Thanks for the quick replies erg79 and SlimRider.

Yeah, so basically what I meant was that I am used to being low enough (on my old BMX bike) to the ground to be able to push off the ground with my foot while seated on the saddle.

Yeah, erg79, that's what I was kinda doing. I think I just didn't realize that that's how you ride a bike that isn't a bmx, freestyle, low-seated mountain bike, or cruiser/comfort bike.

I can see myself getting used to it. I think part of my uncertainty comes from the fact that I'm a lil ***** and I'm not used to riding like you're supposed to. It's also been a while since I've been on a bike.

I think the Felt Brougham felt similar to the Phat Cycles bike in terms of geometry I guess. My body felt similarly positioned, and again I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be higher off the ground than what I was used to with my old bmx bike. In terms of performance, I really couldn't tell either, they felt pretty similar. Again, I'm not really sure what I am supposed to look out for between a good ride and bad ride. I suppose I don't know enough about bikes to be able to tell the difference.

Yeah, SlimRider, with the Felt Brougham and the Phat Cycles bike I could get about two fingers between the top tube and my junk.

If I remember correctly, I was able to touch the ground with my toe and maybe part of the ball of my foot (but I think I was just slightly leaned over to one side). If I wanted to hit the whole ball of my foot then I probably would have been leaned over more to that side on the bike (whilst seated). I mean either way I suppose I would have been slightly leaned over to one side or the other since I'm stopped.

Put it this way, if I was sitting on the bike with none of my feet on the pedals and trying to balance myself with parts of my feet on the ground and the bike seat under me then my taint would be getting mashed and I would be falling to one side or the other in agony. I don't think I would be comfortably able to keep myself standing up and my seat under me (unless the bike were leaned a bit on one side or the other, and even then I would have to have at least one foot on a pedal).

So yeah, with the seat at the lowest position. I would not have been able to push off the ground with one foot then the other (basically the way SlimRider is saying how it is not supposed to be), my sensitive area would be getting crushed between left and right foot.

I can stand flat-footed over the bike while my ass is over the top tube. But I can't stand over the bike at all while my ass is on the seat.

When the dude at the bike shop originally gave me to bike to test ride. He looked at me and adjusted the seat (just lowered it slightly). When I was riding it, I could tell that my knee was basically fully extended on the downturn (on the crank). So basically if I wanted to stand and pedal while my ass was directly over the seat, it probably wasn't happening or at best I would have stood over the seat maybe an inch or two and pedaled (so there wasn't much clearance in height between my taint/ass and the seat). But I suppose when people stand and pedal, they aren't situated with their ass and taint area directly over the seat (right or wrong?)

I rode it around and then came back to the store to see if the seat could be lowered. He adjusted it and made it lower. My knee was still extended on the downturn, but not quite as much (like my knee wasn't locked out on the downturn but there was a very slight bend). And I could stand and pedal while my ass and taint are directly over the seat a bit easier (there was a bit more clearance space in height).

Basically, if you've seen bike delivery men who are a bit small in stature riding giant mountain bikes that are obviously too big for them, I definitely did not look like that at all.

It's possible I might just need to test ride it again. I actually don't quite remember the extreme details. But I was definitely able to stand flat-footed over the top tube.

Ok so the dude I was talking to about riding very low to the ground was not from REI. And what I was referring to was when I use to ride my BMX bike I was seated lower, and maybe that I'm too used to that (again as that is my only cycling experience). So basically, he was saying that if I ride too low that I could end up injuring my knees. And basically he was implying that I should be riding higher (such as the height of the Felt bike I was test riding).

Regarding the Novara Buzz One, I think I was able to stand flat footed over the bike seat, or at least one of my feat flat footed while seated on the bike. So I could push off the ground while seated.

It definitely felt different than the Felt Brougham, Phat Cycles Phixie, and the SE Draft Lite (a hideous bike that I test rode that was also the least expensive of all the ones I've looked at). But I assume it's also just a completely different kind of bike as the Brougham and Phat Cycles Phixie appear to be road frames.

REI had like two handlebars in their store for me to choose from. Anything else would have to be special ordered. Or I could order my own and they could do the work and put it on (it might be a charge of like $20 for labor). They were actually pretty unclear about everything, but REI only just recently opened up here in NYC.

I'm put off by the color of the Novara Buzz One and the handlebars.

I'm 5'5"