Quote Originally Posted by shadon
I have this little Marin Larkspur, 13.5 inch frame...perfect for my 5'2 short torso'd self. The bike has 700 c wheels...and it's really hard to put anything in the way of a pannier rake on it...tried a Topeak bag last week, that mounts on the seat post over the rear wheel, but there's not enough clearance for this to work...

does it make any sense to spend the $ to put 650 c wheels on this bike? Or should I just suck it up till I get my road bike for the smaller wheels.
Frames/forks are generally built for a specific wheel size. It is unlikely that your brake arms/calipers will work with a 650 wheel on that frame. Have you looked at front panniers? Where is the lack of space? Panniers hang from a rack that goes over a wheel not from the seat post. Is there not enough room in the heel area for panniers? The seat to the top of tire for a seat bag? Let's ask Jobob, the Queen of Bags, for her thoughts.