Following the other recent post about small bikes: I picked up this Peugeot in pretty good condition. It's an '82 PH-10s I want to convert to fixed. After getting it home, I realized it's on the small side. It's a 19" frame and I'm 5'8". Standover is 30.5" whereas I usually take a 31.5". This pic has the seatpost adjusted to fit my legs.



As you can see, it's way up there. =) I'm trying to find a trade for the next size up around here in Seattle but I'm not optimistic. So I might just build this up, if for no other reason than I think the frame looks nice. With a long stem (110 or 120mm), I think it will work.

So the question is, besides looking strange or silly, are there any huge drawbacks to using undersized frames, say, in terms of ride quality or handling? Thanks for any advice.

(oops, I meant to post this to the SS/FG board but screwed up. sorry.)