Cafewanda's road bike try-outs

I thought I'd log my experience(s) of testing road bikes for the 'diminutive' person. I currently have a hybrid (Specialized Vita Elite - small) but want to move on to roadbikes, then maybe fg/ss subject to lots of research on knees as mine are starting to creak.

Anyway, today I had a short ride on a Trek WSD 1.2, size 47cm.

First, flat pedals and I no longer get on. My feet felt way too insecure so I had to go slowly. I felt a little stretched out, with pressure on my wrists and had problems braking as they are too big for my hands. Also had pressure on my neck but I'm guessing that's to do with the body position and/or adjusting the seat/raising the stem.

When I went back to the shop, I explained all this. Hoping the shop staff would suggest putting short reach levers on for another ride, even if he had to order them in. Not a chance, but he did move the seat forward and suggested a shorter stem then agreed that the handlebars were too big for me. I've got a bike fit there on Monday so I'll see what measurements they come up with. I'd suggested testing the 1.2 43cm but they all seem to think it would be too small. I'm thinking it would at least lower the level I have to raise my leg when hoisting myself on/off the bike :-).

I'm still going to raise it and if they disagree I'll try another shop. They might be right, but I need to find that out for myself. I still feel I'd be more comfortable on a bike with 650c wheels but I'm happy to be proven wrong rather than being told I'm wrong by men who have no idea what it's like to be 4'11.

I'll report back when I've tried the Decathlon Sport 1 and the Trek 1.2 43cm. Hope this is of use to someone.

Which shop did you try the Trek at?

where are you trying these bikes? Sounds like you know what you want, which to me means you need to go somewhere who really know what they're talking about, not somewhere where they're just trying to sell you a bike.

The only person who I know who knows anything about 650 wheels is Scherrit (on here) of the Bike Whisperer. PM/google him maybe. They do bike fits, not sales, but he might be able to advise you where you could look. Or try Condor and ask for their advice.

Konijn, I went to On Your Bike at London Bridge as that's where my employers pays for staff to park their bikes and they also take C2W vouchers, or they did last year and I'll be getting the bike through that.

I hope they agree to get the 43cm as it would make things 'neat', but if not there are other shops.

Hi Stelle, I've been to BW and we agreed that 650c OTP bikes are thin on the ground :-). It was through them I found out about short-reach levers as Corrine has similar sized hands. We discovered the Trek 1.2 650c so I just need to find a shop that will get one in for me to try.

My ultimate will be a custom made, but that will be a target for my 50th in 3 years.

Argon 18 make a 650 road bike.

here: http://www.argon18bike.com/main.cfm?l=en&p=01_100&C=5&SC=20&item=Xenon+650

Thanks Balki. I've sent an email.

Many Specialized bikes, especially the small ones come with little rubber shims to place into the levers in the build box. This essential makes the levers short reach. Ask for these. They are very rarely used so you will have to ask for them, they have all been thrown out but they will be in another bike box somewhere out back. These will obviously fit the Trek as they both use shimano levers.

Many Specialized bikes, especially the small ones come with little rubber shims to place into the levers in the build box. This essential makes the levers short reach. Ask for these. They are very rarely used so you will have to ask for them, they have all been thrown out but they will be in another bike box somewhere out back. These will obviously fit the Trek as they both use shimano levers.

Thanks for that. Will make a note and ask tomorrow when I have the fit. Will be interesting to see how it compares with BW.

Short-reach levers! I didn't know there was such a thing! Big Daddy Wayne and I were discussing this tonight as I mentioned I was having pain the interphalangeal joints of my left middle finger. I must figure this out. I need new levers, too, if I'm to have my bike looking spanking, these are scratched up and a bit knackered. But rubber shims will work just as well for the time being.

I'm sure I could use short-reach levers. I've always had problems with standard ones (small hands and not very strong).

Just improvise, and shim them wherever the lever makes its stop on the hood. Something rubbery, or plasticky stuck to the hood; somewhere around 5mm thick is probably a good place to start.

e.g. for Campag, you have to add material to the semi-circular recess that the quick release button slots into:

(not my bike)

5mm, thanks for the measurement. I'm also going to go by the LBS near work and see if they have any. They gave me a screw when one fell out of my cleats and I didn't realize it until I got stuck in my pedal (thank GOD it wasn't the one I usually clip out of!!). The kid tried to charge me but the mechanic was like, "Eh, free." Maybe they'll have some and do the they'll do the same thing.

Now I'm confused. I assumed that, being a shrimp, a smaller frame woud be automatic for road bikes. Not according to my bike fit earlier.

The gentleman at OYB put me back on the Trek 47cm and flipped the stem. That raised me a little but I still felt a strain across my shoulders and down my arms. My arms were straight and not relaxed, but that was the best position I could get unless I deliberately lowered my torso towards the handlebars. When cycling my knees weren't far off reaching my chest - in short it was a little 'cramped', even with the seat pushed back.

Then he put me on a 48cm. Much better position but that saddle is not my friend, even pushed back and slightly down. Less pressure across the shoulders. And yet.

The finale: A WSD Cannondale (I think) size 50. Eureka! No pressure on the shoulders, no cramped feeling between legs and torso and even the handlebars felt better although the brake levers are too big. What the hell is going on?

Both the Treks brake levers had shims in them but that made no difference. Not sure about the Cannondale (but I did like the colour - it has red in it). The Cannondale bars felt better as they were a bit flat whereas the Treks are more 'rounded'.

