Originally Posted by alhedges

I should also point out, as a fellow short person, that the primary fit difficulty I have is not with the standover height but with the reach - i.e., how far forward I have to bend to hold the handlebars while sitting on the seat. Because reach is partially a function of wheel size, you may find that it's easier to find a bike that fits you if you get one with 20" wheels.

But you can improve the reach by raising the handlebars or bringing them closer to you, so that's not dispositive; my old Hard Rock hardtail with a 14.5" frame (I think) fit me perfectly.

As stated above, there's no mountain bike you can take as a carry-on, given that the size limits are usually something like 22x14x9 (and compare this to a normal mountain bike's wheel size of 26"). Do you mean as checked baggage?

(Some people have successfully carried Bromptons as checked baggage or at least gate checked them, but given their measurements are something like 23x21x10, there is a certain amount of personal charisma that plays a role, too, I think.)