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This rings so true with me. I'm considering an upgrade to my current hybrid. Options are a better hybrid (with more road components) or a road bike. But I am really struggling reach-wise with the brakes. Riding along and changing gears all felt fine since the height at 47cm is fine but I just don't feel safe with the brakes - an emergency stop just ain't going to happen. The pad at the base of my thumb ends up aching since there's too much pressure there as I stretch. The woman in one bike shop today after putting me on multiple models (including an Orbea Junior) said that perhaps I just have short arms and am better suited to flats.
small world, I was the girl next to you when were trying the orbea :) From what I saw the the junior bike looked about right, but like she said your arms were very straight, so she may have a point. Not very helpful I know, if you do want a road bike. Just keep looking around I guess?
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Very small world and yes, the hunt goes on! I hope you got what you needed.
The problem with needing a small frame is that so few bike shops have any in stock. And I know they can order them in but I don't feel entirely comfortable since I'm not sure exactly what I want. If I knew I was 90% likely to buy it, that's would be OK. BC were brilliant today in tweaking a Specialised for me and aside from the thumb pain from the brakes, it is the best I've found so far. It's just that hurting using the brakes is kinda major!
Thanks cafewanda - I'll take a look at the Trek and the Fuji (not too bothered about 650c wheels). I've got a test ride booked on Monday for a 15" 7.7fx (I'm currently on a 15" 7.3fx) which has mostly road components and I'll see how that feels. I'm not dead-set on getting a road bike - it's just that so many people have told me that I should get a road bike over another hybrid that I feel that I've got to give it a fair chance.
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there are shifter levers out there with adjustments to reduce the reach of the brake lever like ultegra (rubber shims) dura-ace (screw adjustment) these with something like an FSA compact bar tipped slightly up would put the brake levers very close to the bars (when using the drops) and shorten the reach.
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there are shifter levers out there with adjustments to reduce the reach of the brake lever like ultegra (rubber shims) dura-ace (screw adjustment) these with something like an FSA compact bar tipped slightly up would put the brake levers very close to the bars (when using the drops) and shorten the reach.
Ooh. I think this is how mine is but I'll double-check later this morning.
Applespider, some of the Trek 7.? come in XS/43cm so look out for those. I wouldn't feel uncomfortable getting shops to order in bikes. They'll charge you a deposit so they are not losing out. Go for it if you can. If you already have a compact bar, see if they will swop bars over for the test ride so you get a better idea of fit/comfort.
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jaitch - not sure if the geometry is exactly spot on for you, but if you wanted to give an isla bike a try, you'd be welcome to take a look at mine.
My main issue is that I have short legs (27" inside leg) and the stand over on the Luath Small (the one I have) is 71.5cm (28") so more than enough for me to be comfortable.
PM me if you want a go. -
I tried a Specialized Dolce Elite today (same size frame) which had the gear integrated into the brake rather than having a thumb shift. It felt much more comfortable to ride and brake so one of those may be in my future - it's just a pity that it's several £££ more than I intended.... oops!
Did try a Trek Lexa (apparently the 1.2 WSD is no more) and while it felt about the same as the Specialized, it didn't look as good; stylised flowers - yuk!
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jaitch - not sure if the geometry is exactly spot on for you, but if you wanted to give an isla bike a try, you'd be welcome to take a look at mine.
My main issue is that I have short legs (27" inside leg) and the stand over on the Luath Small (the one I have) is 71.5cm (28") so more than enough for me to be comfortable.
PM me if you want a go.lol wouldnt fit me. im 16 stone 3 and 6' ish...but ill ask the other half if she would like to try one before i buy it ;-)
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lol wouldnt fit me. im 16 stone 3 and 6' ish...but ill ask the other half if she would like to try one before i buy it ;-)
Yeah, that would probably work better!
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The Dolce Elite is a high end road bike, there are more than one Dolce, like the £649 one.
I tried that on Saturday - it was the one that I didn't feel comfortable braking on and the gear shifting didn't feel anything special. It's the Tiagra shifters/brakes that I like about the Elite since they felt far more comfortable for my hands.
It is more than I really intended to spend although I've got an LCC card which should take it down a bit (just missed my company's C2W) depending on where I buy it.
I ride about 80-100 miles a week now and would rather get a bike that I can grow into if I increase my mileage at weekends rather than end up regretting getting an entry level one next year and feel that I have to upgrade. Besides, I'd set a grand aside for Olympics tickets and got precisely £80 worth and to be honest, I'll probably have more happy hours on a bike than I would have from hanging around Stratford next August!
