In a message dated 1/16/04 9:21:26 AM, aphillips9@mindspring.com writes:
Most men under 5' 8" have really long torsos and arms, and this gets more exaggerated as they get shorter. Most women are more equally proportioned between legs and upper body/arms, no matter how petite. Most bikes are sold to men.
Ann and All,
In "general" (and of course there are exceptions to everything) men have shorter legs and longer torsos, and women vice versa. I'm 5'10" but have a 29.5" inseam, so when I have ideal stand-over, the top tubes are usually way too short. That's one of the reasons I am happier with older frames - they fit me better (see below).
Ann continued:
The Lenton I have with the seat tube crack in it, was 53.5 center to top (21 inch) but it had a 56 cm top tube... Owww. >>
I have a Falcon San Remo which is 53cm (c-c) and the top tube is 57cm!!! Ah, the English!!!!
Regards,
Chuck Brooks
Malta, NY