Do short people not ride bikes?!

[Piemaster]

When we were on holiday in the Netherlands and hired dutch style bikes, my wife, a similar build to the OP, ended up with a youths bike as similarly she couldn't get anywhere near the seat on the adult sizes.
Here she now has a small mtb (ok, a bso but it doesn't get used much) with a change of saddle, fitting similar bars to the dutchies some decent light, easy rolling tyres she ended up with a bike that she likes.

My connections a bit slow to follow all the links above, but are any of them 26" wheels rather than 700c? 700c will surely end up with a larger frame to accomodate them than mtb 26" sizes.

 

[Deb13b]

What do you think about the Dawes graduate ? I didn't bother really looking at it online cos it's almost as much as a pashley. But I found a website selling it a LOT cheaper. Also comes in a 17" frame, which will be ok for me.

 

[buggi]

Maybe you could contact the pashley factory in Stratford. They are handbuilt bikes after all, so they might be able to custom one for you as a special one off. go on their website and write to them, explaining your dilemma.

 

[Deb13b]

Maybe you could contact the pashley factory in Stratford. They are handbuilt bikes after all, so they might be able to custom one for you as a special one off. go on their website and write to them, explaining your dilemma.

Pashley do them in my size, just out of my price range

 

[snailracer]

...I couldn't even get up on the saddle, it was enormous...I'm just under 5ft 1". Inside leg 28"....

Hang about, I'm a 5'7" male with a 29" inside leg and I have no difficulty finding bikes of all types that fit me.

Just to check for n00bness, you are not expecting to be able to put your feet on the ground whilst being sat on the saddle, are you? You should be off the saddle when you feet are on the ground.

 

[HLaB]

I just had a thought when it comes to small female riders, whenever I've been on SPOKES (Edinburgh Cycling Campaign) rides there's always lots of small girls. IIRC the smallest sub 5ft rides one of these (A Spesh Vita).

 

[Deb13b]

No, I mean I couldn't even jump up onto the saddle,not even when tipping the bike over to one side

Hang about, I'm a 5'7" male with a 29" inside leg and I have no difficulty finding bikes of all types that fit me.

Just to check for n00bness, you are not expecting to be able to put your feet on the ground whilst being sat on the saddle, are you? You should be off the saddle when you feet are on the ground.

 

[snailracer]

No, I mean I couldn't even jump up onto the saddle,not even when tipping the bike over to one side

Butbutbut this should never be necessary.

To set off:
1. Stand astride the bike with top tube between legs.
2. Put your right (or whichever is your favourite) foot on the pedal at the 3 o' clock position (i.e. right crank sticking horizontally forward).
3. Stand up on the right pedal, this should propel the bike forwards and result in you standing up with your right foot on the pedal (now at the 6 o'clock position) so you are high enough to sit on the saddle, and your left foot is flapping about in midair.
4. Finally, put your left foot on the left pedal and ... pedal.

Apologies if I'm being very silly and you already know this.

 

[brokenbetty]

No, I mean I couldn't even jump up onto the saddle,not even when tipping the bike over to one side

I get the feeling you are expecting something that's not quite right.

My legs are only 0.75" longer than yours and at a push I can ride a 22" bike sitting on the saddle, though I wouldn't want to for long. But I'm pretty sure there's no way I could jump up onto the saddle of one my bikes.

For normal riding the way I do it is to start pedalling from standing. As the bottom of the pedal stroke is 3 inches or so off the ground, that lifts me up so once both feet are on the pedals I'm high enough to sit back onto the saddle. Remember, the important distance isn't between the saddle and the ground, it's between the saddle and the pedal at its lowest point (otherwise how could anyone ever ride a penny farthing?)

If I'm trying a stationary bike for size I get on the same way except I backpedal and get a nice strong person to hold the bike upright.

Even if on a bike an inch or so too big for you (I mean REALLY too big as in you almost lose contact with the pedal at the bottom of the stroke) you should still be able to get up onto the saddle and get around, albeit a bit shakily. OFthe bikes that have been too big for you, were you able to ride them at all?

 

[jethro10]

My wife is 5' 1 3/4" and rides a home built Kinesis 210 MTB, the smallest fram size here.
http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/product.php?id=48

A 70mm stem was too short, she now rides a 90mm




J

 

[soulful dog]

I agree with snailracer and brokenbetty here, something sounds not quite right. My inside leg is 27", I'm just under 5' 3" and the only problem I had riding a gents 20" Carrera Subway recently was the long reach for my arms.

I know someone who hadn't ridden a bike in years was scared to have a go on my bike because she thought the saddle was too high, despite the fact she was a good 3 inches taller than me. It was just that she was so unsure, she didn't feel comfortable without the saddle down low enough for her to have her feet on the ground. I can't reach the saddle without standing on the pedal first, but it's no problem.

 

[snailracer]

And to stop, slide off the front of the saddle well before putting your foot on the ground.