Help with Women's Hybrid sizing

[Spandango]

Hello,

I'm a 5'6 lady with 31" inside leg and longish arms and I'm looking for a new sports hybrid to replace my 7 year old M women's Scott sportster p3 for my 40 min work commute and weekend cycle rides.

I have about £500 to spend.

I've looked at liv alight 1 and women's trek fx 3. According to their size guides I should need a small and 17" respectively.

The alight in small felt very cramped and the reach on the medium (and handlebar width) are too much for me. The saddle was horrible but overall it's a nice bike.

The trek in 17" also felt a little cramped so I ordered in a 19" to try. This felt reasonably comfortable but something didn't feel quite right..it might just be that I know it would be very unusual for a 5'6 woman to need such a large framed bike...or y'know...it just isn't the right size! I tried measuring various bits compared to my current bike and they all looked pretty similar to me...it's weird.

The guy at the bike shop said the 17" didn't look a bad a fit, and the reach looked too long (and clearance was a bit tight) on the 19". Helpfully people are just telling me to go for the one that is most comfortable...it's so difficult to tell though!

It may just be that the 17 is a good fit but different geometry to my Scott and I'd just need to get used to it. I am used to having adjustable handlebar height (which I currently have about 1 inch higher than the bars on the trek 17). The trek would therefore have saddle slightly higher than handlebars (currently they are level).

Sorry for all of the details but I am just after some advice or comments about the sizing of these bikes (or suggestions of others) I'm very concerned that I might buy the wrong size frame and give myself a back problem...

I'll try the men's 17.5 trek at the weekend to see if that suits me better...for me £500 is a lot to spend and I'd be so sad to be selling it after a few months because I bought the wrong one!

Any comments are very welcome!

 

[vickster]

I had a 17" trek fx a few years ago and at 5'10 it was too small for me. Sold to a friend around your height and spot on, so it should be around right for you

Have you taken the bikes out on the roads? Evans good for testrides, except they do not sell giant (others do of course)

Look at some other brands like Whyte, Cube, Evans own Pinnacle, Boardman etc

As you say try men's bikes too. WSD never seem to fit me but I am rather taller

 

[Spandango]

Thanks both for your comments, I have test ridden all four I bikes mentioned as I went to Rutland cycles. I'll take them out for longer next time I think. They have been really patient and got multiple bikes in for me and not charged any deposits or anything.

OK i'll think about other brands maybe marin, dawes or GT but I remember not liking their bikes the last time I was bike shopping.

I'd love a Scott silence but sadly they are out of my price range

Are there any foolproof ways of checking if a frame is the right size? The difficult thing is the 17" trek is in the sale so if I can't decide it'll get sold sharpish and I'll have to pay and extra £100 to get a new model one if I change my mind!

 

[Tangoup51]

Thanks both for your comments, I have test ridden all four I bikes mentioned as I went to Rutland cycles. I'll take them out for longer next time I think. They have been really patient and got multiple bikes in for me and not charged any deposits or anything.

OK i'll think about other brands maybe marin, dawes or GT but I remember not liking their bikes the last time I was bike shopping.

I'd love a Scott silence but sadly they are out of my price range

Are there any foolproof ways of checking if a frame is the right size? The difficult thing is the 17" trek is in the sale so if I can't decide it'll get sold sharpish and I'll have to pay and extra £100 to get a new model one if I change my mind!

Even if you get your math right on the sizing; it may still feel alien and odd. - A fool proof way to get the right frame size is to make sure your math is 100% correct - then, trust your body to accept the math. For some this is hard; but they yield eventually - for others its natural and fits like a glove from the go.

Also I can't help feel your focusing too much on specific sizing rather than what specific bike you actually want -

You really need to find the bike you Truly want and then commit yourself as much as possible to making That Specific Bike fit you.

 

[Spandango]

Thanks tangoup,

Haha, I like you idea that my body will adjust to the alien feeling if I'm 100% on thr maths I'll take the tape measure with me again today.

Yeah I'm prob focussing a lot on size because I know the sort of bike I want and which components ideally, and I really love the way the trek handles and feels as a bike, I guess I'm just worried I won't adjust to different geometry, but I can't keep my Scott alive forever so I'll have to switch at some point!

If the reach is a little shorter but handlebars are slightly lower does that more or less cancel out position-wise? I felt more upright on the trek even though the bars were lower...which confused me.

Obviously I'm not a serious Road cycler so a perfect fit is not required but I don't want to hurt my back in the long run which is why I'm umming and arring!

Off to try some more!

 

[Spandango]

I tried a couple of bikes today, mens definitely have too long a reach, then I retried the trek 17" with more careful adjustments to the saddle and found it much more comfortable. The reach really isn't too short as I don't have a huge amount of bend in my arms, and I had so much fun riding it that I decided to buy it.

Hopefully I'll be happy with my decision for a long time and my earlier reservations were probably based on needing to accept something a bit different, and the importance of setting up your saddle correctly for a test ride!

What I hadn't banked on was accessories not fitting. Sadly my old pannier rack doesn't fit nicely (and panniers keep getting hit by my foot). Thr rack is now tilted rather than flat, so I guess I'll fix myself up with a new one at some point. I'm immediately getting panniers with a cutout corner to avoid the foot crash situation because that is intolerable.

My front bike light (izone arc) doesn't seem to fit on the frame and I snapped the rubber strap trying (yay). Do that's another new bike accessory I need.

