I'm just short of 5'0". My Terry hybrid with 2 24" wheels is very reasonable. I use the VeeRubber Fat Girl slicks and can go as fast on it as I can on my Terry Symmetry. The model I have has been discontinued, but the Susan B. is very similar. The fit for me was mind blowing, I'd never been on a bike that fit me before (and I had tried the Trek WSD at the time). It turned me into a cyclist. Another option is custom. I would consider Luna cycle ahead of the Rodriques, because they use better components. Luna makes a cyclocross bike that could really fill your training needs. Bike fit is everything. Right there is a good argument for going custom. The only other road bike that I tried that had the right fit for me was the Fuji Ace SE, but it only has Sora components so I passed on it. However, you might want to try their 2 newer WSD's, Next & Newest. I am happy with my Terry Symmetry, but it does look funny. If you can get past the looks you may want to try some of their road bikes.