I'm thinking about building a SS for the wife. She has a brand new $400 Trek cruiser, but it's totally the wrong bike for our style and area of riding. She also never used anything but coaster brakes so I'd like to incorporate that.

Anyway, just browsing what's out there for track frames or conversions. I can weld so if it's a mens track frame I can adjust the top tube to get some angle on it. she's about 5' (most likely 4'11") charts say a 44-45cm / 17.5 frame.

EDIT: Or a 650 wheeled frame? Steel.

if she can squeeze another cm out and ride a 46 then https://www.irocycle.com/markvhdframeset.aspx

p.s. you will have to do more than "adjust the top tube" on a larger track frame. if she is like most women she will have more issue with the distance with the length of the top tube than the length of the seat tube

Good find, thanks.

About the top tube, I meant if I could find a mens track frame I could lower the top tube. Not for fittment, just to make it more like a womans bike...but not that drastic. Bring the end of the top tube down the seat tube like 50mm.

here is a good explanation of bikes for smaller riders.
https://www.terrybicycles.com/cycling_savvy/videos

I can get you a 46cm but its probably more than you want to spend.
The upside is that its a real track frame.

You can always have her set up have 650C size wheels instead of 700C...

Any 700C frame can fit 650C and smaller; but brakes are another story.... not sure about that....

+1

Whatever frame you go with, you can also look into 26" coaster wheelsets. I had a conversion setup that way for my gf, before I rebuilt the whole thing with 700c DP18's. Still have that almost new wheelset lying around...tempted to build another bike with it.

Running 650c wheels wont make the frame smaller.

It would make stand over lower tho.... by a bit

stand over is over rated.

Agreed and is worth jack when you're actually riding the bike and the frame is still way too big.
I guess if ya wanna stand around in parking lots and stuff its pretty important.