Looking for small frame size, single speed

[Philbike2016]

Looking to get a single speed bike (riding around London) - anyone seen any good bikes that come in small frame size?
I'm 5'1'', tried smallest size Charge Plug and Pinarello Catena - both just slightly (v slightly!) too big.
Any ideas about brands with small frames or custom builds welcome!

[pjclinch]

Islabikes and Frog (not the only games in town, but two that readily spring to mind) make "Proper" bikes targeted at kids: the only effective difference between their wares and the more standard ones is they've been built with smaller statures in mind, so scaled frames but also cranks, brake levers etc.

They're not single speed once you're past the toddler's models but that's not exactly hard to change.

Another option would be something like a Brompton which scales to fit most heights (short and tall).

Pete.

[pal]

I'm also 5'1", and live in fear of my Lemond Fillmore getting stolen, since they don't make them any more (but if you find a second hand one going, then I'd recommend it: I have the smallest size, and it fits perfectly...). Have you looked at Foffa? Their small frames are 48cm, which sounds like it should be ok (though they're a bit vague on the overall geometry): http://foffabikes.com/product-category/bikes/single-speed-fixed-gear-bicycle-range/

[531colin]

Foffa.....



I'm just signing off on a design for a 60cm Audax bike, which has effective top tube 593mm
The 50cm bike in the same range has 542mm ETT
If you want to ride with drops, its the length of the small bikes thats the issue, rather than the height

This bike is 538 ETT, and my friend riding it is five feet and no inches....

[hamster]

Depending on whether you want drops or flats, have a look at Konas. They always feel smaller in the real world compared to the published size. They cite their smallest sizes as being 4'10"-5'1".

MTB: Kona Unit (but you could run 700c road tyres on it).
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kona-unit-2016/

Road: Paddy Wagon
http://www.konaworld.com/paddy_wagon.cfm

[531colin]

http://www.konaworld.com/paddy_wagon.cfm

Spot the fiddle?....ie how do they get that nice short top tube?

[MikeF]

They always feel smaller in the real world compared to the published size.

Is that because the "size" is always 2cm longer than the seat tube length?

[Flinders]

The length to height thing is interesting (see colin's post).
I'm tiny, but short in the leg and very long in the back proportionally - I was fitted with a medium sort of stem when the bike was built for me to compensate, but I think I may need an even longer stem despite my small overall height. I just have a little nagging feeling all the time that my back is just a little, well, squashed up whether in the drops or on the bars. I have sometimes ended up with just my forearms on the bars to stretch my back. And for a shorty I have wide shoulders, so I my try wider bars as well.
I can't try a higher saddle position, because my legs are too short, and the bars are as low as they can go.

However, the shop's suggestion of drops with a shorter forward measurement from the bars was a good one, something small people may need to think about. If you're small you don't want the two positions to be too far apart.