Tall women...bike advice

[Telegram Sam]

I am posting this for my wife and could use some help here. She got a bike about a year ago (Hybrid, step through girls frame...19" frame- 10.5" of seat post showing) and has been bitten by the bug, we would like to get her into something less park and trail and more for doing some greater distance, but have hit snag. She is 6" tall, and while she has small hands and feet (9.5 womens), she is all legs with a 35.5" inseam. Most of the company's that make womens geometry bikes do not make a frame that will accomodate her (I think at least a 58C is neccessary), so I am wondering what any tall women out there do? Funny- I am as hard to fit because I am short...neither of us can expect to ride at any bike store.
So do you just put skinnier bars and short reach levers on a bigger frame (and womens saddle), or have any of you found a height friendly womens frame/ bike
Thanks in advance

 

[madge]

I am posting this for my wife and could use some help here. She got a bike about a year ago (Hybrid, step through girls frame...19" frame- 10.5" of seat post showing) and has been bitten by the bug, we would like to get her into something less park and trail and more for doing some greater distance, but have hit snag. She is 6" tall, and while she has small hands and feet (9.5 womens), she is all legs with a 35.5" inseam. Most of the company's that make womens geometry bikes do not make a frame that will accomodate her (I think at least a 58C is neccessary), so I am wondering what any tall women out there do? Funny- I am as hard to fit because I am short...neither of us can expect to ride at any bike store.
So do you just put skinnier bars and short reach levers on a bigger frame (and womens saddle), or have any of you found a height friendly womens frame/ bike
Thanks in advance

Hi there. I was just going to write a post to see what other tall women do too. I am 6', 33" inseam and size 9 shoe.. but my hands are on the larger side. I am riding a Trek 1200C with a 58cm men's frame. So far I am riding it with all the standard parts, but will be swapping out the saddle for a Terry Butterfly Ti to see if that's more comfortable. The handlebars are adjustable in several directions on this bike. At the bike shop, they can put the bike in a trainer and make the adjustments so it is fitted properly. I'll be curious to hear what she ends up getting, so let me know!

 

[mgagnonlv]

I am posting this for my wife and could use some help here. She got a bike about a year ago (Hybrid, step through girls frame...19" frame- 10.5" of seat post showing) and has been bitten by the bug, we would like to get her into something less park and trail and more for doing some greater distance, but have hit snag. She is 6" tall, and while she has small hands and feet (9.5 womens), she is all legs with a 35.5" inseam. Most of the company's that make womens geometry bikes do not make a frame that will accomodate her (I think at least a 58C is neccessary), so I am wondering what any tall women out there do? Funny- I am as hard to fit because I am short...neither of us can expect to ride at any bike store.
So do you just put skinnier bars and short reach levers on a bigger frame (and womens saddle), or have any of you found a height friendly womens frame/ bike
Thanks in advance

First of all, "Women Geometry" or "WSD" are mostly marketing terms. With a 35.5" inseam, I would suggest to get the largest bike she could have, irrespective of the "WSD" or "MSD" (men specific design) logo that could be applied to it. Most of the components that count could be swapped by the bike shop if necessary.

Incidentally, I am 1.80 m tall (approx 5' 11"), with 34.5" inseam. My touring bike is a 25" Trek 520, which is the largest size they offer, and I have about 130 mm of saddle post showing. A bike one size smaller might have a slightly shorter top tube, but not all bikes are sized proportionnally.

Nowadays, with threadless forks, the tricky part would be to get the handlebars close enough and high enough for her taste. Try a short stem with 45-degree rise or even a stem extender to see how it works.

Narrow handlebars (if she is narrowly built) should be easy to swap.

As for brake levers, I would leave the subject to others. Would Ergo be easier than STI? OR bar-end shifters? If you go that way, the 287V levers are compatible with v-brakes without any Travel-Agent gizmo. They are a bit large, but very easy to press without too much strength.

 

[Paikea]

Thanks for all those replies. I'm faced with the same prob. I always just rode a mtn bike but am looking at road bikes at the moment, looks like i'l best fit a normal 54/56 and just get it ajusted where needed all the wsd seem tiny.

