Which hybrid for 5′ lady

Simon E wrote:

Sorry but I agree with henryb on this. I’m 5’4″. My road bike (50cm frame) stem was 60cm, I swapped it for 100cm as I need to stretch out a bit. Handlebars are 38cm, which feel a bit narrow when on the tops but it seems to behave the same as my previous bike (Giant SCR size XS with 42cm bars).

Daughter is <5ft, her 700c flat-bar bike has a very short stem and steering is not at all twitchy.

Too big a bike is a bad start. A steep head angle may make it worse. Things like rake/trail and rider weight distribution are going to make a difference. But being tense and gripping the bars tightly because you’re scared won’t help either. Do you really think that if you fit a longer stem those same riders will then descend or ride one-handed more confidently? I don’t think so.

Crikey- 100cm long stem on a 50cm frame. Must be like the old superman position.

Your daughter’s hybrid may have a slack head angle so stem length may not be comparable to a road bike.

42cm bars sound wide for that small a frame. My 56cm bike has 42 cm bars.

henryb wrote:

dottigirl wrote:

Oh, FFS. Can we avoid suggesting shorter stems for small bikes please?

It really ***** up the handling to dangerously twitchy levels, and scares women away from cycling.

Anyone who even mentions it is displaying horrible ignorance and cares little about that rider’s safety or comfort. 

STOP doing it.  Just stop.

Buy a bike that fits. Full stop. 

This isn’t true – fitting a slightly shorter stem will not turn your bike into a deathtrap. Bike fit is not just about frame size – sometimes a shorter or longer stem is needed for proper fit and comfort. This is why they sell shorter and longer stems. It’s not just shorter riders either: I’m 5′ 11″ and have the right sized frame, but needed a stem 2cm shorter than the ‘stock’ stem to get a comfortable position, and the handling of my bike is fine – not “twitchy” at all.

Oh, FFS.

It is true.

I know what I am talking about as I am short. I am <5’4″. I ride smaller bikes. You do not.

YOU ARE 5’11”.

You lost me there.

Your drop handlebars are probably 40, 42cm+ wide. 

Smaller road bikes, especially those for someone 5′, have bars 36, 38cm wide.

You stick a short stem on those, especially if the frame’s too big, and the handling goes mental. You create a deathtrap for that rider. 

I have ridden bikes like that, and I have seen people trying to ride bikes like that. It is scary. They are a danger in a group, cannot descend with any safety, or safely take a drink, or signal, and spend most of their time clinging on for dear life as every small movement could send them off the road or under the nearest vehicle.

dottigirl wrote:

Oh, FFS. Can we avoid suggesting shorter stems for small bikes please?

It really ***** up the handling to dangerously twitchy levels, and scares women away from cycling.

Anyone who even mentions it is displaying horrible ignorance and cares little about that rider’s safety or comfort. 

STOP doing it.  Just stop.

Buy a bike that fits. Full stop. 

This isn’t true – fitting a slightly shorter stem will not turn your bike into a deathtrap. Bike fit is not just about frame size – sometimes a shorter or longer stem is needed for proper fit and comfort. This is why they sell shorter and longer stems. It’s not just shorter riders either: I’m 5′ 11″ and have the right sized frame, but needed a stem 2cm shorter than the ‘stock’ stem to get a comfortable position, and the handling of my bike is fine – not “twitchy” at all.

Try the Genesis Col du

Try the Genesis Col du Glandon (now discontinued):

https://www.freewheel.co.uk/genesis-2015-col-du-glandon-bike-silver-47cm-ex-display-gn60547p001

This was right for my wife (just over 5′) – it just needed a better saddle and a shorter stem. It’s a nice bike and this is a bargain price.

Col du Glandon geometry:

Frame size: 47cm – wheels/tyres: 650b

• 1 – Horizontal Toptube Length (mm) 515
• 2 – Seat Angle (°) 74
• 3 – Headtube Length (mm) 130
• 4 – Head Angle (°) 70.3
• 5 – Seat Tube Length (C-T, mm) 440
• 6 – BB Drop (mm) 50
• 7 – Chainstay Length (mm) 440
• 8 – Fork Offset (mm) 50
• 9 – Trail (mm) 65.7
• 10 – Wheelbase Length (mm) 1026
• 11 – Standover (mm) 737
• 12 – Stack (mm) 527
• 13 – Reach (mm) 364
• Stem (mm) 70
• Handlebar (mm) 400
• Crankarm (mm) 165

DoctorFish wrote:

Thanks for taking the time to respond.  The Liv looks interesting, but XS is out of stock, but someone might have one, and the 2019 model isn’t too badly priced either.

 

As that Liv is a step through/ladies specific I would think the small might be the right size, as I said it was an XS small male bike (so no step through just a lowish top tube) that my mum rode. If my old biddy could swing her leg over the TT at 68 I’m sure your girls would be easily able to manage on a small ladies. Remember ladies inside legs are fairly disproportionate to their heights compared to men, a 5ft women might easily have a 29″ IL.

If you’re interested I would look further at the measurements of the small. Here they are in inches (second column) taken from the US site as the Uk sites just give guidelines and not measurments.

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

…My missus rides a 2007 Spesh Globe Pro (as below), the best ladies hybrid ever made in my humble opinion, came with XT shifters/derailleurs, carbon bars/seatpost/carbon forks and seat-stays, Avid 7 brakes and 42mm tyres for extra comfort but not sluggish, she wouldn’t swap it for anything! If you can find one of those late 00s globes (pro or elite) they are so light and can take a very wide tyre….

I have one of the dark blue unlabelled Globe Vienna step-through hybrids from 2010, 2011 ish. Great bike. Nicknamed ‘Beast’, as it is. Used to overtake road bikes around Richmond Park.