I’m a very small woman, 5′2″. I was using a girls mountain bike, but I was in an accident and it is totaled.
I was wondering if it would be better to buy a woman’s bike. What are the differences, other than height? Do they even make woman’s bikes tiny enough for me?
I was at Wal-mart the other day and I finally convinced the sales assoc. to let me test ride the bike but it was too tall and he wouldn’t adjust the seat. I looked at the suggested heights for kids bikes and I’m right on the cusp for 24″ bikes.
I never intended to buy a bike at wal-mart. I just wanted to see if I would fit on a woman’s bike.
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Go to a bike shop they will help you with the right size and allow you to take a test ride. Walmart bikes only come in one size fits all and the bikes and the service are very poor. You can ride a 26″ wheeled bike if you get a 15 inch frame. If you don’t ride off road don’t buy a mountain bike look for a hybrid or a comfort bike instead.
“I was at Wal-Mart the other day…”
That was your first & most fatal mistake. PLEASE don’t ever look over again in a discount store for a bicycle. Their bikes are made with inferior gears & place together in as small as 15 minutes by someone building $5.00 per assembled bike.
Yes, they make adult bikes with both 26″ wheels and 700C wheels for tiny adults & growing kids. Case in point: When my son was only about 5′ tall even…I found him a used Gary Fisher Tarpon M/B on craigslist with a tiny 13″ frame. (Black & blue bike on the link.) As he grew out of it…I was fortunate enough to find another Tarpon in a taller 18″ frame. (Red bike on the link.)
Check out all the major brand bike shops in your area. (Raleigh, Trek, Giant, etc.) They will ALL place forward mountain bikes with smaller frames for “vertically challenged” people. Look at the links below for Raleigh M/Bs in both a man’s & woman’s bike. Look at Bike Geometry…that’s the size of the bike – which are 6 in the men’s bike & 4 in the women’s bike.
Smart
Yes there are women’s specific bike frames. And, no you do not want to get a walmart bike. You can read all about women and cycling in this months “Bicycling Magazine” Annual Buyers Guide. It has lots of in rank you force find fascinating.
Many of the women’s specific frames are built on 650c wheels. They have shorter top tubes, narrower handle bars… all designed for a women’s bike sizing. You must go to a proper bike stroe and talk with the staff (also covered in the article- quite fascinating too) and get sized for a proper decent bike that will meet your needs.
Once you know the size you can determine new or used, for many of these bikes may be able to be found on Craig’s List or Ebay. I would venture to say that you would find the women’s specific frames with a 650 rim a bit more comfortable and efficient to ride. Take a look at a Hybrid bike, unless you are out doing trail riding all the time. It will be a much better and quicker city / path bike than the mountain bike you used to ride!
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