Fast, comfy ride for a 5'0 woman?

[broken_cynic]

I'm hoping to build or buy a bike for my wife sometime in Dec/Jan. She isn't a dedicated rider yet, but as I have started riding more she has enjoyed tagging along on the weekends and I want to get her on a good ride in hopes that she will stick with it. She has started to talk about doing some long-distance touring in the future, which would be great!

If I could afford/justify a Rivendell Glorius it would be at the top of my list, but my pockets simply aren't that deep right now. I'd like to stay south of a thousand dollars... or at least within shouting distance north of it. A week ago I had pretty well settled on a Surly Long Haul Trucker built up in poor-man's-Rivendell-style, but several things made it clear that I was trying to set her up with a bike that I would like without a clear idea what she wanted.

Not having ridden much, nor being one to go read every forum and site on the subject, she's not sure what exactly she wants. Initially she only told me that she wanted something faster than my Rans Fusion. When I realized I wasn't clear on either what she was looking for or on what might fit best and that maybe the LHT was more my choice than hers, I went looking at all sorts of options. While I was compiling a lengthy list of possible bikes I gave her a list of bike attributes and asked her to rank them in order of importance to her. This was the result:

1 - portability/weight
2 - speed
3 - around-town comfort (wider saddle, more upright position, easier to ride slow and see traffic)
4 - ability to handle rough roads without discomfort or mechanical problems
5 - reliability (needs maintenance/repair less often)
6 - long-distance comfort (more aerodynamic, more rideable for hours at a time)
7 - utility (ability to carry things)
8 - simplicity (related to reliability, but a complex bike can be reliable with good components)
9 - quiet
10 - style (looks, character, uniqueness)

Based on her priorities (and trimming out those that didn't come small enough for someone 5'0 tall to even consider,) I still ended up with a pretty wide variety of options:

SS/Fixed - IRO Heidi, Redline 925
Urban - Dahon Mu XL Sport, Masi Soulville Mixte, Swobo Dixon (step-through)
Road Sport - Soma Smoothie ES
CX/Commute/Do-it-all - Surly Cross-Check, Soma Double Cross, Salsa Casseroll Triple, Masi Speciale CX, Pake C'Mute, Bianchi Volpe
Touring - Surly Long Haul Trucker, Jamis Aurora, Dahon Speed TR

My impression from watching the choices she makes as she rides, what she does and doesn't like about the Rans and her list of priorities... is that she would be happy on a singlespeed or fixie, but having never ridden one she is less than enthusiastic about that idea. She likes the idea of the Dahon folders, but compared to a standard bike they are just as heavy or more so and they appear to be of lower quality components and construction than the others on the list.

As you can see from my list, Trek/Cannondale/Specialized/etc... aren't my thing. I won't be foolishly obstinate if the right bike happens to be from a big name, but I might drag my feet a little!

Of course, there is always they used route, I would be especially happy with a Rivendell Bleriot/Saluki or a nice old steel mixte, but I'm not sure how hard it would be to find something appropriate in her size in good time. I suspect that I will buy something reasonable and 'normal' (ie: from the road/commute/touring categories) for now and then look for deals on a mixte frame and perhaps a fixie for later on.

Comments? Especially regarding bikes for short folks?

[Eden]

Looking at her list of important things, if I were you I'd probably see if she's interested in a flat bar roadie first. While that type of bike may not in the end be the best for long distance touring it would really fit the 5 more important items on your wife's list. Maybe a Jamis Coda, or a Trek 7.5FX wsd. If she starts to ride more and really becomes interested in long distance touring then look for a better/more expensive bike.

A CX bike, which would also probably be a good fit to the list, will unfortunately likely be a difficult fit for someone who is 5 feet tall. If she's got a long reach/torso she might be able to find a cross bike that fits, but most of us are who this tall (I am...) have a hard time. Remember that because the sizes are measured by seat tube, and cross bikes have a higher bottom bracket the smallest sizes usually have a top tube as long as the next larger sized road bike. So a person who rides a 44cm road bike will usually not fit a 43 or 44cm cross bike.

btw - I definitely think you should drop any problems with bigger name bikes - note the *least* most important thing to your wife was having a unique bike.... find something that she wants and likes not you....