I'll be riding the Trek 48 and the Cannondale on Sunday. Will go on Borough High Street as there is a bone/teeth shaking segment on it that is great for testing carbon forks.

Going by the above, I can understand why he is adamant that the 43cm would be too compact for me, but I'm going to try it elsewhere so I feel what he's so certain of.

I think I might need to enlist Corrine's help.

On a very similar note, does anyone know someone that would have a small cervelo? I've a girlfriend that wants to try one, but she's only 5' or so.

I'm not female so apologies for butting in, but another thing to consider is putting much much shorter cranks on your new bike cafewanda.

The knee hitting the chest thing is partly attributed to this.

Shorter cranks will mean you raise the saddle too, and will bring your position on the bike rearwards, so a shorter frame might be in order.

Sadly a lot of, if not all, off the peg small size road bikes will have 170mm cranks.
You may benefit from 160 or shorter still.

I can't remember if it was SJS or somewhere else, but they would shorten cranks by drilling a new pedal mounting thread further up the crank

Ok this may be digressing a bit, but it may be of interest to others too:

Stronglight Impact "kid" chainsets, with 34/44 rings.
http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s109p1927

available in lots of short lengths up to 155mm.
Do not be put off by the silly child associations in the product name, these are great cranks and could help with a lot of fit issues suffered by smaller riders.

Hi NMK. Thanks for your input. It's turning out to be an interesting journey trying to find a bike that fits me. I had forgotten about shorter cranks too. I'm off to Cycle Surgery, Spitalfields on Saturday morning to test a Dolce and a Giant, then nip round the corner to Tokyo bikes for a spin.

Must remember to bring a notebook with me so I can make notes after each test and I hope the weather gods keep London dry over the weekend for me.

Well, having spent time looking/drooling/gawping and finally test riding bikes, most of them with too a long a top tube, I've narrowed it down to the Trek 1.2 size 43cm. That was the only bike where my arms weren't stretched out to the max which is a major relief.

Mind you, when I first saw the bike I thought it looked too small. Even when I got on it it didn't seem right, but I've been so used to riding bikes that are too big for me that I seriously thought about getting the 47cm WSD version. Fortunately Corrine (TBW) got me to sit on her Serotta which is round about the same tiny size and I my arms said "Yes, this is it" and Scheritt concurred so who am I to argue?

I'll need to have shims put in and flip the stem to make it more upright til I'm use to it plus cleats and shoes but, finally I've found the one for me. I'm aiming to get this year's model as I'm not too keen on next year's paint job. Just need to figure out how I'm going to pay for it: 0% finance or C2W. If I go finance I get the bike now otherwise I'll have to wait til October/November and I'd like to use it on a long ride before winter.

Decisions, decisions :-)

PS: Thanks for all the hints/tips/general advice re this biking journey. All useful and made me more comfortable when discussing my requirements in each shop I visited. I just need to remember the correct words for bike parts, "thingy" or "that thing there" are not very helpful, although the shop staff did smile.

And thank you for this thread.

I've sent many small female friends and customers to have a look at it, it's been very helpful.

Where did you find the 43cm Trek? There's as rare as hen's teeth.

On Your Bike London Bridge have a few and certainly Evans London Bridge have one (or did yesterday) as that's where I had the test ride. Unfortunately they don't take Halfords vouchers.

I think OYB are reducing prices on their stock to make space for 2011 models, so may be worth a visit?

Update: I went over to OYB to ask them to hold the 2010 model til my C2W scheme kicks off in October. They don't have any in stock, which is a real bummer so I'll now have to make do with the white/blue colour scheme of the 2011 model. Yuk.

I forgot to log my actual test rides: Saturday 24 July

At Cycle Surgery Spitalfields, I sat on a Specialized Dolce (small) and put my hands on the bars. Far too long, but took it for a (very) short spin any way. I really should have ordered the XS.

Next I went on the Giant Avail XS and that was much better, however the TT was long also, but the ride felt better and I discussed the option of smaller bars, stem and shims in the brake levers. Customer service was so good I was strongly tempted to consider buying the bike on the service alone! I also chatted with another (short) customer who was in the same position as me. She tried the same bikes and enjoyed the Avail much better. I think her arms are a bit longer than mine. Hope she bought it.

As the morning was rolling on and I had an appointment over in Hackney I thought I'd better speed up so collected my bike and went off to Tokyo bikes round the corner. I love the colours and tried 3 different models, but not the singlespeed. I wasn't keen on the 'step through' model but that might have been because I felt the curve of bars were too close to me and would have needed to be trimmed by a few inches. It was just fab riding a bike with 650c wheels and I know if I'd had the money/credit card/overdraft I would have bought one in red!

Because I'd ridden the Tokyo bikes I didn't bother going to OYB on the Sunday to test ride the Trek 47cm and the Cannondale as I now knew the TTs on both were too long for me.

The ride on the 43cm/650c wheels Trek happened last Wednesday (28th July) and it might not have been a good idea to ride over Tower and London Bridges during the day on a bike with flat pedals but, that aside, my arms could actually bend at the elbows! Result! New experience for me.

So, my lesson from all this is TT length is my number one, must get right, measurement. Because of that I really am limited in what I can buy OTP (paint jobs notwithstanding) and I should start saving the pennies for a custom job.