Originally Posted by
AnnaMossity
Man did this thread get out of hand, my friend doesn't have long legs, she's short. We went to the LBS today (LBS can't be spelled without BS) and she tried out a 44 cm Surly LHT and even though the bike had a super short stem with a lot of rise, she was leaned over at 45 degrees, they tried to say they could fix it. Bloody liars, can't get honest help anywhere. The bike was built with huge brake hoods and a large drop handlebar suitable for someone with huge mitts, what kind of person buys that? A midget guy or a average woman with huge hands? Man, apparently custom is the only way to go. There's no way any old school bike will fit my friend well enough that she'll be able to sit up in a comfortable touring position while on the hoods. It amazes me how much crap is out there on the market, aluminum touring frames, built with bizzare components. How do these bikes come to fruition? Are they farted together in the design room? Apparently so. Good thing I've got long arms and huge mitts I guess.
You've run across a problem that has existed for decades. Bikes and bike components just aren't made for women. Until recently, they didn't even try. The women's design movement is starting to address the issues of fit for smaller women and they've made great strides but not everybody is on board yet.
Surly should be given credit for designing their smaller frames with 26" wheels to address standover and wheel strike issues. Additionally, because it's sold as a bare frame, you can put anything you like on it...at a cost. The Surly Complete is made for the lowest cost they can make it for so of course they are going to not go out of their way to make component choices based on smaller proportions. That would add cost and most people would balk at paying more for a smaller frame over a bigger one.
I'm not sure where the comment about "aluminum touring frames, built with bizzare components" comes from, however. There are very few touring frame choices out there to begin with. Of the touring bikes available only two that I can think of are aluminum - the Cannondale T1 and T2- and they are very well thought out bikes with excellent component choices. Unfortunately, they are not made in a women's design nor in a particularly small size. But then many bikes share that problem.
Nor is there anything wrong with aluminum framed bikes...especially for women. Because of the size of the frames, most women aren't going to see much of the benefit of the compliance of a steel frame. The triangles of the frame are just too small to allow as much spring as a larger steel frame is going to have. Aluminum, however is a much less dense material so it is lighter to begin with. Given the lower body mass/muscle ratio that women have, being lighter is a benefit in and of itself. But because of the lower body mass, women's touring bikes don't have to be as strong as a men's frame either. You can thus get away with a lighter bike and lighter components without losing durability.
Go back out and look at some of the women's designs with a critical eye to how they could be repurposed for touring. Some of the hybrids with flat bars could be easily reconfigured (not cheaply
)). I just bought a Specialized Vita for my short wife for $550. It's got long stays, rack mounts (front and rear), lousy gearing but a proportioned crank and a well laid out frame that fits her body style very well. It doesn't have drop bars but she hasn't been using drop bars for 10+ years anyway.
There are other WSD bikes out there that would do the trick also. Keep looking. Don't give up yet
