BIKES THAT FIT WOMEN under 5'4"

[Eden]

by all means look at the OCR as I may be wrong - but it probably will not work for you. As I recall from my search for shortie bikes, Giants are very long for their size - they have some of the longest top tubes for their frame size around even on their wsd models. I'm not at all saying that they aren't nice bikes, but they are not particularly friendly to us with short arms/torsos.

p.s. if you all want a new custom bike builder to drool over try www.hampsten.com - Andy Hampsten is actually a local now and he's got a bike in town. Every bike is basically custom to your measurements, but they are pretty pricey.

[Triskeliongirl]

I agree Eden. The Strada Bianca seems to be exacty what Mimi is looking for:
http://www.hampsten.com/Bikes/Gravel...adabianca.html

Light, fast, fender friendly. You guys in Seattle are lucky to have so many great custom builders!

[mimitabby]

oh yeah! I will definitely visit that shop! thanks girls. I have been meaning to visit them but now i have another reason. He's friends wiht the son of the man who wrote the book about Alfonsina.

thank you.

[roguedog]

Eden.. ya... I've been drolling over their Tournesol line. Just beautiful.. uh..

Hmm.. interesting observation re: the Giant bikes. I guess my torso is about the same length as my body and I dunno if my arms are of the longer or shorter variety for my height.

Still love my bike. Fits me and my checkbook But uh.. I love it too much to just run errands on it and maybe let it be mauled or stolen. So that's why I wanna "run around town" or in college we called it a "beater bike."

[eofelis]

I'm 5'2" and I ride a 42cm Surly Pacer. It's a steel sport touring type bike with a steel fork. It's not light and fast, but it's comfortable and rugged enough for an all day ride. For a $400 frame, it's pretty nice. I've been riding it for about 4 years and I like it a lot.

Standover is 70cm, effective top tube is 50cm. I do have toe overlap, but it has not been a problem. It takes 700c wheels.

The 42cm Surly Long Haul Trucker touring frame takes 26in wheels but has the 70cm standover and 50cm effTT as well.

I'd love to have a Gunnar Sport, but I don't want to go to 650c wheels. Someday I may see if Gunnar can make me a Sport with the same exact geometry as the Pacer.

[logdiva32]

thanks for all the help. We'll have to wait and see, weather sucks in wa right now.
I have a 32" (by my own measuring) stand over height. I standover the 52cm fine with maybe .5" to spare.

According to the guidance of my LBS I can drop the seat to "properly", fit my leg length with a slight bend, at full extension. So I hope this will help me avoid the knee pain you all speak of.

I really like the 52cm novara xpress, flat bar, It has good grade components, and for the price I had to take what they had. I hope it works for me. I will see this spring. Not an all weather sports girl.