Originally Posted by deathintransit

My wife has about the same standover height as you do. We got her a Bianchi SASS complete for under $700. She loves it. If she required more standover, we could put a set of smallere width tires on. Something like a 26x1.75 as opposed to the 26x2's that are on there. Then just put a larger chainring on for a better city gear and you'd have a sweet commuting bike. She also rides a Bianchi San Jose with a Nexus 8 hub. There is a lot to be said for internally geared hubs.