Bike for petite women - where to buy it?

Maga

Dear all,

I need to buy a new bike asap but I'm finding it really hard to find anything that fits me properly. If you could suggest any model, brand or shop that you think may carry smaller ladies bikes, I would really appreciate it.

I'm 4'11 and I am looking for a bike for daily use on heavy traffic (commuting, long distances, bad weather) but also for the occasional off road on dirty roads.

I have tried a few bikes and frames up to 16'' seem great. The problem is that all hybrids I've tried so far only come with 700cc wheels and I find that anything larger than 26'' wheels really mess up with my center of gravity. Does anyone know any hybrid model that comes with 26'' wheels/650cc available in Ireland?

If possible, I would also like to go for 42 tires and a straight handlebar. I would consider a montain bike, however on the lighter side. My budget is up to 500 euro.

What I don't want: the girly commuter bike (similiar to the Amsterdam type)

If you guys have any suggestions, I would really really appreciate.

Thank you very much in advance!!

2011abc

Not making any direct bike recommendations but as well as the obvious leg 'stretch' its even more important to make sure your torso/arms arent over stretched .Women have proportionately shorter top halves and often need really short stems (the bit that holds handebars to bike)

2011abc

Hybrid should suit far better than mountain bike ....waaaaay faster /easier to pedal...If you or anyone you know is a eligible for Bike to Work you will save 52%!

Beasty

2011abc wrote: »

Hybrid should suit far better than mountain bike ....waaaaay faster /easier to pedal...If you or anyone you know is a eligible for Bike to Work you will save 52%!

First point - you cannot use someone else's BTW "entitlement" - that would be tax fraud.

Also you only save 52% if you are a higher rate taxpayer - basically you save at your marginal rate

Further discussion of the BTW rules should take place in the Megathread

Dotsie~tmp

Maybe buy a bike for teenage boys size?

Maga

Hi everybody,

Thank you very much for your replies so far.

The bike I have at the moment is a kid's mountain bike with a 14'' frame and a 24'' wheel, but it is extremely uncomfortable to cycle it for longer distances. Besides the short distance to the pedals, the main problem is actually the reach to the handle bars - too short, so the only way to ride it comfortably is to sit way back on the seat.

I tried today a 16'' frame Giant hybrid and it felt extremely comfortable, but the 700cc wheels took away the balance completely, as if I'm not sitting on top of the bike anymore, but engulfed by it!

It would be fine for a relaxed ride but def not for busy roads or for carrying heavy backpacks etc as I usually do - as it just feels like I have no control over the bike and very little balance for quick turns.

I'm a bit stuck as in both shops they said they don't make hybrids with other wheels other than 700cc. I read extensively on the net and the brand they suggest for petite women, Terry, doesn't seem to be available over here.

But thanks a million for your suggestions, please keep them coming!

All the best

Lumen

Vitus Bikes Vee-27 City Bike 2013
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=81001

Vitus Bikes Vee-1 City Bike 2013
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=80999

Dotsie~tmp

Maga wrote: »

Hi everybody,

Thank you very. uch for your repl. s so far.

The bike I have at the moment is a kid's mountain bike with a 14'' frame and a 24'' wheel, but it is extremely uncomfortable to cycle it for longer distances. Besides the short distance to the pedals, the main problem is actually the reach to the handle bars - too short, so the only way to ride it comfortably is to sit way back on the seat.

I tried today a 16'' frame Giant hybrid and it felt extremely comfortable, but the 700cc wheels took away the balance completely, as if I'm not sitting on top of the bike anymore, but engulfed by it!

It would be fine for a relaxed ride but def not for busy roads or for carrying heavy backpacks etc as I usually do - as it just feels like I have no control over the bike and very little balance for quick turns.

I'm a bit stuck as in both shops they said they don't make hybrids with other wheels other than 700cc. I read extensively on the net and the brand they suggest for petite women, Terry, doesn't seem to be available over here.

But thanks a million for your suggestions, please keep them coming!

All the best

Find a frame that gives you a good standover height. Adjust the saddle height and lateral position then buy a longer stem to suit your reach.

cdaly_

Would an IslaBikes Benin 26 suit at all? It's aimed at kids but talks about 146cm height which is just short of your 4' 11".

silvo

Hi Maga,
I am 4” 10 and I know your pain. It can be difficult to find a bike to suit small people like us. For commuting I ride a 14” Giant Bowery fixie which is tiny (probably not what you’re looking for though), and for the road I have a Specialized Dolce in a 44cm frame. I also do a bit of mountain biking and ride an XS Santa Cruz Nickel. The Specialized Dolce is an amazing little bike and is excellent for both commuting and long rides on the road. You won't have any issues with having to stretch to reach the bars or stand-over height. I got mine from Bespoke Cycles in Bray who are great for sorting out women’s bikes. Specialized do really small women’s sizes and they have hybrids like the Vita which might be more what you are looking for. They do it in an XS as well. I would recommend you go and have a look at some of them and see if any suit. You won’t know yourself when you are on a road / hybrid compared to what you have now!

Maga

Guys, thank you so very much for your replies and suggestions.

After reading your replies, I'm starting to think that part of the problem is that I want something compact and more sturdy for commuting/off-road (mountain bike like) and something more light-weight/relaxed for longer trips on paved roads (hybrid/"comfort bike" with thin wheels), and maybe I should go for 2 quite different bikes instead of trying to combine it all in one that won't be exactly ideal for either....Do you guys think that makes sense?

Silvo, that's brilliant, it's great to hear from someone in a similar situation
Since we are the same height, how do you find the bigger 700cc wheels, especially for commuting? Would you say it makes a big difference on your balance/sense of control of the bike, compared to 26'' wheels?

