Paul,
Your wife needs to be on a bike with 650c wheels. And not just ANY bike with 650c wheels, but one fit by someone who really knows what the small wheels can and cannot do for the situation. There really are not that many people around to do that. It REALLY helps to be a small person when it comes to designing the bikes; many builders are going on theory.
I may know of one or two small frames that may be for sale, depending on what you're looking for.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
Dwarfus Maximus
Top tube length on small frames is one of my pet peeves. My beloved spouse, Elise, rides a Nishiki Prestige of indeterminate vintage. It is either at or near on topic vintage. It is a 48 (roughly) cm frame C-T, with a 52 cm top tube C-C. Elise is 5' 1". Even with a 60 mm stem she is stretched out too far. Guess who is getting a new bike for her birthday?
Funny thing though, a local bike shop owner, exercise physiologist, and bike expert (it says so on his license plate) tried to sell Elise a $3,000 frame with a 52.5 cm top tube. To be fair he has not measured her, but bike fit, at least as far a top tube length goes, is not exactly rocket science.
A couple of weekends ago Elise was riding with a friend, Anny, who owns a tiny Merlin. I asked her who fitted her for the Merlin. Brian Baylis was the answer.
I have also observed that in recent years top tubes have grown a bit longer. I have also noticed that many of us are now riding smaller frames... Funny it was never an issue on my Schwinn Corvette!
Tailwinds,
Paul Haussler, Huntington Beach
Message: 3
SNIP
Ann brings up a very good point. 49-53 cm frames often came with really long top tubes, especially the touring models.
So, what's the reason for this? Toe clip clearance? Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont
SNIP
> From: ADP <aphillips9@mindspring.com>
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]why you should point all small bikes at me:
SNIP
>
> Seriously, other than custom bikes, (and this should bring us back on
> topic!) why is it that the only stock vintage bikes that fit me right are
> Italian? What is it that made all those lovely vintage Raleighs only fit
> really tall people? I've not seen too many French bikes that fit me
> either. Even if I get the standover part right - the top tubes go on for
> miles.
>
> Ann Phillips, Decatur GA
> recycling center for those dangerous 50cm steel bikes