Road Fan

You can improve your stand over clearance, as well by going with smaller tire diameter.

madpogue 

Actually, one came up in Janesville a couple years ago for $50. But it was on OfferUp, and it appeared to be... well... as reputable as a typical OfferUp ad. Still, that's ^^^^^ a steal.

No one has mentioned to the OP - the philosophy behind the Terry / Terry-inspired design (small frame, 700C or 27" rear wheel, 650C or 24" front wheel) is that it offers the combination of (1) gearing of a full size rear wheel, (2) standover height for a small stature, and (3) no front wheel / toe interference.

pen

^^^ THIS! Something about Italian steel just... feels.... timeless.

Ah cool! So I tried out a friend's vintage 49CM (Daccordi) today and the standover is fine/just nice! (with my shoes on) - so I'm tempted to say, maybe a 49CM will work for me! He wanted to sell his Daccordi but I think I still prefer a single shade paint.

Thanks guys for all the wealth of information, I've learned so much more just in these few days (and found out about so many other brands too!) I looked at Terry again and I feel like the font and color are not my most preferred one. I keep going back to a Bianchi celeste lol.

And... I actually found a 49CM Bianchi Specialissma on eBay today! It's over my original budget, but it looks to be in pretty good condition. So... I'm currently looking at the listing every other minute Wished I could post the listing here to get you guys' opinion but I can't post any URL yet since I'm not over the 10 post limit now.

KAH

Was it this one in Italy?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/12459328819...kAAOSwy8BgNrNJ



I think it’s beautiful, I have always been a fan of that green and vintage font.



I’ll let the Bianchi experts comment on its value

and condition.

pen

yeah - that’s right! It’s over my original budget (doubled basically) but I don’t mind spending more and get one that I really like and not buy another bike (I told myself that each time I bought a bike, but I somehow find myself looking at another bike again and again lol)

jdawginsc 

Very underrated art... another possibility for the search pen

Check it out!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39289532078...oAAOSwYaNfJeHy

SwimmerMike 

@pen Here's a picture of my wife's ~1998 Marinoni. I believe it's a 46 CTT. Sorry it's not a great picture, but It's in a location in the garage rafters that I can't get at easily.

jdawginsc 

Some other names I think you might like...
Scapin (see link above), Rossin, Olmo, Gios

...other bikes that might be priced above...Derosa, deBernardi, Casati

I am missing one that should be something might wow you but it is slipping the mind....Grandis

ollo_ollo

Vic's Classic Bikes: The Bridgestone XO-2 (vicsclassicbikes.blogspot.com) Another one you may like is the Bridgestone XO-2. My grandaughter is Chinese, very petite. I gave her an XO-2 for college graduation present. It was either 48 or 49 cm. Looked exactly like the one in link but for the orange bar tape. Still had the original moustache bar, but I switched the original, skinny, Specialized tires for some Gravel Kings. Might add that only the early models had lugged construction, and I was fortunate to find one. Most I have seen were Tig welded. Don

pen

Thanks guys - I dont know what rabbit hole I've dug myself into The more I look the more classics I chance upon haha. And yup, I do agree with the Grandis!

Thanks for the pic SwimmerMike - love how many bikes you have in your garage too

oneclick 

Well, if you are hooked hard enough to want to start mainlining C&V, consider the Gitane Olympic/TDF, they came in a 48cm (I measured) size, and there are enough of them around that if you are patient can get a decent one without spending silly money.

If instead you're impatient, pm me.

dedhed

For that kind of ching $$$ you could probably get a hand-built custom fitted frame painted any way you want.

pen

I was actually looking at custom built steel or titanium bikes previously, but... I didnt feel particularly inspired, until... I started looking at these vintage steel bikes from 70s and 80s.

jdawginsc 

You will find what sings to you soon enough...I know the feeling for that first classical Italian bike...

it is not the money...it’s the pinache!

dedhed

https://www.merciancycles.co.uk/frames/special-orders/

https://www.merciancycles.co.uk/craf...rame-building/

repechage

Just don't ask them to make something out of their comfort zone. On the CR it was pointed out and then confirmed a rear brake bridge was totally in the wrong spot.
650b was probably the root cause of the eff up.
I would have sent the bloody thing back.
the reported "redress" to the issue was lacking.

repechage

Be cautious of steelvintagebike.
Probably fine if you can pick it up in person.

pen

Oh, how so? I did look at their inventory (cause they're one of the few with a pretty complete list online) - but they dont have one in my size. Thought they looked like pretty reputable store online.

