Did some test riding today!

[Trek420]

4'11 rider chimes in. I test rode the LHT and the snappier Pacer. Knot used to have a Crosscheck. The LHT is very stable. I would not say it's slow but my LBS said "The longer you ride it the more you'll like it". In other words, great for loaded touring. The fit was great. I would probably swap the brake levers for something that fit my tiny mousey paws but reliable, stable, workhorse. A very nice bike.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=17451

On the Pacer I felt stretched out like on a rack. Long top tube in my size and even tried down a notch. Rode a few blocks and just said "nope".

Knott initially loved her Crosscheck. Zippy, fast and fun. At some point she bought a Soma Buena Vista frame and transfered everything over from Surly to Soma. So the exact same bike, just different frame. The difference in speed was immediate. So scientific proof: Soma frame may be faster. Now we're a 2 Buena Vista family and can attest; don't let the girly mixte thing fool you. This is a fast, light bike.

[Jolt]

4'11 rider chimes in. I test rode the LHT and the snappier Pacer. Knot used to have a Crosscheck. The LHT is very stable. I would not say it's slow but my LBS said "The longer you ride it the more you'll like it". In other words, great for loaded touring. The fit was great. I would probably swap the brake levers for something that fit my tiny mousey paws but reliable, stable, workhorse. A very nice bike.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=17451

On the Pacer I felt stretched out like on a rack. Long top tube in my size and even tried down a notch. Rode a few blocks and just said "nope".

Knott initially loved her Crosscheck. Zippy, fast and fun. At some point she bought a Soma Buena Vista frame and transfered everything over from Surly to Soma. So the exact same bike, just different frame. The difference in speed was immediate. So scientific proof: Soma frame may be faster. Now we're a 2 Buena Vista family and can attest; don't let the girly mixte thing fool you. This is a fast, light bike.

Well, I have emailed the seller for more info. She states in her ad that she is 5' 2" and the bike is a 46cm, so hopefully it will fit me too (though I have heard a lot of people that height ride the 42, so it's hard to say). I think I need to at least go check it out and see if it will work for my intended purposes. Given that I am not exactly a speed demon in any discipline (running, swimming, biking etc.) it very well may be fine. It also depends on what she is looking to get for a price...it's one of those "make an offer" type ads so I will have to be prepared to negotiate if I decide I want it.

ETA: This bike has 26" wheels which is likely a good thing proportion-wise but I have heard they are a lot slower than 700c, is this true or a bunch of baloney?

[emily_in_nc]

ETA: This bike has 26" wheels which is likely a good thing proportion-wise but I have heard they are a lot slower than 700c, is this true or a bunch of baloney?

Bunch of baloney. I was quite fast on my Aegis Swift with 650c wheels and could keep up with most of the faster women in our club -- not the uber-fast racers, but I could average a solid 15-17 mph (and occasionally higher with pacelining etc.) when I was well-trained and riding that very speedy bike. Of course, it was a lightweight carbon bike. I am quite a bit slower now on my Trek Pilot (also full carbon) but am also 10 years older. But the Pilot has 700c wheels -- if they are faster than my old 650s, I haven't noticed!

On a touring type bike, I don't think it's going to make much difference; it's not likely to be a speed demon no matter what. Also, I am 5'2" and after checking the geometry, I know there's no way I could ride the 46cm LHT. YMMV, but the 42 cm would have to be the one for me -- and my Trek Pilot is a 47 cm.

Still, it doesn't hurt to check and try. I know a lot of gals my size ride larger-framed bikes, but they don't work for me. My old Terry Isis was a 17.5" frame (equivalent to 44.5 cm, if I remember correctly) and fit me perfectly.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Jolt]

Bunch of baloney. I was quite fast on my Aegis Swift with 650c wheels and could keep up with most of the faster women in our club -- not the uber-fast racers, but I could average a solid 15-17 mph (and occasionally higher with pacelining etc.) when I was well-trained and riding that very speedy bike. Of course, it was a lightweight carbon bike. I am quite a bit slower now on my Trek Pilot (also full carbon) but am also 10 years older. But the Pilot has 700c wheels -- if they are faster than my old 650s, I haven't noticed!

On a touring type bike, I don't think it's going to make much difference; it's not likely to be a speed demon no matter what. Also, I am 5'2" and after checking the geometry, I know there's no way I could ride the 46cm LHT. YMMV, but the 42 cm would have to be the one for me -- and my Trek Pilot is a 47 cm.

