[bcarroll92]

I'm looking for a hardtail in the $800 - $1200 range. I'm 5'4" tall and 175 lbs. My primary concern is the height issue as my inseam is 26" and that looks to be too short for all the sizing charts I'm seeing. (I've read that I should have 2" of clearance over the stand over height, but the standover on small frames appear to be ~29").

So, I'm wondering if there are any very short riders out there that have found a brand that has frames small enough. Also, some will recommend a women's frame, I'm ok with that, but concerned that my weight (175 lbs.) would be too much.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[turbogrover]

A smaller frame will be inherently stronger than a larger one. A mass produced frame will not have tubing so lght that it would have a weight limit lower than your body weight. There a ton of options for your size. They won't all be women specific at that size. Unless you're looking at superlight high end stuff, where the manufacturer would usually call out a specific rider weight limit, you don't have to consider a weight limit on a smaller frame.

Only bike parts that have a lot of leverage placed on them, will have rider weight limits.

You could always go to a shop that has bike sizing equipment, and get fitted, so you know what to shop for. You need to look at top tube length, stem legth, handlebar rise, and seat fit. as well as standover height.

 

[LoneReaction]

I'm 5'4" too. My inseam is around 29-30" though. If you used a book to measure your inseam, did you press it hard between your legs, to mimic your weight on the saddle?

I'm riding a size S santacruz chameleon. Maybe you can look for frames that has that kind of angle.

 

[mimi1885]

2" extra clearance is a bit much I think. I'm 5'7" 30" inseam, I ride small and med I don't usually have 2" extra clearance. You may find that some DJ bike would fit you well. They have lower stand over and at 26"inseam you won't need to extend the seatpost much too. The only problem is some brand/model do not offer front derailleur routing.

You can also check out some women design bike, look for darker color maybe it should fit you better. I looked at Cannondale hardtail it has very low stand over.

Good luck.

 

[MitchD]

I was in the same boat as you. I am 5'3" 170#. I started out a couple years ago at 230# with a Giant Rincon XS and now I am on a GT Sensor XS. The Giant has more stand over height because it is a hard tail. I tried a couple of womens specific bikes like the Giant cypher and the trek fuel ex5wsd but the shorter stem,different saddle,feminine graphics,narrower handlebars and most importantly to me the suspension is designed for lighter weight riders. That is what steered me to the GT bike

 

[eg1977]

The 2011 Specialized Rockhopper (size 13) standover height is 27.28 inches (693 mm).

 

[jdlmodelt]

I'm with eg1977, Specialized has some decent short framed Rockhoppers out there. I can't advise in terms of new since the newest bike I have is a 2007 Rocky Mountain Element 10. Not high end but man does it ride sweet! My hard tail that I love to ride just as much is a Trek 8500, an old 2001 model. I LOVE how that bike handles. I'm 5'5, 160lbs and dropping till I hit 145. I have a Specialized A1 Comp, I think it's a 2001 model hard tail that fits me well and rides really nice.
Have fun and keep riding!