My wife is after a gravel bike and at 5’2” there’s not much choice
Initially we were looking for a second hand one but no good ones ever come up.
She’s after a proper gravel bike
1x11
45mm tyres
A frame small enough to have the seat high enough for a large tail pack
Etc etc
Sonder Camino in small is just about small enough
Budget is tight though
Any other suggestions?
Cheers
A frame small enough to have the seat high enough for a large tail pack
I think you'll struggle with this.
I'm 5'7" and on a small Surly Krampus 29x3" i could only fit a tiny seat pack which always rubbed on the tyre.
Don't discount a rack and panniers (Ortileb City are 12.5l each).
Pinnacle Arkrose used to come in dinky sizes
My partner is 5'3" - she has a niner RLT which fits her nicely.
Your partner will struggle to get a large seat pack to work, we tend to use a voile strap to keep her's as high as possible and you'll need to try different bags to find the one that works best although alpkit have brought out one with a support rail.
An alternative would be an Arkel seat rack and bag as this is stable, sturdy and keeps everything away from the wheel.
In terms of bike choice, Specialized Diverge comes in both 44cm and 49cm - I have a 49cm and it fits really well, plus has lots of seatpost showing for comfort. However, with 15cm gap between saddle and tyre it’s a tight fit for a full size seat pack - they do slip down and need an extra strap to clear the tyre. Tailfin or lightweight rack and drybag rather than seat pack?
In terms of bike choice, Specialized Diverge comes in both 44cm and 49cm
Mrs. Slow is 5ft and has a 49cm.
I’ve got a Niner RLT for sale on eebay
Niner RLT 50cm for sale on Facebook Marketplace although it is 2x.
Enough room for the smaller Apidura seatpack on that one.
Small Planet X / On One Free Ranger, maybe go for the 650 option.
Check out the Argon 18 Dark Matter. Comes in XS (47-50) and even XXS (44-46) and 45C tyre clearance. My wife got herself a frameset built up in 1X GRX. Cracking machine.
I’m 5ft 3 and my mason bokeh has enough clearance, just, for an 8 litre to peak seat pack that clears the 650b wheels with 1.5” gravelling tyres.
Liv/Giant to XXS, XS, S etc
Cheers all
@matt_outandabout we never found anything last year and she’s still working with her islabike frame but it’s just not cutting the mustard anymore, time to try and find a solution again
