I’m loooking to buy a tri bike and am wondering what bike, if any inparticular, has the best reputation for fitting a small to average woman?? I love how the Trek Equinox WSD fits, but I want a higher end bike than that and I can’t seem to find a carbon bike with dura ace components specifically for women…(don’t woman want a good bike too). Any suggestions?? Will it be easier to buy a bike sized by cm vs. “S,M,L”?
I’m 5’5" with about a 30-31 in inseam.
I think Blue makes great XS time trial bikes. They fit women who aren’t very tall great, and a lot of top time trialists have done well on their T16. Check out www.rideblue.com. I used to have one and I thought it fit me well.
Lots of good options - Cervelo P2C/P3C, Felt DA/B2/B12, Guru, Elite spring to mind easily. The best way to buy an expensive bike is to find a store that will fit you first then help you choose a bike to match the fit. You’re not so small that this is going to be a major drama. Tri bikes have even less reason than road bikes to be “women specific” - the only thing that may need to be designed with gender in mind is the saddle.
Thanks…I have researched a couple of these!!
You don’t seem that small to me, my SO is similarly sized and fits a 51cm Cervelo just fine.
But assuming you want to lear more, Slowman did a series of articles on tri bikes for short folks. Some of the links are a bit screwy. One company that seems to do pretty well for short folks is Kestrel, but the link is broken in that aricle. A good link is here.
5’5" makes you TALLER than the average woman…
You might look at the Slowtwitch main page, for articles by Slowman about bike sizing. It is all over the map, no consistency from one manufacturer to another. Most bikes are sized by the seat tube, which is not quite as relevant as the length of the top tube. And, your body proportions will make a difference. I’m about your height (5’5" 1/2; 30 inseam) and need about a 50-51 cm top tube; but a friend my height with shorter legs likes a 53cm top tube for her torso which is much longer than mine. And then, the seat tube ANGLE influences the ‘effective length’ of the top tube.
My knowledge just about ends there. Others here, much more expert, will chime in.
Do a lot of reading and consider getting a professional fit before you get your heart or mind set on a particular sized bike. I had been riding bikes that were too big for me - until someone recently set me straight.