Philimon

My girlfriend would like to get a new road bike, and of all the bicycles tested (these all being men's bicycles) she prefers the look and feel of steel.
I have been going through the different manufacture websites and have thus far only found the company Jamis which makes women's geometry steel road bikes.
https://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/road/index.html

If you know of any companies which make women's geometry steel road bicyles/frames, then please post them. However, I would like to keep the cost less than $1500. I would also like to have at least Tiagra components, which will make this even harder still to accomplish under the $1500 mark.

She is five feet and four inches tall...

Also looking for something that could possibly fit wider tires up to 700x28 or even 32 (for a softer ride). Hmmm, I am not making this easy...

Cyclocross, etc. is fine.

Thank you

Philip

Unagidon

How tall is she? Take a browse at this one - not a road bike per se, but just swap the wheels / tires and you're good to go. Very good geometry (shorter top tube / reach). https://fisherbikes.com/bike/model/erwin

rdubbz

i got my wife a salsa casserole. not a woman bike but a unisex steel bike.

Philimon

She is five feet and four inches tall...

I have an 09 Bianchi Volpe in a size 49, and she felt very uncomfortable using that bike on an extended ride of last season (pain in arms mostly as I recall).

Cyclocross is completely acceptable.

Unisex bike? I am guessing the obvious con of such a bike is that its a compromise between male/female geometry, which means it will not be as well fitting/comfortable as male or female oriented bicycles.

========

I think I will add this info to my OP.

rdubbz

i think it just has a slopping tt and taller head tube, narrower bars, shorter crank arm. anyways she likes it. guess it really depend on her measurements. my wife has shorter legs and more torso than many women. maybe you should get her fitted first.

Philimon

Well, when you put it like that... I guess that is all the real difference between a man's and woman's bike. I think we will have to get her measurements done.

I am still very much interested in more recommendations! I would like to have a good idea on which bike we will likely buy, so that I could have her fitted at the LBS which carries that particular bicycle brand... Buying their services for a fitting is probably an easy way to start a good relationship with a new LBS. I also imagine they would be more willing and patient when tweaking the bike to your needs when they were the ones who had done the measurements and gave their approval on the bike match.

Red Lanterne

Serotta.

Randochap

Here's my Marinoni Ciclo (now called Sportivo) but I don't think you'd get one for $1500, maybe closer to $1900 USD.

Philimon

For the right bike - over budget might be excused.

From reading your bike biography Randochap - I remembered that I forgot to mention that clearance for at least 28 wide tires is mandatory...

lukasz

Depends on how picky you are. If you just want a steel frame, this is easy. If you want some nice steel (631, 853, True Temper, etc, with stays made out of good material as well), tire clearance, and fender eyelets then it becomes a bit harder. I just put my girlfriend on a Lemond made out of 853 steel. It is not ideal because they have hilariously long top tubes, but thankfully it seems to fit her with a shorter than usual stem and women's specific bars.

If she wanted to spend more, I'd have gotten her a brand new Gary Fisher cross bike. Those bikes seem to have it all! Tire clearance, fender eyelets, high quality steel. We didn't even spend half of what one would have cost though.

You don't need women's geometry. Handlebars with short reach, attention to crank arm length, and stem adjustment can do a lot for bicycle fit. My girlfriend is also 5'4", maybe 4.5". The Lemond we are trying out right now has a 532 cm top tube, which IMO is at least 2 cm too long. Yet with stem and bar adjustments it seems to fit her, and the slack seat tube (which is the cause of the long top tube) seems to put her knees in a better place than on her old bike. Of course being that the bicycle has traditional geometry there is almost no seatpost showing. I would not recommend this, but she's a cheapskate and we got the bike used from a guy who lives 5 minutes away for a price that would be easy to resell it for if it does not work out.

Good luck. I've been searching for a used steel frame since last Fall. You are willing to spend much more money though. Just go to your local Gary Fisher dealer and pick up a 50cm Erwin.

