Am I too short for my new bike? Pls help

[Biciclista]

years. Although, my dad reassured me that not having that one inch clearance was fine; I just couldn't shake what a random gentleman said to me outside the shop. He said, "You should have a one inch clearance just in case you need to make an EMERGENCY stop. You feet should be flat on the ground when standing over your bike."

I'd go with your father. I rode a bike for years that I couldn't straddle like that..

[FreudianSlip]

I just wanted to chip in because we're basically the same height (4'11") and I had the same concerns. I'm riding a Trek 7.3FX, so it's not a road bike, but I have no standover clearance either. At first it really unnerved me, but I don't even notice it anymore. I've only been riding since November, so I'm no expert. But the lack of clearance hasn't been a huge issue for me.

Now, that death grip on the other hand... I'm still trying to shake that off. Exercising the core does help a lot.

[Michelle T]

It's been awhile since you posted, but I had to chime in as I faced the same issue three months ago. I'm 4'10" and had a terrible time finding a bike that fit. I looked at a Trek 7.5 WSD, but was worried because I didn't have the 1-inch clearance. I bought the bike; I've been riding and have had to stop short a couple of times. The clearance is not an issue.

[Cataboo]

standover clearance is a bit more of an issue for guys than females, I think

[Tokie]

It's fun to read the blog "Small things considered" http://www.kerry-litka.com/main/wordpress/ by Kerry Litka, a former (female) pro cyclist for Terry. She is very petite too. ("freakishly small since 1976") tokie (at 5'1.5" I tower over you guys, and am still surprised when people refer to me as short. My motto is "being tall is overrated")