Everything you said makes sense, about getting a bike that's comfortable regardless of size. But most touring bikes do not come in a size smaller than 17" (43 cm). 17" is the smallest size available for the Trek 520 and Cannondale T800 and Fuji Touring. The Jamis Aurora and REI Randonee don't even come that small. The Surly Long Haul Trucker comes in a 42cm size, but I don't imagine that the 1cm is going to make much of a difference. Anything below 17" would be a woman's bike or a child's bike. As much as I want a bike that fits me well, I think I'd look silly riding a child's bike. I have heard of many people who are 5'1", not 5'5.75" like myself, riding 17" bikes. Most people in bike shops have told me that they think I should be riding something around a 19" bike, but 19" bikes don't feel comfortable to me. I think that a 17" bike is the best fit I'm going to find for myself, short of a custom, which I can't afford. All of the geometry is fine on the 17" Trek 520 except the reach is a tad long. Perhaps I can shorten the stem or change the angles of the bars or something. If anyone knows of a touring bike that comes smaller than 17", please let me know. I just don't think it's available.
The top tube on the Trek 520 17" is 540mm. This is 2cm longer than on the Cannondale 17", but the Cannondale 19", due to its geometry, felt very long, longer than the Trek 19", even though its top tube is shorter than that of the Cannondale 19". Since everything fits on the Trek bike except the reach, I think the solution is to shorten the stem or change its angle. I would try a Cannondale 17" (if I could locate one), which would cost ~$500 more than the Trek, but I don't think it's worth it. The top tube of the smallest Fuji Tourer is 3cm shorter than that of the Trek. Perhaps I should give that one a ride before I settle on the Trek. But then again, I've heard negative things about that Fuji. What do you think?
Last edited by ToddyK; 03-14-07 at 06:50 PM.