Need advise on 2 bikes

[thekarens]

I would have been okay not reaching the ground from the saddle, but I couldn't reach it straddling the top bar on the bike frame! I would have needed a stool to mount the bike! As it is on my bike, I'm tippy toes reaching from the saddle (and will probably raise it a bit more when I'm not preggo and slightly- or very- awkward), but at least when I get off I can reach the ground with the frame still under me!

Yeah, if you can't straddle it out of the saddle that's a major problem.

[Catrin]

Agreed, if you can't straddle the top tube of the bike then they are trying to sell you a MUCH too large bike to get it out of their inventory. Unless the bike is designed that way, we normally can't touch the ground when we are on the saddle, but the top tube is a very different story.

[estronat]

I recently purchased a 2014 Specialized Vita Comp in an XS frame. That's the only size I could straddle while standing over the bike. I too was looking at the FX (7.5) but felt I got a better fit with the Vita, plus the bike shop spent a good 2 hours with me measuring angles and getting everything set up so I could accurately test out the rides between a 's' size frame and the 'xs' size frame. The Trek bike shop didn't do anything more than adjust seat height. I went with the Specialized as the whole experience was just better and the XS frame was the right size for me.