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

1 - portability/weight
2 - speed
3 - around-town comfort (wider saddle, more upright position, easier to ride slow and see traffic)
4 - ability to handle rough roads without discomfort or mechanical problems
5 - reliability (needs maintenance/repair less often)
6 - long-distance comfort (more aerodynamic, more rideable for hours at a time)
7 - utility (ability to carry things)
8 - simplicity (related to reliability, but a complex bike can be reliable with good components)
9 - quiet
10 - style (looks, character, uniqueness)

As you can see from my list, Trek/Cannondale/Specialized/etc... aren't my thing. I won't be foolishly obstinate if the right bike happens to be from a big name, but I might drag my feet a little!

Of course, there is always they used route, I would be especially happy with a Rivendell Bleriot/Saluki or a nice old steel mixte, but I'm not sure how hard it would be to find something appropriate in her size in good time. I suspect that I will buy something reasonable and 'normal' (ie: from the road/commute/touring categories) for now and then look for deals on a mixte frame and perhaps a fixie for later on.
Comments? Especially regarding bikes for short folks?

Ok, my comments (as a Rivendell family...we have 3...and also a custom steel Luna bike rider):
Looking at the list you and your wife have compiled, it seems to run the gamut of every good quality every bike has ever had: fast, lightweight, able to load for touring, upright position, style, long distance comfort, aerodynamic, takes wider tires for rough roads.....
I don't really see that there is any bike that emphasizes all those things in one package. Some bikes have some of those qualities to one extent or another, some lean more heavily on others.
Rivendells will have you more upright, load-able, long distance comfort, wider tires...but they won't be very lightweight or especially aerodynamic and fast.
Lighter weight faster bikes will not be as able to load for touring and will be less liable to take wide tires or get into an upright position (bars at same height as saddle), nor will they likely be as comfy for long distances.

I don't know where you live or the hill situation there, but the idea of putting a relatively novice woman rider on a single speed to possibly do light touring in the future does not seem to compute to me.

Then there is the price factor. $1000 is your limit for a frame, or for a whole bike? And then what level of components are you thinking of? Here's a useful list of Shimano component levels:
shimano levels
A Glorious is indeed a lovely, comfortable, and useful bike, but it's not especially light or fast if those are the top two priorities to your wife. It's also not likely within the price range (close to it if used, but honestly not that likely).

Your wife's relatively shorter height pose an additional factor that needs to be considered. Your idea of 650B wheels is a good one. A smaller used Terry road bike would be a good bet.
Do you know if your wife has the kinds of proportions that would make a women's specific geometry advisable? (longer legs but shorter torso and arms)

Gosh, there's a whole lot of stuff that comes into play here!

I'm thinking that eventually your wife might want two bikes- one for long distance comfort and touring, and one for shorter faster fun rides. This is pretty much how I am winding up- setting my Rambouillet up for loaded touring/errands/shopping with a rack, and using my slightly lighter Luna for everyday pleasure riding.

One good move would be to take her to various bike shops and just start doing a bunch of test rides and take notes on how the various bikes feel.
This is a really valuable step that can save you both a lot of grief later on, whether you buy any of those test ridden bikes or not. It will help give her the ability to recognize when something is not quite right about a bike's fit, geometry, or size. That's something that even bike-savvy male observers simply can't feel for her, no matter how good they are at fitting people.

Hope some of this helps.

[xeney]

Before I even saw your list of possibilities I was going to suggest a Soma Smoothie, although not the ES. A friend who owns a bike shop built one up for his 5'0 wife. It will do most of the things you ask and you can build it up within your price range if you are careful.

[broken_cynic]

To clarify, the idea behind the list of priorities was to find out what was most important to her, not to find a bike that encompassed all of the attributes (I made up the list and she prioritized it.) So the way Eden interpreted it was the way I have been using it: the top 5 items are the things I'm really focusing on. Also, I wasn't very clear about this in the initial post, but although long-distance touring is a future goal, we agree that it's not necessary to buy the bike to do that with right off the bat. That and the fact that we currently live on the very flat gulf coast of Mississippi should make the single speed idea sound at least a little more reasonable.

Yes, I do need to remove my blinders regarding big name bikes. If I were being more honest, the Trek 7.5FX and Jamis Coda should certainly be on the list. However both of us do have fairly strong feelings about quality vs brand identity and if it is possible to find a bike that fits her from a small company we feel better about supporting then we will both be happier. Given that, how do the Trek and the Jamis compare to the Soma Smoothie ES, or is that not a fair comparison at all?

