fietsbob

Bike Friday's Pocket Rocket has small light fast wheels and you just use a bigger gear ratio to get the same speed .

a near Custom build, out of Eugene Oregon. so the wheel size will not interfere with the reach to the Bars.

the 53:11 gear finally makes sense. spinning a 20" (451) wheel


they do that to keep the 700c wheel and shorten the top tube reach..

The Terry Bikes Dropped the requirement for both wheels being Big,
to get the seat tube angle and rider's body mass balance right,

and still have the reach to the bars reasonable ..

Now with the 11t high gear cassettes , [9t with Caprio]

the need for the big 700c rear wheel goes away.. so both wheels can be smaller
to get the bike proportionally, right-sized to the rider.

mander

OP and other shorties, have a look at this. I have been looking for it since you started this thread.

https://www.rodbikes.com/blog/?p=355

It's a detailed series of articles on why 700c bikes for people under 5'5" are never any good.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yeah, pretty much the same down here. Those without eyelets are running seatpost racks. That Arkel is a nice bag. I use a small handlebar bag, too. I think the guys with the large handlebar bags are running custom frames. Ti frames are common with randos down here. What's not to like?

rodar y rodar

Never.
Except when ridden by short people who like their 700c bikes, like the ones earlier in this thread? I`m certainly not stuck on 700s (all my current bikes use 406 or 559), but the Rodriguez guy`s view seems a bit uncompromising to me.

mander

A bit, for sure. It's presented for your consideration only. But it's certainly bad to compromise rider fit in order to optimize wheel fit, and that's what a lot of little 700c bikes do.

Chris Pringle

This is exactly my take on that article. It helps educate their customers rather than to impose on them what they must buy. Some builders/bike manufacturers will often push what they want (or what's "in" with current market trends.) Many uninformed cyclists have very little idea how wheel size plays an important role on fitment - more so than on actual speed.

I, personally, would never buy (or have built) a small size bike with 700c wheels. Same goes with a "travel" bike. 26" is hands down the way to go for these purposes.

maxine

Yeah, I dunno . . . maybe it's because neither of my tiny-framed/big-wheeled rides is a "modern race bike?" But I've simply not had any of the issues this article mentions: no "real-world" toe overlap problem; no knee pain (knees are aligned properly); neither bike is "hard to control" and I can ride both no-handed (sometimes not as gracefully, depending on how much crap is loaded on them ); no sore neck or arms. Sore back sometimes, but my lower back is, in general, an old and cranky thing.

But he did note, several times, that some people will just want the bigger wheels regardless, and that he will build you whatever you like. This certainly isn't on the "Grant Petersen" level of dogmatic.

rodar y rodar

You`re right- my post was just as unfair as the "never" post, wasn`t it? I must have been in an argumentive mood.

carfart

I'm 5'6" and have resigned myself to the custom frame route in the near future in order to get a good fit. However, I've been wondering about the steel Swift Folder and the Soma Mini Velo as viable long distance bikes. For one thing, 20 inch wheels allow space in back for a larger capacity seat bag, something that's impossible on my 27"/700c frames.

Heatherbikes

Hi, I am 5'2" and have similar trouble finding bikes that fit. Most manufacturers do not put much thought or effort into smaller frame sizes. It would cost them more to sit down and redesign the frame to work for smaller people. Just shrinking the frame and using 26" wheels does not solve some real problems. I am a woman, so ride 'lady' frames when possible simply because a standard frame would have to be so small for me to stand over and then I run into other fit issues, like the headtube is too short, tubing too heavy for the small frame and many other things. Custom would be ideal. I had a surly lht, and cannot recommend surly's because they tend to be heavy-or disproportionally heavy and ill designed in the tiny sizes. For an Audax, you want a bike that is light, stable, and nimble. I foolishly bought a beautiful vintage audax online thinking it would fit. It's very pretty, but I can barely stand over it and the top tube is too long. I am currently testing out handlebars and having a hard time. I will make it work for now, and convert to 650B when funds allow. Being short, no bikes should be 700cc, but 650B is a good size. I hate 26" wheels personally. Grant Petersen wrote an article about bicycles for short people, and I believe BQP had an article awhile back, Jan Heine certainly suggested I go custom if possible.
Are you wanting a steel frame? Carbon fibre or titanium is way out of budget, and I will never ride aluminium again, so if it's steel you want a better quality lightweight frame.

