I'm sure this is a common problem, so I'm interested in what solutions have worked for others. I am a little over 5'5" with an 81 cm inseam and long femurs. Short torso, short arms, narrow shoulders. Basically, I'm proportioned like a T-Rex.

The online fit calculators suggest a 48-49 cm top tube. Local bike store suggests a 51 cm top tube. On a frame that small, I need the seat quite high, which makes for a big drop between saddle and bars, which means wrist and neck pain on long rides (for me, anyway).

I've been riding a 42 cm cross check (52 cm top tube) with the seat set way back, a short stem, and an uncut steering tube. Looks a bit funny, but it gives me an appropriate reach and puts the bars just slightly above saddle height. I'd love to get a lighter bike for weekend group rides, and have looked at the Ruby, Synapse Carbon, Scott CR1, Orbea Onix, etc. For all of them, even with the taller head tube, my bars are pretty low compared to saddle height when I ride a small enough frame to get a 50-52 cm top tube.

Are there any other frames out there I should look at that are particularly good for more extreme WSD body types? How have other folks solved this problem?

I am guessing a bike fit is in my future. In the meantime, I thought some of you might have some ideas for me too.

Thanks!
Gillian