Originally Posted by
Korina
I'm confused by your question; your Stumpy will do everything you want it to. Are you looking for a larger size? As for customizing a vintage bike, you can have a mechanic do it for less than the cost of a new one, and it'll be a better bike than you could buy new for the same price. As for the long cranks, I don't know what they were thinking back then; my little Trek SingleTrack came with 175 cranks, and it's like climbing tall stairs; for an hour. You'd probably be much happier with 165mm cranks, they're not impossible to find.
I'm 5' 4" and I love my 26" wheeled bikes; they feel properly proportioned, even with the stupid long top tubes (fixed with a short stem and swept bars). Don't bow to current fashion; find a bike that fits and ride that. That said, if you like the Mercier, go for it!
Hey, thanks for the suggestions and support for 26" wheels!
Hah, what I forgot to mention is that the bottom bracket on the StumpJumper is stuck and most likely will never come out. I took it in for a big overhaul last year ... and they broke the bike shop vice trying to get it off. I suspect I"m now legendary. Or an example of how not to maintain your bike!
So I figure that it's only a matter of time, although it still rides as it always has. And I'm feeling my years, perhaps, and realize I could be a bit more comfortable and efficient with a new bike.
I can only like the Mercier in abstract, since I can't do a test ride and have only seen one or two riding by in the wild. I'm just going by frame material, specs, and one or two ****** threads where people actually mention them.
But now you have me thinking about crank size. That, and the stack and reach suggestion above are probably two good places to start. Thanks, folks.