Thanks again everybody!

rp

cdaly_ wrote: »

Would an IslaBikes Benin 26 suit at all? It's aimed at kids but talks about 146cm height which is just short of your 4' 11".

My daughter has one of these, they are a great light-weight bike, good quality components and well-made. Groupset is 6 speed twist-grip, but you could upgrade that easy enough.

lexa

Same problem, I’m 4’11 too and finding a bike to fit was difficult. Even the smallest version of some bikes was too big for me.
Ideally you could try out the smallest version of a few different bikes to see what fits best. That’s kind of difficult though because most bike shops won’t have XS in stock so will have to order it in especially for you – if XS is available from suppliers.
I got a sports hybrid in the end, the Giant Dash. The XS is 43cm which is one of the smallest adult bikes I could find when I was looking. Not sure if that is the Giant hybrid you already tried though.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2013.giant.dash.4/11867/56910/#geometry

Henlars67

Beasty wrote: »

First point - you cannot use someone else's BTW "entitlement" - that would be tax fraud.

Also you only save 52% if you are a higher rate taxpayer - basically you save at your marginal rate

Further discussion of the BTW rules should take place in the Megathread

No it wouldn't. Whoever gets the bike is entitled to do as they please with it. If that means giving it to a third party for cash then so be it.

Lumen

Henlars67 wrote: »

No it wouldn't. Whoever gets the bike is entitled to do as they please with it. If that means giving it to a third party for cash then so be it.

The employee must intend, at the time of the transaction, to use it for commuting to and from the place of work.

If the intent is to give or sell it to someone else, this would be tax fraud as Beasty states.

Zen0

+1 on Islabikes. They make very good quality bikes which are very versatile. They can be configured as a commuter/tourer or an unsuspended mountain bike, and I have seen nothing which comes as close in weight.

silvo

Maga wrote: »

Silvo, that's brilliant, it's great to hear from someone in a similar situation
Since we are the same height, how do you find the bigger 700cc wheels, especially for commuting? Would you say it makes a big difference on your balance/sense of control of the bike, compared to 26'' wheels?

Personally, I found no difference at all. I think with any new bike it takes a couple of goes to get used to but the wheelsize shouldn't make it feel radically different. I have ridden 20" bmx wheels, 26" mtb wheels and 700 road wheels and although they are all different I don't notice any difference in my balance or control of the bike once I have ridden the bike for 3/4 times. It could be that the bike you tried that had the larger wheels might have been too big for you, and perhaps it was the size of the frame or the length of the stem rather than the wheels that made you feel off balance.

I see what you were saying about wanting two different types of bike. I think if most of your biking will be on the road best to get a hybrid or road bike. If you wanted to do offroad mountain biking best to get a separate mountain bike or the road bike would suffer and wouldn't really be suitable. I think it might be best to make the decision on your bike type depending on what style of riding you will be doing the most.

Maga

Dear all,

Thank you so very much for all your replies and suggestions, you have no idea how much they helped me.

Silvo, I think you were spot on, the lack of balance was more to do with the size of the frame than the wheels. I followed your advice and tried a smaller frame (XS) in another shop and it totally changed my perception/control of the bike, no problem at all now. With that said, it has been super difficult to find shops carrying XS bikes!

Since the low crossbar was an important fact for me, I'm narrowing down my search to these two, and possibly will take the first one - even though it's heavier, the tires are thicker and I'm assuming this will give me more stability in rough pavement/dirty roads?

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-in/bikes/model/rove.4/11642/56277/

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-in/bikes/model/escape.3.w.v1/11631/56230/#specifications

Thank you so much again!

Wishing you all happy sunny cycling days!

Maga

Just a few replies to individual posts:

- Lexa, thanks a lot for bringing to my attention the XS frame! The shops I visited were trying to sell me the S frame saying “sure it’s grand”, but it’s such a huge difference actually trying th XS! I asked another shop to order me the XS and I will try the Giant Rove 4 now in the right size, I tried before the Giant Escape and it’s lovely, but the skinny tyres still scare me off. Your bike seems amazing, but I’m not sure I can handle the straight crossbar.

- Unfortunately I’m not eligible to the Bike to Work scheme, but thank you very much for infon on this.

-

2011abc wrote: »

Not making any direct bike recommendations but as well as the obvious leg 'stretch' its even more important to make sure your torso/arms arent over stretched .Women have proportionately shorter top halves and often need really short stems (the bit that holds handebars to bike)

Thanks a million for that! It was a great insight as I was trying a few bikes and indeed realised I was overstretching

-

Dotsie~tmp wrote: »

Find a frame that gives you a good standover height. Adjust the saddle height and lateral position then buy a longer stem to suit your reach.

I didn’t realise this was possible! Do you reckon it’s possible to replace the stem in most bikes? That would be a very good solution! Thanks!

- And for the others who suggested other brands, thanks again, I checked each one of them. I’m still afraid of the high straight crossbar though, as I usually dismount my bike jumping over it – especially when arriving from work exhausted at midnight

Thanks a million again!
All the best,
Maga

Maga

Dear all,

This is a rather late reply, but I just wanted to thank you all for your help and suggestions!

I [finally!!] got my bike and I couldn't possibly be happier with it!!! I can't believe how much I love it already!

Many thanks to all of you who encourage me to try the bigger wheels and frame, after a few days of dread now this bike became my best friend for life and I'm super familiar with it already!

I also must say the suggestion to go with ThinkBike in Rathmines was great, the guys there were fantastic allowing me the two days trial to see if I could get used to the bigger bike and now I'm forever loyal to their shop and service

Happy cycling everybody!!

PS. In the end I went with Giant City Escape W XS, although I did try a Specialized Globe and it was very good too.