Power to the Short People! 
I’m only 5’3" as well, but I weigh in at a hefty 120lbs. Being a man, that puts me at the razor’s tip for an advantage in the weight arena. Think about it! We are the IDEAL endurance athletes because we can get down to a disgustingly LOW weight. Go ahead, let those 6’-2" guys take 4oz off their bike and get down to 3% body fat. I’m still 20lbs lighter on a steel frame!
Low & aero, light & taking flight.
-Jay
PS Bike fitting is tough, though.
Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
Short People got no reason
To live
They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin’ great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little fett
Well, I don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
Round here
Short People are just the same
As you and I
(A Fool Such As I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It’s A Wonderful World)
Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
Short People got nobody
To love
They got little baby legs
And they stand so low
You got to pick ‘em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That got beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin’ peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They’re gonna get you every time
Well, I don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
Don’t want no Short People
'Round here
– Big EE (6-4, 2 bills)
PS – You little guys may kick my big ass in tri-land, but if you come in the lane, I will THROW your shot, talk smack to your sister, and dunk on your mama.
Low & aero, light & taking flight.
-Jay
PS Bike fitting is tough, though.
Sorry, bro.
Boothrand my friend…this is why I am soooooo opposed to Clydesdale as a category. Agreed, being 5’6" 140 lbs is an advantage in tris and certainly in running, but I used the same frame for several years of football and hockey. Little guys don’t ask for a small man category in contact sports, we just suck it up and deal with the blows. By that logic Clydesdale should be abolished :-). You guys just need to suck it up and lay down the smack on the pint size folks on the swim and bike (as long as it is flat), where you have a good advantage !
Talk about being jealous 
That’s about as tall as my bike.
Does it come in a 650 model or 700’s
jaretj
See, here you go again, with insults. You belong in the Craigslist Rants and Raves. It’s so easy to “dig” others like you just did to me behind the vail of a computer screen. This forum is for constructive triathlon discussions, not belittling (NO pun intended) others. Show some respect to those who find that the triathlon community is sort of like an extended family. Do bring this forum to a level of insults seen on other forums!
cvillatri
No, I usually kicked his ass!
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy friendly bantering. We do it all the time in our training group. It enhances competition. I just don’t want to see this become too juvenile. I’ve seen it happen elsewhere. Ya, i’m kind of new here, but definitely find it a good place to waste time during work!
Thanks,
Chris
HA!!!
Hmmm. Direct drive. Titanium.
Seriously, though, the head tube is too big.
I hear ya. This board ain’t for the weak of heart. That’s what makes it fun.
BTW, just for the record, I’m all of 5’4.5" and 145#. And I agree with those who mention trying to find wetsuits and tri suits. I have a 41" chest and 29" waist. They don’t make them for that at all.
I’ve never minded playing contact sports with the Neandrathals and don’t mind being passed by a clydesdale who is in better shape than me.
Now, where did I put my elevator racing flats?
You V-shaped freak! Go do some power-lifting or something! I bet you even have body hair! ;p
That’s my background, and I still try to hit a couple of power meets a year. I have been involved in powerlifting and bodybuilding since high school. I just started doing tris and bike racing a couple of years ago. I thought triathlon would be a natural progression since it was another sport that involved shaving the body!!!
5’10, 148 lbs drippin’ wet. Yeah, it’s nice to be on the lighter side when there’s a nice little hill on the bike or run. But I’ve had my ass kicked by some pretty stocky guys and gals (Leo McCarthy are you listening?) The only real advantage my size has ever given me is getting around in a submarine as compared to anyone 6 feet or taller. Hell, I was on a Trident submarine with David Robinson for three days (when he was a midshipman at the Naval Academy). Poor guy had to sleep on lounge because there was no way he was fitting in a rack.
