Ryan Olivas

I would suggest the Nashbar Flat Bar bike. It has 3 Sizes and 17inches is the shortest one.

minerva79

Mom! There's no sense of humour on the internet!

By the way, check out the Rocker's Mini BMX. It's not just a BMX. Let me know what's the purpose of the saddle for that bike.

cyccommute 

Why do you say that? There have been several suggestions for bikes with different sized wheels.

CycleryNorth81

Another option is a mixte frame or step thru frame for the shorter rider.

LesterOfPuppets

Rockers are smaller than the BMX you're likely imagining.

Abu Mahendra

so when folks think of smaller-wheel bikes, the thought that comes to mind is that of a caricature, a quaint curio, a humorous prop, you know, of the bike that the bear rides at the circus...

Abu Mahendra

i say that because no one here, save for bob and me, have thought, know of or have suggested anything smaller than a 24" wheel bike. anyone suggest a ISO451, 406, 355, 349, 305 wheel bike here? No. The bias towards big wheels and/or the ignorace of small wheel bikes is real.

cyccommute 

There are a few problems with going to wheels that small. First there is just sourcing parts and tires. There aren't a lot of choices out there for quality tires in "odd" sizes. Even finding tires for a 571mm (650C) is difficult. Finding tires for a small wheeled Terry Symmetry which has a 24" front wheel (520mm rim) is even harder. There are only 3 manufacturers of 520mm tires that I know of...Panaracer, Terry and Schwalbe. Even then there are special order or mail order.

There are also limited choices for rims.

There are also problems with gearing a much smaller wheel. My wife has had a mountain bike with 24" wheels (507mm) in the past. She spent a lot of time coasting because she ran out of gears relatively early. I spent a lot of time riding the brakes because my bike had higher gearing. And, again, sourcing good quality tires was...and still is...a problem. Going to a wheel size much smaller than the 507 just exacerbates the problems.

Finally there is a bit of an image problem. The folders may be great bikes but they are a bit too clownish for most peoples' tastes.

coupster

I've always had good results with 24x1 Panaracer Pasela's for the 24" Terry front and they are available at a couple of places online. I'd never paid attention to the metric sizing so I figured I'd go take a closer look. Tire labeling has always been an exercise in cryptology but Panaracer has succeeded in making it even more confusing, the colored stick on label says "24x1 600-25", but if you look at the molded sidewall they say "24x1 600x25c 520x25". I'm guessing that this reflects the tread and rim sizes.
The joy of bicycle parts compatibility. woohoo

Abu Mahendra

In this case you know not of what you speak. You talk about 24" bikes as if they are representative of the gamut, or as 24" is considered a small wheel. Your post is, again, indicative of the deep ignorance here about anything smaller than 24". Problems with gearing? What world do you inhabit? Image problem? Your personal bias is part of it.

You are otherwise insightful and knowledgeable, cycco. Here none of that is on evidence. Here you are just peddling ignorance and prejudice.

cyccommute 

I'm not sure what the "600-25" represents. Frankly, I'm not sure what the "24" represents as well. If you stand this wheel up against a 24" decimal wheel, they are obviously different sizes. We have a stupid system for wheels and tires. We should go by the ISO (or rim diameter) size and the measured width rather than this goofy "the size the wheel and tire would be with a 'normal' tire mounted" system we use now.

cyccommute 

Walk into 3 bike shops and ask for a tire for a "ISO451, 406, 355, 349, 305 wheel bike" or ask them for a 16" or 20" tire and see where they point you. If...and that is a giant "if"...they even have any of those sizes, they are going to point you towards the kids bikes. Even if you ask for a 24" tire, that's where they are going to point you. The fact is that smaller wheels are hard to source tires and rims for. It may be a bias against small wheel bikes but it still exists.

As for gearing, the wheel size determines the gearing. Very small wheel bikes have to use huge chainrings to get reasonable gearing. Since the rings have to be so large, the crank has to be mounted higher which makes the rider sit higher and that raises the center of gravity and has an impact on the handling. Most people will notice that immediately and will say that folders feel "off" when you ride them.

There is also a image aspect to bicycle riding. While Bike Fridays and Dahons have a purpose, most people just don't feel right riding them. Look at 408mopar's first points: "Her problem has been finding one small enough to fit her, without being a child's bike." Maybe image shouldn't matter but it does. Folders are just too far outside the "norm" for most people.

