Dangerous Knowledge -- apparently Cannondale DOES make a size small 29er!

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Their website does not reflect this, but our LBS owner confirmed that he actually has at least one size small Trail SL (not sure if it's 2, 3, 4, etc.) in the shop fleet...oh dear. He did point out that it's not "small" enough for a lot of riders, though, so it may still be a better idea for me to not get my hopes up that a 29er will work as well for me as a 26er. I'm just under 5'4" with a 30" inseam, so sort of in that area where a lot of 29ers are not going to be as ideal. I'll definitely have to ride both the 29er and 26er model of the bike to see.

I think DH is now well and truly frightened of me going to the bike shop any time soon.

[jessmarimba]

Definitely awaiting your review! I'd heard rumors that one was in planning but they couldn't figure out how to "shrink" their normal 29ers.

(random and off-topic, I rode a 26 inch bike yesterday for the first time in 2 years and it felt SO weird. No clearance! No power! And I was pedaling furiously downhill to keep up with someone coasting down on a 29er...but that could've been the crazy headwind, too. He had about 50 pounds on me.)

[jessmarimba]

Also more dangerous knowledge for you - Niner now makes the EMD (my bike) in an XS. Might still be pushing it depending on your proportions, but specs are here: http://www.ninerbikes.com/emd9

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My biggest worry is toe overlap, to be honest. I am relatively small, but I have disproportionately large/WIDE feet and like to have my cleats back a bit from the ball of my foot, so toe overlap exists on my road and CX bikes. On the road bike it's really not an issue, but it can be on the CX bike. If I had it on a 29er that would likely be a deal-breaker for me.

Not sure when I'm going to be able to test ride. It's sort of a non-issue until we can figure out how to budget for this bike, anyhow. DH sort of wanted a new CX bike (right now his CX bike is an old franken-biked Trek hybrid), but he does already have a road bike, a mtn. bike, and a fat bike. I have sort of lost my somewhat-too-small mountain bike to my 11 year old son, so I'm really down to just a road bike and a CX bike. And it doesn't really work for a family of 3 to only have 2 mountain bikes, especially when all 3 of us are looking at doing a 6-12 hour mountain-bike relay race in Aug. (DH would be on a 12 hour team and DS and I are thinking about doing a 6 hour team if we can find 2 others).

[Aggie_Ama]

I am 5'2.5" and have 29" inseam and ride a 29er. Specialized's 29er is a 15.5", which is perfect for me. They don't corner/take switchbacks as nimbly as a 26er but their advantages far outweigh the disadvantages IMO. Even with the tight cornering and size 9 feet I have never been able to have toe overlap.

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I am 5'2.5" and have 29" inseam and ride a 29er. Specialized's 29er is a 15.5", which is perfect for me. They don't corner/take switchbacks as nimbly as a 26er but their advantages far outweigh the disadvantages IMO. Even with the tight cornering and size 9 feet I have never been able to have toe overlap.

Interesting! I think the Cannondale small would be about a 15ish equivalent, too. My feet are an 8 wide and I wear size 40 men's shoes...so very similar to you. I'm really looking forward to trying one of these bikes, though it may have to wait until closer to Fall, money-wise. By then I'll be able to see what's out for 2013, too. I'd hate to pull the trigger now, then see something more suitable in a couple of months.

[iskrapi]

Also more dangerous knowledge for you - Niner now makes the EMD (my bike) in an XS. Might still be pushing it depending on your proportions, but specs are here: http://www.ninerbikes.com/emd9

I own a EMD 9 size XS. I stand 5ft 1in and the standover is comparable to my Santa Cruz Juliana size S. I don't experience any toe overlap. We set it up with a short stem (70mm) so the reach will be shorter. I think you should look into this model.

[ShutUpLegs]

I own a EMD 9 size XS. I stand 5ft 1in and the standover is comparable to my Santa Cruz Juliana size S. I don't experience any toe overlap. We set it up with a short stem (70mm) so the reach will be shorter. I think you should look into this model.

This is a nice bike!! I may have to check out some Niner dealers. What's your inseam?

[iskrapi]

This is a nice bike!! I may have to check out some Niner dealers. What's your inseam?

My inseam is 29in. but slightly longer with my bike shoes on.

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Cool beans...we're going to be down by our LBS (which is an hour away, so not really all that local) tomorrow for my DH's company picnic, so he actually suggested that we stop in for me to see about fit on the Small Trail SL 29er. If it works, then I'd probably consider that before the new women's Tango 29er coming out soon. I could probably score a deal on the Trail SL in-stock once our LBS drops the price when the 2013s are released.

[iskrapi]

Good Luck, I hope the Small Trail SL 29er fits you so you can join the Big Wheels Family soon.

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Got to see the Trail SL 29er in person, today. The small is definitely not low enough through the top tube. I could straddle it, but with NO clearance, whatsoever. I think I'll really like the Tango, once I'm able to give one of those a looksee.

[jessmarimba]

I hope so. I can't remember, is Trek off the list b/c of money? Seems like you like to be stretched out a bit more than I do and I remember their bikes fitting me except for the reach. I do remember that the one I tried, the ONLY difference between mens and womens was standover (I don't know how they made that work, mathematically).

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Trek is off the list simply because our LBS doesn't carry them...and we are eligible for a 20% Cannondale discount due to our affiliation with the JDRF. It's worth it for that, alone.