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Hi there
Yes - it's not that easy being diddy (am I one of the diddy women?? - showing my age now - for anyone who remembers Ken Dodd - who is apparently nearly 90 years old!!!)
But here's what I have found so far.
If you are small (under 5' 3") then you really do need a bike w/ 650c wheels. Otherwise it's extremely difficult to get a bike with a short enough reach AND no geometry compromises WITHOUT toe clip overlap. The sort of compromises frame-builders often make to create a short reach bike with 700c wheels are to steepen the seat-tube (this doesn't really work as your bum needs to be where it needs to be relative to the bottom bracket, so you just have to slide the saddle waaaaay back), and they also often slacken the head tube which makes the bike steer very lazily. The bike will usually have quite a lot of toe-clip overlap (where your foot overlaps the front wheel - mainly a problem when turning at low speed). Plus the bike looks a bit out of proportion.
Unfortunately bikes w/ 650c wheels are difficult to find - all the main ones have been mentioned I think.
Handlebars - I have tried a huge variety of bars - most of the women's ones. And the ones I find the best are the short & shallow variety - for example the FSA compact. They have a short reach, and a shallow drop - but are also shaped so the lever remains fairly close to your hands.
Reach on levers - you can get a wide variety of shims which fit Shimano levers (but they won't fit Sora - the one w/ the little ear sticking out). I have an entire drawer full - so if you want to see if I have some, give me a call & bring your bike over. Campag levers aren't adjustable for reach, and some Sram levers are very adjustable.
Cranks - Shimano only goes as short as 165mm. I use a TA crankset which is 160mm. It looks very pretty, but I don't think the rings shift quite as well as Shimano.
It's always worth having a look out on ebay for bikes & wheels (my mouse slipped & I managed to buy some Zipps the other day . . .) - for example - here's a really small bike on ebay right now. I don't think it will sell at the price it's at - but it has an effective/horizontal top tube of 48cm - so would fit me (at just over 5') - and probably down to 4'10" - this is about the shortest bike you will find without 24" wheels.
(sorry - too stoopid to figure out how to post a link properly . . .)
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Stiff Link, I just managed to avoid spitting over my laptop at your comment re the Zipps. Post a warning next time, please - lol.
Oh yeah: I remember Ken Dodd and his diddymen!
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Hmm - don't want you fusing your f-key . . . Was is jealousy, disapproval or what???
The funny thing is that ebay manages to unite buyers & sellers from across the globe - but the Zipps came from less than 2 miles away!!
Mind you - although I have polished them, I haven't used them yet (waiting to find/afford a 20 spoke PowerTap hub)
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Yeah... I saw that on eBay and drooled a little. I'm not generally a pink fan but I'd make an exception for that. Except that nearly 5'3", I'm not sure if it wouldn't be too small. Are you better to go smaller framed than larger? If so, I might take a punt on it.
Otherwise, my two top contenders are the Specialized Dolce Elite or the Cannondale Synapse 105 Alloy both in 47cm frames. Trying to sort out a test ride of them both - so far I've only been able to ride the lower spec'd versions and want to try the different gears on them.
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Yes... I chuckled too. It reminds me of when you have houseguests over and put some music on and then the next morning, you find lots of very odd cheesy music in iTunes that must have downloaded itself overnight...
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that's hippy, v fat
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I was on the Ride East yesterday and whilst I discovered I'm a lot more comfortable on my hybrid, turning corners gave me cause for concern as I had to be careful of toeclip overlap. At those times, I couldn't help but think smaller wheels would have been better, as that's when the wheelsize in comparison to me was noticeable.
Of course, it could mean I'm still not great at handling my bike :-).
marie
applespider
cafewanda
LittleHeather
edscoble
jaitch
clefty
scherrit
stiff_link
dancing james
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Ladies / Women's Bike Fitting
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Applespider, in my very limited experience I can ride a flat bar 47cm bike, but couldn't do that with drops. I'd have to go a size lower with a compact bar/levers and, maybe, a shorter stem.
See if you can find road bikes in a XS or 43/44cm: Trek do them in their 1.2 and, I think, their women's Madone models. Or you could try a Fuji Ace road bike, but that comes with 650c wheels which you might not like.
If you scan the Evans cycles site, they have a range of kid's road bikes that could be a starting point, if you can get them to order one in for you to try.
Right now, I've got the Luath small, Fuji Ace and a Brompton on my list of 'want's'. Two out of three by the year's end - objective.