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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Bikes. Are you 5ft 3????

63 replies

Emergencycake · 19/06/2020 23:15

Help. I want to buy a bike to keep up with DD. Not been on one since I was a teen and don't want to buy anything expensive. Have looked for second hand, but can't find one locally. What size would you order? I'm thinking 26" wheel with 17" frame but nervous spending without sitting. ARE YOU 5FT 3??? Help

OP posts:

TartanCurtains · 20/06/2020 08:29

I'm 5ft 3 and have spent what feels like forever looking at bike sizes recently.

The link above to the Evans site is useful, but it's specifically for mountain bikes. Different types of bikes are sized differently and it can all get very confusing. The Evans website has different charts for each type of bike - make sure you check the correct one.

I bought a hybrid, and if I'd used the mountain bike chart I'd have been way out.

CecilyP · 20/06/2020 08:32

Im 5’ 4 with relatively long legs for my height and have the size you mentioned. I also had to raise the seat an inch for a comfortable ride.

CecilyP · 20/06/2020 08:35

Also the bike recommended on the website for my height was the 14 inch frame but the shop told me it would be too small. It would be better if they went by inside leg measurements than height!

Ihopeyourcakeisshit · 20/06/2020 08:39

Sports Direct own Evans
Try an independent retailer if you can.

FruitPastillesaregood · 20/06/2020 08:41

I am. My bike frame is 16 inches.

Petrarkanian · 20/06/2020 08:45

I've got a M frame from Evans own brand Pinnacle. They had to chop some metal off the seat post to get the seat to go low enough.
Love my Evans bike I'm 5'2' but the frame says 5'6' it's fits me really well.

Poshpaws1 · 20/06/2020 08:46

Definitely try before you buy and see what works for you. A lot of it is down to personal preference. I’m a 5 ft 3 woman and tried 2 frame sizes - went for the bigger one with the saddle right down as felt less cramped. I’m pretty sure the choice was between a 17 inch and a 19 inch frame, but starting to doubt myself looking at other responses here. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Dogsorlogs · 20/06/2020 08:48

I'm 5'8 and have a 27.5 so you may be OK with a 26.if you can get to a bike shop pop down and sit on them

Bridecilla · 20/06/2020 08:49

I'm 5 foot 2 and bought this at the start of lockdown www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/apollo-jewel-womens-mountain-bike----blue---14in-17in-20in-frames-566387.html

It was £140 when I bought it though. It's great

TooMinty · 20/06/2020 08:56

@JacobReesMogadishu

Specalized have stopped doing women’s bikes now. Say they’re all gender neutral, just pick a frame which fits. Which is odd because for years they told us the benefit of women’s specific frames, shorter reach, shorter distance for the brake levers as we have smaller hands.......

Of course their gender neutral bikes are really just men’s bikes.

Mine is Specialized but I bought it a few years ago. This approach of treating women like small men really annoys me, at my size a gender neutral or "one size fits all" product usually means unusable for me

CecilyP · 20/06/2020 08:59

I have the same bike as bridezilla and 17 in frame was right for me at 5’4.

bolderbaking · 20/06/2020 09:00

I am that size and have 26' wheels. Not sure about frame size. I think bikes are in short supply at the moment but I just got a used bike off eBay. I would look there.

FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack · 20/06/2020 09:03

I'm 5"1ish. Gender neutral in bikes means "we can't be arsed to fit it for women" in my experience. Though at least it's more honest than painting a men's model pink.

I've got a women's Felt road bike I love which has narrower handle bars, a shorter reach from seat to bars and smaller sized gear and brake levers than the men's version.

I've also a Liv in an XS frame which I like too but isn't quite as good a fit.

fartyface · 20/06/2020 09:03

I bought a kids bike from halfords over lockdown and havent found it crap. It is no speed demon but the difference from having a bike the right size is immense. I actually feel comfortable on it, unlike all my previous fancier bikes.

It is 14" and I am 5.2

cyclingmad · 20/06/2020 09:11

I'm 5foot 2 and a 48cm road bike is perfect fit for me. I managed to buy the last womens specific specialized bike last yr before they switched to being saying they no longer do them. To be honest I can see their point, even with my women specific bike I still changed my seat because the one they sell it with isnt padded anyway and I prefer selle seats. I still also had to have the handlebar stem swapped to one that was shorter and brought the bars closer due to my shorter reach.

So honestly why label a bike women specific when it really isnt. A 48 frame is still a 48 frame!

okiedokieme · 20/06/2020 09:12

Dd is 5'2 and has a 26/19 frame. Did have to shave a bit to drop the seat. Sizing depends on your leg length too! Halfords is open, I would sit on a couple to see

Alarae · 20/06/2020 09:22

I had the Pendleton Somerby, and while I loved it the frame was a tad to big for me at 5'3! That was with the seat at the lowest setting.

Ended up selling it. Might try the kids version after lockdown lifts..

Blackbear19 · 20/06/2020 10:02

I didn't know Specialized had stopped doing women's bikes. Mine is a Specialized although it must be about 10 years old. Got it pre kids.

DHs bike is 17" and would definitely be too big for me.

fartyface · 20/06/2020 10:21

@alarae mine is the Pendleton blossomby - it is the kids version of the somerby

cherryblossommorningstoday · 25/08/2020 22:42

So pleased to have found d this thread, was about to ask the same thing!

minipie · 25/08/2020 22:52

Watching! Same height.

I definitely don’t have longer legs though, sadly

ReceptacleForTheRespectable · 25/08/2020 22:55

@JacobReesMogadishu

Of course their gender neutral bikes are really just men’s bikes.

It's such bollocks.

I'm tall, but still don't fit men's bikes. On my (men's) road bike, the handlebars were built for a male shoulder width, far too wide. (On a road bike, your bars, shoulders and arms should make a rectangle, with 90 degree angles, so the bars should be the same width as your shoulder - much narrower for women). After many uncomfortable rides, I had to replace the handlebars entirely. Same on my MTB - women are shaped differently to men, so a standard men's bike never fits right. I always have to swap out parts.

Bike shops want to sell the (men's) kit they have in stock so they'll often fob you off with stuff that doesn't fit in order to do so.

Newnamenewopenme · 25/08/2020 22:58

I’m 5”2 and have an extra small liv bike, I have it on the lowest it will all go so should be good for you.

Check your job don’t do the bike to work scheme, it knocks the tax off!

ReceptacleForTheRespectable · 25/08/2020 23:00

@CecilyP

Im 5’ 4 with relatively long legs for my height and have the size you mentioned. I also had to raise the seat an inch for a comfortable ride.

Adjusting the saddle height is a normal part of setting up the bike when you first get it. The height it comes at is just whatever random height the builder happened to tighten the screw at.

Stannisbaratheonsboxofmatches · 25/08/2020 23:06

That’s awful that women’s bikes are being discontinued in some places / some makes.

Mine is a specialized women’s bike from 12 years ago - it’s 27.5 wheel (can’t remember frame size). I’m 5’6”.

I’m on holiday at the moment and have a 18” frame here. My Mum 5’5” ish and dd 5’4” ish both have 16” ones. I think they are men’s bikes as being hired out as unisex.

It’s fine for me though. I have short legs and a long body for a woman (30” leg in jeans) so that possibly helps.

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