Entry level recommendation for GF

[Fresh]

Hi all,

I've convinced my GF to buy a bike to come riding with me, but I need help on what she should actually buy. Budget is somewhere around $1500 give or take. Willing to go a little higher if there is something on special. I obviously pay no attention to female bikes, so your help is appreciated.

[gorilla monsoon]

Here's a thought: take your girlfriend to a few bike shops, let her look, let her talk to the sales people and let her decide what she wants.

It's novel, I know, but it actually does work.

[Fresh]

Thanks for the sarcasm!

[CommuRider]

Great attitude.

There's a search button. Use it. And +1 with GM. ASK YOUR GIRLFRIEND.

[Fresh]

She is already involved and we have visited LBSs.

Clearly I expected too much when I hoped for a possible "I just saw t'his' on special with X, Y, & Z parts" or, "I just a bought an X roadie and must say it is really good for Y & Z reasons."

No dramas, I'll go elsewhere.

[m@]

Hi all,

I've convinced my GF to buy a bike to come riding with me, but I need help on what she should actually buy. Budget is somewhere around $1500 give or take. Willing to go a little higher if there is something on special. I obviously pay no attention to female bikes, so your help is appreciated.

Obviously not a female-specific bike, but I'm pretty happy with my Cell Team for $1500. Reasonable alloy frame & carbon fork, full 105 groupset, R500 wheels and no-name-brand but servicable bars, stem, post etc.

The new colour scheme is a bit more girl-friendly too, if that's a factor

[trailgumby]

From the thread title, I thought we might be talking about girlfriends rather than bikes.

Take a look at Giant or Malvern Star - both great value for money, with MS having the edge in the market at the moment.

Don't get too hung up on women's specific geometry, or bikes specced with girly colours - the main thing is that it fits her properly and that she finds it comfortable to ride.

Leave some in the budget for trying a few different saddles. Male saddles are generally uncomfortable for women, being too narrow to engage with the typically wider-spaced female sit bones, and end up putting pressure on their bits which, understandably, becomes very hard to tolerate. Female saddles are generally wider.

Specialized have a measurement method for determining which saddle is most likely. Worth investigating.

[Jen]

Given you've already taken your g/f shopping, it might help if you provide some details of the type of bikes she has shown interest in. That way you might get some more specific feedback.
eg There's no point me letting you know about my lovely new bike (step through, hub gears) if you're looking for a road or mountain bike.

Hopefully she's having fun deciding what to buy.

[marinmomma]

+1 to everything Trailgumby wrote....don't limit yourselves to women's specfic bikes, but don't exclude them either. It's about what she likes and will feel comfortable riding.
For $1500 you might be able to find a Malvern Star, alloy with 105 groupset...then get a good seat and knicks that will make riding as pleasant as possible!

Good luck with the search.

[gorilla monsoon]

Thanks for the sarcasm!

It wasn't sarcasm.

Look, if you try to coerce your partner into something she dosen't really want you will live to regret it and the thing will keep coming back to bite you on the bum.

I'd like my wife to have a nice roadie but she is perfectly happy with her flat bar that she chose without any help from me. It meets her needs not my expectations and that is the most important thing.

[vaeske]

Thanks for the sarcasm!

It wasn't sarcasm.

Look, if you try to coerce your partner into something she dosen't really want you will live to regret it and the thing will keep coming back to bite you on the bum.

I'd like my wife to have a nice roadie but she is perfectly happy with her flat bar that she chose without any help from me. It meets her needs not my expectations and that is the most important thing.

+1 for GM.

Thats the same situation with my partner as well. I had tried to push her to try and have one of my built roadies as her primary bike, but she likes her giant seek 3 flat bar and that's all she wants. Gotta give a girl what she wants.

[Mapomatic]

I think generally female specific bikes tend to offer less value than their male counter products. ie, similar frame build, same groupset, yet more expensive. Many models also are limited to lower spec groupsets. At least, thats what I've found after having spent the last 6 months + helping my wife find a bike she liked. Maybe suggesting a minimum groupset and components would be constructive. 105 or Veloce would last a casual rider forever with good maintenance.

For the record, my wife got a Bianchi Sempre 50cm. Carbon and celeste played a big choice in the decision Bianchi also had minimal differences between their female specific bikes other than paint job and different handlebars (maybe stem).

It all relative as what really matters is her size - ie length of inseam, torso, arms etc. Show her your serious about getting her to ride with you by splashing out for a frame fit.

http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/fit-options/ (no affilation with this site, just heard good things)

It will give a a good set of specs which you can then use to compare against manufacturers geometry.

As an aside, make sure that when you ride with your gf, you ride WITH her. If you are quicker than her, dont make your rides out with her your training rides, make them your recovery rides. Happy wife, happy life.

[Christine Tham]

Thanks for the sarcasm!

It wasn't sarcasm.

Look, if you try to coerce your partner into something she dosen't really want you will live to regret it and the thing will keep coming back to bite you on the bum.

I'd like my wife to have a nice roadie but she is perfectly happy with her flat bar that she chose without any help from me. It meets her needs not my expectations and that is the most important thing.

+1 for GM.

Thats the same situation with my partner as well. I had tried to push her to try and have one of my built roadies as her primary bike, but she likes her giant seek 3 flat bar and that's all she wants. Gotta give a girl what she wants.

+1 for me too.

My first bike was a hybrid and I still ride it.

Of course, I now have a "boy roadie" (no "woman specific component" on it at all) but that's 2-3 years later.