KevinTX

Alright i have gotten my girl purses, shoes, jewelery, and all kinds of other fashion stuff for long enough. She is into fitness and has been getting more into working out with my lately and I would like to spend some time with her on the road as well. I have a couple year old shwinn bike that she rides sometimes, but its just too big for her. Right now i ride a Trek 1500 mainly for cardio and to stay lean for my favorite sport, motorcycle racing. I want to get her a good quality road bike. I dont want to spend too much money on it either, less then 500 would be AWSOME, because i dont know how into it she will be. She does alot of cardio stuff at her gym with her friends and **** like that, so i dont know how much time she will actually spend on a bike. Right now i have looked a Trek, Specialized and Giant. I am not really in the loop about all the models and brands of bikes that are out there. So is there any good brands that cost less then the more popular brands? I have seen these Nashbar bikes advertised, are they any good? Any advice would be great, i just though about buying her a bike about 10 minutes ago, so thanks a bunch.

CrimsonKarter21

I'll probably get murdered for this by everyone else, but these are awesome bikes for the price.
click the ad on your right that says "BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR"

sverrefehn

I would give her a voucher good for a bike and then go shopping with her so she can try the bikes first and get properly fit before buying. She can get turned off to cycling pretty quick if she doesn't have a good fit on the bike.

Lonan

Though not a true road bike, you may want to take a look at a Trek 7.2 FX.
Well under $500 and performs well.
Bought one for my wife and she loves it.

orcanova

Unless you are engaged...I would suggest the one on sale...with the red bow...and give her a kiss...

All will be good...

From someone whose ridden down that road...

KevinTX

LOL, yeah i hear ya! But i figure if i dont get her a bike, then i will have to get her something else and spend close to 500 bucks anyways. So i would like to get her something that she wont wear a hand full of times and then stick it in the bottom of her closet.

sverrefehn, i hear you on the fitting thing. There are only 2 shops here in town (trek, specialized and giant) so the whole having her try out whats best is pretty limited, plus those brands cost more then i want to spend. I might just tell her my plan and take her out and see what bike she fits best on. Could i just find out what size she fits on, order one and then take it with her to a shop and have them fit it for her?

jerrymcdougal

I bought a Fuji Newest 4.0 Road Bike. $400 out the door with pedals/bottlecages/etc. It does come with lower end Shimano 2200 components and down tube shifters, but has the same frame material as the Fuji Roubaix, with just slightly different geometry. I have done a few upgrades (Lightly used Ultegra 6500 ders and 105 STI shifters) but Love then hell out of this bike, and you cant beat the price!

https://www.fujibikes.com/2006/bikes.asp?id=132

TrackSmart

This may sound sexist (even though the same can be said of many male riders), but I'd consult her on whether she likes the "looks" of any particular bike before you spend any money. If it looks cool *to her* she's that much more likely to want to ride it. If she thinks it's ugly or dorky, you've blown some serious cash...

Really, almost any entry-level road bike will be fine (and probably better than the old-school bike I ride daily). But she must think it's a "cool bike".

nobrainer440

Very good advice.

DamianM

Aparrently you should buy her a wheelset, but ask her which ones first.

Treefox

I'd echo comments regarding fit...

Perhaps buy her accessories and whatnot to open up on the day, then drive her down to the LBS to get a proper fitting. While one can find good prices online, those tend to work better if you already know just what size you want.

So call around the local shops and find one that has a good selection, perhaps with several 2006 models they're trying to clear out.

dekalbSTEEL

If you have a Giant dealer, look at the OCR3. My LBS has 06 OCR3's on clearance for $449.

KevinTX

True. I think as long as its not some girly color she will like it. Today i am going to surf my LBS and see what kind of deals (if any) they might have on some left over 06 models. I think it would be best to buy it localy to ensure a good fit, thats what i had to do with mine. Kinda sucks though I was hopping to find a killer online deal. If this idea doesnt work out my fall back plan is a Tissot t-race Danica Patrick watch.

johnny99

Buy a bike from a good local dealer that can help with sizing and fitting. If you buy her a poorly fitting, uncomfortable bike, she will remember that every time she rides the bike.

Patriot

If she already rides the 1500, and wants to be a serious rider. This outta fit the bill.



A little over $500 though.

daytonian

Don't let Hipcycler see this

DrPete 

Just buy her the cranks this year and add on with each Christmas.

aicabsolut

As a female, I'd say give her a voucher you've made and then go with her to the LBS. It's not just about frame size or looks but the ride and type of geometry. Would she take a women's bike or a standard bike? Would you need to swap components on either? How upright or aggressive? These are things she can figure out by doing some test rides that you can't necessarily figure out otherwise unless you know she likes your Trek and wants something just like it in her size--then you can look for similar geometry.

Look at the bikes on clearance. Some places like Performance have holiday sales too. But if you want her to be your companion out on the road, she's got to be comfortable, and that might not be achieved by being fitted to a bike that's inherently not her style.

You're limited by your budget so it shouldn't be too hard to start narrowing things down once you look at price and size.

spingineer

I guess getting a tandem for the both of you is out of the question?

KevinTX

****, I love her... but i dont love her that much! I still have to buy myself a new leather race suit and a would like some new brembo calipers before next season.

KevinTX

Very much so. I went to my LBS today and found a couple giants that were on sale. I just dont know her size. She is going back home to England for the holidays, but will be back before christmas. So i think when she gets back i am going to take her around and see just what she likes best, and if she really has the desire to do like she says she does.

TrackSmart

A very sensible plan.

You'll want to be sure it's something she really wants and plans to use often. If she only plans to ride a few times per year, then there's no need for a shiny new $600 road bike. Plus she'll enjoy it more if she researches and picks on out herself (with some good advice from you and the local shops).

Good luck! I'm sure she'll be excited by such a wonderful gift offer! (whether she decides you should spend that much on a bike for her or rather spend it on something else).