I was not aware of the sizing differences between road and cyclocross frames, that does throw an additional wrench in the works. While the flat roads are nice, one of the (many) downsides to our location is a distinct lack of quality bike shops. The Trek 7.5FX is the only model we have considered that is carried locally. We have an hour's drive to anywhere that has a Surly or even a Jamis in stock (and none that I have tracked down yet in her size.) Buying a frame sight unseen will be quite a gamble.

Part of the reason that not everything on my list seems to fit the light and fast items that my wife listed as top priorities is that I am filtering those requirements through the other things she has said. Taken alone that would lead me to an all-out road bike, but I know that is not the answer she is looking for.

I hope to buy a whole bike for $1000 or to build one up for not too much more than that. I am aiming for 105-level components (Shimano or otherwise) on the important bits and I'm not at all worried about a matched set. The suggestion of a used Terry road bike is a good one, but I wonder if it is any more likely than a used Glorius? I wasn't familiar with Luna, they're beautiful frames, but also out of my price range!

My wife does have longer legs relative to her torso, but not extremely so. We'll have to go have her try the WSD and non-WSD versions of the Trek FX bikes at the LBS and see which fit suits her better. Hopefully they will be test-ride friendly!

[withm]

If it's flat where you live, you probably have wind. I'd get a fully geared bike for a first bike. And if she is unused to riding much, or long distances, the more gears the better. I live at sea level, and use all 3 chain rings routinely.

If you want her to enjoy riding with you or other presumed roadies, she will never be happy with a fixie, nor able to keep up.

What kind of bikes has she tried out so far? SHE MUST test ride them before you buy. And she should try a variety, from fixies to a couple high end carbon or aluminum road bikes just so she can appreciate the differences from one to the other and see what technology is available at different price points. Using the extremes will help her to narrow the type of bike she wants, then you can start looking in your price range.

Honestly the Trek FX series is a really good choice, and lots of TE members ride them for errands tricked out with panniers, or just as long distance road rides. I almost bought one myself a couple years ago but chose instead a bike with dropped bars.

Later, if she wants another bike (and she probably will if you did well with the 1st one) then look for the other stuff - fixie, single speed, folders, or touring.

Good luck

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

+1

[Geonz]

IMO the 7.5FX is a really wonderful bike. I have a 7500FX which is what they used to call 'em and it gets a few thousand miles a year

Sounds like she wants riding to be simple... be able to handle different terrain without riding differently, etc. I think the FX does a good job of putting "all purpose" into a light bike. I love my fast wheels!

The other nifty thing is that as she gets more comfortable, she can just get skinnier tires for instant speed but different handling.

[broken_cynic]

First, something I should have said in my first follow-up:thank you all for your considered responses!

If it's flat where you live, you probably have wind. I'd get a fully geared bike for a first bike. And if she is unused to riding much, or long distances, the more gears the better. I live at sea level, and use all 3 chain rings routinely.

If you want her to enjoy riding with you or other presumed roadies, she will never be happy with a fixie, nor able to keep up.

Surprisingly, wind generally isn't bad around here, though I'm told it gets worse later in the winter (we haven't spent a whole year here yet. I'm not sure how seriously to take the threat of wind though as this is coming from folks who think 40 is cold. ) She also wouldn't have to keep up with a pack of roadies as we generally ride by ourselves or with a very casual crew. I'm either on a 29'er MTB turned commuter or a fixed gear road bike myself so I'm not a speed demon. That said, this:

Later, if she wants another bike (and she probably will if you did well with the 1st one) then look for the other stuff - fixie, single speed, folders, or touring.

is dead on and is a point well taken.

What kind of bikes has she tried out so far? SHE MUST test ride them before you buy. And she should try a variety, from fixies to a couple high end carbon or aluminum road bikes just so she can appreciate the differences from one to the other and see what technology is available at different price points. Using the extremes will help her to narrow the type of bike she wants, then you can start looking in your price range.

Honestly the Trek FX series is a really good choice, and lots of TE members ride them for errands tricked out with panniers, or just as long distance road rides. I almost bought one myself a couple years ago but chose instead a bike with dropped bars.

There is the biggest problem. Because of her size and because of the limited selection at local bike stores, we have to drive an hour and a half to New Orleans to find anything that doesn't say Trek, Specialized or Sun on it (Well, aside from Next/Mongoose/Huffy/Magna/etc... but those don't count!) let alone anything that fits. Even in New Orleans, bikes her size are pretty rare.

We may end up at with the 7.5FX by default. It was one of the first I found and one of the only ones available locally and I know it is a solid bike. I just want to see what else is out there first!

[SouthernBelle]

Another thing you might want to do is after she test rides several bikes, then look for used.

