friend is looking for one for his wife with no luck so far.
custom the only option? what are some affordable custom options?
I am a bit taller, but the Cervelo RS has a 48 with 650 wheels. Might work…
Jodi
I am a bit taller, but the Cervelo RS has a 48 with 650 wheels. Might work…
Jodi
when I think of how little that would weigh
I am jealous
lol
Yeah, it’s awesome! And I even have pretty basic non-carbon stem/handlebars. But it does have SRAM red
Jodi
any 4’11" gal is silly if she’s not on 650c wheels for her road bike. in fact, any gal under 5’3" is silly if she’s not on a 650c road bike, and any 5’6" gal is silly if she’s not on 650c wheel for her tri bike. silly silly silly.
Javelin Asti 48ST 49TT 650
C’Dale in the femenine series
http://cgi.ebay.com/NOS-Cannondale-R-500-47-cm-650-c-road-small-frame-set_W0QQitemZ150330658007QQihZ005QQcategoryZ98084QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/gigi_08.htm in the 44cm
.
Then why, oh WHY do so many companies insist on making 47-50cm tri bikes with 700 wheels? Drives me nutso
Jodi
What is even craizier is when you got into a shop with your petite wife looking for a 650 bike and the sales guy insists that a 700c wheel is just right because he has this ‘womens specific’ Trek 47cm with plenty of standover height and a 30cm stem all ready to go.
saves them the trouble of making a new fork and crap
ha
my fiancee’ is 5’10" and rides a 650C tri bike
and shes faaaast
Then why, oh WHY do so many companies insist on making 47-50cm tri bikes with 700 wheels? Drives me nutso
Jodi
Cannondale makes several models in a 44. I have the Optimo (I don’t think they make that particular one anymore); I love it and I’m only 5’ when my hair is frizzy.
because the manufacturer has to overcome the fears/biases/ignorance of the following chain of people:
- their own sales reps
- the retailer
- the retailer’s sales personnel
- the female customer’s coach
- the female customer’s significant other
it’s easier just to make a stupid bike with 700c wheels than a smart bike with 650 wheels.
but all is not lost. take this forum for example. i think i could count on one hand the number of men and women 5’5" and shorter who ride 700c wheel tri bikes and who’d be willing to undergo the ridicule of admitting in front of several tens of thousands of people reading this forum.
this makes the prospect of a 650c wheel road race bike better. somebody used to make nice ones 
You can flog me in a month or so for racing a 47" 700. But for next year I hear Trek is coming out with something small in carbon and hopefully 650 wheels! Can’t wait!
Jodi
So Dan, as a new short traithlete (5’4") that is wanting to purchase a bike in the near future which bike brands are suited for us veritically challenged individuals. I read alot on here about getting fitted, I have read your articles and plan on going that route in the next week or so but you see when you live in MS and don’t have alot of bike shops around you are kinda of screwed. What I mean is I can’t just take a day and go try 5 or 6 different bike brands (the shops just aren’t here). I have to drive and hour to make it to our couple bike shops we have and stocking 50 cm or less size bikes doesn’t seem to be real popular.
I’ll be watching this thread closely because my wife is barely over 5ft tall herself and I’ve been struggling to find her a good road and/or tri bike without going custom.
About the smallest road bikes I’ve found are from Terry Bicycles. Their Fast Woman, looks like a decent frame that has very small sizes (if you don’t mind good old steel). I really wanted to get her the Cervelo RS in the smallest size, but I think it’s a bit too big…
FWIW - For a tri bike, this year’s QR Chiquillo is the smallest I’ve found. Only tri bike I’ve seen with a 47cm top tube.
If I get her a tri bike, I’ll probably get the QR but if I get her a road bike, I’m probably going to go custom.
Then why, oh WHY do so many companies insist on making 47-50cm tri bikes with 700 wheels? Drives me nutso
Jodi
because maybe not everyone has Dan’s myopic view of positioning?
“which bike brands are suited for us veritically challenged individuals.”
this is out of date by two years, but is still fairly relevant. i’d say the hottest values are the smallest-sized QR seduza and kuota k factor, each about $2000 for a complete, all carbon bike, built with 650c wheels front and rear and with good geometry. if you need your bike REALLY low in front, and you ride quite steep, the kestrel airfoil pro is a great option. otherwise, cervelo and felt make great 48cm 650c wheel tri bikes throughout their ranges.
What’s even more annoying is when the company’s own internal staff try desperately to justify putting 700c wheels on their new XXS (47cm) and XS (49cm) frames. I exchanged posts with a company head honcho awhile back about this same thing. He’s saying ‘we’re committed to making the best tri bike possible’. I’m saying ‘you can’t do it by putting 700c on bikes that small’.
Some months later, after the initial release of the bike, we go visit their booth in Kona and the staff is telling me ‘the geometry makes sense. Tracy (who is 5’1") would fit great and be faster on the XXS with 700c. You need to talk to the head engineer and he’ll explain it to you.’ Yeah, right. It’s too bad because their XS and XXS with 650c wheels would have been tremendous options for shorter riders. Instead, they’re going to look at their sales and probably just stop making those sizes altogether.
any 4’11" gal is silly if she’s not on 650c wheels for her road bike. in fact, any gal under 5’3" is silly if she’s not on a 650c road bike, and any 5’6" gal is silly if she’s not on 650c wheel for her tri bike. silly silly silly.
To those of us less bike savvy, it makes intuitive sense that as the frame shrinks, at some point the wheels have to follow suit but could you give us the full rationale behind 650 wheels for small riders? thanks.
Cannondale Optimo Femine size 40cm.
The downside is small bikes usually come only as complete setups and have lower end parts.
I picked up a 46cm top tube 650c frame from www.chucksbikes.com for my GF, shes 5ft and it should fit her nicely once we get her on the Cyfac Postural System.
Total build (Campy CT/SRAM mix) was around $1400.
Good luck,
KW