Not much out there for short people who want FS

[WilliamT]

I would check air pressure on your front forks for the AllMtn. 160mm of travel is a lot and can jack up the height of the front.

My brother competes in mountain bike races (beats kids half his age on a single speed mtb) and told me to start by setting the front forks to 1/2 my weight at the front. Lowering the pressure on the front forks can lower the height of the bike by an inch or more as the pressure goes down. My preference is actually about 10 lbs less than half and it does lower the height of my FS bike.

 

[vincent]

Dhaner I ran into the exact same problem with haibike and bulls FS bikes when I looked 2 years ago, it sucks they have not done anything to make sizes for women this much later

I like the brose motor and think specialized does make some smaller frames, it may be what I end up with
although I liked the huge batteries on the bulls...


please let us know what you end up with
I am 5'6" and had the same issue on FS and ended up with the hardtail Yamaha 45cm
would like to get another haibike Yamaha so I have 2 matching batteries, but a friend has a FS haibike in 45 cm and I could not clear it....

and as we both know Ravi is totally right - on the haibikes sometimes the bigger frame size puts the more sloped area of the top tube more forward so we can clear it

and of course Ravi/Lenny's were not trying to rip anyone off, all these bikes fit differently

haibike and bulls are way behind the times on getting some frames to fit women, it is very annoying

anxious to see what works out for you
good luck

 

[vincent]

This reply above contradicts itself

You say if she does the measurements and how that translates into real world fit she can find a bike that fits

Then also say each brand measures different
Which of course is true

Another thing you are overlooking is there are not as many sizes etc in ebikes, no matter what we all buy there is a good chance we will have to compromise somewhere

This is not like fitting regular bicycles where there are tons of them

This woman went to one of the biggest ebike stores in the country and i am sure she rode several etc
She managed to get a hardtail that fits and she is happy with, the FS in the ebike market is not great for women right now

 

[vincent]

Unless you fly to LA and drive around to ebikes stores there for 5 days you cannot ride all these ebikes

 

[Dhaner]

I'm definitely not going to buy another bike without trying it first. I've learned that lesson. That REALLY limits my options, and I may end up just keeping my hardtail and giving up on the idea of a FS bike altogether. I hope my story will help others. Even if you buy the same brand in the same size there is no guarantee the bike will fit you. For those of us in rural areas, there simply isn't an easy way to demo more than one or two brands, and it's not really feasible to jump on a plane to visit crazy Lenny's, San Diego fly rides, bikes direct..... ECT... And I'm sure they have many thousands of satisfied customers who ordered online sight unseen. Even if you're fairly confident you found something, be crystal clear about the return policy. I was stupid and didn't open the box for 3 months because it was the dead of winter. If I had opened it I would have been able to return it under the 10-day return policy.

 

[Dhaner]

Unless you fly to LA and drive around to ebikes stores there for 5 days you cannot ride all these ebikes

Exactly!!

 

[Dhaner]

Its crazy that you are taking another shot in the dark with no info about what will actually fit you.[/QUOTE

No, I don't plan to buy another bike without trying it first. Not sure where you got the idea that I was going to. The dealer offered to fly me out to try it, but since I can't afford that bike anyway, there's no sense in flying from NY to WI anyway.

 

[Dhaner]

Look for a Specialized Turbo Levo in small. I have a medium frame. My inseam is 28". I can put both feet on the ground with the dropper seat post down.

I might be able to find a dealer within driving distance. Thanks

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

A picture is worth a thousand words.
Geometry 101 = Diagonal is longer than sides because it is at 45" angle.

Pivot shuttle's top tube slopes more aggressively from the headtube to the seat tube than most eBikes. here is a direct comparison image for 45cm frame.
40 cm frame has even steeper angle.

 

[Dhaner]

If she is so knowledgeable, why is she stuck with two bikes that don't fit her? Due diligence is required before strike three. (Quote)


I am happy with the fit of my hardtail Haibike. I only have one bike that doesn't fit me. I wrongly assumed that a size 41 haibike hardtail would fit the same as a size 41 haibike full suspension.

 

[Dhaner]

A picture is worth a thousand words.
Geometry 101 = Diagonal is longer than sides because it is at 45" angle.

Pivot shuttle's top tube slopes more aggressively from the headtube to the seat tube than most eBikes. here is a direct comparison image for 45cm frame.
40 cm frame has even steeper angle.

View attachment 31736

Ravi, that certainly is a beautiful bike and the top tube doesn't rise as sharply as on the haibike , if I lived closer I would come out there and try that bike. However, since it's so far out of the budget, I would be wasting my time as well as yours.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Ravi, that certainly is a beautiful bike and the top tube doesn't rise as sharply as on the haibike , if I lived closer I would come out there and try that bike. However, since it's so far out of the budget, I would be wasting my time as well as yours.

No worries. You should get the Giant XS frame if you want to get one.
I am posting images of the Pivot shuttle so other readers can understand how frame sizing differs from one brand to another.

 

[Dhaner]

If you're going to sink $4K into a bike, you owe it to yourself to do a more thorough search. Don't rely on this forum. Ride the bikes for yourself.[/QUOTE

Definitely plan to ride before I buy. If I can't find something locally, I'll stick with my hardtail.[/QUOTE]

 

[kathik]

I am also 5'2" and own a Specialized Turbo Levo in women's small. It fits me perfectly. I had to special order it through the dealer and was worried about the fit. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked it up. Not only was the height spot on, the reach to the bars is also very comfortable for a small framed person.