Bicycle options for the short and picky?
March 21, 2016 12:19 PM   Subscribe

I'm a relatively small person in search of a lightweight, cheap-ish bicycle for casual riding and possible occasional commuting (10 miles are less). What are my options these days?

For a couple years in college, I commuted roughly 18 miles a day to school and work on a fairly heavy mountain bike that was definitely too big for me. I currently have no bike, and I miss riding, and have been considering getting a new one for a while no. But the current range of offerings is pretty overwhelming, and I'm kind of a cheapskate in addition to having a number of aesthetic affectations. Any help in narrowing down my choices would be appreciated.

Snowflake criteria are as follows:

- Comfortably sized for a 5'3", ~100 lb lady
- Upright or straight handlebars only (yes, I know about the ergonomics of why they exist, but that's not the type of ride I'm looking for, and I don't plan on racing or going more than ~10 miles at a stretch).
- Reasonably lightweight (or at least, lighter than a mountain bike).
- Preferably under $500 new (I know there's craigslist and such, but I would rather get a fresh start with this one).
- Must have an actual cross-bar/triangular frame, not a step-through. I don't plan on riding in skirts.
- Muted/simple color scheme, preferably brown or black or possibly green. NO pink or excessively feminine detailing, please (I know you can paint bikes -- I've done this before -- but it's kind of a pain).

I am pretty sure what I want is a hybrid/commuter bike, but it's turning out to be hard to find these in the colors I want at the size I need, especially in my preferred price range. Maybe I'm being unrealistic but I figured it was worth a try asking for recommendations here - thanks in advance!
posted by aecorwin to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
looking through this previous thread the bianchi cortina is available in black (5'3" isn't tiny - i imagine you'd find a decent fit from the sizes available).

(personally, i'd replace that saddle, though)
posted by andrewcooke at 12:30 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Cannondale Quick 6
Giant Alight 2
Diamondback Trace
Diamondback Clarity 2
Trek 7.2 FX

Do any of those strike your fancy?
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 12:31 PM on March 21, 2016


Khs Vitamin A and the Norco VFR 6 are in the price range, come small enough, and aren't all that heavy.
posted by advicepig at 1:10 PM on March 21, 2016


Best answer: Sounds like you could go one of two ways: The "fitness/sport" hybrid (not to be confused with heavy, front-suspension "comfort" hybrids), or a euro-styled town/commuter bike. The former will usually be lighter and favor a more aggressive riding posture. The latter will be mechanically simpler, often using a 3-speed hub* and offering a more upright riding position.

For a fitness hybrid, I'm partial to the Jamis Coda series, having maintained about twenty of them at a rental shop for a couple years. The Coda Sport is nearly in your price range, though the Coda Comp has a somewhat nicer collection of components. Both have low-key color schemes. The differences between the two aren't obvious at a glance, but I always found that the pricier Comps needed less frequent maintenance.

This holds true for bikes generally. If you see two bikes listing the same basic features with a $200 price difference, the cheaper one probably won't run as well, or will cost more to maintain. One way to compare, especially on bikes with derailer drivetrains, is by checking the groupset. In your price range, you'll probably see Shimano components from the Tourney, Altus, Acera, and Alivio groups, in ascending order.

If you can, visit lots of bike shops and keep an eye out for previous years' models. Jamis is one of several bike makers that have bought into the "model year" trend, making minor upgrades and aesthetic changes each year. Most shops will knock down the price of an old model when they get the new ones in.

* I love these, but they may not be appropriate for very hilly areas.
posted by sibilatorix at 1:21 PM on March 21, 2016


Have you looked at what a lot of bike companies call "city," "urban," or "townie" bikes? I thought of the city bike style when you mentioned muted/simple color schemes and classic diamond frames. Examples:

State bicycle co. "city" bikes (affordable, maybe not that light).
Some of the Linus bikes aren't step-through/heavy dutch style.

Hardest thing (for me) with this style is many of them have coaster brakes which I haaaaaate. Do you want or need gears? Going single speed lightens things up weight and price-wise. Some city bikes have gears or internal gear hubs and others are available single speed.

At 5'3" you should be okay with anything at or under about a 49cm size, although frame geometry, fit, and personal preference will differ from bike to bike. So I would recommend looking at bikes in person if at all possible. (I know this is hard as not every shop keeps the XS sizes in stock and won't order one just for you to try.) I am 5'1" with a very short inseam proportionally, and the bike I currently ride most often is a 46cm. It's honestly a little big for me but I prefer it to my 43cm that is a little too small.

Apologies if I'm way off target. My next bike will hopefully be a small, lightweight townie style bike if I can ever find one that fits my exacting preferences, so it's on my mind right now.
posted by misskaz at 1:21 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


Go to a good local bike store TODAY. They are likely getting rid of last year's models, and besides, you need to go try them out anyway. Won't last of course. My wife who is your size ended up with a Jamis entry level bike for $375 (on their site it lists close to $500). We knew nothing about Jamis but it has turned out to be an excellent bike for her. It's upright, not super heavy, has Shimano parts and a gear cover.

You never know what you'll find. Ask for the cheapest they have in your size. Don't let them upsell you. And if it's last year's model, they're likely wanting to get rid of them. Avoid big box stores... Target and such.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 1:37 PM on March 21, 2016


I'll second the Giant Alight. I had basically the same criteria as you (except the step through) and have been really happy with this bike.
posted by judith at 3:30 PM on March 21, 2016


I'm 5'2", an hadn't ridden in a long, long time. My local bike store suggested this bike, Kona Dew Deluxe which I never would have selected on my own. I've only had it a couple days but I've really been enjoying it, yesterday I had it on various terrain - hills, street, trail, dirt trail all the while pulling 70 lbs of children plus trailer. In my very inexperienced opinion it handled well and rode smoothly. It's a subdued brownish/copper color. Mine was about $600. I did immediately get a new women's styled seat ($20) as the default one was painful.

One thing I noticed while test riding was that all upright handle bars are not created equal. For example, there was a bike that I loved the look of, but when I test rode it the handle bars were farther apart and didn't fit me as well as this one.
posted by snowymorninblues at 4:03 PM on March 21, 2016


Response by poster: Awesome suggestions so far - thanks! I'm enthused and somewhat surprised at the number of attractive offerings that are actually in my price range. I had absolutely no clue about bike brands, so now I at least have an idea of what to keep an eye out for. Sounds like my next step is to hit the local bike stores; I'm in the SF (South) Bay Area, so we've actually got quite a few of those.

Oh and to clarify a couple things that came up: I do indeed want the bike to have gears. No need for dozens of them (my old mountain bike had, IIRC, 27 speeds and that was way overkill) but 3, 10, 12, etc. would be perfect. Hand brakes preferred to coaster brakes.
posted by aecorwin at 11:06 AM on March 22, 2016


« Older Need family lawyer for prenup in Toronto   |   The Re-Readables Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.