I have a client with a 68.5 cm inseam who is looking for a new bike. Because of her size (or lack thereof) I’m having a hard time finding options. She currently rides an XS Giant OCR and barely clears the top tube when she dismounts. We’re looking for something with comparable geometry to the OCR - about 75 degree seat tube. The smallest QR and Felt with 650c wheels is still a touch high, so I assume we need a compact geometry frame with 650c wheels. Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.
JC
check out aegis, they had a small bike that a lot of women are using here in hawaii.
how much money does she have? I did a similar search for a friend and all the options are pricey. I only found 2 stock bikes under 70cm standover.
Griffen Vulcan. 67 cm standover. 76 seat angle. It’s way expensive, though. http://www.griffenbike.com/Bikes/t-vulcan.htm
Kestrel Airfoil. 69cm standover. 78 seat angle, though. Also very expensive.
Another option is custom. Guru, litespeed, serotta, calfee, and others I’m sure will do custom. In some cases cheaper than the griffen/kestrel above.
BP Stealth simply has no top tube. That’s as low a standover height as you’ll find.
She won’t fit a Giant OCR XS. I set up a woman with a 72 cm inseam on the weekend on the same bike and it was not optimal for her.
According to the standard formula of inseam X .67 she should be riding about a 46 cm frame.
An XS Litespeed Bella has a 68.1cm standover and an XS Merlin Camena has a 67.7cm standover, and both bikes are womens specific designs. A Litespeed Bella starts at just under $2500 complete, and a Merlin Camena about $2200 for the frameset. Plus of course we do custom road and tri bikes.
Hope this helps.
Herbert
Litespeed/QR/Merlin
Isn’t top tube length more important? I mean, she can always lean it over to get on (or cyclocross mount/dismount) it if the standover is too high… but if it’s got a low standover and too long of a toptube it won’t fit her properly. By the way, that XS Giant OCR isn’t that small a bike… as far as road bikes, the Cannondale Feminine and Trek WSD bikes come in smaller sizes with 650 wheels, and I believe Cervelo makes a 48cm P2K that’s pretty small w/ 650 wheels… all three with sub-50cm top-tubes.
Isn’t top tube length more important? I mean, she can always lean it over to get on (or cyclocross mount/dismount) it if the standover is too high… but if it’s got a low standover and too long of a toptube it won’t fit her properly. By the way, that XS Giant OCR isn’t that small a bike… as far as road bikes, the Cannondale Feminine and Trek WSD bikes come in smaller sizes with 650 wheels, and I believe Cervelo makes a 48cm P2K that’s pretty small w/ 650 wheels… all three with sub-50cm top-tubes.
Thanks to everyone for their input. I agree that TT is the most important factor (which is why something like the BP won’t work for such a short person), but i really don’t love the idea of standover that is higer than her clearance. The P2K sits an inch higher than she does, which could be problematic when dismounting.
Thanks again.
JC
I stand over my 48cm Felt with no problems and I have about that inseam, the top tube may be a bit longish for a lady.
jaretj
Building my wife a new road bike - she can cope with a bigger frame than you require but is restricted in standover height because of a groin problem. Building hers around a velomax frame (sure its just a branded standard Far Eastern product -www.velomax.co.uk) Standover is around 68.5cms on the 47cm but would be lower with the 43cm. Top tube length is 50cms (47) and 49cms(43). Seat angle seems Ok at 75 degrees (47) and 76(43). In these sizes frame takes 650 wheels. Price of frameset is £400.