small road bike

[little nige]

Hi all... your kind help would be appreciated

any reconmendations for a compact road bike for a 5' 1" short man like myself... not for racing just fitness work and occasional commuting. Just rode my sons carbon road bike and although too large for me loved the speed and lightness of it. Any suggestions for the £500 to £600 second hand range

thanks

little nige

 

[vickster]

You could look at ladies. Or the Decathlon triban range come in little sizes. At 5'1 guess you are looking at a 48cm frame? Possibly a 51cm Triban at a push

Buying use, women's likely the best bet. The tribans are cheap new unless it has to be carbon (I'd personally be v wary of used carbon unless you can go over it with a fine tooth comb and even then)

One of these maybe, stick better wheels and tyres on it? http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-5-road-bike-black-id_8239801.html

Or? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cannondal...1548342509?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3a917318ed

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specializ...1544433864?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3a913774c8

You'd be best off getting sized up in a shop, Evans good for test rides, probably be able to give the different sizes a go

 

[mrbikerboy73]

Have a look at Giant Defy 3,4 or 5, priced at £700, £600 and £500 respectively. They come in an XS size an they are cracking bikes. Other manufacturers will do small frames too. You don't really need to look at ladies bikes!

 

[vickster]

I would think even an XS Defy will be big, I am 5'10 and the M was too big for me! 51.5cm TT on the XS (I think 2014 is the first year for the XS, £600 doesn't get very far up the 2014 tree in terms of spec)

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2014.giant.defy.0/14977/66542/#geometry

But try it

And what's wrong with ladies bikes, they aren't all pink

 

[BSRU]

The current CTC magazine has an article on smaller road bikes.

 

[Kestevan]

Try the Dolan Preffisio -
http://www.dolan-bikes.com/dolan-preffisio-aluminium-road-bike.html

Comes in a 45 size, takes guards/rack for commuting and the Sora equipped version comes up at £600 brand new.
Mrs Kes has one, and it's a cracking all-rounder.

 

[mrbikerboy73]

I would think even an XS Defy will be big, I am 5'10 and the M was too big for me! 51.5cm TT on the XS (I think 2014 is the first year for the XS, £600 doesn't get very far up the 2014 tree in terms of spec)

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2014.giant.defy.0/14977/66542/#geometry

But try it

And what's wrong with ladies bikes, they aren't all pink

Oh I thought they were? Seriously though, I've looked at some bikes and not even released they were ladies models, no-one would really know.
I struggle a bit with sizes too as I'm only 5'6" but I ride a small Defy 1 and it's perfect. Nothing worse than a bike that's too big.
With a £600 budget, a good second hand bike would get you better components so definitely worth looking out for one I think.

 

[vickster]

Midgets ahoy

If a small works for you, an xs is likely too big for someone 5 inches smaller

 

[mrbikerboy73]

Small but perfectly formed

 

[inkd]

Im 5'5" and ride a size small Defy 3 and it`s a perfect size for me. Go try a few XS bikes out and see how they feel.

 

[mrbikerboy73]

Im 5'5" and ride a size small Defy 3 and it`s a perfect size for me. Go try a few XS bikes out and see how they feel.

+1 on that.

 

[wanda2010]

I was tagged so am now here

I'm 4'11 and am the proud owner of an Islabike (Luath small) which has 700c wheels. I still need to change the handlebar to something smaller but it's a good ride. My other bikes have 650c wheels and I'm fine with them.