Originally Posted by
smoothness
there's a reason why they invented city bikes, step through frames, mixtes, dutch bikes.
So us shorties (5'1", 28" standover here) can ONLY ever get step-through style frames? Booo. I was pushed into a step-through hybrid by a bike shop for exactly that reason, and I hated it. I had that bike for maybe 2 months before I was ready to trade up. Now it's just my winter beater. Could only hold one bottle cage; had to carry an extra-long u-lock because of the fat tubes + weird angles at the head tube; upright riding position gave me no power and made my body a sail in the Chicago wind...No thanks! I can stop without smashing my ladybits just fine on all of my bikes.
Also maybe you didn't mean it to sound that way, but 650c wheels are not a junk solution if the bike is built for them. I <3 my 650s. Even though with them I still have close to no clearance over my top tube.
