Originally posted by stu42j
I am trying to help find a new road bike for my girlfriend. She is 5 feet tall with an inseam about 28 inches. Her legs are proportionately very short compared to her torso. It seems like the WSD bikes are designed for women with longer legs and shorter torsos.

Are there any similarly proportioned women that could give me some advice on how to help her find the right bike?
stu-
I am a "similarly proportioned" woman. I'm just under 5' tall and my in-seam is about 28". I ride a 47cm Trek (WSD) road bike and it fits me pretty well. Not being an "off-the-rack" sized body, I'm used to making sacrifices for fit. I did have the bike custom fit to me and I have shorter cranks and a short stem. They also had to do some custom work to bring the break levers closer to the bar because my hands are so short.

I tried lots of bikes before I found the one that I bought. Each manufacturer measures their bikes differently and the geometry is different. So a 47cm on one bike fits differently than a 47 on another.

I'd suggest trying lots of bikes. Find a LBS that offers good service and lots of lines of bikes. Have her ride a few on a trainer for a while to see how they feel. The time spent on finding the right bike is definitely worth it!