New Cyclocross bike Terry Valkerie?

[lunacycles]

So all in all I'm pleased - just not sure I'd go the WSD route again. I think at 5'5 I'm right on the edge of whether WSD works for or against me.

"WSD" is all about your body. If you are short in the torso and/or arms, WSD is generally a great option. But, of course, many many women are NOT short in the torso/arms, so WSD can feel too compact as far as reach goes. It is a bit of a myth that all women need a shorter reach. The fact is, as you alluded to, shorter women often need a shorter reach than what is available on stock bikes. With 700c wheels, the smaller the bike, the longer the reach tends to be, relatively, and this is due to geometry constraints required when using the 700c wheel size.

Try adding a slightly longer stem to your Terry...that might help.

Just to drift the thread further, taller women with short torsos often do just fine "reach wise" on the larger stock bikes, but what is often the persisting problem, fit-wise, is the front end of the bike is not high enough for a comfortable/efficient position.

It IS my business, but having done it a decade and a few years, I do think women are more challenged to get the fit right than most guys are, as generalizing as that might sound....

[Thorn]

Just to drift the thread further, taller women with short torsos often do just fine "reach wise" on the larger stock bikes, but what is often the persisting problem, fit-wise, is the front end of the bike is not high enough for a comfortable/efficient position.

Amen! As someone who rides the equivalent of something like a 60cm WSD frame, I'll provide the woman-in-the-street confirmation. Just because I stand 6' doesn't mean that a stock frame works. I either have to ride a 54 or 56 and have handlebars down around my ankles or I ride a 58 or 60 with a very short stem and end up with a weight distribution that causes the front wheel to pop up on inclines as low as 10-12%.

Sure, some shorter women don't need WSD; but some of us still do despite not be of normal female height. Custom is an option for me, but it is nice to see production options for women.

[Tokie]

My latest thoughts on small cross bikes. After seeing the price for the Valkyrie, I asked myself - how close is this price to custom? Of course, that is a slippery slope when you consider upgrades you can put on a custom bike. I e-mailed Margo last night, and looked at the Rodriquez website too. since I have an ultegra group I could use, that would make it more affordable. Also I don't understand - why would Terry put 170 cranks on a little bike? Anyway, as I'm going to be spending a bit more than I expected, I plan on giving myself through the summer to practice on my new mt bike, try a few more cross races...then consider buying one. The Luna bikes are pretty nice! Are there any TE'ers who ride a Luna 'cross bike? Tokie

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The Luna bikes are pretty nice! Are there any TE'ers who ride a Luna 'cross bike? Tokie

See post #14 of this thread.

[Becky]

Also I don't understand - why would Terry put 170 cranks on a little bike?

Depends on leg length, I suppose. I'm 5'4", ride a ~49 cm frame, and use 170 mm cranks 'cuz I'm all arms and legs. I wonder if Terry would let you swap 165s on there?

[madscot13]

does sram do anything smaller than a 170?

[Jaclyn]

I am one of the first customers to purchase Terry's new cross bike. I bought it back in early/mid January as soon as it went on sale. It wasn't delivered to the bike shop until last month, and then there were a series of difficulties with missing parts / design issues for the brakes that were unexpected and delayed the build. I've had it out only twice for a brief test spin and to our local brewpub (and DH is now doing a partial rebuild to fine tune it to me and my needs).

re: the 170 cranks - I was worried about this because they seemed too long - I would have preferred 165's (my bike is an XS and I'm 5-1/2 inch when stretched!). As I said I have less than 25 miles on the bike so can hardly comment except to say that I'm impressed that there is no toe overlap whatsoever even on this smallest end of the range.

I'm focused on longer 300k-600k brevets right now in preparation for the National 24 Hour Challenge in June, but will post my impressions of the bike once I've found the time to ride it on some technical cross type rides.

[madscot13]

hey Jaclyn, let us know what you think of the bike! It looks like a lot of fun!