Looking for McGyver (cross post)

[IrishAyes]

No, really.... I have a pressing personal problem for which there might or might not be a viable solution. Since I'm only 5' tall, my bike's wheels are 24" - otherwise I can't touch the ground with my feet on both sides at once. You don't want to know how many times I wrecked a 26" bike. Well, if you do want to know, I'm not telling. Can't count that high. And I don't trust cable brakes so mine are coaster.

Also with the passage of time, I'm less able to deal with the hills around here, I need some kind of AFFORDABLE pedal assist. I've spent hours hunting a suitable rig online and have finally decided to admit defeat.

So any bike enthusiasts and/or engineer types out there who can help me solve this, I'd appreciate the help.

[kentauros]

1. I was going to suggest the DIY group here,

but it looks like you've got a thread there and some answers.

But also try the Bicycling group here as well. Might get even better answers there, because I don't know enough about either rigging something or messing with a bike to make something you'd need. Good luck wherever you find the help!

[IrishAyes]

3. Thank you very much. I'll visit that bike group soon.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

2. The wheels are not the major part of fitting a bike to a person

The frame is what is fitted to the person.

You may need to go to a frame size that is correct for your height and torso length.

There's a lot of oversimplification in there, but a competent bike tech should be able to get you fitted correctly.

Unfortunately, there may be a bit of expense involved if you need a new bike.

My wife is quite small (5'1&quot and she has what is called a 'mixte' frame; instead of coming straight back to the top of the seat post, the top bar comes down to meet the rear axle housing.

I know this isn't a "You just...." type post, but I hope it can at least provide one point of reference for you, even if it's an outlier.

Best of luck. Bikes are great exercise, and a lot of fun.

[IrishAyes]

4. Thank you so much....

Even though you're talking steak to an involuntary vegetarian!

I'm barely 5' tall myself and as I replied elsewhere, made quite a career of wrecking 26" bikes until I gave up and settled for a 24". The 26" one was easy and fun to ride, but the stops were terrible. Now I can put both feet flat on the ground when I stop, so no more wrecks the last couple years. Now I just have trouble pumping the damned thing uphill. One reason I prefer horses! But then hay's too damned expensive anymore.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

5. Sorry about missing that...

I was mixing up my terms in my head. What I was thinking was the actual size of the frame itself; the distance from the center of the crank to the top of the seat post, not the wheel size. But there may be some hope: The bike you have may be close enough to fitting you if a good tech can adjust the components. You might need a seat post or stem that is capable of letting the seat or handlebars be adjusted to you. Sometimes they can be gotten inexpensively with patience and searching.

I admit that I went to a derraileur bike many decades ago, but being a 'guy', the 'gadget to fiddle with' part was attractive.

Being able to cusomize the gear for the conditions took time to learn, though.

Just as an aside: Have you insured that there isn't anything out of sorts with bike as it is? I had a lot of pedaling resistance from a rental bike on a vacation long ago that had a very rusty chain, for example. Could you simply need to lube the chain, or adjust something?


I truly wish you the best of luck in finding what works for you.