Searching for the right bike for mrsmoosehead.
She’s only 5′ (and a tiny little bit) and has small hands.

She’s got an old MTB that weighs about the same as a london bus.
Inside leg is only 705mm (barefoot) so standover height is the main issue for frame size.
The other issue is that she’d like to go to drop bars (on the hoods), but the shifters are too big for her hands. Smaller shifters?

Looking for a tourer (not carbon) with mudguard and rack lugs.

I could build something (have the skillz) but ideally we need things she can try as getting a bike to fit for someone on the edge of most sizing is a bit hard.

Budget is up to a grand.

So, STW forum, any suggestions?

(have an islabike luath 700 small arriving next week for son. She’s going to try that)

TIA

Surly Long Haul Trucker? They do crazy small (and large) sizes.

If you want something lighter/more racy/are not interested in carrying loads of luggage the Pacer comes in sizes down to 42cm too.

Ridgeback Voyage 47cm.

Just ordered one for a smaller lady customer.

EDIT the geometry is ion the website.

i built my wife, who is 5ft, a surly troll up. very light and capable.

Thorn Sherpa has lots of size options inc really tiny. Isla probably best option.

Tifosi have xxs framesets on ebay at the minute, Audax/tour spec. Shimano do small hand Stis and brake levers, you could go for bar end shifters. Would probably be vworth buying a donor bike and flogging off the frame and any unwanted bits.

My girlfriend is a little over 5ft and rides an XS Giant Avail which is a 43cm frame I think! It takes mudguards and panniers so could be used as a tourer?

Teen 1 rides the same Avail , which is really a Defy. It’s an excellent bike. Will tale a rack, and his has sks raceblade longs fitted. Would make a fine tourer.

The XS size sells out quickly.

giant invite?

(invite 2 for the non-pink option)

Not to pour cold water on it but friends who do a lot of touring don’t rate touring bikes at all.They use decent mtb’s.When i say a lot of touring i mean across continents stuff.

Don’t decathlon do their triban road bikes in 650b size rims? For the wee people?

One of those might make a good basis for a smaller touring bike perhaps? Or at least help her get a feel for riding with drop bars and hoods I think it has rack eyes on the frame and fork…
£250 at the minute for the base model 3, she could try it for size decide if she likes it or not, if its a winner break out the plastic and your skillz and see about a 105 triple group for ~£300 maybe, couple of hundred on new wheels and the change on racks and sundries… If not flip it on and lose very little on the exercise…

Oh and you can get plastic ‘shims’ to bring the still levers in for diddy hands.

TiRed – Member
Teen 1 rides the same Avail , which is really a Defy. It’s an excellent bike. Will tale a rack, and his has sks raceblade longs fitted. Would make a fine tourer.

Clearance for 25mm tyres only, I’d disagree.

joeegg – Member
Not to pour cold water on it but friends who do a lot of touring don’t rate touring bikes at all.

drop bar tourers are a UK/US thing – in Europe they all use flat bars. I like my drops.

Thank you all for your input. Very useful.
I should point out that if/when we get roudn to some touring, I will probably be carrying/towing the bulk of the stuff in a trailer. 🙂

So any touring capacity (certainly in early days) would be lightweight only.

Been trying lots of bikes. But difficult to find shops with enough range of XXS bikes to try. And when you’re not sure of what will work, trying is ever so important.
The trek lexa seems to be a nice entry level road bike with all the bits on. Have scoped ability to convert to flat bars as well.

Anyway, thanks all again for your input.

Check out Spa Cycles, based in Harrogate. Sure I read that they had brought in a very small tourer to their range. Website is a bit old fashioned, but they specialise in touring and audax. Very helpful in the shop and with email, take a pragmatic approach to problems.