Help Needed: Advice for Road Bike Size for Petite Woman

[santacruz skier]

As some of you know, I am doing rehab and trying to avoid surgery for partially torn ACL and flap tear to anterior meniscus. So I have been riding my mountain bike on roads every day for the last few weeks for about 30-45 minutes.

I was looking at road bikes today and wonder what size some of the petite women who road bike have..
I am thinking about Specialized Ruby Carbon or Giant Liv in the $1000-1500 category- not super expensive as I'm not sure whether I will pursue this... Plus I'd rather have new skis.
Paging @ski diva , @Little Lightning , @SkiBam , @Pequenita or any others that road bike and have suggestions.
Oh I'm 5'1 and was told 48 cm is perfect for me but the stand over height gives me minimal clearance, as in almost none.
Thanks!

 

[Pequenita]

Caveat - I am not a cyclist and until I bought this fitness bike last year, I had not ridden one with any regularity for about 15 years. It's not as heavy as a MTB and definitely more affordable than a road bike.

https://www.trekbicyclesuperstore.com/product/trek-7.4-fx-wsd-womens-212841-1.htm

It doesn't look like trek is selling it anymore. I've the 15" diamond frame, which is fine for me clearance-wise, but I think we've figured out that I may be leggier than you...

 

[AdkLynn]

As some of you know, I am doing rehab and trying to avoid surgery for partially torn ACL and flap tear to anterior meniscus. So I have been riding my mountain bike on roads every day for the last few weeks for about 30-45 minutes.

I was looking at road bikes today and wonder what size some of the petite women who road bike have..
I am thinking about Specialized Ruby Carbon or Giant Liv in the $1000-1500 category- not super expensive as I'm not sure whether I will pursue this... Plus I'd rather have new skis.
Paging @ski diva , @Little Lightning , @SkiBam , @Pequenita or any others that road bike and have suggestions.
Oh I'm 5'1 and was told 48 cm is perfect for me but the stand over height gives me minimal clearance, as in almost none.
Thanks!

I am 5', have a 48 road bike. It depends on proportions. I have long legs and short torso. Standover is less crucial in a road bike than mountain bike, but you want to feel comfortable, and not have that top tube actually make contact! You should test ride some bikes, consider a 44 with the smaller tires, or... A high quality hybrid! I bought a Cannondale Quick, am doing 20 mile plus rides with my girlfriends, it's comfy and handles bad road surfaces better than my Synapse. Not as fast, but fast enough, and cheaper!

 

[santacruz skier]

Caveat - I am not a cyclist and until I bought this fitness bike last year, I had not ridden one with any regularity for about 15 years. It's not as heavy as a MTB and definitely more affordable than a road bike.

https://www.trekbicyclesuperstore.com/product/trek-7.4-fx-wsd-womens-212841-1.htm

It doesn't look like trek is selling it anymore. I've the 15" diamond frame, which is fine for me clearance-wise, but I think we've figured out that I may be leggier than you...

You are leggier as I'm very long waisted. My mountain bike is a 14"....
Like the Trek though.

 

[santacruz skier]

I am 5', have a 48 road bike. It depends on proportions. I have long legs and short torso. Standover is less crucial in a road bike than mountain bike, but you want to feel comfortable, and not have that top tube actually make contact! You should test ride some bikes, consider a 44 with the smaller tires, or... A high quality hybrid! I bought a Cannondale Quick, am doing 20 mile plus rides with my girlfriends, it's comfy and handles bad road surfaces better than my Synapse. Not as fast, but fast enough, and cheaper!

I have heard that standover is less crucial on a road bike. Thank you for your suggestions.... I was told they could special order me a 44 inch at full price. The one I was looking at was on sale for $1440.
Really I'd like to spend half that amount...

 

[ski diva]

I'm 5'1" and have a Specialized Ruby Comp. I think mine is 44, though I'm not entirely sure; It's either that or 48, though for some reason I'm thinking 44. It's a 2008, so it's been a while. You should go and be fitted, and that would eliminate any uncertainty.

 

[santacruz skier]

I'm 5'1" and have a Specialized Ruby Comp. I think mine is 44, though I'm not entirely sure; It's either that or 48, though for some reason I'm thinking 44. It's a 2008, so it's been a while. You should go and be fitted, and that would eliminate any uncertainty.

Yours is a very nice bike.... yes I will go and be fitted before purchasing. The Specialized Ruby (not the comp) I was admiring was $1800 on sale for $1440, but if it doesn't fit, it's a mute point.
Thanks.

 

[luliski]

@santacruz skier, are you trying to buy online? The best way to know your size would be to go to a good bike shop.. Different brands and models will have different geometries as well, and a bike shop would be able to tell you what would work for you. I think my daughter is about your size. She got a Specialized Dolce Comp (Shimano 105) in a 48, I believe. That bike would be in your price range.

 

[santacruz skier]

@santacruz skier, are you trying to buy online? The best way to know your size would be to go to a good bike shop.. Different brands and models will have different geometries as well, and a bike shop would be able to tell you what would work for you. I think my daughter is about your size. She got a Specialized Dolce Comp (Shimano 105) in a 48, I believe. That bike would be in your price range.

@luliski thanks for responding... yes I have looked at the Specialized Dolce Comp and is a nice bike as well and more in my price range as I'm not an avid road cyclist... Well not yet. BF loves the Tour de France and when I met him, he was an avid cyclist. Then we both bought mountain bikes and did that for years.. I have an old mountain bike that was a custom bike called "Voodoo" and people in bike shops still comment on it. One guy said the frame alone (20 yrs old) is worth over $1200....
No I wouldn't buy a bike on line. Skis yes, bike no.

