taller standover. The CC would be a great bike for light touring and rough roads. The CC takes tires up to 45mm.

Nope - as with most cyclocross bikes the bottom bracket is higher - so a bike with the same seat tube is size (which is usually used as the "bike size") is larger all over. Not only does the Crosscheck have a higher stand over - because the bottom bracket is higher in the first place, it has a longer top tube and different seat tube and head tube angles than the Pacer or LHT. Overall it is a bigger bike.

I'm smaller than the OP and wanted a cross bike just to mess around on a few years ago (before anyone really made a small one specifically aimed at women). I have a Redline Conquest 24. I think its probably a titch small for me, but for goofing around on dirt trails and the occasional cross race, its fun enough. The biggest problem with kids bikes is that they tend to be pretty heavy compared to similar adult bikes and the componentry is pretty much bottom of the line - then again they are a lot cheaper too.

[smaryka]

New to this forum but a bit late to this thread (I've been perusing all the stuff about cyclocross frames as I'd like to find a better one for next season -- at 5'2" with short legs, not an easy task!)

Ms Pepperpot, I have an Islabike Luath 700, small size, and I love it. I bought it second-hand from a fellow cycling club member whose son had outgrown it. I use it for cyclocross and while it fits perfectly (though I put on a longer stem), the cable routing isn't ideal and it's quite heavy so I'm looking for something better. It was a great starter bike for my first cross season though. I would probably go with the larger size if I were using it primarily on the road instead of off-road.

Things I like about it:
-- short cranks
-- no toe overlap
-- very low standover, like 71cm (great for my 74cm inseam)
-- narrow bars
-- well-built
-- frame geometry feels great
-- regular 700c wheels

Things I will upgrade if I keep it for racing:
-- shifters and cassette (mine is an 8-speed with Sora shifters, I hate the thumb button -- I want 10-speed anyway)
-- better derailleurs

But for your purposes, it's probably fine! And the price is right. I've seen more than a few Islabikes ridden by women so you won't be alone in buying one.

I'm looking at a Surly Cross Check 42cm as a frame upgrade that I will build up myself with various bits and pieces from the Islabike and elsewhere. Standover for me is quite important as coming off the saddle to a grinding halt in a race must not result in physical damage

[colorisnt]

I am shorter than you - 5' tall - but I am mostly leg. I have a Trek 1.2 that I bought today in the smallest size available - a 47 cm. The bike I had before was a 43 cm, but not Womens Specific and built very, very differently. You would be surprised what you can find in different brands. In some I was measured for, a 47 cm would have been far too big and in others it fit great. I would suggest getting fit and seeing what they have. I, too, share your woes. I went all over looking for this size and finally found one, so I bought it!