Finding a bike for a shortie ?

[Deb13b]

I'm not having a lot of luck in my hunt for a bike. I want a Dutch style single speed and I only have about £250 to spend. Found a couple I like, particularly keen on a Dutchie Chic, but I'm only 5ft tall, with a 28" inside leg. Their smallest size is a 19" frame which they say is suitable for 5ft 2" and over.
I'm gutted. I've been trawling the Internet trying to find something that a) I can afford and b) i will be able to ride. Is it likely I can find this ? I was all set to order a dutchie this week until I got the email off them saying they thought it would be too big for me.

[10 Wheels]

This a good place for you to post.
Good luck.

[Deb13b]

Well I'm just about ready to give up .
Why aren't frame sizes universal ? By this I mean all the different companies and suppliers measuring the same bit ! One site tells me their 20" frame fits 4ft 9"-5ft 3" while another tells me their 19" is for people 5ft 7" and over. It's really disheartening. Ive called loads of bike shops in the north east and they don't have anything in a Dutch-style and every bike I've found online is going to be a risk because I have no idea if any of them will be the right size.
* stamping foot ! *

[Deb13b]

Can anyone help ?

[stapfam]

Not really as it is the Dutch bit that I know nothing about.

I have a 29" inside leg and have ridden a variety of bikes and bike sizes.

Only a suggestion but Look at the Giant Lifestyle bikes. Giant do make small frames that will possibly be too small- even for you

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/...evel=lifestyle

Look at the Cypress W as they make this one in XS and that is a minute bike.

[strafbomber]

Ah, it's like with almost everything which comes in sizes...now, the explanation for the seemingly varying sizes in frames is based on the fact that as long as they are not "badge engineered" (means varying "brand" names on one and the same frame, often found in discount shops), they do differ in the way the parts are designed and welded together, plus the differences in the equipment like stem, handle bar and so on.

But without a test ride, I would refrain from ordering a bike "blind". First, you don't know if the bike fits you (and vice versa); second, if the manufacturer/brand is rather unknown, you don't know what you will really get in terms of quality. Maybe you should postpone your dream of a Dutchie until the one which fits will cross your path.

[Sixty Fiver]

Since you are in the UK I would expect that your options would be fairly broad and with a 28 inch inseam you should not be that limited... but you really need to get out there and ride a bunch of bicycles to see what is and isn't right for you.

I know some fairly petite women who ride roadsters with 28 inch wheels while some opt for 26 inch wheels which is what you would find with a Raleigh Sports or Superbe which would fall into your budget quite well.

Vintage Superbe... (drool)

[Deb13b]

Trying before buying is going to be hard, I've contacted loads of north east shops with no luck. There doesn't seem to be much online for short people either. About the smallest I've found which has all the spec I want is a 17.5" frame with 26" wheels. But it's well out my price range and there's nowhere I can go to try one anyway. I don't know if that would be the right size either. I think I'm just going to have to leave it. I'm gutted, I didn't think it would be so hard to find something for my height.

[strafbomber]

Well, although Dutchies were quite popular during the 80s and are currently celebrating some kind of a comeback in Germany, my online search for this style of bicycles which looked halfway trustworthy came up with nothing which would even nearly fit your size. And those bikes which were at least looking pretty close to the Dutchie style were far out of your price range.

And the only Dutchie I had found...the frame height is approx. 20", with 26" rims. The price is about 150€, and delivery is free - as long as you live in Germany or Austria; it seems that there is no shipping to other countries. And it comes in an awful green, with no front brake nor lighting. If you really want to see for yourself...: http://www.direktzugreifen.de/Sport-...=billiger_shop

[stapfam]

I do not know this shop but they do some of the Giant "Comfort" bikes and they do come in small sizes.

http://www.cycleworld.co.uk/Products...male-2010-Grey

I have put the page up for the Sedona which is a respectable bike but to see a fuller range look at This page.

http://www.cycleworld.co.uk/Products.../Comfort-Bikes

The problem is still getting a fit on a bike but there must be shops more local to you thatcarry the "Comfort" range in various manufacturers that can help you in getting a bike.

[sevenhills]

I have a few bikes, and our favourite is a fold-up bike that I bought from ebay for £60. Its good for everything, my 10 yr old daughter loves to ride it too.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RALEIGH-PARKWA...item588956e3f5

I have something like the above, I dont like the ones with small wheels, mine has 20" wheels.

[Russcoles11]

Have you tried ebay? Some nice bikes about for very little money, don't know much about sizing though.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-BSA-La...item3a639ef54f

You could also consider small wheelers such as Raleigh Twenty or Dawes Kingpin. These are guaranteed to fit a 'shortie' and you will have a lot of change out of your budget to get it serviced and maybe upgrade the wheels to alloy rims for better braking.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dawes-Kingpin-...item27b91abfad

Bear in mind that the Dawes comes with 500A wheels as standard, you will have to change these at some point as 500A tyres are hard to get.