 

[luliski]

My BF and I reconnected because of cycling. It's a fun way to spend time together. I'd love to get a carbon fiber road bike. Mine has a carbon fiber fork and seat stays. I've been on so many great rides on it, though, and I also want a mountain bike, so... I also have an antique mountain bike; a Gary Fisher HooKooEKoo (something like that) from 1989. When I moved to Davis it became clear that it just wasn't efficient on the flat roads.

 

[santacruz skier]

My BF and I reconnected because of cycling. It's a fun way to spend time together. I'd love to get a carbon fiber road bike. Mine has a carbon fiber fork and seat stays. I've been on so many great rides on it, though, and I also want a mountain bike, so... I also have an antique mountain bike; a Gary Fisher HooKooEKoo (something like that) from 1989. When I moved to Davis it became clear that it just wasn't efficient on the flat roads.

Think BF has similar mountain bike. Can't remember if it's the HooKooEkoo or the next higher one. Mine is Voodoo Wanga and was expensive (almost up there with Juliana) back in the day...

 

[luliski]

Do you have newer mountain bikes?

 

[santacruz skier]

Do you have newer mountain bikes?

Nope. Mine is from mid 90's.

 

[Little Lightning]

OMG! I have a Voodoo Mountain bike too. I haven't ridden it in years, though. I bought a Titus mtn bike in 04 so that I could get a better fit. Fit is the most important for your comfort. Find a bike shop that does a good job fitting women. Sometimes the shop charges extra and the fittings can be pricey. Some shops will do a free fitting if you buy from them. However, spending a little extra will benefit you because you'll have years of enjoyment riding the bike. My bike is a custom Serotta. It's 11 years old but I love riding it because it's so comfortable. Prior to building a custom frame I bought 3 road bikes over a period of 10 years. The more I rode and learned about my needs I became confident enough to build a custom frame.

I can't recommend a bike because every body is different. Some women's bikes are designed for women with a short torso and longer legs. I have a longer torso/shorter legs. Like others have said, top tube height doesn't make as much difference as it used to. However, top tube length does make a difference. Also, seat tube angle affects your riding position. I have a short femur and the slack seat tube angle on the Voodoo positioned my knee too far away from the pedals.

Also, components matter too. I don't know if any companies put (Campy)
Campagnola components on their bikes but at one time they were the most comfortable shifters for small hands. You will most likely need a 165 crank arm. If the crank arm is too long it could aggravate you knee. My shops replaced my crank arms at no cost but that was quit a few years ago.

Have fun shopping!

 

[Ringrat]

I'm no help. I bought my road bike used about 8 years ago and it was at least that old at that time. I've replaced wear components on it but that's it. It's a Giant, and it's blue and white. And that's about all I know about it...

 

[veronicarella]

I think you can't go wrong with any of the major brands like Giant, Specialized, and Trek. I bought a Giant road bike 10 years ago, and to this day, the shop guys think I have a fancy bike when I had paid only $1k new. I was in the same sort of situation as you with not knowing how serious I would get into biking - had only biked 3 times in my life before the purchase. In hindsight, the best thing I did was to buy a bike that had a good frame with low-end components. Once I really got into cycling, I've upgraded the components over the years that made it looked like I had a top-end bike. In a way, the bike really grew with me as my skills got better, and I still love my 10-year-old bike like it's brand new!

As for sizing, I'm not in the same height bracket, but there's more to bike size other than 44 or 48. These numbers are like comparing the stiffness of skis. It's a guideline but differs between companies. So with bikes, if the top tube angles down towards the seat, then the stand over clearance would be better. I've gone bike shopping with a petite friend, after testing many bikes, she bought the Specialized Ruby because it fit her the best with the downward sloping top tube.

Good luck with your bike search! I love geeking out on bike tech just as much as ski talk!

 

[Little Lightning]

Here is the kind of bike fitting I'm recommending.
https://serottacyclinginstitute.com/Staff/
The first staff member is my bike fitter. With this system a prototype bike is used. It's adjustable so all measurements are particular to you. When my nephew and his wife had their fittings done Chris plugged their measurements into the computer and was able to find bikes in their price range from the brands he sold. My niece-in-law was looking at Specialized but because of the fitting Chris was able to determine that the Specialized model wasn't the best fit for her. I think she bought a Cervelo.

When I built my frame I didn't like the sloping top tube look so I had the designer match the top tube with the seat stays. The top tube is a little high but it doesn't cause problems. I do use 650C wheels which slightly lowers the frame.

Retul is another well known bike fitting system that some shops use. I don't know much about it but it's been around for a long time.

Be sure to test ride different frame materials. One of my bikes was a Cannondale Aluminum frame. I rode a lot of rough roads and the frame beat me to death. It could have been the over built wheels or just that I had too much air in the tires. I put 86# of air pressure in my tires. That's the Michelin's recommended pressure for someone my size. It makes a huge difference in the feel of the bike.

I started riding in the 80's and spent a lot of money trying to improve the fit of bicycles. If the frame doesn't fit well there's little you can do. Nothing destroys the enjoyment of riding more than a poorly fit bicycle.

 

[santacruz skier]

Thanks for the great information. @Little Lightning I don't know that we have such a place in Santa Cruz but will check in with my PT.

 

[geargrrl]

Do not get a hybrid. They do nothing well.

 

[Little Lightning]

Thanks for the great information. @Little Lightning I don't know that we have such a place in Santa Cruz but will check in with my PT.

Here's the SICI fitter search. https://serottacyclinginstitute.com/FitterSearch/FitterSearch.html
The site needs to be updated as it sorts by shop name, not zip code or city. Some PT's also do bike fittings. I went to a PT to check my bike fit and he was the one who found my SI joint out of alignment. This after I saw an ortho, physiatrist, had an MRI and spent 4 months in PT.