extra small (adult) frames + petite people

The Mrs is about 5 foot on a good day (there was chaos the other day as my 8 year old wanted to be measured and decided we should be as well and................4' 11.5"). Her current and only bike is a 14" Trek WSD from 2002 which is just about small enough, the WSD bit definitely helps with brake reach etc. Looking at a possible second bike as a run around in town / may double up with my daughter ?

My 8 year old is currently on an Isalabike 20 Benin Large, ie 20" wheels with slightly longer cranks etc than the "Small". Her next bike could be something with 24" wheels or indeed something with 26". The point is very rapidly approaching where my Wife and daughter will be the same height, and size for certains. Shoes ?

I'm wondering what reasonable very small frames are around, 14" frames and less, and what do other adults of around 5ft do, my wife was adamant back in 2002 that she was not looking at anything with non 26" adult wheels, which I understand given the selection available. Nothing bespoke or top end, the wallet won't stretch but just wondering. We originally bought the Trek from Evans in the Cut, who were excellent and extremely patient as they must have spent several hours going through this and building several bikes for test rides and surprising that bikes which were notionally the same size mostly were too big.

What about a 14" Kona?

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^^^

I was just typing the same thing....!

There's this which is really lovely: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=341868

or as a short arse myself, I'd be tempted to try and find a really tiny GT (difficult but worth looking, if you can find one they're amazing), or I think some of the older Specialized came up pretty small BITD?

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Some of the older Marins go down to 14 inch frames. This one has a shorter stem and 170mm cranks but everything else is regular kit. (The photo was taken mid-restoration - hence no cassette.)

I have a tiny orange clockwork that I built for my wife who's 5 3 on a good day:


Seat is at that height for me testing, she has it pretty much all the way down. It might be a 12 inch frame if memory serves.

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:shock:

You're allowed a bike in the house....??

I had a tiny Clockwork, it's what started it all, hence the handle on here....they do come up pretty tiny in the smallest size, presume the same would go for the P7, etc, too?

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thanks for all the quick replies,

sadly the marin will be too big, I think their size 14" is c-c and they are long reached, I have several of the same era . Interesting point about the shorter cranks, although 170 is not that short, its what's on her current bike. I have an old 170 LX set on my ss at the moment which I'm keeping but may give up when I find the right frame for her. Really 165 would be better.

We looked at Konas back in 2002, sadly they are too big in that too much of a stretch, and the stand over height. Interestingly in 2002 Trek also did a 13" standard, (non Women specific) which, while had better stand over height, was an extra 1/2" longer top tube and not as good a fit. Interestingly the Kona was longer still. She's not ridden a pre 1998 Kona, but I looked at a while back and I think these will be a bit long even with a short stem. Her current frame is 14" c-t (13" c-c) seat tube and top tube is 20.4" c-c. If a cheap one came up local I'd look at but nothing obvious in last couple of years. (I've been quietly keeping an eye out).

I do like the Alpinestars t24 , its that sort of thing, thinking slightly outside the box and who said bikes had to have a rear triangle. GT's / Specialised I don't know much about but appreciate the thought and expertise. The difficulty is that with so much variation even with an xs or 14" its hard to look at if just a bare frame. Many of the 14" frames are really for 5'1" to 5'3" people whatever the catalogue says.

Interesting about the Clockwork as typed above before saw latest post. If seat all the way down and she's about 5'3" or 3" taller than my Mrs then it may be still a bit big. What's the reach / top tube like ? and what year is that, the Orange catalogues I've looked at only went down to a 15" frame ? looks a nice bike, we are definitely in the xxs catagory here.

I myself am vertically challenged and the old 98 - 2006 Specialized Stumpjumpers and Rock Hoppers came in at 14'' and also down to 13 for the earlier versions. Pre 90 Stumpjumpers also could be ordered with 24'' wheels. I am a couple of inches taller so usually get away with a 15'' on modern but my old 88 Stumpy was actually a 17 inch. Fitted beautifully.
The old road bikes work the same as due to the geometry and the style of horizontal top tubes I ride a larger size. My main road bike, my Merckx corsa extra is a custom size.
Fot the modern stuff I would certainly try the 14'' for starters and the WSD Specialized stuff has a really good reputation.
I would also maybe ask a few of the specific womens teams from the races locally. Not the pro type teams just the normal everyday, groups getting together for the weekend type thing. There was a few of them at the Strathpuffer recently.

Or you could get a local builder to custom one for her.............it is nearly valentines day

Jamie

I'll check the measurements out later for you (its deep in the back of the shed at the moment). I don't think she runs the seat post all the way down as it goes, I can't remember exactly as she's barely ridden it really but seem to recall a fair bit of the syncros logo showing (and me trying to keep it all visible, didn't want to scratch it now did I?).

Let me know if you want any specific measurements outside of seat post c2c/c2t, top tube c2c.

And it isn't really allowed in the house, though that's the old flat, not lived there for nearly 4 years, and the bikes still in pipe lagging from the move.

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Klein made some nice extra small frames. Obviously the high end models are $$$$$, but I have seens plenty of xs rascals, pulls, pinnacles, and fervors go cheap.

Here's one I had -