Anyway, thanks again for your inputs.

 

[Tangoup51]

I tried a couple of bikes today, mens definitely have too long a reach, then I retried the trek 17" with more careful adjustments to the saddle and found it much more comfortable. The reach really isn't too short as I don't have a huge amount of bend in my arms, and I had so much fun riding it that I decided to buy it.

Hopefully I'll be happy with my decision for a long time and my earlier reservations were probably based on needing to accept something a bit different, and the importance of setting up your saddle correctly for a test ride!

What I hadn't banked on was accessories not fitting. Sadly my old pannier rack doesn't fit nicely (and panniers keep getting hit by my foot). Thr rack is now tilted rather than flat, so I guess I'll fix myself up with a new one at some point. I'm immediately getting panniers with a cutout corner to avoid the foot crash situation because that is intolerable.

My front bike light (izone arc) doesn't seem to fit on the frame and I snapped the rubber strap trying (yay). Do that's another new bike accessory I need.

Anyway, thanks again for your inputs.

I'm glad you managed to find the right bike in the end - Don't forget there is an awful lot you can do to get set up on a bike - The frame is only half the story!

It is very annoying when your accessories don't swap over well, but it does leave your original bike with components that might give it use rather than if you stripped them away; alternatively you can try selling them to help put more money toward better accessories but I find that it takes too long for too little.

And no problem feel free to post any questions about your new bike!

Ride Safe



-

 

[summerdays]

Sorry I'm a bit late replying...

I'm about the same size, just under 5'6" and 31.5 inside leg with long arms. I've been riding a M mans Giant for the last 7 or more years, and I think it's just fractionally too big in the reach and as I age I think I notice it more. The next bike I'm going to go down a size and just have quite a long seat post showing I think instead. What I'm trying to say is you probably could have ridden either but I think you have made the right decision

I've got Ortleib panniers and so you can adjust the position of the fixings quite a bit but I'll bare your comments in mind.

 

[Spandango]

Summerdays, the Giant sizing seems kind of odd compared to other brands. I am a little surprised that a mens M fitted you well if it was a hybrid frame as you are similar body size to me, and medium escape (mens) and alight (women's) where both too big for me but I have seen some medium and large giant mens Road bikes that seem smaller than the women medium hybrid (scratches head)..I give up understanding that!

I'm reassured neither of you said oh no, that's the wrong bike for you!

I guess the next fun bit will be considering winter tyres. The bike is fitted with Bontrager AW1 Hard-Case Lite, 700x32c which feel great for now, but they are pretty slick for winter riding. Has anyone taken these tyres out when it's icy? I was riding on marathon plus (which have a good tread, are very puncture resistant and weigh an absolute ton) so maybe I want a happy medium but don't know what that would be. If no-one sees this addendum I'll just start a new post with this question

 

[summerdays]

I wouldn't say fitted well I felt a little stretched out and that's why the next bike will go down a size.

I'm quite flexible so I probably bent to make it fit

Probably better to start a new thread as you will get different people viewing it

I'm a marathon girl myself.

 

[vickster]

Vittoria Randonneur a popular hybrid tyre. I haven't tried them...but I hated the M+ I had fitted to a previous hybrid, slow, heavy, slippery

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-randonneur-ii-tyre/

 

[jefmcg]

Kudos for making a decision quickly. Enjoy.

Just for the record, I'm the same height and (I think) inside leg, and gave ridden 33,000km on a giant S WSD road bike. That would have been the right size for you.

 

[Tangoup51]

Vittoria Randonneur a popular hybrid tyre. I haven't tried them...but I hated the M+ I had fitted to a previous hybrid, slow, heavy, slippery

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-randonneur-ii-tyre/

I spent far too long going through Vittoria tires. - I found that the tread on the randouneers let me down when the going got "loose" or slippery in the corners. The Zaffiro Pro (32c) was in the same price range and had far better grip because of the treaded sidewalls.

Completely agree with you about the m+ I found that the level of rubber and material for puncture resistance sacraficed grip and comfort because there was too much material to contort to the roads imperfections. -

Summerdays, the Giant sizing seems kind of odd compared to other brands. I am a little surprised that a mens M fitted you well if it was a hybrid frame as you are similar body size to me, and medium escape (mens) and alight (women's) where both too big for me but I have seen some medium and large giant mens Road bikes that seem smaller than the women medium hybrid (scratches head)..I give up understanding that!

I'm reassured neither of you said oh no, that's the wrong bike for you!

I guess the next fun bit will be considering winter tyres. The bike is fitted with Bontrager AW1 Hard-Case Lite, 700x32c which feel great for now, but they are pretty slick for winter riding. Has anyone taken these tyres out when it's icy? I was riding on marathon plus (which have a good tread, are very puncture resistant and weigh an absolute ton) so maybe I want a happy medium but don't know what that would be. If no-one sees this addendum I'll just start a new post with this question

I highly recommend you purchase "Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 32c" from Evancycles online. They have exceptional puncture resistance but still maintaining a very sporty feel. - They're very light & have so much grip because of the tread design. - particularly in the corners. Very good for budget minded people aswell.

 

[vickster]

I don't know if the Rubino comes in a 32?

 

[Tangoup51]

I don't know if the Rubino comes in a 32?

I wish, I would love a 32c tire that has the road focus of the Rubino. - The Zaffiro is the commuting orientated tire (but still very sporty) so it kicks up its highest width from 28mm to 32mm.