Hello bikers! Newbie confused about bike size
Hello forum members, this is going to be my first ebike. The problem - I'm really short :-), just 5'0". I have decided to go for Specialized Turbo Vado 4. And, according to Specialized size chart, I belong to S category. My question - does anybody have Specialized ebike S size and how's the experience with it? Am I too short for riding a bike? I don't like to waste $4000 on ebike. :-) Thanks!
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I would go to a Specialized dealer and try on a bike in that size. It doesn't have to be an Ebike. On E bikes size isn't s critical as on a pedal bike. You can go more for comfort than aero or pedaling efficiency. In your case your feet need to reach the ground when stopped (you may need to lean the bike some, this is normal). For street riding on an Ebike being able to reach the bars while sitting somewhat upright is good. That bike is a hardtail (no rear suspension). You might see if there is room to add a Thudbuster ST, or SubtourNCX suspension seatpost later on. Ebikes encourage longer rides, and many of us here use those. But there are sprung saddles also. You may want to ask if 165mm cranks are available. There is a tendency for all bikes to come with 170mm. IMO Specialized should do this on their S frames already. They're not a budget brand. You didn't tell us much about age, terrain, and intended use of the bike.
FWIW Nairo Quintana one of the big guns at the Tour DeFrance is 5'3". he may not be the smallest.Last edited by Retrorockit; 01-18-2023, 08:22 AM. -
I know exactly what you mean. And I feel for you totally. I am 5'10 and am clueless about why all these bikes have seats cranked to 5 feet off the ground. I have a 26inch with seat really low to just be able to sit on it. Then I put fatter tires on it for more traction and found the seat being shoved up my butt crack. So I lowered the seat down as far as it would go and I'm still on tippy toe when on the seat. Maybe I need to hack saw the seat tube off at this point to get it even lower. Hah. I think a 20 inch bike would work best for you. If you don't off road travel, then you can use 2 inch street tires rather than 4 inch fat tires. Saves you 2 more inches of seat height. Certainly check out "specialized" bikes, but they often come with specialized prices for not so specialized equipment. 20 inchers are sold everywhere and some with low frames with especially low seat heights. Then you also have the good ole Home Depot hack saw at your disposal. That can get you the final adjustment you need. And then you are more likely to have lots more quality built bikes to chose from.Comment
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Oh yea, your seat tube is way down there too. That does give you room for shock mounting. I have no practical room for shock mounting, even if the tube diameter could fit one. Just makes me more aware that making mine soft tail is the only rear shock solution. When I was a kid, I had a sears 27 inch 10 speed and didn't remember troubles sitting on it. Ill have to look around to see if I got pics of it. I got them for my banana bikes. Doing my build is opening my eyes to all kinds of little bike things I never thought about before. Its like a canvas to making the bike that fits me. Experiment doing this one so I got the recipe for the perfect second bike. -
You really can't obsess over just one thing. Bicycles are actually highly evolved vehicles. The various types all have their purposes.If you change one thing it usually effects a couple others. There is really no need to reinvent the wheel. There is probably something out there already that will do what you want. Of course if you just want to grab a bunch of tubing and weld something up, that's OK too.
There are some foolish things out there too. I was looking at a bike made in India. Solid steel pull rods for brakes. A nice lugged frame. The seatpost clamp was built into the frame lug (very nice touch). But the seat stays were held together by just the seat clamp pinch bolt! That does explain why they put the rear brake under the BB shell.
Last edited by Retrorockit; 01-19-2023, 09:41 AM. -
No I'm not just about one thing. I'm solving all the problems I run into. Like the Jagwires I just got from Amazon. What I got was not what I paid for. Wire only and thin gage for shifters, rather than the white brake jag kit. So got another return receipt. Eventually I'll get what I need from ALI. But in the mean time, it's clear there's plenty of work to get my bike ready to be electric. Including making it very difficult to steal and keep. It's nearly put together with this round of upgrades. The brakes seem good except for the spongy cables. Chain links are expected any time now and then I can actually road test it. Then I got to get my car ready for the trip. Oil and lube, wash job, and detail the inside, and get the bike carrier locked down for a long drive. I'll update pics soon. It looks pretty cool.
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You are not too short for riding a bike, but I highly recommend finding a bike shop that can help you find the correct size for the type of riding you want to do. The stand over height on the small Turbo Vado 4 is 735mm. That's the distance from the ground to the top tube/crossbar. Compare that to your inseam measurement. Not all bike manufacturers use the same dimensions, so you might find a better fit with another company.
I always have my seat up in a position for most efficient pedaling and slide forward and off when I stop. However, last year I put a dropper seat post on my bike and with a push of a lever it drops so my feet are on the ground. The main reason I added it though was for a lower center of gravity when riding down hill on trails.Comment
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used to think "droppers" were the silliest thing, specially with the outrageous cost....till I got one. really helps getting on and off the bike.Comment
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Do they make a dropper with a Thudbuster LT? No, I didn't think so. -
Ya someone does, can't find it at the moment. Pretty sure it was also carbon so hold onto your credit card when you see the price. Thought it was the only way to get a suspension dropper till I found the PNW Coast. Not the same geometry as a thudbuster but much more affordable.
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My seat is well into nosebleed territory due to a high crank height (good ground clearance)
But the frame has a really good standover height so even with my relatively short inseam due to my orangutan build (just shy of 6' but 30" inseam) and only having one leg it's no big deal... to me the seat height isn't terribly important as long as the standover area is low enough *and* sufficiently ample fore and aft
Lightening holes
Last edited by AZguy; 01-19-2023, 12:50 PM.Comment
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