The best commuter bike for the tiniest commuter person
#126
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Thank you for writing. Unfortunately I need a step through bicycle, more like a comfort bicycle or commuter bicycle, not a mountain bike. I was looking on Amazon at a cruiser with 24 inch tires that advertises itself is for people 4 foot 10 to 5 foot two. But at roughly $300 it’s probably a piece of junk. I’ve had some bad falls on bicycles when I couldn’t put both feet on the ground with comfort. Somebody suggested a tricycle but my vanity is just a little too high yet.
i’ve heard that vintage Peugeots came with extra self small frames, like 44 cm. If somebody out there has one of these for sale please let me know.
i’ve heard that vintage Peugeots came with extra self small frames, like 44 cm. If somebody out there has one of these for sale please let me know.
I hate to say this but you might want to look at kid’s bikes because of your size. The Woom Original 6 might be the right size. I would definitely not go looking for vintage as the manufacturers really didn’t make bike smaller than 49cm pre1995 and even then they make very few small bikes up to today.
Some used bikes worth looking for small women are (in no particular order), 2006 Trek 1500 WSD, 650C wheel; 2012 Terry Symmetry, 650C wheel (can’t find any of them for sale); Terry symmetry with 24”/700C, front/rear; and Specialized Vita, XS, 700C wheel. My 5’ tall wife has owned (or owns) all of these.
There are some caveats, however. 650C tires are only available in very limited sized. You can find some 25mm wide ones but most are going to be 23mm wide which is a narrow, fairly harsh tire. The 24”/700C Terry is a great work around for getting the proper fit but there is the problem of having two different tires (and tube) sizes as well as an even more limited selection of tires for the 24” (ISO 520mm) rims. Small framed 700C bikes have some standover issues because of the higher head tube. These are all good bikes but be aware of the possible issues.
The vintage mountain bike route might be a good way to go as well. You have a wider selection of tires and a bit more of a selection of frames. DO NOT go with a 29er! Stick with 26”. Also don’t be fooled into thinking that because you ride a 43cm (17”) road bike that you can ride a 17” mountain bike. That is a bike that is designed for someone about 6” taller than you are (at a minimum). For mountain bikes, you need to subtract 3 to 4” from the road bike size to get the proper frame proportions and fit. That means a 13” mountain bike (which is also hard to find).
There is an advantage to going to a 26” wheel over a 650C as the wheel is smaller…559mm vs 571mm…which decreases the standover. A suspension fork will push up the front but you can replace suspension forks with rigid forks if you need to. Additionally, it is possible to limit the travel (and height) of some suspension forks.
Here are my wife’s bikes:
Trek 1500, 43cm, 650C tires
A 1998 Schwinn Home Grown, 13”
A 2000 Schwinn Home Grown since reconfigured with a rigid fork. This one is living in Tucson and my wife says it is much easier to ride on Tucson’s buckled streets than the Trek.
2012 Terry Symmetry, 650C wheels.
_IMG4975 by Stuart Black, on Flickr
Specialized Vita (repainted) 700C wheels
DSCN1059 by Stuart Black, on Flickr
And the first bike that really “fit” here, a early 90s Terry Symmetry.
DSCN0573 by Stuart Black, on Flickr
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#127
Newbie
Reviving an old thread (that will recur as long as short folks want nice bikes!) to say that I recently pulled a 1988 Jubilee out of barn and it weighs, steel wheels, kickstand, and all, 29 pound on the nose. Think it is all original equipment except the saddle (replaced with something equally clunky at some point) and the foam on the bars replaced with tape. I love it, and feel very lucky to have found it! So comfy and nice to ride, and will most likely be my nice weather commuter.
I have had the old Trek WSD bike with the 650Cs mentioned above - it did fit perfectly but over the years it got harder and harder to find tires not made for time trials and the like, which were expensive special orders that could not survive city streets and were uncomfortable to boot. I'd buy a Brompton before I took back my old trek - small wheel folders can be a really good solution for the short commuter if you do not want to hunt for antique French steel.
I have had the old Trek WSD bike with the 650Cs mentioned above - it did fit perfectly but over the years it got harder and harder to find tires not made for time trials and the like, which were expensive special orders that could not survive city streets and were uncomfortable to boot. I'd buy a Brompton before I took back my old trek - small wheel folders can be a really good solution for the short commuter if you do not want to hunt for antique French steel.
#128
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,700
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
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Although I hate responding to zombie threads, I’ll make an exception. Last year I picked up a Specialized Sirrus 2.0 in XXS for my wife. Initially the idea was because it has 700C tires but it was smaller than the Vita she previously had. Here’s what it looked like from the showroom.
I made changes because that is what I do. A carbon post, carbon bars, and better drivetrain lowered the weight.
Although she could stand over the bike, I had an epiphany that I could lower the bike even more by going to 26” wheels. It’s a disc brake bike so the wheel size doesn’t matter. I also lost the boat anchor front fork…it weighed 5 lbs and was made of steel…bringing the total weight down to around 22 lb.
One other modification I made was to put shortened cranks on the bike (helped with the lower height). I’ve been experimenting with short cranks on her bikes after I almost ruined her knees on our tandem. After reading something on how shorter cranks are better for stokers, I tried it and it seemed to work. I shortened 175mm cranks to 145mm. Not only was it a vast improvement over the 165mm cranks she had been using, she actually tried standing on a climb and found that she could do it! In more than 40 years of bicycle riding, my wife has never been able to stand up and climb, much less climb out of saddle comfortably. If you are tiny, go read what Bike Smith has to say and seriously consider shortened cranks.
I made changes because that is what I do. A carbon post, carbon bars, and better drivetrain lowered the weight.
