BIKES THAT FIT WOMEN under 5'4"

[caligurl]

i have no toe overlap on my ruby... and it's a small bike (48).... specialized customized the fork to help alleviate the toe overlap problem!

[SadieKate]

Cali, did you read the article? I'm only pointing this out because 1) there can and are handling problems with some bikes due to the manufacturers trying to get rid of toe overlap and 2) the outcry against toe overlap is vastly overated.

My LBS won't recommend certain WSD bikes (I wish I could remember which) because the handling is screwed up simply in the attempt to get rid of toe overlap.

The Ruby may be fine, but one needs to think about this when choosing a bike. I'll take handling over toe overlap every time.

[caligurl]

the ruby handles flawlessly..... smooth and VERY responsive..... unlike some company's that just slap a WDS label onto their bikes..... specialized puts a LOT of work and reasearch into their WSD products....

i have the best of all worlds: a bike that fits (wsd), no toe overlap on a very small bike, and superb handling!

[mimitabby]

Cali, did you read the article? I'm only pointing this out because 1) there can and are handling problems with some bikes due to the manufacturers trying to get rid of toe overlap and 2) the outcry against toe overlap is vastly overated.

My LBS won't recommend certain WSD bikes (I wish I could remember which) because the handling is screwed up simply in the attempt to get rid of toe overlap.

The Ruby may be fine, but one needs to think about this when choosing a bike. I'll take handling over toe overlap every time.

SadieKate,
there is toe overlap and then there is toe overlap. I have tried a fair number of bikes recently, and some are way worse than others for me. I have a fugi here and the toe overlap was very pronounced. Then today I tried out a Specialized Dolce, NO TOE OVERLAP at all!
So I agree, if there is some (like on my Bianchi), it's good to know it's there, but it is just no big deal.

[mimitabby]

Today I went to Bicycles West and tried out a Specialized Dolce. 48 cm. YOu can get these for less than 1000 dollars.
The hoods were exactly where I wanted them. It had 700 wheels, but NO TOE OVERLAP at all. I'm not sure how they did it, but that bike handled pretty well!





Then, for a a whole lot more money, there's the Rivendell Bleriot 49cm with a 50 cm top tube. The one I looked at today had 650 wheels. I didn't test drive it,
now I wish I had.
This bike is guaranteed to take fenders. I think this is Lisa's bike.

[Bluetree]

Today I went to Bicycles West and tried out a Specialized Dolce. 48 cm. YOu can get these for less than 1000 dollars.
The hoods were exactly where I wanted them. It had 700 wheels, but NO TOE OVERLAP at all.

Mimi
I have the Dolce, too and I was surprised at how well it fit, without the toe overlap. Thing is, if you plan on going for this bike, try getting the 2006 version, NOT the 2007 version. Specialized downgraded the Shimano components this year. The 2006 Elite has all 105 components, the 2007 version has mixed 105/Tiagra. I've seen new 2006 Dolces for as low as $800 on eBay so it's a better deal.
Good luck!

[mimitabby]

Mimi
I have the Dolce, too and I was surprised at how well it fit, without the toe overlap. Thing is, if you plan on going for this bike, try getting the 2006 version, NOT the 2007 version. Specialized downgraded the Shimano components this year. The 2006 Elite has all 105 components, the 2007 version has mixed 105/Tiagra. I've seen new 2006 Dolces for as low as $800 on eBay so it's a better deal.
Good luck!

Blue,
the Dolce is a sweet bike, but it doesn't take fenders. I can't ride with my bike club without fenders. I am just happy to know there IS a bike that fits period in that price range. I can consider going custom, but what about most women who can't? the dolce is a sweet alternative

[mimitabby]

background: I wrote to Rivendell. I wanted to understand the discrepancy between the 50 cm that the salesperson at the LBS measured on the Bleriot and the 52 cm in the specs on their website. I also told him what I thought my standover height was:


I don’t know the fellow and have no reason have an opinion about him or his opinion, but beyond people and titles and nervousness...going back to basic grey rocks and cold air and solids, liquids, and gases, just wiping out everything except simple, understandable, irrefutable fundamental things we can call Facts, please consider this: (by that I mean nothing more than “see if it makes sense to you.”)