There's also the issue of just finding one. I've been in a lot of bike shops. I've only found one that sold Dahons. I actually tried one. It's an okay bike but seemed a bit squirelly compared to my "normal" bike. My wife's comment was similar. If we bought one, it would likely be of very limited use since there are other, better, options out there. Just the weight of one is kind of over the top. Her current Terry weighs 20 lbs which I consider a bit heavy for a small woman. The Dahon Boardwalk weighs in at 30 lb which is a lot for a small person to push around all the time. Would you willingly push around a 50 to 70 lb bike all day? That's a third of the weight of a 190 lb person.

Abu Mahendra

once again, cycco, you speak from your narrow perpective. you are speaking in generalizations when it comes to weight, bb height, availability, gearing. again, your posts are prime examples of the bias, prejudice and ignorance about small-wheel bikes (ISO451 and smaller).

Under 20lbs. sans pedals. geared for touring at 26-83 gear-inches


19-113 gear-inches

cyccommute 

No matter how many people you call biased or prejudiced against very small wheels, not many people are going to come around to your point of view for most of the reasons I've listed above. Flies, vinegar, honey, etc. You haven't really done anything to convince me or others that there is much of an advantage to super small wheels.

Frankly not many people are going to accept a 650C (471mm) wheel because it is too far outside the "norm" and are used in "youth" bikes. Anymore 26" is too small although the 27.5er (584mm and an absolutely stupid name) is a tacit admission that the 29er (622mm) wheels were a big mistake. Smaller than 26" gets into children's bikes and while it might make sense to use that small a wheel, many small adults get a bit testy about riding "children's" bikes. You can call it bias or prejudice or ignorance but that's the way the world works.

rhm

You can certainly make a good case that anything between 20" and 26" (that is, any of the many 22" and 24" sizes) are oddball sizes for which the availability of rims and tires can be a challenge (and I'd go as far as including 650c as well). But this is not true of 20" wheels (noting that there are two 20" sizes, both of which are pretty common, with a wide variety of both rims and tires).

True, a lot of folding bikes are clownish; often the folding stem is set up in a way that makes it impossible to get the handlebar low enough for a decent riding position for a short rider; and often these bikes are designed for normal sized riders, so even though the 20" wheel size has excellent potential for smaller riders, many of the bikes are not designed for them. They often come with 165 or even 170 mm cranks, too. This is simply bad design, and I don't defend it. But the fact is, a decent bike (folding or not, doesn't matter) can be designed around 20" wheels. 20" wheels have no real disadvantage that I know of.


As for tires, okay, I have come to like Compass tires on my randonneuring bike, and you are right, Compass does not offer tires in either 20" size. Nonetheless, there are a lot of pretty decent tires available in both 20" sizes.

Bottom line, I tend to agree with @Abu Mahendra and @fietsbob about this.

Abu Mahendra

i am actually calling you largely ignorant of the specifics and the gamut of small wheel bicycles. your comments about gearing, your comments about weight are glaring examples. you speak in blanket generalities devoid of nuance. you glossing over the differences among ISO305, 349, 355, 406, 451 exemplifies this. you set up the 24" strawman only to take it down yourself. you are biased and ignorant.
​​

Zedoo

Semi-recumbents and crank-forwards, such as the Giant Revive.

cyccommute 

Biased, yes. Ignorant, no. And, as bicycle wheels aren't a protected class, I'm allowed to be biased.

That said, I'll let my slightly taller wife than 408mopar's friend have the last word. I asked her if she recalled test riding a Dahon which she did. I also asked her what she thought of the bike to which she said it was okay. I then asked her if she would like to use one as her regular bicycle. After I wiped the tea from the spit take off my face and helped her straighten up from laughing, she said "No. They are just too goofy."

'Nuff said.

Abu Mahendra

You've now retreated to the safe arguing spot of personal subjectivities and labels of goofiness.

Another example of your relative ignorance. You said earlier that the need for large chainrings is a disadvantage. If you actually knew what you were talking about, from experience, you'd know that it is rear dereilleur distance to the ground which is a more important consideration. I've now shown several examples of where you have no clue. Of course, you'll now hurry back to the safety of goofiness.

BTW, since your last post I've now crossed the country of South Korea on a 406-wheel folding bike. None of the so-called 'issues' you raise were actual, real 'issues. Not outside you mind, they aren't.

cyccommute 

Let it go, man. Let it go.

tajar66

my wife is about tyat same height and rides a Giant Avail in XXS with Cobb 155 cranks. Enjoys the ride much more with proper fit and is working towards a century and has done a couple 60 milers

Retro Grouch 

Check out Georgena Terry. She used to at least have a nitch market for small frame bikes.

During the time that I had my shop I never had a potential buyer test ride a Terry bike and not buy it.