# XS size ti road frames



## petraa (Apr 13, 2012)

Are there any gals out there in the 5'-5'2" range riding a ti road bike?

I've been looking around for a ti road frame. No one seems to make a stock size xs frame that woud fit me. I ride about a 50cm ett and max 70cm standover. All the old Litespeed models are larger than this. So I may have to go custom. 

I'm a petite recreational rider, no racing. I ride all day rides, mountain passes, etc., here in Colorado. So ride comfort is most important on sometimes rough roads. I'm concerned about a ti frame, especially straight gauge tubing, being too stiff and buzzy. I'd be planning on a steel fork, Open Pro wheels.

Lynksy's Sportive looks like the type of frame I'd like. The ett length is good. The standover is ginormous at over 73cm. Ouch. If it was more compact I'd be all over it. A custom geo doubles the price, to a price that most other ti builders charge. If I'm going to pay over $3k I'd look elsewhere.

I currently ride a 44cm Spec Ruby, all carbon fiber, which has a very nice fit and a decent ride. I also have a "custom-for-someone-else" (bought second hand) steel Gunnar Sport with steel fork. Fits pretty well, rides extremely nice. Would like a ride like that with the durability of ti.

Does anyone else have a small ti frame that rides really really well?


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

I'm 5'4". You might want to talk to Kent Eriksen. I met his wife and she's about my height. I have a feeling he would know how to make a fantastic ti bike some people our size.


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## petraa (Apr 13, 2012)

I am pretty familiar with Eriksen, and have met Kent and Katie at their shop a couple of times. I've even ridden a small road bike that was in their shop. But for a variety or reasons (long story), I'll be passing on an Eriksen frame and looking elsewhere. Thanks for suggestion though 

I've been exchaning emails with Dean Bikes in Boulder lately.


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## LauraS (Feb 8, 2011)

I have a Lynskey R230 which I love. I'm about 5'2" with 30 inch floor to crotch distance. Stand overis fine for me. Not sure how the geometry compares to the Sportive. It DOES have a ton of toe overlap if that's an issue for you. I once caught my foot between the wheel and frame and fell over sideways at a stop sign. Doh! Not an issue once I realized I had to watch that, just at starts and stops.


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## petraa (Apr 13, 2012)

I have about a 27in standover size, you must have longer legs than me LauraS. Some of my bikes do have toe overlap, so it's not a big problem. 

Wish Lynsky made their bike frames a bit more compact.


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## pplucena (Apr 24, 2012)

Dean is a good quality/prize option


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## metalheart (Sep 3, 2010)

Bill Holland makes nice custom Ti bikes ... while I was being fitted, a woman about 4-11 brought in her Holland for some fitting tweaks ... check out his web site and the "About You" section for some comments from satisfied women riders ....

https://www.hollandcycles.com/about-you


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## LauraS (Feb 8, 2011)

I guess my legs are a bit longer. I never really thought about the standover but made a point to check it today on my ride and I have about 1.5-2inches between my shorts and the top tube. I might *just* fit you but would be snug. If you are in the SF bay area you are welcome to stand over mine and see.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

High likelihood you're going to end up with custom. That Lynskey is about as small as they come that I've seen. 

And I spent a good deal of time looking - my wife is 5'0". We ended up going custom. In her case, Kelly Bedford. Beautiful bike.


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## Dresden (May 26, 2009)

You might want to contact Everti and find out what the stand over is for their Falcon in size XS. The specs listed make me think it may have a fairly low standover(though I haven't done any calculations or plugged the numbers into a bike cad program.) The tubes are butted and shaped, and the frames are relatively inexpensive for butted and shaped titanium since Everti has them manufactured in (see edit). I don't have any actual experience with Everti bikes, so I can't speak to their quality, but people who own them have given them good reviews in the review section at roadbikereview.com.

Falcon


Edit: I was incorrect about Everti frames being manufactured in Russia. According to the Everti website, they are manufactured in Taiwan.


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## theBreeze (Jan 7, 2002)

Any particular reason you want Ti?


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

Ti is uber comfy.

A couple of ti custom builders to look at is Moots and Seven. Seven is what Merlin used to be before they were sold. Great builders. As for Moots, at my LBS I saw a 29er frame they'd built for a guy at the opposite end of the spectrum; 6'7". The frame is ENORMOUS, yet looks completely normal until you place it next to a normal road bike.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Merlin used to make the Camena in an XS with 650c wheels. Litespeed's model was the Bella, also with 650c. Who knows, you might run across one of these.

There was a woman making steel and Ti bikes, but she closed up her shop a year or two ago. I think you're pretty much going to have to go custom. Ericksen, Lynskey, etc. as other folks recommended.


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## medimond (Apr 26, 2009)

I call Seven and talk with Karl Borne, he'll answer all of your questions about what they can do for you. I've had my Seven less than one year and have really enjoyed it thus far.


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## hawker12 (Oct 19, 2003)

I'm no expert..but I think if you went with a sloping top tube then you could go with something a tad larger than 44cm and have a bit less toe overlap, which might keep you on a 700c wheel rather than a 650c..if that is important to you. 

Kelly Bedford is one of my favorite builders and yes, he does Ti.

http://kbedfordcustoms.com/


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## petraa (Apr 13, 2012)

Bill Holland is on my short list of builders. My SO lived in San Diego and is quite familiar with Holland's frames.

I would like to stay with 700c. My current road bikes are 700c. A few years ago I test rode a 650c road bike but I didn't likre the feel of the 650c wheels size.

Yes, I would like a sloping top tube. My custom Gunnar Sport has a sloping top tube. If the Lynsky had more of a sloping top tube it would be great, because it has the ett length I need (50cm); it's a very tall but short horizontal length frame.


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## tigoat (Jun 6, 2006)

If you do not want to spend 3K for a custom Ti frame, then Dean would be your best bet for a high quality custom Ti frame, especially since you are in their backyard. However, be prepare to wait a long time to acquire a custom Ti frame from Dean. Mike Desalvo is also a reputable builder that can build you a custom xs Ti frame for a reasonable price. If money is no object, then your custom Ti frame choices are almost endless. Another builder that might be worthy to check out in your backyard is Aaron from Mosaic, as this young builder is building some very nice custom Ti bikes. FYI, I have had Ti frames from Litespeed, Merlin, Lynskey, Moots, Seven, Dean, Holland, Kish, and Desalvo. 

By the way, to be correct on your stand over height, make sure you wear your cylcing shoes for the measurement, as it is unlikely you will be riding your bike bare.


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## litespeedchick (Sep 9, 2003)

I'm 5'2" riding a small Litespeed Ghisallo, i think it's an '02. It has a 52.5 cm top tube which is actually just a little bit of a stretch for me, but it's close enough after I shortened the stem, got women's bars, etc. 

Since it's a compact frame, there is no standover issue.

One of my teammates about the same height has the same bike except several years newer.


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## petraa (Apr 13, 2012)

litespeedchick said:


> I'm 5'2" riding a small Litespeed Ghisallo, i think it's an '02. It has a 52.5 cm top tube which is actually just a little bit of a stretch for me, but it's close enough after I shortened the stem, got women's bars, etc.
> 
> Since it's a compact frame, there is no standover issue.
> 
> One of my teammates about the same height has the same bike except several years newer.


Is yours a 700c wheeled bike or 650c?


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