# Bike advice needed for short girlfriend



## Nate3510 (May 21, 2009)

My girlfriend is 5'0" and has an inseam of 25". She says that she wants a "real" mountain bike not a step through. We have been looking for a few weeks and have had a really hard time finding something that fits her with a decent parts spec. We are planning on spending around $1000 and she is not opposed to 29ers as long as there a little bit of clearance in the stand over. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!


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## petey15 (Sep 1, 2006)

Hmm, that may be a bit tricky. You said you've been looking around - has she been fit at any shops yet? You may want to start there, so you have an idea of what, in regards to ETT, and reach and standover she can work with. At that pricepoint, you're looking at a hardtail, probably and it may be easier to find one with a lower standover. 

That being said, you may want to check out some manufacturers that offer a 13" frame. Specialized offers the Myka Disc Sport 26" bike with a 13" frame and the standover comes in at 25.5" - so you may want to try that? It would come in well below your budget, but maybe you could use the extra money to upgrade a few parts for her down the road (to lighten the load a bit). 

Or, Trek makes the Cali S, which is a 29er hardtail and according to their specs, their 14" frame has a standover of 25.91". I find that a lot of times the standover seems to be a bit less than what they report on the geometry chart online. That bike comes in right at your budget, and offers the benefit of 29" wheels. Some beginners find the larger wheels nicer to learn on as they roll over obstacles better. 

Other options would be to go custom...but that costs a lot more money. However, I can't stress enough how important good fit is when learning, and for most of us, that's having a lot of standover room for quick exits. 

Hope this helps?


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

hey i got a 26er full susp xtra small for 1350  shameless spam!

anyway, i'm 5'3 on a 29er, and i've never found any other bike with the right geo as my giant trance. It would be out of your budget though. i know trek has the lush, which i THINK comes in 29 now, but you may want to check the price.

standover has never been much of a thought for me, since i have long legs, but top tube is often an issue. oddly enough, my 29er is shorter than most all 650b bikes on the market now. i was going to say 650b might be good if you can find one the right size.


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## Nate3510 (May 21, 2009)

petey15 said:


> Hmm, that may be a bit tricky. You said you've been looking around - has she been fit at any shops yet? You may want to start there, so you have an idea of what, in regards to ETT, and reach and standover she can work with. At that pricepoint, you're looking at a hardtail, probably and it may be easier to find one with a lower standover.
> 
> That being said, you may want to check out some manufacturers that offer a 13" frame. Specialized offers the Myka Disc Sport 26" bike with a 13" frame and the standover comes in at 25.5" - so you may want to try that? It would come in well below your budget, but maybe you could use the extra money to upgrade a few parts for her down the road (to lighten the load a bit).
> 
> ...


You did help thank you very much!! She test rode a Myka on Monday and was not to thrilled about it. We have an appointment Saturday morning to get her fitted at a near by Trek dealer and they have some Skye's and Cali's in stock that she can try. After that we are headed to a Giant dealer so she can try the Talon 29er 0 W. From looking online it seems the Talon is the best specd bike in that price range, now if it only fits!!


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## Nate3510 (May 21, 2009)

NicoleB28 said:


> hey i got a 26er full susp xtra small for 1350  shameless spam!
> 
> anyway, i'm 5'3 on a 29er, and i've never found any other bike with the right geo as my giant trance. It would be out of your budget though. i know trek has the lush, which i THINK comes in 29 now, but you may want to check the price.
> 
> standover has never been much of a thought for me, since i have long legs, but top tube is often an issue. oddly enough, my 29er is shorter than most all 650b bikes on the market now. i was going to say 650b might be good if you can find one the right size.


Could you please PM me info about the bike? Thanks!!


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

ps, the standover on the BMC isnt exactly low, but i havent found standover in general to be a huge issue for myself. i dont think i'm prone to falling off and busting my crotch at all, so never gave it much of a thought. i'm usually more concerned with top tube, and this top tube is very short, good for shorties like us


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## Jennhollo (Feb 23, 2010)

I'm looking, too. I've bought two bikes that don't fit me, used, on Craigslist. Got great deals and rode them both with love, but I'm ready for a bike that actually fits me. My inseam is probably 27"...I'm so tired of being snug up to the top tubes..I'm currently riding a Petite sized Cannondale and it's still too damned big for me. 

I've been checking specs but some of the smaller bikes have a higher stand over height that the bigger bikes. I called a rep and had them try to explain it to me but it went over my head. The geometry offsetting blah blah blah. I don't care...I just want a bike that fits that I can ride all day.

So, I'm also looking for suggestions.

Thanks.


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## Nate3510 (May 21, 2009)

After about a month of research my girlfriend decided on the Trek Cali. It turns out that the majority of the women specific 29ers have a lower standover than the 26ers. She also liked the 29ers better. The sales guy at the Trek dealer had her ride a 26 and 29 back to back and she said the 29er just feeled better. The Giant Dealer did the same thing and again she preferred the 29er.


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