BIKES THAT FIT WOMEN under 5'4"

[eofelis]

I'm 5'2" and I ride a 42cm Surly Pacer. It's a steel sport touring type bike with a steel fork. It's not light and fast, but it's comfortable and rugged enough for an all day ride. For a $400 frame, it's pretty nice. I've been riding it for about 4 years and I like it a lot.

Standover is 70cm, effective top tube is 50cm. I do have toe overlap, but it has not been a problem. It takes 700c wheels.

The 42cm Surly Long Haul Trucker touring frame takes 26in wheels but has the 70cm standover and 50cm effTT as well.

I'd love to have a Gunnar Sport, but I don't want to go to 650c wheels. Someday I may see if Gunnar can make me a Sport with the same exact geometry as the Pacer.

[logdiva32]

What are the possible problems with riding a bike too large?
At 48-52cm seems like I am riding larger than others my height on this post.

I bought a fuji at LBS they measured me to fit a 43cm, I am 5'4. After only 20 miles or so, I took it back. I was totally uncomfortable, regardless of where I put the seat. In frustration went back to old fathful 17.5" trek950 MTB w' slicks, no prob. Love it but sometimes, top out pedaling speeds.

I now purchased a used 48" cm trek road bike (WSD), a used cannondale R300 50cm, and a 52cm novara flat bar road bike, store return. Plan to ride them all to achieve a fit then sell those that don't fit. Already finding I don't have the heart to sell any of them though. On the trainer the 50cm feels best???

Important note: I do not have big money for a bike, my HB is pissed over the 3, I bought for less than $800 total, the cost of the original fuji, i returned.

Anything I absolutley have to know?

[Eden]

Fit is so personal its hard to say - but my experience riding a bike that was too big and my personal fit demons too long top tubes along with too long crank arms
the consequences for me:
lack of power - hampered my ability to go very fast, when I got a new smaller bike I gained about 2mph instantly

difficulty climbing and inability to climb seated - I used to use a triple set up geared much like a mt. bike and I still had some knee pain, now I can climb anything you throw at me with my standard double no knee problems

neck and shoulder pain - this was my original reason for getting a smaller bike, I'd injured my shoulder and the bike was aggravating it, so I had a fit and found out that the bike was really way too long for me. I still have to be careful to move my head around on the bike so that I don't get stiff or sore, but I am much more comfortable now.

[emily_in_nc]

Inability to stand over the top tube would be a biggie if a bike were too large for me (ouch!) You definitely shouldn't have to slant the bike to stand over the top tube with both feet on the ground.

But assuming you can do that, if you can't ride on the hoods comfortably (on a drop-bar bike), if your elbows are locked to reach them, you're going to end up with neck, shoulder, and/or back pain. Make sure to test your reach to the bars after getting your saddle fore/aft placement set up. No fair pulling your saddle way forward on the rails to reach the bars, since then you rob yourself of climbing power on the bike and will likely hurt your knees too. Most fitters think that your knee should be immediately above or slightly behind the pedal spindle when your foot is in the front pedal position (3 o'clock). For most women, that results in a saddle that is pushed fairly far back on the rails, since we tend to have longer femurs. And since we also have shorter arms than men, pushing the saddle back lengthens the reach to the bars and may make it apparent that the top tube is too long.

Other issues with a too-large bike: like Eden mentions, if the cranks are too long, you could end up with knee or hip pain. Too-wide handlebars can lead to shoulder/neck pain. But the top tube length is the most important measurement where being too long can make for a miserable ride and after-ride experience.

Some people are much more flexible than others in the back and hips, so you might be able to ride a "longer" bike for your height than most of us could. The important thing to pay attention to is whether you have pain and whether you can control the bike. If the top tube is just a little on the long side, a shorter stem can help with reach issues, but on some bikes, you'll sacrifice some handling that way (the front end will become squirrely). If you're needing to ride a stem shorter than about 7-8 cm, the top tube is likely too long for you.

Oh, and if they measured you at a 43 cm bike and you're 5'4", I agree that that sounds too small. I have ridden a 44.5 cm and currently ride a 46 cm road bike (and a 15.5" mountain bike) and I am only 5'2.5". Just like you say, I think at your height you'd be a 48cm to 50cm (possibly 52cm if the bike has a short enough top tube) kind of gal on a road bike, but it all depends on how the frame is measured and how long the top tube is.

Good luck!
Emily

[GLC1968]

Oh, and if they measured you at a 43 cm bike and you're 5'4", I agree that that sounds too small. I have ridden a 44.5 cm and currently ride a 46 cm road bike (and a 15.5" mountain bike) and I am only 5'2.5". Just like you say, I think at your height you'd be a 48cm to 50cm (possibly 52cm if the bike has a short enough top tube) kind of gal on a road bike, but it all depends on how the frame is measured and how long the top tube is.

It totally depends on the frame and on your body dimensions!

I'm also 5'4" and my LBS measured me onto a 43cm Specialized women's specific design. I have a long torso, but very short legs and arms. I could ride (and stand over) a bigger bike because of the compact frame geometry (sloping top tube) but the effective top tube lengths would have been too long for my short reach. They put me on a 43 for reach (not standover). What's funny, is that my new bike is a Terry which is also obviously women's specific. On a Terry, I ride a 19" which is more equivalent to a 48cm bike, but the Terry geometry works better for me.

When it comes to bike fit, height is the first measurement, but it is definitely not the most important!

[mimitabby]

more pain from handlebars too wide:
fingers.
when your arms are spread too far out, your hands are now not at the
angle the levers were set up for.
The typical handlebar that is on hybrids and MTB's is really really wide. When I first got my raleigh hybrid, shifting was a painful ordeal until they shortened my handlebars.

[logdiva32]

thanks for all the help. We'll have to wait and see, weather sucks in wa right now.
I have a 32" (by my own measuring) stand over height. I standover the 52cm fine with maybe .5" to spare.

According to the guidance of my LBS I can drop the seat to "properly", fit my leg length with a slight bend, at full extension. So I hope this will help me avoid the knee pain you all speak of.

I really like the 52cm novara xpress, flat bar, It has good grade components, and for the price I had to take what they had. I hope it works for me. I will see this spring. Not an all weather sports girl.