I have a Wisper 705 se just now but tried out a 706 Alpino last weekend at Lawntech in Dundee (thanks for pointing me in their direction dmcgoldrick

). I'm only 5'4" , the Alpino didn't feel too big atall (sorry, don't know wheel size), in fact I had to put the seat up, so no worries on that score. Strangely, my 1st comment to John at Lawntech was that the Alpino felt lighter than the 705se, maybe because I have panniers on mine but it certainly didn't feel too heavy.I only had it out for about 15 minutes so wasn't really able to put it through its paces but it was a nice smooth ride and the gear change was much better than the 705 and it did seem to be easier to peddle without power.Having said that I still think the 705 is a great bike, although the Alpino is definitely the much prettier younger sister!