Heatherbikes

My experience with the lht is that it was overbuilt for the small 46cm frame size and me being small. People love their lht's but it was hellish for me. it is not a heavy bike weight wise, but riding it is a different matter. It took a huge amount of effort and energy for me to ride the bike, I was fighting it the whole time. Soma use Tange prestige which is pretty light. Have you looked at mercians? They are beautiful, semi custom and not too expensive. I would order one or three if I had the money. They aren't big on 650b, but you could have them build a frame with the widest tires in mind, think about what brakes you would use to fit, and build up with 650B. Another option is building up a vintage sports touring bike with 650b or 26" wheels. Many of them work for conversions. I have an 89 trek 420 48 or 49 cm frame that I could barely stand over with the stock 700, but could stand over with 650B wheels and at least 38" tires, if not 42 hetres. I am not sure I will ever get around to using this frame, but I see many a blog with people using vintage treks converted to 650b as randonneur bikes.
I also have issues with bicycle parts like handlebars and brake levers being too big for me. Back in the day children rode proper road bikes, so smaller components exist if you look hard enough.

Road Fan

Not only children back in the day, but even today Georgena Terry is still designing bikes sized for women, including accounting for smaller hands. She is also customizing, as georgenaterry.com. She might be willing to sell you cockpit components to fit your hands.

Re Hetres: 650b x 42 tires have a diameter around 680 mm, just about the same as 700c x 28. The reason to go to them is to get a wider tire than you can with 700c, not to lower the bike. My 650b, designed for the Hetres, has a BB drop of 8 cm, just as aggressive as a DeRosa or some vintage Colnagos.

Narrower 650b tires are another story. A 32 mm width will let the bike sit about 1 cm lower than with 700c x 28 or 650b x 42, and still give you good tire width.

joewein

Maybe not the most conventional option, but Bike Friday build bikes for people basically any size (from 4' / 121 cm up). Their bikes are not cheap because they're hand-built in the USA, but you get a folding road bike that can be fully customized (as well as fitting into a regular size travel suitcase).

Last weekend I did a 300 km brevet ride on my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket, covering a total of 360 km (224 miles) including riding to and from the event and was still comfortable

brianogilvie 

OP: Your use of "audax" and of the " symbol for feet makes me wonder whether you're in the UK. If so, you might check the CTC Cycle Magazine's recent review of the Ridgeback Mercury and the Dawes Clubman.

Edit: looks like their smallest sizes could be too big for you, though.

njkayaker

Not that it wouldn't work but the LHT is actually a bit overkill for Randoneuring (it's designed to carry heavier loads than Randoneurs would generally carry).

ufa

Actually I am in Brazil. We also call it Audax
I know you will disagree, but I have acquired a Wabi bicycle. It is so unbelievable light, but it have no gear (fixed/freewheel flip flop).
Let's see if I can make it with only one gear Need to get used to drop bars first.

sleepyrando

Could a kind expert take a look at the specs of the Fuji Palette 2013 and let me know if it can be modified into a comfortable long distance / credit card touring bike?

https://www.fujibikes.jp/2013/products/palette/

The page is in Japanese but if you scroll down, the geometry is in English.

It's got a pretty low standover which is probably suited to Japanese body types (good for short people like me!!) but the top tube seems a bit long ( TT + stem = 610mm compared to my own fit of 550mm). And it seems like a pretty light bike (10.5kg stock)

1. What is the shortest available stem available that I can get to replace the stock stem of 90mm?
2. Can I put drop bars, change the gears to bar end shifters and happily go on my century ride?
3. Is it possible to fit 650B wheels or 26" wheels on this frame?

Thanks

rodar y rodar

Since none of the experts you requested have shown up, I`ll give you the little bit I can. The reason you see such long top tube in relation to the seat tube is that it`s designed for a flat bar. The had position on drop bars is generally well ahead of the stem clam and a little behind the clamp for flat bars. That was taken into account when the frame was deisgned, but you might be able put it to your advantage.

Switching from flat bars to drop bars is possible, but not as simple and straight up as it sounds. It will require new shifters and brake levers for sure, likely a new stem, probably some experimenting and problem solving. Are you up for a bit of wrenching, or prepared to pay for a lot of time with a shop mechanic? You mentioned in your mixte thread that you wanted to avoid buying a bike you couldn`t ride first. For all practical purposes, the bike you`re talking about here won`t exist until the swap is comlete, so esentially that`s what you`d be doing. After the swap, if you don`t like it, you`ll have to get it unswapped in order for the store you bought it from to take it back (if they even will). So it`s a gamble, but if it does work out, it might be great for you. My most ridden bike was born as a rigid mountain bike that underwent the same procedure as you`re considering. It`s wonderfull. I`ve tried on two other bikes since then and they didn`t work out so well for me, were returned to flat bars and resold.

You could probably find a 50mm stem for it, but you`ll need to know the clamp diameter to start looking. And the top of the head tube (where the rearward stem clamps on) is pretty low in relation to the saddle, so you might be better served by one of those adjustable stems pivoted up, which would both rasie your bars and bring them closer to the saddle. The stem is one of those problem solving things I mentioned above- might need to experiment with a few.

