Recreational & Family - Need suggestions for a bike for my wife please...

I just got a new road bike and now my wife can't even begin to keep up on her wally-world bike. :D I like having her ride with me but I like going faster than 5 MPH...LOL. So now I need to get her something a little bit better. Not looking for top of the line but she needs something that doesn't weigh a ton and has fairly decent components. Cost is definately a factor too so the cheaper(to a point) the better. I know you normally get what you pay for but she's not gonna let me spend anywhere close to what I paid for my bike .

So anyway what I'm looking for is a nice road only bike that has more of an upright riding style. She does not want a racing style bike but she wants skinny road only tires but with a flat handlebar and more upright riding position. She really wants a "girls" style bike if possible. I was looking at the Fuji web sight and they have just what she wants in their "FORZA" series. I'm not familiar enough with all the brands to know if anyone else makes a bike like this.

So does anyone have any other suggestions for a nice road bike for her at a fairly low price???

THANKS!!

'Girls style as in 'Mixte' style one could ride with a skirt.No way! Cannondale, Specialized,Trek, anong others make flat bar bikes that are a step up from true hybrids.Go to LBS and try looking around.

Terry makes a mixte-frame road bike with straight bars, called the Trixie. Good components and light weight. My wife switched to one a few years ago and it definitely left her Bianchi hybrid in the dust.
Terry Bicycles (http://www.terrybicycles.com/)

specialized sirrus
trek 7500fx/7700fx
gary fisher fast city/nirvana/utopia/zebrano/tiburon
lemond wayatza

i know these bikes cuz i was considering getting one of them. however i have decided instead to have a dedicated road bike and a dedicated MTB.

oh yeah... and none of these bikes are cheap :(

if you want to stay cheap just put skinny tires on a hybrid bike. or even your wife's current bike.

what the hell is a mixte? :confused:

A 'step through' frame. A real GIRLS bike.Popular when proper ladies rode in skirts rather than spandex. Some women still think they need them proper or not because,'it's a womens bike'.

Maybe I'll buy her this badboy!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1866859247


HahaHAHAhaha... :D

Get her something along the line of a Fuji Ace and have a straight bar installed by the bike shop. Most shops don't even charge for the switch or the labour. The Fuji Ace, with Sora components, is a decent enough bike for about $400.

The Fuju Forza range is a good concept, they are fast, light and comfortable. They seem to lack the threaded eyelets on the frame and fork for a rack and fenders, which limits their use for winter, utility or touring use.

What size are you looking at for your wife?
The smaller sizes seem to have a bodged geometry to fit the large sized wheels. The angle for seat tube (75) and headtube (69)are very suspect. If they fit the rider, all is well, but the net result is to force the rider further forward over the pedals, and to make the steering a bit vague.

On smaller sized bikes, keep a close watch for any overlap between the toes and the front wheel.

The ideal solution for smaller performance sport/touring bikes is to use smaller 26" MTB wheels, but only niche manufacturers like Terry do this.
I know several UK manufacturers who make nice , good value, fast, practical bikes for women, for a good example see:

http://www.orbit-cycles.co.uk/caraway1.shtml

You cannot just stick road components from a drop bar onto a flat bar.Flat bar is not compatible with road clamp diameter either. ....:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I don't really know what size she will need but it will be very small since she is only about 5'2" or so. I'll look around some and see what I can come up with I guess. Maybe the thing to do at this point is to just visit some bike shops this fall and winter and then get her one for next spring.

I bought my wife a Giant OCR 3 this summer. She had been used to a step through bike.With the adjustable stem I was able to get her into a perfect position. She loves the bike and now I'm having trouble keeping up with her ! All OCRs have the same geometry and adjustable stems.

I noticed that Trek has a flat bar option on their 1000 for 2003. I think it is still around $650 or $700 bucks. Still Sora components though,, :(

What about the TREK FX series? I'm thinking this might be a nice bike for her.

http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2003/citybike/7500fx.jsp

David,

I think you would be better served (or at least your wife will)
if you steer her towards a true road frame. If she has
any doubts about classic top tube then maybe a compact
frame will be a better design for her.
Suggest you look at the Fuji, Specialized, and Trek
(not sure about others Giant? Cannondale?).
just make sure the bike fits. Go to good LBS and get
properly fitted.

Marty

Try test riding the Specialized Sirrus, about $500. Decent, nimble, pretty bike. It's a flat bar road bike (entry) that allows me to keep up and sometimes pas the "big boys."

I'm 5'4 and I have a small, 51 cm. Also comes in extra small. It has compact geometry.

If you get it, add bar ends. Need them for extra hand positions.:D