Nice ride report.

I'm 5"2 and ride a 14" mtb. You are probably in the correct range with the 16".

Glad to hear you ordered knickers. I *love* knickers and knee-warmers. I'm a big fan of keeping the knees warm!

Yes knobbies make an interesting "brrrrrzzz" sound on pavement. If you are also going to dash onto trail along the way (or commute on pavement to get to the trails) you might consider semi-slicks. They are really meant for racing on hardpack, but they have less annoying knobby "brrrrrrzzz" on pavement, with knobs on the edges for cornering on dirt.

Happy riding