Easy, you say. But how about one that comes with 650 wheels in xs/s? So far I've found the Kona Dew Plus and the Surly Disc Trucker. Are there any others out there that aren't kids bikes or mountain bikes?

If you are interested in building your own bike, the Soma Wolverine frameset is very versatile. Steel frame, 650b or 700c, up to 55 650b tires or 50 700c tires (45 with fenders), geared, IGH or single speed, chain or belt, disc brakes, drops or flat bars. If you don't want to build, Joe-Bike has a few already built and will customize them. Just a thought.

Not sure how small would be small enough for you, but Salsa Journeyman is available in 650b drop bar and 650b flat bar configurations.


-Kedosto

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, that's a lot to look at.

I'm not that short, 5' 4", but it occurred to me that putting 700c wheels on a small bike is a bit like putting Magic Johnson's shoes on Sally Field; clown shoes ensue.

I'm a little taller than 6' and ride the largest standard sized Hardrock they made when it was new - with 26" wheels. My GF is maybe 5' and rides a 17" Trek Multisport with 700C wheels. She knows which shoes go with which outfit, but doesn't see the difference in frame and wheels sizes when our bikes are together.

Well, 650B is only a slightly shorter clown shoe. It's still a clown shoe, however. If you use the same tire diameter, a 584mm wheel (650B) lowers the bike about 0.75" than a 622mm wheel (700C). A 571mm wheel (650C) lowers the bike about 1" while a 559mm wheel (26") gives lowers it about 1.25". You aren't that short but for smaller people, that extra 1.25" is critical.

You are absolutely right. 700c wheels are optimized for a person quite a bit taller than 5' 4". Designing a small frame around large wheels often involves compromises to the geometry that I would avoid (specifically, they make the seat tube too steep, the bottom bracket too high, and the handlebar is still too high). I don't recall exactly where these compromises become obligatory, but I believe at 5' 4" you are already well into that range.

But as [MENTION=21724]cyccommute[/MENTION] noted, 650b is really only a little smaller than 700c (depending on the tires). You would be better off on 650c or even 26" (by which I mean the mountain bike size) wheels.

I realize I have not answered your question. It is not easy to find a well designed bike for a small rider.

My partner is 5'4" as well. She prefers 26 inch wheels on her bikes. She has two main commuter/daily ride bikes, both with 26 inch wheels.
One is an early-mid 90's Trek 830 women's step through mountain bike frame. Set up as commuting/touring/multi surface ride. Hand built wheels, Brooks saddle, modern stem and handlebars, Continental Tour Ride tires, fenders, front and rear racks. Comfortable, versatile bike

Her favorite, though, is a 2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker w/ 26 inch wheels. Coffee/Latte color, drop bars, RackTime front and rear racks, RackTime trunk bag, Serfas Drifter tires, SKS fenders, etc.

On another note, 700C wheels :
We have two female friends that have Kona Coco's and love them.


KONA BIKES | ROAD | DEW | Coco

It's interesting that Surly seems to be the only bike co. that routinely puts smaller wheels and shorter crank arms on their smaller frames. If I had the lettuce, I'd totally buy a Disc Trucker. Or a Straggler. Or maybe a Midnight Special. Or... Since I don't have the lettuce, I'll just do the best I can with my current ride; my Jones Loop Bar is in the mail! (The shorter stem and other adjustments will be soon.)

That ^^ is the problem with putting a small person on large wheels. The headset is actually higher than the seat, so the handlebar is necessarily even higher, resulting in an upright position, all the rider's weight on the saddle, inefficient pedaling, and so on. Pretty terrible.

One wonders how the industry can get away with it, but of course the person riding a bike like that has never had a chance to ride a bike that fits and had no idea what it could be like.

We, all of us, taller and shorter people alike, use the same stairs. The standard step rise, whatever it is, feels normal to everyone. Crank arms are the same way; anyone can ride a bike with 170mm crank arms, and since that's what most bikes come with, that's what most people have, and it feels normal. That's not to say it's the correct length, but no one complains.

Edit: corrections made.

I think you got that backwards. The bottom of the headset is higher than the saddle. Just sayin'.

You've kind of hit the nail on the head, in my opinion. It took the better part of 25 years to convince my 5' tall wife that her bikes were too big. Her first "10 speed" was a 27" Sears bike which, in actuality, was sized for my "normal" frame. In other words, it was likely a 23" frame (58cm for the rest of the world). When she stopped on the bike, she would have to hook one leg over the top tube at the knee so that she could touch the ground with the other one. It didn't help matters any that for most of that 25 years the bikes that she had to choose were 19" "small" bikes that were still 3" to 4" too tall. She still had to hook a knee over the bar but at least she could get her foot flat on the ground at a stop.

To experience the same thing, I would need to ride a 30" (76cm) frame. No even makes something that large. I have had occasion to ride a 63cm frame...my normal frame is a 58cm...and I couldn't stand to ride it around the block!

Things have gotten better but bike manufacturers seem to have back slide a bit lately. Carbon frames have kind of put the sizes back in that 19" frame is for small people mindset. It's getting a little better but there still needs to be work done. I also don't understand it from a manufacturer perspective as well. Why are you neglecting such a huge potential market?

You are right - it is hard to create the right "trail" on a small frame with large wheels without some funky geometry. Canyon makes a lot of 650b wheeled bikes in the smaller sizes. They can explain it better than I can (and a picture):

Actually, I put too much weight on my hands, so I get numbness and tingling. Two years and I'm still trying to work out the fit. Unfortunately the mostly young guys in the bike shops aren't helpful, as they look at my bike and say it's fine, without ever seeing me on it. Because unisex/normal = male. Frustrating. Unless I shell out $150 for a fitting, well beyond what I need, but no one around here has a $50 'watch me ride and offer advice' service.

After looking around and drooling at the pretties, I looked at my sad, undernourished bank account and decided that I was just suffering from a case of n+1. I'll have to keep what I have and get it to fit as well as it can.

Or throw reason to the wind and buy that Kona Dew Plus.

Round up as much data as you can from your current bike and any bike you think you'd like to try, and plug everything in here: Stack and reach calculator

You'll get a pretty good idea about what may or may not work for you, without spending any $.


-Kedosto

Even though it is built on 700C wheels, check out the saddle to handlebar relationship on the Kona Coco. Pretty neutral. One of the things I like about that bike as an affordable commuter choice.

funny how in this thread everyone is trying to get your bars lower. for me i am always trying to get them higher.