Quote Originally Posted by laughlaugh18
Tomorrow I'm going for my second test ride on a 13" Trek 7.5fx wsd. I'm 5-2 and have been searching for a bike seemingly for ages. Most folks have put me on a 15 or 16" frame and it's never felt quite right. I felt more comfortable riding the 13" than any of the other bikes I've test ridden, but I sure never thought I was so small as to need the littlest frame (oh no, maybe I'm shrinking! ).

Is there anything special I should consider with the 13"? Steering? Toe overlap? Room for water bottles? I seem to remember some discussion about smaller bike frames, but can't find the threads.

Thanks, Cathy
13 inch is about the size I ride. I have a 13.5 in Gunnar Rockhound mtn bike, and a 13.5 in Novara Randonee touring frame bike (my commuter). My road and touring bikes (Surly Pacer & LHT) are both 42cm. On those I'm mostly concerned with the standover height (71cm) and the effective top tube reach (50cm).

The only bike of mine that does not have toe overlap is the Novara. All the others do have toe overlap but it had not been a problem. Most of mine take 2 water bottles just fine, but it depends on the frame. All of my bikes steer and handle nicely.

You may want to pay close attention to the effective top tube length, which is essentially how far it is for you to reach to the handlebars. I found many bikes to be too long for me. Changing to a shorter stem sometimes helps.