Originally Posted by dragracer
My wife just can't "keep up" on her hybrid(Trek 7500FX) any more. I've just about talked here into getting a new road bike, but I(and she) have no idea what kind of bikes are a good choice for women. Are the bikes with geometry aimed at women really any different, or is it just marketing BS? We want to spend maybe $600-$900 max....hopefully we can find her a nice comfortable and lightweight bike in that price range. We looked at a couple of bike shops Monday, but we didn't gain much from just staring at them. The one my wife wants will probably be "the prettiest one".
Any opinions on makes and models would be much appreciated. At least help us find a starting point.
Hey Dave, I couldn't keep up with my husband on my old bike either--and all kinds of people (ie., posters on this forum) tried to talk me into buying a "hybrid", but I held out for that road bike and glad I did! My husband can finally get a workout riding with me and we're heading out tomorrow to a trail in Madison Wisconsin to test out my new found climbing skills.
I am just over 5' and found that I liked the Airborne WASP because it's small but fast. I thought the smaller 650 wheels might slow me down a little, but the 170 cranks make up for the wheel size. Oh, and I was going to buy a frame and have my LSB custom build, but couldn't handle the 6-8 week wait, so bought one on e-bay and am having my LSB upgrade to better components at season's end so I don't lose any riding time (currently, Shimano 105).
The WASP is a women's specific design (WSD) and being so short, didn't see that many other options other than a compact frame, because I don't have leg length to "stand over" traditional frame. The frame on a WSD is not as long, so you don't have to "stretch" to reach the handle bar, which is also not as wide, so you also don't have to spread your arms apart to work the gears.
The bike I bought is a little more than what you're looking to spend and this was the last year they made the WASP for the American market, but for me, the WSD does make a difference, as does the weight--currently at just over 17 lbs. I have increased my speed so far by 3-4 mph, and hope to do better once I make the switch to clipless--stuck with the "rat traps" for now until I find a pedal I can unclip without falling over.
What everyone else here is telling you is true; your wife needs to try out as many bikes as possible and find the one that works best for her. Everyone's different, and not all women like the WSD, but it seems to be working well for me.