Brakes are tough to predict. With some type of cantis, you might be able to adjust small enough to fit 650b wheels, maybe even with the stock mini Vs. I think you`d have to go with a really long reach sidepull to make 559s fit, and to do that you need to know for sure if there are fender holes in the fork crown and seatstay bridge. Probably has holes, but not for sure.

sleepyrando

Thx for responding! Guess u were the expert I was waiting for

The Fuji Palette is a fraction of the costs of the other bikes I was initially looking at. And it was because I was confirmed by the bike mechanic (in a bike fit) that I can't fit bikes made for the caucasian body that I turned my attention eastwards towards Japanese frame makers. I still have to get it mail ordered, but I reckon USD500 for a stock bike would be easier (& less hurting to the pockets) to sell off should it not fit. It will be a gamble to take to fit those 650b wheels to get the extra clearance I need I guess.

I didn't even know I had to search for fender holes! Thx for that tip...time for me to bite the bullet and make the purchase...

rodar y rodar

Oy! I meant to scare you away from the idea, not talk you into it. Bikes made for a caucasion body? Turn your attention eastwards? That sounds a little fishy to me. Besides the fact that most new frames sold to Americans are made in Taiwan these days.

Well, if you do go ahead with the plan, I wish you luck. One more suggestion: If I were you, I`d try to get the fit set up first on the modified hybrid before buying new wheels. At the very least, have your mechanic check out the actual bike in person before you order any wheel or brake parts- he may see a possibility that I don`t, or may be able to spot some definite "No-go" for one or more of the brake possibilities I told you about. On the other side of things, if you don`t like the bike after all that work, at least you won`t have a wheelset to pay for in addition to the frame and drivetrain. Besides that, you might find that you like it with 559s. I don`t think you can get 650b tires for smaller than about 38mm, whereas 559s can be had in just about any width under the sun. And if you prefer skinny tires to fat, aren`t 650c tires relatively common in Japan? Maybe you have good choices for those in Singapore. That would be closer to the original size (easier to set up brakes than 559 or 650b) but they don`t come in wide versions.

My last thought is pedal strikes. If you put smaller wheels on a bike, you make the pedals lower and have to be more careful about scraping the ground with them while turning. Shorter cranks would help mittigate that, and would probably be welcome for short legged rider even on an otherwise stock bike.

Barrettscv 

Soma makes a number of bike frames that will fit a smaller rider well. The San Marco in the 47 and 51cm are designed for 650b wheels and 55-75mm reach road brakes. Max. tire fit: 38mm: https://www.somafab.com/archives/prod...rcos-frame-set

sleepyrando

EH?!

Guess it's back to more homework and more research for me...

brianogilvie 

What were the other bikes you were looking at? The price for the Palette is more like USD 600 at the current yen-dollar exchange rate, and then you would need to add shipping and the customs duty (5.5%, I think). If you then modified it to take drop bars with bar-end shifters, you're talking another $150-200 for parts and maybe $100 of mechanic time to swap them. And the reach would still be longer, as rodar y rodar pointed out. If you're thinking of a 650B conversion, add another $300 for the wheelset and tires.

By the time you add all that up, you're paying about the same as you would for a Terry Symmetry ($1349), which is specifically designed for women and has small sizes that use 650C (not B) wheels.

You could also consider a 20" bike from Bike Friday, which makes custom petite bicycles. I use a Bike Friday New World Tourist when traveling, and after a few minutes getting used to the slightly livelier steering, it feels about the same as my 700C touring bike.

carfart

I rule out smaller wheel sizes on frames with cantilever bosses. You'd have to get them moved down or perhaps up for Mafac racer style brakes or removed altogether to make clearance for sidepull or centerpull brakes.

60mm threadless stems are easy to find. Dimension makes them. You could couple that with a short reach drop bar like the On One Midge, Soma Junebug, or Soma Highway One for a setup with minimal reach.

psiphi

I ride an aluminum REI Novara Pulse for my commuter bike. I'm five feet tall with a short inseam (I'm half caucasian and half asian if this matters) and this bike fits me well. It has 26 inch mountain bike wheels and has eyelets for attaching racks. Since it's a kids bike, it is equipped with lower end components and a steel fork. On the other hand, the $500 price might leave you with some room in your budget for making upgrades such as carbon fork, better components or lighter wheels. Over the several years I've owned it, it has been pretty darn bulletproof. https://www.rei.com/product/795151/no...kids-bike-2013

Terry also makes a touring bike with 26 inch wheels as well. It's several times more expensive, but looks to be very well made. https://www.terrybicycles.com/Bicycle...to-Donana-Tour It used to be called the Valkyrie Tour and was partly designed by awesome 4'11 racer Kerry Litka. Here's a blog entry about her experiences with riding a too big bike, the REI Pulse, etc. https://www.kerry-litka.com/main/wordpress/page/56/


My road bike, which I've done several centuries on, is a titanium Litespeed Bella, size extra small with 650c wheels. It's very comfortable but the clearances do not allow for fenders or wider tires. Litespeed no longer makes this bike, but it occasionally turns up on Ebay. Good luck in your search, I know it's tough.