€ if you grabbed the bike at the end of the top tube, then the location of the end of the top tube would matter.
€ if you don’t do that, it doesn’t. But where you DO grab matters. And it isn’t the end of the top tube.
€ the goal, the ultimate goal, is a riding position that is comfortable. If you aren’t that, you can’t achieve any of your other goals, whatever they may be (efficiency? Speed? Bike control?). If you are comfortable, good things will follow.
€ your riding position is determined ONLY by the spatial relationship of the cranks, saddle, and handlebar.
€ your PBH determines your crank height above the pedal. For you, that’s 64cm. I’m guessing that I would measure your PBH at 74.5 or even 75, because the way I make people do it is the (for lack of a brief term) “lift hard until it hurts and let’s not mess around” way. (note from mimi, this is how they find the pubic bone)
€ How far behind the pedals your saddle is...is largely a matter of preference, but in general, just shove the saddle most or all the way back on the seat post, and use a seat post with some offset. Don’t go by the “knee over pedal center” thing that 99 percent of bike-people go by. No time to shoot holes in it now, but trust me (or not)--that approach is quite holey.
€ Use a stem that allows you to get the handlebar at least 2cm higher than the saddle. The only stems I know that’ll do this are the Nitto Technomic Deluxe and the Nitto Technomic. Anybody who sells Bleriots can get them for you.
€ you’re a woman who’s 63.5 inches tall…get a 7cm or 8cm stem. There are all kinds of body proportions in women, not all are long-legged and short-torsoed...but all the women I’ve seen except super lanky ones taller than 5-9, have short arms.
€ Women always get bad bar-width advice. The bar is a lever that helps you control the bike. Your arms are weaker than your legs, so you need a longer lever to aid you in controlling your bike. Ride 44s. The “bars as wide as your shoulders” rule is like the earth is flat... The best drop bar you can get, the most comfortable, is a Nitto Noodle. Any Bleriot dealer can get it. They’ll suggest a 41...or maybe a Terry 36. Get 44s if you want more leverage against the bike.

Other models in your size, yes, but we sell most of these direct, not through dealers. Your dealer got his Bleriot from QBP, not from us. BUT....for an all-around versatile road bike, you can’t beat it. You aren’t missing out, not knowing about our other bikes. The Bleriot is a fantastic bike---you can do anything on it, almost, and it’s so comfortable, and it handles great. If you put the right parts on it, you’ll be in heaven, Mimi. It’s just such a nice bike.

Here’s our website stuff on the Bleriot. Maybe you’ve seen it:

http://www.rivbike.com/bikes/bleriot

The main site (rivbike.com) has other stuff on it, things that might be worth looking at for a minute or two.

http://www.rivbike.com/how_to_pick_y...iding_position

And

http://www.rivbike.com/how_to_pick_y...iding_position

Good luck with your bike. Any other questions, just ask. Please excuse any hint of brusqueness in this reply. I’m trying to do it quickly because I’ve got family to go to, and sometimes the efficient way of writing comes off harshly. I sure don’t mean it that way! I am happy to answer any question, and I don’t MEAN to interfere with your local advisors. I just love bikes, and I l like people, and I like my job, and I do this a lot, and…out of that comes some strong opinions, maybe.
Best to you,

Grant

[caligurl]

Blue,
the Dolce is a sweet bike, but it doesn't take fenders. I can't ride with my bike club without fenders. I am just happy to know there IS a bike that fits period in that price range. I can consider going custom, but what about most women who can't? the dolce is a sweet alternative

ok.... i'm confused... you CAN'T ride with this club without fenders? why not??????? MOST road bikes do NOT have fenders! is it not a road club?

[caligurl]

Mimi
I have the Dolce, too and I was surprised at how well it fit, without the toe overlap. Thing is, if you plan on going for this bike, try getting the 2006 version, NOT the 2007 version. Specialized downgraded the Shimano components this year. The 2006 Elite has all 105 components, the 2007 version has mixed 105/Tiagra. I've seen new 2006 Dolces for as low as $800 on eBay so it's a better deal.
Good luck!

that seems to be their MO! my 2004 (original bike) dolce elite had much better components than the 2005.... (my 2004 had a mixture with plenty of ultegra thrown in!)

they've done the same thing with the ruby's! my 2006 ruby was COMPLETE dura-ace... now for 2007 they've done a bit of hodgepoding.... throwing in a bunch of ultegra, leaving a bit of DA and downgrading the wheels from DA to roval.... (but then... the've dropped the price this year, too!)

[Triskeliongirl]

Then, for a a whole lot more money, there's the Rivendell Bleriot 49cm with a 50 cm top tube. The one I looked at today had 650 wheels. I didn't test drive it,
now I wish I had.
This bike is guaranteed to take fenders. I think this is Lisa's bike.

