roadie66

Please help with any suggestions on a good tour bike for a very short girl
we are looking to do loaded self supported tour she will probably haul the baby burley baby trailer
we have looked at the trek 520 but it was to big
any help

Mentor58

Surly LHT goes down to a 42cm Frame, uses a 26inch wheel so the geometry is good on it. Terry has a 16 inch frame tourer also, here's a link https://www.terrybicycles.com/detail....g&item_no=3060

Steve W.

bgcycles 

You might want to check out the touring bikes from Bruce Gordon Cycles. We make our 26" wheel model as small as 34cm. It has a stand over height of about 26.5".
https://bgcycles.com/blt.html

Any questions - feel free to give me a call.
Regards,
Bruce Gordon

denisegoldberg

You also might want to consider a Bike Friday. I rode my Bike Friday across the USA back in 2002.

wsmc81

I am looking at a Rodriguez www.rodcycle.com for my 5'2" wife. They have a WSD touring bike. Their WSD geometry seems to be a little more radical (more women specific) than most. They feature 650c wheels which I feel is better suited fro those of smaller stature. I just notice that the TOuring version uses 26" wheels ... a better option for touring?

Kirk

bikeaway2003

My wife, who is 5'1", bought a custom built bike this summer.

Color: Blue
700 X 37
Top Tube: 51cm
Seat Tube: 48 cm
Chainstays: 43.5 cm
Front fork axle to middle of bottom bracket: 74 cm
Seat tube angle: 75 degrees
Head tube angle: 69.7 degrees

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journ..._id=23579&v=6g
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journ..._id=27153&v=2g

georgiaboy

How does your wife's bicycle perform on a climb?

bikeaway2003

It performs very well. It has Shimano XT components with a 22-32-44 chainring and 9 speed, 11x34 rear. We did walk part way up some of the passes we rode on in the Canadian Rockies this summer, but this may be attributable to lack of appropriate hill / mountain training rather than bike performance. It could also be age related.

Jean

georgiaboy

Thanks for responding. I am short for a guy at 5'6" and selecting a bicycle for a shorter person is of interest to me. As you know to accomodate a shorter person the frame is pushed down in size. However, the 700c size tires stay the same. This means that compromises have to be made in the geometry of the frame. Namely, the seat tube angle has to increase in order to make room for the 700c tire. Your wife's seat tube angle is 75 degrees. This means the placement of her feet on the pedals is not as forward for a seat tube angle of 72 or 73 degrees. A lower seat tube angle of 72 to 74 degrees on the bicycle while sitting could make it easier for a climb. But many major bike manufacturers produce bikes with 75 or 76 degrees seat tube angle to balance a smaller frame with the 700c tires. A smaller frame with 559 or 650 wheels would allow for room to move the seat tube to a smaller angle causing the feet to be more forward to the hips. There's no absolute correct answer to bicycle geometry. Each one can decide for him/herself. I wonder if your bicycle shop mentioned this option of purchasing a bicycle with smaller wheels. If you ever visit the bike shop you could take the oppurtunity to let your wife test ride a 13" or 15" mountain bike just to see how her riding position is improved or no difference. Just my .02.

bikeaway2003

I did not know too much about bike geometry when we bought our bikes this spring. We went to a reputable bike shop because we were of the view that a custom made bike would be made to fit properly. I did not know, neither were we told, that smaller wheels could improve performance or make it easier to climb steep hills. I did ask the owner of the bike shop to build two bikes with identical components. This was what we got, only the frames are sized different. For your information, I' m 5"8" and the sizing on my bike is as follows:

Top tube: 55.5 cm
Seat tube: 56 cm
Fork axle to BB: 74 cm
Chainstay: 44.5
Top and Seat tube angle: 73 degrees
Head tube: 71 degrees

MichaelW

Many small riders seem to agree that below about 5'3" it becomes increasingly difficult to make a nice bike with big wheels. At 5'1", your wife really needs 26" to fit a frame without compromising the geometry.
Regarding the choice between MTB 26" and 650c, think about how wide you need. The max 650c tyre is a narrow 28mm, just about adaquate for light touring. With MTB wheels you get a chocie from 1" (~28mm) upwards. A 1.5" slick is ideal for road touring and you have a choice of wider tyres for trail riding. MTB wheels are not slow; in practice there is little difference in efficiency between a 700c and MTB wheel in touring configuration.
Dont forget that small riders also need narrow bars and short cranks and whilst you are selecting short cranks, you can use a lower bottom bracket so the rider is not perched so high off the ground..

roadie66

Hey thanks for the help I am pretty sure I am going to build her a surly
has the 26: nice look
now i gotta decide on components LOL