Originally Posted by
SpaceNerd
About the women specific frames... It's not so much that I'm limiting myself its that I'm a very short women (5'2") and the local bike shops aren't carrying a lot of bikes that fit me other than the women's options. I also seem to have a rather short torso so the results is that if I'm not on a small women's bike I feel like I'm really reaching to get comfortable on the bars.
You are correct, the WSD will fit you better. The WSD is designed for a shorter reach to the bars and favors longer legs, shorter torso.
The braking can be improved by replacing the brake pads with KoolStop pads, not an expensive upgrade.