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Bikes for hobbits
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Are there brands that are better for smaller riders? Girlfriendā€™s Shiv is a good bike but itā€™s not been a great fit for a 5ā€™ rider, and sheā€™s looking to move on to something new. Suggestions? Sheā€™s having a retul fit done next weekend.
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [TJP_SBR] [ In reply to ]
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TJP_SBR wrote:
Are there brands that are better for smaller riders? Girlfriendā€™s Shiv is a good bike but itā€™s not been a great fit for a 5ā€™ rider, and sheā€™s looking to move on to something new. Suggestions? Sheā€™s having a retul fit done next weekend.

My wife is 5'4" and has been very happy on an older 48cm Cervelo P2 with 650c wheels. If/when she needs to replace, I would urge her to look at the XS Premier Tactical. (https://www.premierbike.com/...row-triathlon-bike); it's a hell of a lot of bike, fully-loaded, and at a competitive price.
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [TJP_SBR] [ In reply to ]
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my wife is 5'1" with a longer reach than typical women's fit, she was given a slim choice of a pre-2015 cervelo (with 650c) or quintana roo. She ended up getting lucky on craigslist with a 2014 P3. Of course, it should not be about brands, it's about the fit. I'm sure she would have had more recommendations with a shorter reach. Although, it may be worth checking out Liv, I think the only women's specific brand out there these days.

808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [TJP_SBR] [ In reply to ]
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My wife is 5ā€™0ā€ and rode an older Cervelo P2C with 650c wheels. Liked it a lot, still riding it on the trainer, but after flatting on a Century rider and having to quit because no SAG had a 650 tire, she wanted a new bike.

We got her a bike fit, and sheā€™s now riding a newer 48cm Cervelo P2 with 700ā€™s and 155 cranks. The stand-over is kind of close - she canā€™t use a top tube bag, but loves the feel of the bike.

I'm closer to the feathered end of the spear than the point.
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [TJP_SBR] [ In reply to ]
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If I was looking for a new bike that happen to have 700C wheels I'd be looking at the Felt IA and the Cervelo P2.

I wish the bike companies would realize that they don't make a bike small enough for a lot of people. If they only want to make 700C bike then at least make one with a higher bottom bracket so those of us with short legs can get the bars low enough in relation to the BB. As small as we are we don't need to worry about raising the center of gravity.

I'm almost tempted to put blocks on my pedals, they'd have to be aero and made of carbon though :)

Dan...are you hearing this?
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [TJP_SBR] [ In reply to ]
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Canyon? Frodo rides one...
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [Trauma] [ In reply to ]
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pad stack of 553 is 60mm higher than where I'm at now, don't know if that would work for the OP

Edit the CF SLX is 25mm higher than where I'm at now
Last edited by: jaretj: Nov 23, 18 12:38
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [jaretj] [ In reply to ]
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jaretj wrote:
pad stack of 553 is 60mm higher than where I'm at now, don't know if that would work for the OP

Edit the CF SLX is 25mm higher than where I'm at now

That joke flew right by you. Read Traumaā€™s post again and think about it.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [TJP_SBR] [ In reply to ]
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TJP_SBR wrote:
Are there brands that are better for smaller riders? Girlfriendā€™s Shiv is a good bike but itā€™s not been a great fit for a 5ā€™ rider, and sheā€™s looking to move on to something new. Suggestions? Sheā€™s having a retul fit done next weekend.
If you've read the articles to the right of the screen about bike fit, then you should know whether or not you're going to come out of that fit with bike recommendations from the fitter.

If you've not read the articles, read them.

If you've read them but don't know if you're going to get bike recommendations, go to another fitter.
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [The GMAN] [ In reply to ]
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It sure did :O
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [Trauma] [ In reply to ]
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Trauma wrote:
Canyon? Frodo rides one...
šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [Chan] [ In reply to ]
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I Know a few fast 5' women, they are very happy with their Argon18 E-117 or E-119 in size XS.
One of them was 5th at the World's Jr women TT this fall.
She just signed with Team Twenty20, so it'll be interesting to see what Felt TT bike will suit her.

Louis :-)
Last edited by: louisn: Nov 23, 18 15:46
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [louisn] [ In reply to ]
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louisn wrote:
I Know a few fast 5' women, they are very happy with their Argon18 E-117 or E-119 in size XS.
One of them was 5th at the World's Jr women TT this fall.
She just signed with Team Twenty20, so it'll be interesting to see what Felt TT bike will suit her.

Louis :-)

Hopefully Felt has some 47 DAs lying round, that should fit her perfectly.
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [chaparral] [ In reply to ]
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Not so sure about a Pro cycling team carrying 650c wheels around. They dissapeared from sight in the mid 90's ;-) ...

Louis :)
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [louisn] [ In reply to ]
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They are sponsered by Zipp and Zipp still makes 650c wheels.

Would she rather be fast or fashionable?
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [chaparral] [ In reply to ]
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Fashion and science works in stange ways sometimes.
700c wheels are obviously faster in cycling (since no one in pro cycling ever used them the last 20 years, not even the small women), and 650c wheels are faster in Triathlon.... ;-) ...think avg. speeds !!
But you're probably right. The Team will provide her with what suits her best to perform at her best, with great quality components.
Louis :-)
Last edited by: louisn: Nov 24, 18 14:03
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [louisn] [ In reply to ]
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louisn wrote:
Fashion and science works in stange ways sometimes.
700c wheels are obviously faster in cycling (since no one in pro cycling ever used them the last 20 years, not even the small women), and 650c wheels are faster in Triathlon.... ;-) ...think avg. speeds !!
But you're probably right. The Team will provide her with what suits her best to perform at her best, with great quality components.
Louis :-)

The speed difference between 650c and 700c is going to be much smaller than the speed difference between riding a bike that allows for a fast position, versus one that forces a non-optimal position. The rider makes up most of the drag, getting that body fast is the key.

The reason that small women don't run them is first because very few companies offer them, luckly Felt does. Second is due to people like you believing that 700c are just faster, but not knowing that the the key is getting the fit fast. It is fear of 650c wheels, not good science that results in small women not running them.

Emma Pooley was a super fast Time Trialist at 5' 2". What size wheels did she need to get in a fast position? Even with Team GB spending a bunch on making a front end to try and make a 700c wheel work? Ask Emma or ask Dan which wheels small women (and men) should be on for Tri, they may know a bit more about these things than you.

Also, she won a world championship on them and won medals on them less than 10 years ago, so maybe you don't know everything you think you do.
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Re: Bikes for hobbits [chaparral] [ In reply to ]
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The wink in my post was there to suggest a sarcastic comment about how ''fashion'', tradition or habit takes place in different sports. Cycling ( the sport) is thick headed about lots of things, think about rules like sock lenght !
It doesn't reflect what I personally think.
Louis :-)
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