 

[Eden]

Really - a normal sized woman should be able to ride and fit a bike frame pretty much the same as a man. WSD usually indicates that there are certain modifications to accomodate smaller features that are common (but not exclusive) to women - shorter arms, smaller hands, more narrow shoulders and of course shortness overall. If you aren't short or have small hands and narrow shoulder you shouldn't worry about getting a "women's" bike and concentrate on getting a comfortable well fitting bike. Some of the things that may make you more comfortable are fairly easy to change - more narrow handlebars, better saddle (I think its rare that anyone keeps the stock saddle anyway, WSD or not)

 

[wackydeirdre]

Really - a normal sized woman should be able to ride and fit a bike frame pretty much the same as a man. WSD usually indicates that there are certain modifications to accomodate smaller features that are common (but not exclusive) to women - shorter arms, smaller hands, more narrow shoulders and of course shortness overall. If you aren't short or have small hands and narrow shoulder you shouldn't worry about getting a "women's" bike and concentrate on getting a comfortable well fitting bike. Some of the things that may make you more comfortable are fairly easy to change - more narrow handlebars, better saddle (I think its rare that anyone keeps the stock saddle anyway, WSD or not)

I'm not short, about 5'8" but have short legs & arms , small hands and a long torso. Oddly, I appear evenly proportioned. Some say I have a swimmers physique as I also have broad shoulders. I have an OCR3 which I purchased long before I knew anything about how a bike ought to fit. About a month ago I had the bars re-wrapped & the brakes moved down. The guy at the shop also tweaked the breaks a bit so they would come closer to my fingers so I wouldn't constantly be reaching for them. Now all is comfy. I keep hurting myself though . Last week I put my back out and couldn't ride. I finally got the final kink out on Friday and fell in my kitchen Saturday morning putting a gash in my right eye, chipping 2 teeth,knocking myself unconscious, and hurting my back again! My kids called 911. I regained consciousness in a pool of blood surrounded by 5 EMS and 2 police officers. This hasn't been my month! I also don't know what to do for winter training from here.

 

[Eden]

Yeah, even on my bike the I really need to adjust the position of the handlebars and levers. I can't ride comfortably in the drops for any length of time right now, because the handlebars are tilted too far down. I feel like I'm always sliding off of them. I'll have to take the tape off to move the handlebars and reposition the levers so that I can still reach everything.
But on to more important things - Good Grief are you OK! that sounds horrible.

 

[wackydeirdre]

Yeah, even on my bike the I really need to adjust the position of the handlebars and levers. I can't ride comfortably in the drops for any length of time right now, because the handlebars are tilted too far down. I feel like I'm always sliding off of them. I'll have to take the tape off to move the handlebars and reposition the levers so that I can still reach everything.
But on to more important things - Good Grief are you OK! that sounds horrible.

I'm better after a couple days rest, thanks! They had a plastic surgeon waiting for me at the hospital when I arrived. She glued my eye closed since I'm a woman and it's on my face. Now I've got a huge shiner, two chipped teeth, my back is killing me, and I have a date Thursday! talk about bad timing. He's really being sweet about it though, telling me not to try covering it with makeup and all. He also asked me to stay off my bike for another week. (he cycles also except mountain, not road) Time heals all wounds but I'm beginning to feel I may never get back on my bike again. I'm used to riding every day. What's your position on wind trainers? I was considering getting one I would put my bike on but don't fancy the thought of burning out my tires.

 

[Eden]

I'm better after a couple days rest, thanks! They had a plastic surgeon waiting for me at the hospital when I arrived. She glued my eye closed since I'm a woman and it's on my face. Now I've got a huge shiner, two chipped teeth, my back is killing me, and I have a date Thursday! talk about bad timing. He's really being sweet about it though, telling me not to try covering it with makeup and all. He also asked me to stay off my bike for another week. (he cycles also except mountain, not road) Time heals all wounds but I'm beginning to feel I may never get back on my bike again. I'm used to riding every day. What's your position on wind trainers? I was considering getting one I would put my bike on but don't fancy the thought of burning out my tires.

Man o man, I agree take care of yourself and recover. Nice to have a biking boyfriend eh? You'll have to talk him into getting a road bike.

I don't really like to ride in the dark (and in the winter its dark here by about 4:30!) so I'm going to be relying on my trainer quite a bit. I'm lucky enough that I've got an extra set of wheels and tires and a live in bike mechanic (ie the hubby) so I'm not really worried about tire wear. The wheels that came on my bike aren't the greatest so I kind of inherited, kind of stole my husbands spare set of race wheels when I decided to get serious. I'll have him put the old ones back on for riding in the rain- which it also does a lot of around here in the winter- and for on the trainer.

