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    Gravel Cycling

    147 cm rider looking for a gravel bike (XXS struggle)

    Hey everyone,

    I’m 147 cm (4’10”) and currently riding a Cube Nuroad Rookie 2025. It fits okay, but I’m starting to feel like it’s holding me back a bit in terms of performance.

    I’d like to upgrade to something more sporty / race-oriented gravel bike (lighter, more aggressive geometry, better responsiveness), but at my height it’s honestly really hard to find proper options.

    From what I’ve researched, I probably need:

    XXS / very small frames (sometimes even below standard sizing)

    short reach / low standover

    possibly 650B wheels to avoid weird geometry and toe overlap

    The issue is that a lot of “small” gravel bikes are still just scaled-down versions of bigger frames and don’t feel truly proportional.

    I’ve also been looking at the Canyon Grizl in 3XS, which seems like one of the few bikes designed for smaller riders, but I can’t find it available anywhere on the EU site — looks like it’s either out of stock or very limited.

    But I’m not sure which bikes actually work well for riders my size vs just being “technically available”.

    Would really appreciate:

    real-world experience from riders ~145–150 cm

    models that actually feel fast and responsive, not just comfortable

    opinions on 650B vs 700c at this height

    whether it’s worth going custom at this point

    Thanks 🙏

    by VariationWide9139

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    12 Comments

    1. HairGrowsTooFast on

      So my wife is in a similar boat as you at around 151cm. We ended up getting a size 44 Specialized Diverge for her. They only had one model that they made in that size and I currently don’t see them making it anymore on their website. I’d keep an eye out on Specialized and just monitor all the different models.

      There will guaranteed be comments for Liv bikes but last time I checked they only made XS frames which is still too big as that was what my wife had before her Diverge.

      Edit: looking at Specialized Canada they have an Alloy Diverge 3 in size 44 on their website. That would be my recommendation as it’s still 700c wheels 🙂

    3. Union__Jack on

      Looking at your current bike, you probably don’t need to go lower but you might benefit from shorter reach. I would also HIGHLY recommend shorter cranks (likely ~145mm or 20% of your inseam) and narrower bars (possibly 34 or 32cm).

      Custom frames could be a very good option. I would consider the 3T Racemax in XXS. You can build it frame up or buy a complete bike, but swapping to narrower bars and shorter cranks will be important. You can also build a Carbonda CFR-505 SL from a frameset, and like the 3T it can fit 650b or 700c. I think with the correct crank length you won’t have to worry about toe overlap with either of these frames. The older OPEN WI.DE in XS could also be a good fit, but I don’t think those frames are really available anymore.

      Before you buy anything it’s probably worth seeking out a good bike fit. Make sure that wherever you go, they have the ability to test much shorter than standard cranks. SRAM even sells a 150mm now, so the industry is coming around.

    4. Costco_Bob on

      I personally would go custom if it’s in the budget that way you can buy everything to fit you instead of buying the closest fit off the shelf and still having to change out parts. Edit to add I’m a 167 cm guy with short legs and even I want to go down to 650b to eliminate toe overlap

    6. letsgethead2toe on

      Not sure of your budget but Parlee Taos could be an option. They do a lot of custom builds and have a pretty diverse range of sizes.

    7. runwhatyabrung_ on

      650b or preferably even 26” is a no brainer here. Check out Natsuko from Bicycle Quarterly’s bikes.

    8. froggyn on

      Massacan offers custom sizing at no extra cost. https://www.massacan.cc/en/blogs/the-geeks-corner/massacan-custom-shop

      There will be very few options that will fit out of the box. So custom will be better to get something perfect.

      I also think that 650b should be the way to go, since you want tires that match the bike frame, and a bike so small should be on smaller wheels.

      It’s the same thing as the current weird 32 inch craze. If you are not extremely tall and have a larger bike super big wheels will not feel good overall.

    9. jay_tenderizer on

      Chase at Bicycle Station soak very highly of her Allied Able, might want to check that geometry

    10. bmesl123 on

      Size 44 Specialized Diverge (highly recommended). XXXS Canyon Grizl (more aggressive geometry). XS Liv Devote (I don’t love it but there’s a lot of good reviews on r/ladycyclists – consider cross-posting on this subreddit!). Also heard some good things about XS Salsa Journeyer.

    11. johnny_evil on

      My wife is 5’1″ and she is very happy with her XXS Pivot Vault. Pivot tends to do low stand overs. You’re shorter, so I don’t know if it’ll work for you though.

    12. adsempermagnus on

      Might be a good for you to get a custom geometry bike. Litespeed makes some solid ti bikes and it only costs a little more for custom

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