I’m pretty much with Irulan on this one (with maybe one exception) and think the components are the primary problem as well as education of the LBS. I am just tall enough to find production frames but I find that shops are just now learning that the combined top tube and stem length is the first place to start with short women. Too frequently someone just says, “Use a shorter stem.” Stems 1) aren’t readily available in a short length and 2) can really play havoc with the intended handling of the bike if it is too short or too long.

WSD bikes frequently have lower end components that are heavy and don’t provide the performance of the higher end gruppos. Campy recently emailed me with some gibberish about loosing breaking power if they designed their levers to accommodate small hands. Since numerous other road and mtb component manufacturers have managed to use shims, screws and design to solve the problem, you would think Campy could also. Suspension that requires a spring, elastomer or oil is set-up for heavier riders and the LBS and mfgr won’t supply/fit the bike with the proper component. A small-size stock bike should be ready to go for the smaller rider.

Q-factor – don’t get me started! Women are more susceptible to knee problems and our pelvis width is all over the place! I think a lot of knee pain could be solved with narrower cranks. Many pros have custom pedals with shorter spindles to deal with this. Many of the boutique manufacturers address this issue, but bike companies will only spec bikes with big name components due to the profit/cost factor.

Carbon – I was just shopping for a carbon road fork. I can’t tell you the list of manufacturers/models I went through with my LBS until we settled on one that wasn’t built for a Clydesdale. The industry seems to be petrified that someone might think a fork has any flex at all. This results in components that are rigid for a 175-lb rider but are jackhammers for smaller riders. Tell your contact that lower modulus is OK, not to be afraid of it. If the CSC team asks for more compliant forks to ride Paris-Roubaix, I think the mfgr should be listening and thinking about others who might also have these concerns.

Carbon forks do bring me the next topic. Generally, unisex production frames are fine if you know how to get a proper fit but the tubing can be highly over-built for lighter weight folk. This is probably the only area where a WSD frame might be called for. There are lots of men who need small frames (51cm and under). They wouldn’t want a flexi-flyer and will have an even bigger toe overlap problem. The bike companies are really between a rock and a hard place here. I don’t know how to solve this issue in the real world of cost/profit.

Wheels are the same issue – all of these factory built wheels with high profiles and few spokes provide a lot of stiffness for a heavier racer but I know a bunch of people who regret buying them. At the end of a century, you want comfort not stiffness.

I think I should end my rant now. I truly do appreciate you and the bike company asking for input. I’m afraid you got the tirade building from twenty years of struggling with bikes and clothing in a male-dominated industry. Thank goodness more and more people and companies are listening.