Thoughts on 13 inch frame?

[Imperfectstorm]

Jamis Dakar XLT 1.0-3.0 all come in a 13" frame. I am picking mine up tomorrow Sweet! Jamis is a family owned business with a women CEO

[laughlaugh18]

Well, I went back to the bike shop today. I still like the reach on the 13", but it seems a bit small otherwise - the bike shop guy and I are both concerned that the seat is cranked up almost as high as it can safely go. He's going to get the same bike in a 15" for me to try over the weekend. He said we can try different handlebars/stems to shorten up the reach on the 15" if necessary.

Glad to hear the experiences of other folks on little bikes! I looked at the Jamis Dakar on line - pretty! Enjoy!

Emily, my feet are anything but small, I'm afraid. I saw the water bottle space issue, but a camelbak would be fine.

At least I feel like I'm making progress, although I'm starting to think my body is one size on top and another size on the bottom in bikes (as in everything else - why this should be such a surprise . . . )

[Denise223]

Hi Cathy!

I have a Gary Fisher Nirvana 13" (2003). http://www.fisherbikes.com/archive/index.asp?year=2003

I just found out I'm no longer 5' 1 & 1/2" tall -- I'm 5' 1/2"!

It sounds like you have a great bike shop in that they're not pushing anything on you -- they're taking the time to make sure you get a good fit.

I really believe that my top tube is too long b/c I really don't have any bend in my elbows..... would that be an indication?

How would they put a new top tube on, or can they?? (I don't know a lot about bikes).
It's not terribly bothersome, but anything I can do to make my ride more comfy would be nice - if it's not too expensive.

Thanks!

Have a great day.

Denise

[melissam]

Hey Denise and laughlaugh,

What you're describing (top tube length vs. seat tube length) is one of the reasons behind the WSD frames (Women's Specific Design.) Women typically have shorter torsos relative to their leg length than men of the same height. WSD bikes generally have shorter top tubes relative to the seat tube length.

Laughlaugh -- try the 15" frame size, but if you feel too stretched out, you should probably look at some women's specific designed frames. Trek makes a lot of WSD bikes. Bianchi makes the Eros Donna. Specialized makes the Ruby series. I forget what Cannondale calls their "women's" frames.

Denise -- How's it going? Long time, no chat! You can't change out your top tube, but you can change your stem length. Careful, though, because drastic changes will affect the handling of your bike. Your bike shop can give you recommendations.

Hope this helps!

-- Melissa

[laughlaugh18]

Melissa - both the 13" and 15" bikes I'm looking at are wsd (that's why I have to go back tomorrow; they didn't have the 15"wsd in stock). I've test ridden a bunch of bikes and I'm pretty convinced that wsd is the right thing for me!

[Bruno28]

Hi lastlaugh -

I'm pretty new to this biking thing but I bought a trek 7.2 fx wsd with a 15" frame a couple of weeks ago. I'm 5'2". At first it felt a bit of a stretch on the legs but now it feels really comfy - I think the chain store bike I was riding before was too small (and basically rubbish).

Trouble is I think its quite hard to tell if the fit is right till you've had time to get used to the bike...so, I guess this is no help at all

Good luck!

[laughlaugh18]

B28,

I agree about knowing whether a bike fits - how do you know till you've been on it for more than 15 min! Fortunately, the bike shop is willing to keep adjusting it for me as necessary as I get to know the bike better.

Where near Edinburough are you - I've driven around the area and it's gorgeous!