BIKES THAT FIT WOMEN under 5'4"

[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.