Really, if I were you I wouldn't worry about wearing down the tires you've got on. If they are the ones that came with the bike they are general purpose/touring tires and you'll probably want to replace them with racing tires if you decide to race. I can tell you from experience that the softer rubber compound on the racing tires make cornering at higher speeds much much easier and safer feeling. If you really like your tires, you could get a set of cheap ones to run in the winter. The sport/tourers only run about $12 and really you'd only really need one as the front doesn't move at all.

 

[wackydeirdre]

Man o man, I agree take care of yourself and recover. Nice to have a biking boyfriend eh? You'll have to talk him into getting a road bike.

I don't really like to ride in the dark (and in the winter its dark here by about 4:30!) so I'm going to be relying on my trainer quite a bit. I'm lucky enough that I've got an extra set of wheels and tires and a live in bike mechanic (ie the hubby) so I'm not really worried about tire wear. The wheels that came on my bike aren't the greatest so I kind of inherited, kind of stole my husbands spare set of race wheels when I decided to get serious. I'll have him put the old ones back on for riding in the rain- which it also does a lot of around here in the winter- and for on the trainer.

Really, if I were you I wouldn't worry about wearing down the tires you've got on. If they are the ones that came with the bike they are general purpose/touring tires and you'll probably want to replace them with racing tires if you decide to race. I can tell you from experience that the softer rubber compound on the racing tires make cornering at higher speeds much much easier and safer feeling. If you really like your tires, you could get a set of cheap ones to run in the winter. The sport/tourers only run about $12 and really you'd only really need one as the front doesn't move at all.

Thanks for the info. I was planning on getting a good set of tires come spring. I will get a sport/ tourer should I get a trainer that burns tires as I would like to keep my present set for backups. It must be really nice having your husband working on your bike for you. I do absolutely everything around here. Bikes and all. Not only that but when my mom calls me over for "breakfast" I know to pack my tool box. My boyfriend is very handy but we are at the very beginning of our relationship and I won't ask him to do anything for me until/unless it gets more serious. Besides, he's got enough to do around his own house. I do want to get him into road cycling but one step at a time. I'm still trying to get him into a helmet. Any hints for what I can say to him there?

Now, 1)What is your trainer of choice? 2) what wheels are excellent for racing yet not more expensive than my bike? As always, all input is greatly appreciated.

PS Indeed it is nice to have a cycling boyfriend. I look forward to cycling with him sometime soon and can borrow my daughters mountain bike if necessary but I'm fairly certain I won't ride with him until he gets a helmet. he knows

 

[Eden]

Thanks for the info. I was planning on getting a good set of tires come spring. I will get a sport/ tourer should I get a trainer that burns tires as I would like to keep my present set for backups. It must be really nice having your husband working on your bike for you. I do absolutely everything around here. Bikes and all. Not only that but when my mom calls me over for "breakfast" I know to pack my tool box. My boyfriend is very handy but we are at the very beginning of our relationship and I won't ask him to do anything for me until/unless it gets more serious. Besides, he's got enough to do around his own house. I do want to get him into road cycling but one step at a time. I'm still trying to get him into a helmet. Any hints for what I can say to him there?

Now, 1)What is your trainer of choice? 2) what wheels are excellent for racing yet not more expensive than my bike? As always, all input is greatly appreciated.

PS Indeed it is nice to have a cycling boyfriend. I look forward to cycling with him sometime soon and can borrow my daughters mountain bike if necessary but I'm fairly certain I won't ride with him until he gets a helmet. he knows

You ask tough questions
I have no clue how to get an adult to wear a helmet, but it sounds like if he wants to ride with you he will get one.
I'm afraid your other questions aren't much easier for me as I don't have a lot of experience with different types of trainers and wheels.
We have 2 trainers in the house right now - one is my husband's that he got last year. That one is a magnetic trainer. The other one is a fluid trainer that I got from advertising on Craig's List (I advertised that I wanted to buy a trainer and that I wanted to pay $35 - worked great- I got a reply the next day and got a really nice trainer quite cheaply). They are both CycleOps and I find that they work great, are nice a sturdy, and easy to put the bike into, but further than that I don't know about other brands. The fluid trainer is more quiet than the magnetic one, but neither one is as loud as a wind trainer would be.
As far as wheels go, my husband got them last year to match the ones that are on his bike, but he hasn't had to use them so they seem to be mine now. He likes them quite a bit for the price, which was under $175 for the pair (They are Shimano 540's), but they were that cheap, because they were being discontinued. He thinks a new model pair would run about $250. I was happy to get them, because they are noticeably lighter than the ones that came on my bike.

