peugeot on the small side
 

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.

http://codefork.com/bike.jpg

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.)

Neither the seatpost nor the stem is too high. If those measurements (pic) go well with your riding style you should do OK. To ease your mind you could look upon yourself as "modern" in the sense that modern bike geometry lean to "smaller" rather than "bigger".:thumb: The feel of you riding should decide.

Cool, thanks!

I find there is good demand for small bikes. I think you would do better on a 21 inch frame. As far as trading, doubtful. You are probably better off finding what you want in your size first, then selling this bike. If the selling has to come first for funding, it could take time to find that right deal.

That's good to know, thanks. Hmm, I'm going to have to sleep on it a bit.

The main things going for this bike are that the paint's in better shape than most Peugeots I've seen, and I also got it for a decent price. Bike stuff in Seattle is outrageously expensive.

how pretty!