Although she could stand over the bike, I had an epiphany that I could lower the bike even more by going to 26” wheels. It’s a disc brake bike so the wheel size doesn’t matter. I also lost the boat anchor front fork…it weighed 5 lbs and was made of steel…bringing the total weight down to around 22 lb.
One other modification I made was to put shortened cranks on the bike (helped with the lower height). I’ve been experimenting with short cranks on her bikes after I almost ruined her knees on our tandem. After reading something on how shorter cranks are better for stokers, I tried it and it seemed to work. I shortened 175mm cranks to 145mm. Not only was it a vast improvement over the 165mm cranks she had been using, she actually tried standing on a climb and found that she could do it! In more than 40 years of bicycle riding, my wife has never been able to stand up and climb, much less climb out of saddle comfortably. If you are tiny, go read what Bike Smith has to say and seriously consider shortened cranks.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Likes For cyccommute:
#129
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 41,047
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
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[MENTION=21724]cyccommute[/MENTION], that's interesting. My spouse can't stand either, and her form looks strange. I wonder if shorter cranks would help her. I might do some experiments.
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Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#130
Cantilever believer
152 mm cranks typically come stock on 24" wheel bicycles and aren't too hard to source. But in most cases, they're not top-of-the-line component quality.
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Richard C. Moeur, PE - Phoenix AZ, USA
https://www.richardcmoeur.com/bikestuf.html
Richard C. Moeur, PE - Phoenix AZ, USA
https://www.richardcmoeur.com/bikestuf.html
#131
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,700
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
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Alternatively, I had BikeSmith shorten cranks for our tandem which I provided and it was only about $80 including shipping. He sells whole cranks for a reasonable price. Another alternative is da Vinci Designs Tandems. The link above is for a crank that has 3 holes in either 130/150/170mm or 120/140/160mm triple hole cranks. da Vinci is a Denver company and I’ve looked at their cranks. They are well made and an interesting concept.
And the pedal holes are straight.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#132
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 41,047
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Liked 3,045 Times
in
1,722 Posts
[MENTION=21724]cyccommute[/MENTION] thank you! Unfortunately, there may not be much cycling left in my spouse's future, so experiments and investments don't make much sense for now.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
#133
Hack
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,299
Bikes: TrueNorth CX bike, 88 Bianchi Strada (currently Sturmey'd), Yess World Cup race BMX, Pure Cruiser race BMX, RSD Mayor v3 Fatbike
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145mm 24mm spindle cranks for direct mount chainrings available here:
(105, 125, 165 as well)
Kids Bike MTB Mountain Bike Crankset GXP Bicycle Crank
(105, 125, 165 as well)
Kids Bike MTB Mountain Bike Crankset GXP Bicycle Crank
#134
Commuter
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: SE Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 742
Bikes: Main Bikes: 2023 Trek Domane AL3, 2022 Aventon Level.2 eBike, 1972 Schwinn Varsity, 2024 Priority Apollo 11
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Hey all,
After years of riding 60-year-old department store children's step-throughs, I'm finally looking to build my first new, adult commuter.
One problem: I'm 4'11", with a 27" inseam. After a whole lot of research regarding what I want and need (ED-coated double-butted CroMo, 700c for accessibility, wide tire clearance for winter tires with fenders, single speed/fixed gear capabilities, the ability to survive cobblestones, city traffic, and salted roads, a $700 to $1000 price range, and something that looks boring enough to be ignored by Montreal bike thieves while still making my own heart pitter-patter), I test rode a 42cm Surly Cross Check at my LBS. I found the ride comfortable and much faster than what I'm used to, and am seriously considering buying one, but I'm worried about the fact that I can't stand flat-footed over the top tube.
In your experience, how important is standover height for a city commute? Particularly in wintry conditions? Should I consider the Straggler 650b in 38cm, and just suck it up when it comes to tire variety? Are there other frames on the market now that I should be considering, that meet the needs stated above? Thanks!
After years of riding 60-year-old department store children's step-throughs, I'm finally looking to build my first new, adult commuter.
One problem: I'm 4'11", with a 27" inseam. After a whole lot of research regarding what I want and need (ED-coated double-butted CroMo, 700c for accessibility, wide tire clearance for winter tires with fenders, single speed/fixed gear capabilities, the ability to survive cobblestones, city traffic, and salted roads, a $700 to $1000 price range, and something that looks boring enough to be ignored by Montreal bike thieves while still making my own heart pitter-patter), I test rode a 42cm Surly Cross Check at my LBS. I found the ride comfortable and much faster than what I'm used to, and am seriously considering buying one, but I'm worried about the fact that I can't stand flat-footed over the top tube.
In your experience, how important is standover height for a city commute? Particularly in wintry conditions? Should I consider the Straggler 650b in 38cm, and just suck it up when it comes to tire variety? Are there other frames on the market now that I should be considering, that meet the needs stated above? Thanks!
I really like the vintage frame look (especially the fork) and color options of Surlys. I looked at the Straggler, but after researching a bit, the Midnight Special seems to be a better bike. (through axles mainly)
I wound up going with a Priority Apollo 11, (I wanted belt drive & internal geared hub) but I don't think they make it small enough for you and I also regret that I didn't get through axles. (as the rear brake always drags just a bit in one spot)
If you were closer, I'd offer you my Trek 1000 in size 43, but it's not worth the logistics.
A couple other things you may want to add to your list for a commuter is that it should easily take fenders and a rack. (the Surlys do)
#135
Commuter
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: SE Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 742
Bikes: Main Bikes: 2023 Trek Domane AL3, 2022 Aventon Level.2 eBike, 1972 Schwinn Varsity, 2024 Priority Apollo 11
Liked 519 Times
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Ah damn, I didn't notice this was a zombie thread. Did the OP even bother to respond?