@6’2" and 195, I feel your pain (especially climbing)
I am in the special category of “not quite clydesdale”
I live for the flat courses, the more wind the better
In the wind, straightup power is more important than anything
except pain threshold
Or short rollers where you can carry momentum
I can’t climb long climbs with the wee ones,
but if I can keep them in sight on the uphill…
I OWN the descents
That red ‘disc’ on the front. How does it handle in the wind? Also, can I get it with 21 mm tires? Those look a little wide.
I did my prototype training for NNPS at the S5G site in Idaho, I swear I hit my head on everything in that tube. That why I went surface, I couldn’t have survived 6 months on a sub.
Hmmm, I’ve been lurking here for over 2 years now and have enjoyed the various pearls of wisdom that many of you feel inclined to share with all of cyberspace. Funny, informative, and free…what a deal! Before I weigh in allow me to say that the only reason I decided to pop up today is to speak kindly of a previous poster. CVILLATRI is a fabulous guy. Not only can he skillfully administer a beatdown to the vast majority of this forum (collegiate swimmer, 1:02 40K cyclist, 35+/- 10k runner) but he’ll do it while encouraging everyone else around him.
He may be 5’5" instead of 6’5" but he’s a man who has a consistently pleasant demeanor, is genuinely altruistic, and who is always willing to lend a hand to others. A fabulous athlete and an even better person.
Shifting gears…please look at the 25 years of Ironman Hawaii winners. Howard, Scott, Tinley, Allen, Reid, etc. etc. All those guys are 6’+. It’s just physics ladies and gentlemen; longer femurs/tibias give you more leverage and increased leverage (provided you’re fit enough to utilize it) is an advantage in all three tri disciplies that you can’t order from Nytro. Didn’t some dead Greek mathematician say that a few thousand years ago? Even Van Lierde and DeBoom aren’t exactly “short” at 5’10"/5’11". When you look at it objectively, with the exception of Greg Welch, no short person has ever won Ironman as it becomes an issue of one’s power to weight ratio. Fitness levels being equal, the taller people usually win.
ME: Life’s not fair!
MY OLD BOSS: Shut the $#%! up and write some new business…the fair comes to town in September! That’s all you need to know about fair!
Michael
Yeah I hear ya. My roomate at NPS was 6’6" and he was stationed on a 594 class submarine – ie one tiny little steel tube filled with 120 other demented submariners (I was going to say seamen but there are some sick people on this forum). Poor SOB – he probably still has a hunch when he walks. But heh we won the Cold War.
…please look at the 25 years of Ironman Hawaii winners. Howard, Scott, Tinley, Allen, Reid, etc. etc. All those guys are 6’+. It’s just physics ladies and gentlemen; longer femurs/tibias give you more leverage and increased leverage (provided you’re fit enough to utilize it) is an advantage in all three tri disciplies that you can’t order from Nytro. Didn’t some dead Greek mathematician say that a few thousand years ago? Even Van Lierde and DeBoom aren’t exactly “short” at 5’10"/5’11". When you look at it objectively, with the exception of Greg Welch, no short person has ever won Ironman as it becomes an issue of one’s power to weight ratio. Fitness levels being equal, the taller people usually win.
Michael
Just curious, are you saying people with longer femurs and tibias can theoretically generate more strength? Isn’t that the same as leg length in general, or is there a ratio you are referring too? I’m wondering since I am tall (hair under 6’5") but have a more than what (I think) is the normal amount of that in my torso (my inseam is 34").
And I think the advantages that our society places on us taller folk definitely outweigh those found in being shorter. Sure, I had to wait a while to see a 63cm frame pop up on Ebay, but so be it. And flying in an airplane sucks…
"When you look at it objectively, with the exception of Greg Welch, no short person has ever won Ironman as it becomes an issue of one’s power to weight ratio. Fitness levels being equal, the taller people usually win.
I think you hit the nail on the head. That’s another thing that gives me motivation to compete in tri’s. I can’t wait untill people say “Look at the short guy kickin’ butt out there!”
jaretj
Hey Tribato (Michael),
Thanks for the compliments! Definitely a DITTO to you. Hope all’s well down the the CV. Miss you all!
Take care,
Chris