However, you still need to be able to have your feet on the ground when stopped on any bike. So standover height is important for that. If I can't put my feet on the ground while standing over the bike it's not something I would ever be comfortable riding. So you must consider standover height and eliminate anything that does not come in a size that will work for you. Now for someone who is say 5'4 they have a lot more options than someone who is 5'. For me if the smallest bike a company builds is 70cm or larger it is not worth my time to even look at that company because the bike is too big for me to ride. So yes for a short person, esp with short legs, it is going to be one of the first things I look at to make sure it's under 70cm before going any further. Once you find the bikes in the range that can work then start looking at other things and see how it fits. But if you are not comfortable getting on or off the bike you'll never ride that bike. I have already gone through this with a bike that was too big. I couldn't stand over it and I basically never road it.