How tall are you? (Women only, please)

[Jo-n-NY]

I am 5'2.5. I always find this topic interesting because most ladies my height ride a smaller bike than I chose. I ride the Ruby Pro 51cm. My Dolce was the same. My seat is pretty much in line with my handle bars and feel comfortable, with no aches or pains anywhere, not even on a century ride. When I tried the 48cm, which was the first time on a road bike I thought I felt a bit cramped.

My inseam is a 29.

PS..I also had tried a smaller Allez and it felt like too much bike for me to handle.

~ JoAnn

[SlowButSteady]

5'2", if I stand up straight and ride a Giant OCR A1W, frame size XS. It's comfy to ride, but I can barely stand over the top tube. My legs are extra short, inseam a hair over 27". Since I don't ride it much in stop & go traffic, it doesn't bother me too much.

Previous bike is a 48cm Trek WSD 1000.

[rij73]

5'6" and ride a Blue Competition RC-4 in size small.

[shootingstar]

5'1". I think my inseam is 29 or less.

No, I don't ride a woman specific model.

[motochick]

I am 5'3 and don't know what size my bike is but it has a 54 top tube. The one before this one had a shorter top tube and I felt cramped. All I know is that my bike is very comfortable and nothing screams in pain when I ride, so something must be right. I built up the bike myself and will do that from now on. I am not much of an "off the shelf" kinda person.

Brenda

[sulis]

5'10" - ride a specialized allez but only because when I bought it I was an uneducated cyclist. I was in this on my own and was at the mercy of the shop. They guy helping me told me I was too tell for a women's specific.

My next bike will be women's specific. I love the Allez but had to make adjustments to the stem and positioning to get it to feel right. It still feels off some times...its also one size too large. Sigh - the things you find out later on.

[7rider]

5' 8.25", according to my doctor's chart. 5' 10" according to my driver's license. I KNOW I used to be 5' 10".
Must be shrinking!

I tried a WSD bike once. I thought I was going to get pitched over the handlebars, the top tube was so short. I hated it. I have long legs and a medium torso. Size 11 board-flat feet. And great big hands with long fingers. I can ride a 54 cm "standard" bike. Right now, I'm on a custom -- "my own-specific design". Don't need WSD, and generally don't care for any of it. It never fits someone with my build...no shoes, no gloves, sigh......

[LBTC]

5' 1.5", but rounded down to 5'1" My new Canondale Synapse is a 48cm and not WSD, as they told me there is no difference between standard and WSD geometry in such a small size. I think my 28" inseam means I have kind of long legs, since my DH has the same inseam and he's 4" taller than me. Finding high end ladies items like shoes, clothing, etc, is painful enough, let alone finding it in small sizes. Apparently we're all too unique for products to be made for us!

H&B
~T~

[7rider]

Apparently we're all too unique for products to be made for us!

H&B
~T~

Just remember...
You're unique. Just like everyone else!

[redrhodie]

I'm 5'5", minus a hair. I started with a 48cm WSD, now realize it was too small. I've moved on to a traditional geomery road bike, and it feels better.

[BurrOakBobcat]

5'1", 27.5" barefoot inseam.

Terry Despatch 16" (but may be a 17"-- bought her about 18 years ago!)
Terry Susan B 14" purchased about a month ago

[Jolt]

5' 2.5", voted 5' 2"; 30-inch inseam (if I measured correctly). I ride a WSD 14.5" Giant Nutra hybrid from, I would guess, probably the mid-90's. I had to swap out the seatpost for a longer one in order to get the proper saddle height without having it out past the limit line, but other than that have not had any fit issues. Interesting that the average height for women in the US is 5' 4"--that means I'm not that far below the average, so why do I always feel really short?

[Over50Newbie]

5 feet 1/2 inch - voted as 5 feet or under ly - my inseam is only 28 inches

I ride a Terry Classic - a bike made especially for short women

Lynette

[aicabsolut]

5' 8.25", 54cm Specialized Roubaix (with 110mm stem)

I feel horrible on WSD bikes. All cramped in the upper body and like my elbows are in my lap. Looking at geometry charts, I suppose I might fit on a 56cm Ruby, maybe, which is roughly like my "men's" 54.

[michelem]

5'2". I ride a 48" Specialized Ruby Expert. It was a close call between the Ruby, the Cannondale Synapse Feminine (I think that was a 47"), and the Giant OCR . . . can't remember the exact model, but it was a 2007 and xxs. Anyway, I did get shorter stem put on, a narrower saddle, and narrower handlebars. Other than that I really love the fit of my Ruby. The other bikes were nice, but I really feel like I got a bang for my buck with the Ruby (on sale, nearby LBS, etc. I've yet to pay for any tune-ups or anything and I'm going on a year with this bike).

The thing I have a hard time with is clothing! Petite pants are a tad too short (perfect until I wash them, and then they are too short). Regular pants are way too long. Waistbands gap like crazy even in a size zero, but hip/thigh area more snug. If I lift the shoulders up to about my ears on a dress, then the top part fits fine -- ha ha.

No wonder I HATE/LOATH shopping and still wear clothes I've had for going on 10 years. I should be featured on What Not to Wear . . .