Here is a good price on that frame, if you test drive it and like it you may want to buy the frameset here, and transfer the parts from your veloce. I normally don't do this, try a bike in a shop and buy online, but if you can't afford the complete bike and/or don't like the build (shimano right?) I don't think its an awful thing to do. You can also get a feel for how heavy it is by looking at the one in your LBS. Only parts that won't transfer are the brakes, you'll need to purchase cantis, and you'll need a 650c wheelset (which you can buy on ebay), and a nitto technomic stem. I can help you with that if you need since I did that conversion a couple of times and know good places to get the brakes and stem ($39 each brake, and stem, $35). Usually if you bring the frame and parts to a bike shop they'll charge you ~$100 for assembly, maybe a bit more if they also have to strip down the veloce.

http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/CELLFRMRD/FM2400

[Triskeliongirl]

You got me interested in this bike, and I found a pdf with many details on it here. http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/index.html
Note that while the top tube appears longish the seat tube angle is so slack it has a shorter reach than many bikes you are looking at. If I was in the market for a true touring bike I would grab it in a second, since my problem is finding bikes with a slack enough seat tube angle. However, when I read the brochure I noticed it takes 650B tires. This is not the 650C that is on many womens racing bikes. What is wrong with this is that the narrowest tire you can get in this size they say is 30mm. I think that may be too wide for the fast club riding you like. ANother reason to go custom, the framebuilder makes the bike do what you want. Light steel, you got it. Fenders, you got it. Tire range from racing to touring, you got it. As I said before, finding a bike that is both light enough to keep up with a group and takes real fenders is just not htat easy, but it seems to me necessary where you live.

p.s. I just read a bit more in the brochure. Actually, you can buy it direct from rivendell for less than the price I posted above. If you don't care about the wheels, I suggest talking with grant about what parts will and won't transfer from the veloce and have him install what you need. He says he'll sell the frameset with headset installed for 775 direct. It takes long reach side pull brakes not cantis, but that is ok too since they also should have fender clearance.

[mimitabby]

that's great, good to know. I am supposed to test ride one.

[Triskeliongirl]

I wouldn't rule out framesets. As someone mentioned, you can always move the parts from your veloce assuming they are in good shape. Now that someone is helping you define the geometry you need, maybe you could get a good deal like I did on ebay on a frame, and then just move over the parts. We've discussed fit for women endlessly, and you know where I stand on this so I won't repeat myself, but lets address the fender issue. Basically the bikes you are looking at are pure racing bikes, they won't take fenders and won't take even slightly wide tires. If you want a bike that is both light and takes fenders and wider tires (say 28-32 c) why not look at a light steel (i.e. reynolds 853 steel frame) with canti brakes. Veronica's legolos is an idea, as is what I did to my terry isis, but these were both custom designed. Smaller framebuilders tend to do this more than the big chains. Rodriguez does this, Waterford does this, Bilenky has a nice bike called the tourlite that does this (and you could get s/s couplers for travel). Yes, custom is expensive, but if you get the bike you want it will be the last bike you buy. Consider it a health expense. Given that Rodriguez is local for you I would look at them very seriously, but maybe someone locally (craigs list, etc) would have a used rodriguez they are trying to unload. I was very pleased with the custom work bilenky did for me. I think what you are looking for is what is called a sport bike or a light sport/tourer. A real touring bike will be too heavy, but a racing bike will not take real fenders. The new terry madeleine will do what you want, but it is aluminum which while light may not be as harsh or last as long as steel.

[Kathi]

Mimitabby,

Did your fitter indicate that you would be happier with a custom frame or did he think that you can get optimal fit on a stock frame? And, what do you want? A good fit or optimal fit?

Since you like steel you can get a custom steel frame from Serotta for $1800
http://www.serotta.com/pages/cda.html
If you like your components from your old bike you can move them over to the new frame, cost would be in the ball park of a stock frame.

The advantages of buying a custom frame over a stock frame are numerous.
You have a fit designed for you. I can't tell you what a joy it is to ride a bike that fits your body. Your body settles onto the bike so naturally. No adapting itself to the frame. Besides, everyone is different, I no longer believe that women have a shorter torso theory.

I had my custom Serotta built for 650c wheels. There is such a world of difference between it and my stock bikes in the handling. It does not have the short twitchy feeling that the stock bikes have. It corners faster and handles better on the downhills. I didn't notice these differences until I got the Serotta.

My custom frame is my 5th road bike. The first 2 were way too big and I sold them. The 3rd I spent some money trying to make it fit better but gave up and bought my Aegis. Like you, I spent money trying to get a good fit on the Aegis and wasn't happy. By contrast, my Serotta needs no changes because it was designed for me.

Think of it this way, what if something isn't quite right with the fit of your new stock frame, what will you do? A custom frame now means no more seeking the perfect fit.

As far as toe overlap goes, a custom builder will take that into consideration. Serotta told me that I would have slight overlap but I've not noticed it. And, if you want it built for fenders, I'm sure Serotta can do it!