awristawful

I'm 5'3" with an inseam of 29", when measured barefooted, and looking to buy my first fg.

To anybody who a similar body build as I have,
What bike are you riding and what size is it?
What other bikes would you recommend?

imthewalrus

I think the Fuji Track comes in 49cm, and the Giant Bowery with it's sloping top tube might also be a good pick.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/...le/1274/29363/

Longfemur

I'm 5'2" and a bit, 30 inch inside leg. My bike is a traditional diamond frame, typical Italian frame, 49 cm centre-to-centre. In bare feet, I straddle it with about a cm to spare. Of course I don't ride bare feet, so with cycling shoes, it's the traditional road bike 1 inch clearance more or less. That would be a 51 inch frame in centre-to-top measurement. So as far as height goes, you should fit a 50 cm centre-to-top. I wouldn't go smaller than that with 700c wheels, unless you want your handlebars high. Keep in mind that if you go smaller with a sloping top tube or a compact frame, the head tube can't be any shorter than it is for a 50 cm bike.

sluglug

My wife is 5'3" and she rides a 49cm center to top dave moulton frame and it fits her perfectly with a 29.5" standover height. Good luck finding one in your size though. You really should get on some bikes and figure out what geometry suits you best. If you're lucky it'll have the right size stem (which is very rare btw) so you'll probably want to get a new stem as well.

bionnaki

my gf rides an IRO heidi

awristawful

bump.
are there no other short fixie riders?
lol, oh well
what would youse tallsies advise?

lildave

I'm 5'2.5" (just found that out today at the doctor's office), and I ride a Waterford with a 47cm c-c seat tube, and a 51.5 c-c top tube. It fits PERFECTLY. You can have a bike with traditional geometry and 700c wheels if you're 5'2/5'3", but good luck finding it. If you're short, look at top tube measurements -- plenty of bikes have 49cm or other adequately sized seat tubes, but the top tubes are always too long. Depending on the length of your torso and arms, you could probably ride up to a 52.5 top tube using a fairly normal sized stem -- possibly a longer top tube with a really short stem (although, this might affect steering) or using cruiser/promenade/all-rounder handlebars.

lildave

Also, if you're okay with riding a conversion, Italian road frames, at least ones I've come across, tend to have square measurements -- ie 50x50 instead of, say, 49x53. So there's a good chance if you find a small Italian road frame, it would fit both height and length-wise. If you're looking for a track frame specifically, IRO, Fuji, and, last time I checked, Debernardi made a frame that I would've fit on. Good luck.

awristawful

my friend is about the same size about me and has a size 50 kilo tt, although he says he would've liked a 52 because the 50 seems short for him.
the top tube on the new dawes 50 is slighty longer than the kilo's.
So, I'm considering between these two choices.
i predict you'll guys say it'll be the difference between comfort and performance?

what are some of your opinions about riding in an upright position and riding in a more extended position?

dookie

seat tube length (frame size) is about leg length, not height...

i'm 5'11 with freakishly short legs (29" inseam). i ride 52cm +/-, with long top tube and/or stem.

dnnythms

I'm 5'3" with a 29" inseam and ride a 49cm soma rush with a 70mm -30 degree stem, fits perfectly.

alleyooptroop

sorry if i'm derailing the discussion but i thought this might also be a concern for the shorter riders reading this post. i'm 5'5" and am in the process of doing a conversion to an old 48cm mondia frame and fork. it's the first conversion i've ever tried so i'm learning as i'm going. i was wondering if anyone that has done a conversion to a frame this size had any problems with pedal strike with 170mm crank arms. i've read other discussions about pedal strike but most of those riders were (i'm assuming) on larger frames.

awristawful

oooo...i'm curious about that
pedal strike is frightful

mzo11

I'm 5'3" with a 29.5" inseam and trying to decide between the Mark V and Heidi. I'm worried that the Mark V might be too tall for me, but that the Heidi might be too cramped for me (I've got a long torso and arms). Any suggestions?

triplesixer

IRO heidi or Giant bowery.

Maverick PHX

I have the same measurements as you (though I have a freakishly short torso... don't know if that's a problem for you). I wanted to get a bare knuckle (they're my fav frameset), but they run big and there wasn't one that seemed comfortably small enough to fit me, so I feel your frusteration about frame sizing. anyway, I'll just tell you what I ride.

Top tube measures 52cm.
Standover height is 76cm.
Measurement from center of bottom bracket to top of seat tube is 50cm.
Measurement from center of bottom bracket to center of top tube junction is 45cm

the thing though is that because the bb is so high (& 165mm crank arms), I have to have my saddle up very decently high, which makes touching the ground while in saddle not quite safely possible, but then again I am also riding a bike on the street that was never intended to do so, so I can't complain too much about that. I just stradle the top tube when I stop and am not trackstanding.

the bike has very steep geo, and originally had a 130mm stem on it, I've got a 50 on there now, it's much comfier, though I'd rather be around a 90, at least I don't feel like maguilla gorilla riding it anymore. anyway, here is a pic so you can see it all put together:


geo on the thing is pretty tight, and now that I have a shorter stem it doesnt stretch my torso out too much anymore. it's comfortable for me to ride now


^crappy pic, but you get the idea of it's shape. the tt slopes down toward the seat tube just a tiny bit.

gotmyusernamechanged

I pedal struck once. i'm 5'5.5 with about the same size frame(c-c speaking). 170mm suginos. I took a really sharp turn, though. other than that incident, it hasn't happened.

oneangrytoast

im reviving this *****.

the 44cm kilo im building up for my girl looks really dangerous with the 165mm cranks i have already (pedal strike). do they even make shorter cranks?

somebody point me in the right direction here. i wanna get her riding as soon as i can!

Promo

bmx cranks, i've read it here somewhere that you cane use it.

adriano 

i use shorter cranks, but they arent necessary.

zerosiah

kona makes the paddy wagon in a 49cm with a sloping top tube. You could put a 26" or 650c wheel on the front and get a hair more distance between you and the bike as well.

Henry H

I believe I'm a bit over 5'5, but the thing I absolutley hate about bike frames as they get smaller is the top tube slopes more and more. Not a fan of that look.

Triple8Sol

BD sells bikes in 44, 47, 48, 49. Can't remember exactly which ones offer which though.

oneangrytoast

the kilo slopes just a bit in the 44, nothing too bad though

adriano 

take a side shot.