partyanimal

Hi all,
I'm always on the hunt for a decent bike for the wife. Came across this Terry Isis road bike for a decent price (assuming there's no major issues) But have always been a bit confused on their sizing. I know they build bikes specifically for women/smaller folks and this one has the 700/24" wheels to accommodate that. But looking at the frame it's always hard to tell on these who they'll fit. The wife is around 5'3", longer torso, shorter legs. So some sort of step through would be ideal but i really like these bikes and she really likes the drops/brifters. Any thoughts on sizing for something like this?

Edit: From what I could find, this is a 2001 Terry Isis. Ad doesn't state the size, I haven't reached out to them yet.

repechage

At 5' 3" - I would look for a 700c bike or a 650c
easier to get good geometry with 650c

the real advantage of the Terry solution is to get a short top tube without overlap.
the downside is the contact patch of the front wheel is different - enough that I really think it needs a wider front tire- often the fork is not set up for that and there are flavors of "24"" some are not possible to find a wide enough tire in my view.

partyanimal

Thanks, I'm specifically asking thoughts about this bike. On most bikes, especially for me it's easy to look at a frame and see how it might fit but with these it's hard to tell. And I'd definitely put wider tires on this. She's not looking to break any road records.

romperrr 

Since this Terry bike comes with the 24" front wheel, it will probably fit your wife if she normally rides a 48cm maybe 50cm, which this bike is probably is. As the Terry bikes got bigger, they didn't have the 24" front wheel.

I bought a similar, small wheeled Terry, for a short lady friend and for what it's worth, these frames are built well with nice braze-on's. Highly recommended.

partyanimal

Nice, thanks! They're asking $150, thinking about picking it up either way.

bargainguy

The missus is also your wife's height, so when she needed a commuter bike awhile back, I found a Terry Solstice and rebuilt it for her.

First, these are really nice riding steel frames - sleeper frames IMHO. Hers was Tange Infinity if memory serves.

I always thought the 24"/700c combo looked weird - until I rode one. Then it all made sense. With the smaller wheel, you get really zippy steering. The effect is hard to describe until you've experienced it. The ability to turn on a dime. For shorter riders who've never had responsive geometry, it can be a revelation.

Downside? You've got to stock two different tire and tube sizes, and the 24" ones are not easy to find.

I'd have the missus take a test ride if at all possible. If she doesn't like it, plenty of other options. Lots of used Trek WSD (women's specific design) or Cannondale Feminine frames designed specifically for shorter women riders, and they will be in more standard wheel configurations.

daverup 

My wife has 3 Terry bikes. The closest one to what you are looking at is another Isis. My wife's is conventional with the 650x28C tires front and back. It measures 50 CTC seat tube. My wife is 5'4".



My wife's other Terry road bike is a Symmetry from around 89 with the same geometry and seat tube measurement.



Her other Terry is a Jacarada MTB, seat tube 48 CTC.



Based on the picture of the Green Isis from the OP, it looks even smaller than any of my wife's. I'd think it will probably fit.
My wife didn't really like the small front wheel look, but it will obviously help fit smaller women.
Good luck!

romperrr 

$150 is a great deal, especially given the parts upgrades, just get a handle on the wonky stem. Go for it!

icemilkcoffee 

You just have to measure the stepover height just like any other bike. These bikes are great for short or short-legged people. I got a Terry style bike for my 5'1" wife.
As to 24" (ISO 520) tires, you can easily find Panaracer or Kenda 24X1 tires (25mm). 24X1 1/8 (28mm) Panaracers also exist but are hard to find. You can also find 24X1 1/4 (32mm) from .... Terry, where else:
https://www.terrybicycles.com/Tellus...x-1-1-4-32-520
My wife's bike is running 24x1 1/8 (28mm) Vee Speedster:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115509958205
In reality, even 25mm tires ride well enough for bantam weight Terry-sized riders.

partyanimal

Wife's name wouldn't be "Terry" would it?

partyanimal

Thanks, I have some buddies that run a local bike co-op, I'm sure they'll know where to get tires, but these Tellus look great.

daverup 

Nope, but she knows what she likes. I'm for keeping her happy.

DiabloScott

It looks weird because the wheels are different sizes - I remember reading that Georgina thought people wouldn't like "regular" gearing on a "small" wheel so that's why she kept the full size rear... didn't seem to me that there were a lot of short women who wanted a 120" top end.

It also seems funny to see really tall people on really tall frames with regular size wheels.


Wouldn't this guy look happier on a more proportional frame?

When I am in charge, I'll mandate at least three standard wheel sizes (maybe 650c, 700c, and 750c ??) and many different crank designs so everyone can have a bike that fits and looks good and rides nice.

Sorry, this wasn't exactly on topic... but nobody wants to ride a weird bike, so your wife can use whatever criteria she wants.

partyanimal

Not sure what's more off-putting, how small those wheels look or the compactness of the rear triangle.

79pmooney

I have a radical suggestion. Ask Georgena Terry. She's very approachable. Haven't looked in a couple of years but I'm sure her website is up and running.

I contacted her through it and got a nice reply from her. (I love what she did for women's cycling, I raced when women either managed (or not) on men's bikes or had an in with a framebuilder. I rode about a 1000 miles one summer with a woman who could fit decently on a stock Masi. And a year of ferry rides from Seattle with a woman on an ill fitting Motobecane. Mid-winter, she got a Terry. What a change!)

Since my contact with Terry, I've read interviews with her and heard her love of sharing her knowledge and abilities with other women. I'm sure she would both welcome the contact and have some solid advice.

partyanimal

ha, funny you should say that. I found her site on Facebook about an hour ago and messaged her. Great minds!

79pmooney

Nah. Fit rules. When riding, I'm not looking at my steed. And watching someone else on a bike that really works? The bike disappears.

My bikes have evolved to steep seat angles, big setback seatposts and I am now shortening top tubes but sticking with the very long reach and using huge stems. (I've run into speed wobbles trying to use a "normal" stem with a top tube long enough to fit me.)

repechage

Be aware, like 26", there is more than one size of 24" rim.