I am not quite as short as you, but do have the stubby leg syndrome (sp?) - I think the deSoto tri shorts are great - don't have them coming down to my knees

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http://www.clevetriclub.com

rob reddy

You can determine your ideal frame size by measuring your inseam and multiplying by .67. This site shows you how to do it properly. It's a two person job to take measurements. That's a place to start. A number of manufacturers make bikes for shorter folks. 650 wheels instead of 700 may even be an option. I assume you're looking for a road bike.

One good place to look for a secondhand bike is ebay. Another is the classifieds on roadbikereview.com. You can also read reviews of individual models there.

First read this and figure out your frame size and we can go from there.

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/

Thanks for all the help so far, I am not sure yet road v. tri bike but 650 wheels is what Ill end up with either way... And unless someone tells me otherwise I will start looking for a good deal on teh desotos

thanks, and any more input is of course always appreciated!

The smallest sized frames that use 700 wheels are usually 48 cm, so you may not necessarily have to go to 650 wheels,although it is an option. At your height you'd possibly fit a 48cm size. Nothing wrong with 650 though.

If you're new to triathlon and fairly new to cycling, I'd strongly recommend getting a road bike over a tri bike. Road bikes are far more versatile, climb better and handle better. Join a roadie group and learn some biking skills. For tris get a pair of shorty aero bars and you're all set. If you like tri then get a tri bike later. All tri bikes are good for is training solo or racing tri/TT.

Good luck with it.

Finding a bike that is short enough is not really the problem, it's finding a bike that has the right length top tube while being short enough is what you should be aiming for. I'm 5' 3 1/2", inseam of about 28 and I ride a 48cm Felt, but just because that bike fits me doesn't mean that it will fit you. I've got a longer body with gorrilla arm's (as my bike fitter pointed out). Some bikes have shorter top tubes, Quintana Roo comes to mind. Getting the reach correct while still having the correct weight distribution over the wheels seems to be the ultimate goal of fitting on a tri bike. A tri-bike for you will probably be a 650 but there are plenty of road bikes that should fit the have 700 wheels.

If you are just getting into triathlons, there is nothing wrong with starting with a road bike or even a mountain bike untill you know that you are going to stay with the sport.

As for other items, I like Desoto tri shorts and aero tops, volar fits great too.

One thing that I learned about running is that I can't take as big of steps as someone that is 6 foot tall so keep the steps short and train you cadence to be over 180 steps/min.

The wind is your friend cuz it doesn't hurt you as much on the bike as someone taller.

Good luck

jaretj