Fat Boy

Georgina Terry is who you want to talk to, no question. https://www.terrybicycles.com/cycling_savvy

kirke

My partner just got a Bianchi Vigorelli a few months back and likes it alot. They come as small as 44mm:
https://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/gran-fondo/vigorelli/

I would also check out Soma Fabrications. You can only buy framesets, but I think you could get a Soma frame + a Tiagra group, or even something nicer like SRAM Rival and keep it under or around 1500. The Smoothie, ES, and Double Cross come in a wide range of sizes:
https://www.somafab.com/

Philimon

Thank you guys for the input - I will check out your recommendations.

Could someone please tell me the difference between tig weld and double butted in terms of noticeable ride quality? Same goes for different steel mixes, ie. 520 vs higher grades, etc?

Also, the Bianchi Vigorelli looks great (for me ), but she is somewhere between a 44 and 49, which are the two closest matches to her size (the LBS recommended the larger 49 would be a better route than going too small with the 44). She has tried a 49 Volpe (which is pretty much the same geometry as a Vigorelli 49), and found the reach too long...

Philimon

532 top tube sounds very long. I think the Volpe has a 515*, and my girlfriend felt that it was too long of a reach... Maybe there is more that can be done with the bike in order to get it to fit her properly. However, it was the LBS that setup the bike for her so I do not not what else can be done (short of buying all new parts for the bike). Yes, the Volpe was initially bought for her, but now that she finds the bike uncomfortable - I have taken over the Volpe instead of getting a new road bike for myself as well.

*Perhaps it is a 527. I still do not quite know my bike terminology very well.
https://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/gran-fondo/volpe/

Thorn

A quick test for whether you want to look at a WSD or a traditional frame is to compare the riders height measurement to their wingspan (finger tip to finger tip with arms perpindicular to the body). If the wingspan is about the same or larger than the height--standard frame is probably going to work; if shorter by an inch or more--WSD is more likely. Obviously, this doesn't take into account torso length which also has to be considered as it affects reach. But it gives you a good ballpark guesstimate.

Basically WSD really means "shorter top tube" although how much shorter depends upon the brand. It ranges from significantly to almost not at all (in that case WSD just means narrow handle bars and a women-specific saddle).

Waterford is making the current Terry line. Their 'cross bike would fit your requirements, but not your budget. On the other hand, you could custom geometry a Gunnar, build up with parts and only exceed your budget by a small amount.

late

At 5' 4" a bike will have to make compromises in geometry to make a 700c wheel work. I would suggest 26" or 650b.

Hard to make 650b work with your budget, but you did say you were willing to consider others.
My wife is 5'2" and I put her on a Rivendell 650b. She loves it.

https://www.rivbike.com/products/show...amebike/50-700

NickDavid

Women's bikes were designed for manufacturers to pick up more of the profit margin. There is no need for a woman to purchase a bike geared toward women. A bike is a bike and the right size will fit her, regardless of design.

Atol

WSD models generally just have a more relaxed geometry than the more aggressive model. If she isn't completely hell bent on steel, relaxed road geometry bikes like the Cannondale Synapse, Trek Pilot, and the Fuji Roubaix are good options. The standard model will also be easier to sell in the future should you decide to get rid of it.

Randochap

They'll do that for you -- build for 57mm reach brakes.That'll get you 28s w/ fenders. See my Marinoni Sportivo Ti. The stock Ciclo (now sportivo) will accept 28 w/o fenders.

big john

TIG is a type of welding, a means of joining tubes, as opposed to lugs and brazing. Not a factor in ride quality.
Butting is the process of building the tubes with thinner walls in the middle and thicker at the ends where there is more stress. This saves weight and can affect ride, depending on how thin the tubes are drawn. I would think all quality steel tubing is butted.
The grade/price of the tubes can change the ride, but mostly the thickness and diameter of the tubes and the way the thing is built determine the comfort factor. Don't assume all steel bikes will have a soft ride, regardless of price. The stiffest bike I ever rode is steel.
Have you considered touring bikes? Heavier, but they will accept larger tires, racks, etc.
+1 for Gunnar. Custom sizing or off the rack and their "Sport" frame will take the fat tires.

Metzinger

Agreed. High heels and swimsuits make us think women that have proportionally longer legs than men. Although some women do (god bless 'em), their average torso/leg proportions are essentially identical to those of men. Getting a fitting is the only way to know.