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"cavermatthew" wrote

I personally like flats better because they give your feet more freedom. If you’re carrying speed through a turn you can easily let your foot down for a second to get that much needed extra lean. Although I am quite comfortable with clipless, when I ride flats it just gives me extra bailing confidence if I need to get off the bike and fast. The big downside though is your climbing abilities greatly suffer when you use flats over clipless. One of these days I probably convert to clipless as my bike is pretty heavy.

I agree completely with what "Cavermatthew" wrote above…..the abilitity to bail or to use my foot in a moment of need has saved me numerous times (I also like that there is no chance of the pedal not releasing when you take a bad spill, and thus having the bike bang around you or wrench your ankle)…..however I also have found that one can get used to climbing well with platforms, you just need to learn to be smooth in your stroke and learn to pedal "circles" in a slightly larger gear, to compensate for the lack of being able to pull up. Way back when I did XC I used to do only clipless…but when I started doing technical trails, DH, Enduro, and Jumping I went platforms on all my bikes. My current platforms weigh pretty much the same as my shimano XT and XTR clipless did, if weight is a concern.

In the end it really comes down your riding style, the type of riding and trails you do, and what makes you feel the most comfortable and confident in those conditions.

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I’m not being sarcastic here….but have you looked at some of the ladies/girls FS bikes. I believe there are companies that make small frames that might suit your need…if you are needing a frame that small, then the top tube length will be an important factor…again, here girls bikes will likely have the better fit for you. Hard to recommend a bike or company as I don’t know the type of riding and trails you want to do, and what your budget/pain threshold is.

Some companies like Scott, have "Junior" sized bikes (they look the same as the larger bikes….they are just sized for shorter stature) ….or you might try contacting one of the smaller/specialty builders or custom builders. (BlkMrkt Bikes for instance offers their "Roam" in a 14" size…and it takes 26", 27.5" and 29" wheels)

A sort of last resort/outside-the-box option, if nothing can be found, is possibly looking at a slopes-style frame….they’re typically only 100mm of travel, and though "purpose built" if you use something like the fox CTD’s for suspension you can lock them out or set them in trail-mode, and still climb with them and have a blast riding down…..though this option is truly not the best, and would really depend on your riding style/intent.

[Edit: Trek has some XS size women’s specific FS bikes that are 14"]

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Congrats on the new ride. Enjoy, have fun, explore, grow your skills, and be safe.

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