In fact, I see a few sellers on Instagram. What are some of the things to take note of when buying from sellers (if not through eBay?) I asked the basic questions like - which parts are original and which are reproduced, does the bike ride well. Any tips will be welcomed!

jdawginsc 

Viner example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/30403427575...8AAOSwiCZgrUXf

Korina

I beg to differ; I'm 5'4" (162.5cm) with short legs, and a 17" mountain bike fits me great, with a couple of caveats; the stoopid long cranks and the long top tube, both of which can be easily fixed. My '95 Trek 930 is so much fun to ride.

oneclick 

New cranks, a hacksaw, a pair of conduit couplers and some carriage bolts?

cyccommute 

If the 17” bike fits you so well, why are you complaining about the long top tube? The long top tube is because a 17” mountain bike isn’t designed like a road bike. You want a bicycle with a shorter seat tube so that you have, roughly, 3” to 4” of clearance between the sensitive bits and the frame. If you ride a 49cm road bike (19”), subtracting 3” to 4” gives a 15” frame. You’d find the top tube shorter on a smaller bike. Additionally, the mid90s bikes had longer top tubes then now.

And you are 3”+ taller than Pen. That may not seem like much but she should be starting at a 17” road bike. The top tube on a 17” mountain bike is going to be huge compared to what she needs. A mountain bike for her is a 13”. Trust me, I have a whole lot of experience with fitting a bike to a small woman…a multitude of bikes. For many, many, many years, a 49cm bike was all that was available and she was never comfortable. She has a 43cm with 650C wheels now and it fits her much better.

Korina

And Pen is looking for a road bike.

I'm not complaining about the long top tube, I'm compensating for it with a short stem and swept bars. Believe me, I'd rather not, but after lots of research, my perfect bike would cost ~$3000. I've seen 13-15" mountain bikes; Bikes Heaven has this one and this one.

Off to lurker land.

cyccommute 

Yes, I know what Pen is looking for. I warned her against being talked into thinking a mountain bike of the same size is a viable substitute. It isn’t. A 13” mountain bike might be a good substitute but would require a lot of work and probably wouldn’t be worth the effort.

You brought it up and I explain why it is a problem. Too many people don’t take the geometry differences between mountain bikes and road bikes into account, especially for smaller riders (mostly women). Mountain bikes have very long top tubes compared to road bikes, especially mid90s mountain bikes. It’s even worse when you have to try to fit a small woman to that kind of bike.

Perhaps the best explanation of frames and small people ever done was done in a series of video by Geogena Terry. Everyone who is either small or is going to suggest a bike for a small person, should watch them. They explain a lot.

Finally, I get frustrated with people who would ordinarily say “fit is everything” but will tell a small person that they can just be shoehorned onto something that doesn’t fit. The opposite is actually true. I’m joe average and ride an “average” sized bike. I can walk into any bike shop in the world, pull my size off the peg, and go ride it without much more adjustment than getting the saddle to the proper height. I’m also just about guaranteed that any shop in the world will have my size because my size is made in close to a 100 to 1 ratio of larger bikes to very small bikes. I can even walk into those same shops and walk out with a 14 lb wonder bike…probably that day.

My wife (or any small person, for that matter) can walk into the same shops and be told that they don’t have the right size and, often, they don’t even make the bikes in a small enough size. Often they will try to steer smaller riders to hybrids or step throughs that weigh 2 to 3 times what the wonder bike does. My wife’s current bike weight 20 lb and it’s the lightest bike she has ever ridden. It took a lot of work and no small amount of money to get it to that weight. Dropping another 4 lbs would be next to impossible.

CliffordK

Not super vintage, but this'll turn heads.
https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/...337791197.html


A Canondale of about the same vintage.
https://salem.craigslist.org/bik/d/s...326764196.html

Small Trek. It is close enough that I could snag it.
https://eugene.craigslist.org/bik/d/...329747905.html

Another little Trek up in Portland.
https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik...332399580.html

And just a bare frame.
https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/...338313313.html
No fork, that'll be a bit of a hassle since they're usually not threaded the whole length, but one should be able to find one.