I just bought an XS Ellsworth Truth that has 4" travel in the rear and up to 105 mm in the front. It has a slightly shorter wheelbase than the S, but I felt that the cockpit fit me perfectly, whereas I was a bit too long in the torso for the SC Juliana. I am 5'4" with a 30.5 inseam but have shortish arms...
One thing about Ellsworth is that they are handcrafted in the US and the bike tracks like a dream over technical stuff. Also, the styling is better than anything else on the market though the bent top tube does compromise the look (yet provides a nice clearance when you have to bail.)
The "Ellsworth Mafia" makes it hard to get a hold of the XS (you may have to wait a few months), but they should fly one out to your local dealer if you would like to try one.
Cost of bike with a SRAM X7 gruppo...4500. Having the coolest bike in town...priceless.
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Thread: Standover heights?!?
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08-04-2006, 07:35 PM #1Lara Guest
XS Ellsworth Truth
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10-31-2006, 05:21 AM #2
Registered User
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Posts
- 38
Cari, I'm about 5"3 and ride the smallest GF Cake, with the saddle quite far back. It's my first full susser and I feel invincible on it. It is very forgiving of poor riding and slippery surfaces.
The key is to test ride in conditions you normally ride in so you have a good comparison. I did find that since I'd never ridden full suss before, all the bikes I tried seemed pretty good. In the end I got the Cake because the price was right (the bogey green colour certianly wasn't!
) and I felt safe on it going down hill - the set up is pretty laid back. It's a bit heavy to pull up hills but I've got lock down forks that help with that, as well as some lightweight components.
Good luck!
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10-31-2006, 03:21 PM #3
I want to ride my bicycle
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Location
- Ventura County CA
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- 605
So Cari did you ever get a bike?
I'm 5'2". For those interested the Giant Trance has an EXTREMELY low standover. I ride the 14" frame. It is not a racing bike but a great trail bike. The Trek Fuel also has a low standover. On it I fit a 15" (unisex) frame whereas the Gary Fisher Cake gives me no clearance on the same size bike. The 13" Cake fits my inseam but feels a little short in the cockpit, as does the small WSD Fuel. These bikes all come in lower pricepoints than the Santa Cruzes and Titus.
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