![]() I worked at a bike shop where everyone was six foot tall. ![]() But short riders like me, who run with a tall crew, end up being left out of bike-swapping fun. One of the best parts of cycling is making friends through a shared love of the sport. You can't borrow your tall friends' bikes. RELATED: Best Bikes and Gear for Small Female Cyclists "Either I strain a muscle trying to hoist my leg over, or I slam a 'sensitive area' onto the frame of my bike!" "One of my frustrations about being a short cyclist is no matter how small my bike is-and I ride a 51cm-getting my legs over my bike without injuring myself is a struggle," DeMeres says. Once shorter cyclists find a bike that fits, less-flexible petite cyclists, like five-foot-three Teresa DeMeres, nearly pull their short legs out of their sockets to swing them over their frames. It was a fun balancing act, as long as I didn't drop anything." "I learned how to lean the bike against the side of the car, climb up, then lift up. "Any time I use the roof rack, I have to climb up on the front seat," Tarleton says. Tarleton has nearly solved the issue with a few acrobatics. Some cyclists travel with step stools in their cars for this very reason. "The problem stems from the fact that correcting toe overlap comes at a major cost for handling ability, so you end up with a bike that feels like a chopper and takes corners even worse when toe overlap is eradicated!" So where’s the sweet spot? "Most companies are still trying to figure it out-but I’ll say that the Raleigh RXC women’s model has made massive strides in cutting down on toe overlap without killing performance."Ī roof rack is one of the more secure ways to transport your bike by car, but cyclists like five-foot-tall Tiffany Tarleton need a little boost to reach it. "A lot of companies have come a long way in recent years, but I remember when Raleigh first came out with their women’s cyclocross bike the 48cm version had such bad toe overlap that the slightest corner became a challenge," Hurford says. Short cyclists like five-foot-three Molly Hurford are always on the hunt for a model that doesn't cause toe overlap. So, your pedals are closer to your wheels, and your toes hit your tires when you make an aggressive turn. Usually a smaller bike means a smaller frame, not smaller wheels. RELATED: Bike-Buying Tips for Short Riders It's kind of like buying a car based on pictures and specs only, but you never got to test drive and get a feel for how it fits you first." I got super psyched that there's a Specialized demo of the new 2018 bikes at my local bike shop until I realized there's no way they'll have one my size. "Right now I'm really interested in the new women's-specific Diverge. "All I want is to be able to take a bike out for a ride and see it in-person before I toss an entire paycheck at it," McClellan says. ![]() Shopping for a new bike should be fun, but cyclists like five-foot-tall Hannah McClellan, who rides a 42cm, rarely have the opportunity to test-ride a potential new steed in a shop. That's not easy when companies don't offer bikes in small-enough sizes or only offer those sizes online. ![]() Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play It's hard to find bikes that are small enough.Ī petite rider's first challenge is simply finding a bike that fits.
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