 

[wackydeirdre]

You ask tough questions
I have no clue how to get an adult to wear a helmet, but it sounds like if he wants to ride with you he will get one.
I'm afraid your other questions aren't much easier for me as I don't have a lot of experience with different types of trainers and wheels.
We have 2 trainers in the house right now - one is my husband's that he got last year. That one is a magnetic trainer. The other one is a fluid trainer that I got from advertising on Craig's List (I advertised that I wanted to buy a trainer and that I wanted to pay $35 - worked great- I got a reply the next day and got a really nice trainer quite cheaply). They are both CycleOps and I find that they work great, are nice a sturdy, and easy to put the bike into, but further than that I don't know about other brands. The fluid trainer is more quiet than the magnetic one, but neither one is as loud as a wind trainer would be.
As far as wheels go, my husband got them last year to match the ones that are on his bike, but he hasn't had to use them so they seem to be mine now. He likes them quite a bit for the price, which was under $175 for the pair (They are Shimano 540's), but they were that cheap, because they were being discontinued. He thinks a new model pair would run about $250. I was happy to get them, because they are noticeably lighter than the ones that came on my bike.

Thanks for giving it your best as always! I checked out Cycle Ops online a while back then began to consider a stationary bike since my daughters want to exercise on one also and wouldn't benefit much from a trainer I only could put my bike on, on the other hand, I won't get proper training on a stationary bike. Hmmm, It's a vicious cycle (no pun intended). Do you know if there is a trainer out there that would accept both a road as well as a mountain bike? Sorry in the event I already asked that.
As far as my boyfriend goes, he's a grown man and I pretty much told him I wouldn't bother him about a helmet again. I don't want to go back on my word, I hope he will come to a good decision on his own.
PS I'm not at all annoyed at him, he's a genuine sweetheart! I just worry when I think of him riding without a helmet. I took such a bad spill last summer that if I weren't wearing a helmet, I doubt I'd be typing right now.

 

[dw_moto]

I am posting this for my wife and could use some help here. She got a bike about a year ago (Hybrid, step through girls frame...19" frame- 10.5" of seat post showing) and has been bitten by the bug, we would like to get her into something less park and trail and more for doing some greater distance, but have hit snag. She is 6" tall, and while she has small hands and feet (9.5 womens), she is all legs with a 35.5" inseam. Most of the company's that make womens geometry bikes do not make a frame that will accomodate her (I think at least a 58C is neccessary), so I am wondering what any tall women out there do? Funny- I am as hard to fit because I am short...neither of us can expect to ride at any bike store.
So do you just put skinnier bars and short reach levers on a bigger frame (and womens saddle), or have any of you found a height friendly womens frame/ bike
Thanks in advance

I am looking for a new road bike and have the same problem I am 5'10" with a 33" inseam. I was going to try one of the Orbea womans bike which run up to 56 cm. If all else fails there are custom built frames.

 

[wackydeirdre]

I am looking for a new road bike and have the same problem I am 5'10" with a 33" inseam. I was going to try one of the Orbea womans bike which run up to 56 cm. If all else fails there are custom built frames.

I like my Giant OCR3. It is the only bike that fit me properly But there weren't a lot of options where I shopped. With the seat handlebars and brakes adjusted it suits me. If you get one definetly get a saddle with a cutout! I would suggest before buying to google search bike stores near you and find a very big one so you have a lot of variety and definetly test ride! unfortunately, you don't have a true feel for it until you are on the bike for at very least 1/2 hr. Try to think of it as a pair of sneakers you are about to buy and wear a lot. If it doesn't immediately feel increadibly comfortable move on to another. Your feet don't begin to bother you until you've been wearing those sneakers a while, right? Also, once you decide on your bike have everything done to it before you buy it. They generally change pedals etc at no charge...until you buy the bike. Good luck!

 

[Voluptuotron]

I am searching for a suitable tall bike too. I am 6'2" with a 36" inseem and having trouble with a poor quality, foreign made bicycle. My search has led me to LivingXL and Worksman bicycles. http://living-xl.destinationxl.com/mens-big-and-tall-store/bikes-and-bike-accessories/cat70146 Worksman custom builds industrial bicycles that can accommodate lots of weight too, for larger people and for hauling stuff. They are based in NY so think mobile street vendors. I was wondering if anyone had experience with Worksman for a tall person?