Still, it doesn't hurt to check and try. I know a lot of gals my size ride larger-framed bikes, but they don't work for me. My old Terry Isis was a 17.5" frame (equivalent to 44.5 cm, if I remember correctly) and fit me perfectly.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Good to know about the wheel size not being a real issue (now, the "engine" on the other hand...THAT might be!). I do think the smaller wheels are more in proportion on such a small frame but not sure how much difference that really makes in handling etc. Just out of curiosity, what about the geometry wouldn't work for you on the 46cm? That has me a little nervous, but OTOH the person selling it is also 5' 2" (and if standover was your problem, that's not an issue at all for me). The shop I went into on Monday that sells Surlys seemed inclined to put me on a 46 and not a 42 (but didn't have either size in stock, for either the LHT or CC), but that wasn't based on any measurements, just on the woman seeing me. I got an email this evening with some pictures of the bike, it looks to be in good shape and the price she is willing to sell it for is very reasonable. But, we'll see if it fits and I like it...assuming I don't end up finding something great at the swap tomorrow morning instead.

[emily_in_nc]

Just out of curiosity, what about the geometry wouldn't work for you on the 46cm? That has me a little nervous, but OTOH the person selling it is also 5' 2" (and if standover was your problem, that's not an issue at all for me).

For me it was both the standover (I would have zero clearance over the top tube) and the effective top tube length. I have long femurs and always have to use a setback seatpost, thus increasing the ETT length. So I have always needed a ETT less than 20". But definitely, since standover is not a problem for you, you should try it. Your inseam is longer than mine, which should mean that you have a shorter torso, but that doesn't mean your arms are shorter -- and you might be more flexible in the hips and lower back than I am and be able to handle a more stretched out cockpit.

[Jolt]

Well, the bike swap this morning was a bust...nothing in my size that I was interested in. There was a nice Volpe but it was a 49cm and too big (darn!!). We'll see how things go with the Surly this evening.

[Sky King]

We'd probably put you on a 46 in Surly if you visited us in Boise , I think a 42 would be to small with your PBH. Suppleness of your tire is going to have way more affect on "speed" than the tire size. As already noted, a 26 or a 650B with a nice tire is going to roll just as well, if not better than a 700. A bike your size with a 700 would make for major toe overlap. - Have you read any of Georgina Terry's stuff regarding bike fit? She is a wealth of information, especially for shorter individuals
Good Luck, look forward to hearing what you came up with!

[Jolt]

Well, I went and saw/rode the bike, it fit and the price was right so I pulled the trigger . The only bummer is that because I wrote a check instead of bringing cash (should have known better, it's not like this was the first time I've done something on Craigslist) we ended up agreeing to wait for the check to clear and then she will deliver the bike to me later in the week when she has a free evening. I had offered to come pick it up once the check cleared but she will bring it here so I don't have to make another trip. Kind of disappointed that I didn't get to bring it home tonight, but it will be here soon enough. Then the fun will begin!

ETA: Sky King, I think you're right that the 42 would have been too small...the saddle would probably have ended up way above handlebar height which would be really awkward on that kind of bike!

[emily_in_nc]

Alright, Jolt! Very happy that it fit and looks like it will work out just fine for you. Only sorry you didn't get to bring it home. Craigslist is pretty much a cash-only enterprise, in my experience. I've sold two touring kayaks and several bikes that way (and bought a couple cruiser bikes as well), and it was always a cash situation. Hope your seller is an honest person and follows through as promised on the deal...

[Jolt]

Yeah, I goofed by not bringing cash, and I can hardly believe I am being trusting enough to make the arrangement we did. She seems like a nice, regular honest person though, and it's great that she offered to deliver it so I don't have to make the drive down there again (about an hour each way).

[Crankin]

Congrats, Jolt.
Too bad you don't still live close enough so we could ride!

[Jolt]

Yeah, will work on finding some people this spring/summer to ride with. It's too bad our AMC chapter doesn't have the weekly show and go rides. Tomorrow I will be heading up to the Portland area in the afternoon/early evening and will probably swing by one of the bike shops (Back Bay, since they were the most helpful when I was test riding) to pick up a better lock and some new bar tape (the tape that's on the bike is a little torn, and anyway it's black tape on a black bike so I think it should be replaced with something more colorful) and ask about their shop rides. The other shops have rides too, but a lot of them seem geared more toward major hammerfests while this one looks more likely to have something I can do (and enjoy).