But she really does need to test ride.

[Triskeliongirl]

Get her a used terry classic or madeleine, probably size 17.5", made from 2001-2006 (9 spd, steel). Madeleine will be lighter and have better componenets, the 2003-2006 models were made with reynolds 853 steel which has a high strength to weight ratio, and they all have eyelets for a front and rear rack and fenders, flat bar w click shifters, and a wide range of tires sizes from racing to touring. The small front wheel will make a huge difference in fit for a short women (allows proportional sized top tube). Without knowing her cycling inseam, she could need a 16". I have tables with frame geometries if you PM me.

[VeloVT]

Everyone has valid points.

If you can find one small enough, I think a CX bike would be a great choice. More relaxed, comfy for commuting and errands, but slap on some skinny tires and it's basically a road bike.

I have a Bianchi Axis that I use for that purpose and I love, love, love it. I also love my lighter and more aggressive road bike, but for riding in traffic. with a backpack, etc, the CX bike is definitaly a winner. Plus cx tires/canti brakes are nice in sloppy weather. It is super, super comfortable. I'm not especially small though, at 5'6", and so it wasn't too difficult to find a good fit.

[Tokie]

I too recommend test riding - especially for a short woman, it is essential! I have had several bikes in the past - all too big with poor geometry - once she gets on a good fit with good geometry, it will be easy for her to decide! sometimes it is worth it to take a day to visit several dealers in a bigger town! Good luck (ps I third the notion that she will enjoy a bike with at least 3 gears over a single speed - alot!) Tokie

[Crankin]

I am 5 ft. 1 inch and I bought a Jamis Coda wsd 44 cm last winter. I use the bike for errands and short road rides in the winter. The longest ride I did on it was 45 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. I have one pannier on it.
This is billed as a flat bar road bike, but compared to my 15 pound Kuota, it feels like a tank. However, it rides like a dream and easily gets up my 15% grade driveway, fully loaded with stuff in the pannier, with the mountain gearing it has.
Several people on this list have the Coda and don't feel that it is as heavy as I do.
I would recommend it as a first bike only because it's cheap (400 or so) and well made, plus has a nice range of gears. You can always upgrade to a better bike later and keep this one for other purposes like I do.

[broken_cynic]

Test rides: I'd love to give her the chance to try out everything from recumbent trikes to long-tail cargo bikes to carbon fiber roadies, but there isn't much of a selection around here, let alone in her size, never mind shops who offer test rides. So while I get the message, there's not much I can do. However, I will post on the local riders' message board asking who might be willing to let her ride whatever they have. Maybe we should make a trip to New Orleans over the Thanksgiving weekend instead of driving to Tennessee and back!

The used Terry sounds like an excellent idea if we are fortunate enough to find one small enough. Any idea where they might best be found (is there something akin to the Rivendell owners group for Terry?)

I'm not going to stick her with a singlespeed unless that's what she decides she wants, but I have to disagree with the idea that even three speeds is better than one! Three speeds only works on a slow, cushy cruiser while a singlespeed road frame can be a very fast and capable ride. Seeing as I use one gear on my 1x9 mtb almost exclusively and am building two different fixed gear bikes I might be a little biased, but I don't know of any three speed bicycles of that would be faster than the Bianchi San Jose (more of a singlespeed CX bike than a track bike) I recently sold. A better grocery getter maybe, but not appropriate when the two top priorities on my wife's list are speed and light weight. (Ok, getting down off my soapbox now... )

With feedback from here and elsewhere, here is my list as it currently stands:

Bikes that look like they might fit stock:
Soma Smoothie
Trek 7.5FX
Felt ZW30
IRO Heidi

Used: Terry Isis/Madeleine/Symmetry

Bikes that appear to be a stretch (maybe w/ 650B wheels?)
Bianchi Volpe/Axis
Surly Long Haul Trucker/Cross-Check
Jamis Aurora, Quest/Satellite/Coda
Soma Double Cross
Salsa Casseroll Triple
Giant FCR 1 W

Dahon is still a distant possibility, but I have two negative impressions from my reading: they are heavy (an understandable compromise for the convenience of folding, but folding isn't a big advantage in our case) and they seem to have lower quality components/build than most of the other bikes I am considering.

The Jamis Quest/Satellite/Coda are available as women's specific geometry frames... but on the website they are only shown with the lowest level of components from the respective men's line. Anyone know off hand if you can order say, a Coda Elite in a 'Femme Model?'