Originally Posted by
Korina
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, that's a lot to look at.
I'm not that short, 5' 4", but it occurred to me that putting 700c wheels on a small bike is a bit like putting Magic Johnson's shoes on Sally Field; clown shoes ensue.
You are absolutely right. 700c wheels are optimized for a person quite a bit taller than 5' 4". Designing a small frame around large wheels often involves compromises to the geometry that I would avoid (specifically, they make the seat tube too steep, the bottom bracket too high, and the handlebar is still too high). I don't recall exactly where these compromises become obligatory, but I believe at 5' 4" you are already well into that range.
But as [MENTION=21724]cyccommute[/MENTION] noted, 650b is really only a little smaller than 700c (depending on the tires). You would be better off on 650c or even 26" (by which I mean the mountain bike size) wheels.
I realize I have not answered your question. It is not easy to find a well designed bike for a small rider.