partyanimal

So I'm looking for a bike for my wife. I'm hoping to get her something a bit versatile, something we can do rail trails/light gravel, maybe some shorter weekend touring. She's short - about 5'2" with a shorter inseam. I'm not sure how much she'll really get into it so looking for something used/cheaper right now.

Came across this Bridgestone XO-4 locally on FB Marketplace. Seems pretty small but hard to gauge from the pics. Just wondering if anyone is familiar with these what he stand over height might be with 700C wheels currently on it.
Other questions:
1. Would it make a decent light touring bike? I see it has space for 2 bottle cages and appears to have eyelets for racks on rear and back.
2. Currently looks like it has 700x38C tires. Anyone know tire clearance on these?
3. With these types of breaks, would we be able to switch to smaller wheels? Here's a few pics and a what they have listed for the bike.
Also just for reference - we checked out a small Bianchi Axis yesterday, stand over height was about 30" and she felt it was just a touch too big for her.

BRIDGESTONE Bikes are cherished and collected for their superior quality at reasonable prices. These bikes were "overbuilt" in the 1990's with Shimano components and TIG steel chromoly frames. This bike needs a new chain but aside from that is in EXCELLENT condition--it has been kept indoors and and MINIMAL rust. Original tires. Ride it and you'll understand why cyclists are passionate about Bridgestone bikes. Size SMALL. Top tube 21” by 16”. Product Details Component Group: Shimano Alivio Pedals: SR/Suntour Low-Fat Sport w/clips & straps Chain: Shimano Hyperglide Hubs: Shimano Alivio Rims: Araya PX-45, 36-hole Tires: 700 x 38c Ritchey Tom Slick Frame Construction: TIG-welded steel Fork Brand & Model: Tange chromoly Cassette: 7-speed, 11 - 28 teeth Crankset: Shimano Alivio, 24/34/42 teeth Handlebar: Hsin Lung Arc Bar, aluminum Handlebar Stem: Hsin Lung MTS Saddle: Velo VL 195, vinyl cover Seatpost: Kalloy SP-243, 300mm Brakeset: Shimano Alivio STD brakes, levers Frame Tubing Material: Tange chromoly, double-butted Shift Levers: Shimano Alivio Rapidfire Plus w/Optical Gear Display

Iride01 

Depends too much on what you want. No it won't make a decent light touring bike. It's probably at least 26 to 28 pounds. That's really heavy to me.

Buy a bike for the type riding you are going to do the most. Otherwise the majority of your riding is going to be on something that doesn't quite measure up for the use.

If you are going to cheap out on used bikes, then you can certainly get multiple bikes specific to each type of riding you wish to do.

partyanimal

I already have too many bikes for myself. Not really looking to get multiple bikes for her but I get what you're saying. She already has an old step-through 3spd for short trips around town. By 'light touring' i didn't mean a light bike as much as quick short trips. But the I'd say 90% of what it will be for is paved or packed gravel rail trails.

Germany_chris

That'll make a great lightweight tourer, I'd pick it up in a heartbeat.

Iride01 

If your aren't going "touring" with cargo loaded bikes, then I'd still want the lighter of the bikes I could find that's acceptable for packed gravel. And I think you can find much better than that.

I went 40 plus years riding used bikes because I thought that made me frugal and old bikes were just as good as new bikes. But I have to admit the new bike I just got last year puts all my old bikes to shame in terms of how much more performance and enjoyment I get out of it. So lately I've been a little biased on the side of getting a new bike for anyone asking.

partyanimal

I totally agree for myself. Just bought myself a new All-City Space Horse that I love. But I'm not sure how much she's going to commit to riding and since I'm the one paying, I don't want to spend a lot right now. I'm hoping getting her out on the trails will get into a her wanting to invest in something better for herself. Plus we have a Peleton on the way so getting her clipping in is another bonus. But generally I'm totally in the camp of 'buy a nicer bike and you'll enjoy riding more'

brooklyn_bike

here's the specs from the 1994 bridgestone catalog. looks like a 69.9 cm stand over = 27.5 inches. you can't switch to smaller wheels with cantilever brakes . my wife has a similar bike 1992 XO-2 but with 26" wheels. she's a smaller person too and it fits her really well and weighs approx 25 lbs. another option is keep an eye out for a 48cm road or sport touring bike and do a 650b conversion. my wife's other bike is a T700 converted to 650bx42mm tires and it also fits her well and weighs about 23 lbs. before that she had a centurion ironman 650bx38mm conversion that weighed 21 lbs. hope that helps

partyanimal

Thanks, that's actually helpful.

Craptacular8

I get what you're saying. Was in the same position a few years back myself....had a new Space horse, and a spouse that decided that they might want to join me riding. I had extra bikes that would have fit, but I was afraid that they would do the opposite of encouraging them to join me because they were heavy. I rationalized that a new hybrid, even if they only rode it a half dozen times, would not be money poorly spent. It turned out to be the spark I'd hoped it would be, and my spouse has been an avid rider/tourer since that inception. The hybrid didn't remain the bike of choice for long...was replaced by a variety of drop bar bikes that followed, but it got them having fun riding, so purpose served.

Since you say light touring, and are looking at a Bridgestone, I think most of the modern hybrids would fit the bill. Your wife would get to choose an agreeable colorway, and get modern components, no updating necessary. Nearly any of the lbs variety hybrids will be suitable for the purpose you specify, and likely a little more spritely than her current 3-speed too. We have a Bridgestone. It is a lovely bike, and rides just fine with it's original equipment. I can't say that they are particularly tall for standover...pretty average, but the reach on them is pretty short. We picked one up that normally would be our size. In my opinion, they tend to run "small." The reach was just a tad short, making the cockpit feel a little cramped. We could fix that by a longer stem/ or even a straight handlebar, but wanted to keep it original, which kind of makes it a bike we don't ride, which is silly.

greysquirrel

Here is a link for catalogs of many different year Bridgestone bikes:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/