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Old 01-23-22, 09:15 PM
  #18  
Korina
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Arcata, California, U.S., North America, Earth, Saggitarius Arm, Milky Way
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Bikes: 1984 Araya MB 261, 1992 Specialized Rockhopper Sport, 1993 Hard Rock Ultra, 1994 Trek Multitrack 750, 1995 Trek Singletrack 930

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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Sorry but that is a mistaken assumption. A 15” mountain bike frame is far too large for a small woman. Mountain bikes are sized to be 3” to 4” smaller than a road frame but they have the same proportions as the larger road frame. A 15” mountain bike is build for someone who fits on a 49cm (19”) road frame or someone 5’4” to 5’8”. In a road frame, you wife should be riding something closer to a 43cm bike and in a mountain bike frame closer to 12”. You are “Supermaning” the poor woman!
It depends on what kind of bike she wants. For a drop bar road bike, yes, the stoopid long top tube of the '90s mtbs would be an issue. I understand '80s bikes didn't have that issue, so if she can find something old enough... For pretty much any other riding, they're perfectly fine. With the right stem and bar, they're much more proportional for us shorties. Even with fenders, I have no toe overlap on my 18" mtb. I'm using a 160 mm stem and Velo-Orange Tourist bar. The Princess is super comfortable and takes me wherever I want to go. OP can also look out for a step through mtb so she doesn't have to worry about standover.



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