At 12:34 PM -0500 10/31/06, WesOishi@aol.com wrote:
>I cc'd Brian because ever since 1975 or so, he's been trying to
>figure out how to make frames for smaller people. I've got four 650c
>bikes (even Brian's titanium Mako), and though it seems like the way
>to go, nothing is perfect. With the smaller wheel, potholes and
>other road hazards somehow seem to get larger, forcing me to
>......... pay attention.
Wider tires may be the solution there... which might require a switch
to 650B and more ample tire choices. The Grand Bois Cypres measure
29-30 mm and are lovely tires. The new version is more supple and
nicer still. (Disclaimer: I sell these tires.) If you need speed, our
rolling resistance tests (in Bicycle Quarterly Vol. 5, No. 1) show
the Michelin Megamium tires are a bit faster (than the old Grand
Bois). The Megamiums appear very similar to the much-liked Michelin
Pro2 Race, except the tread is a bit thicker and not slick. Once you
wear them down a bit, I expect them to perform as well as a Pro2
Race, but they are 29-30 mm wide.
>Also, riding it makes me look shorter than my towering 5'-4" height.
>"I may be short, but I am tall in the saddle" is what I tell the
>girls.
If you keep the BB height constant (because you want to pedal through some corners), then the tire size should not make a difference how tall you ride. You might _appear_ taller on a smaller-wheeled bike that approaches the proportions of a "standard-size" bike. -- Jan Heine Editor Bicycle Quarterly 140 Lakeside Ave #C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.bikequarterly.com