brad_smith

Hello there.

I am thinking of buying a bike for my wife as a Christmas present.
She has not been on a bike for years and her biggest gripe was getting a sore bum.
The purpose of the bike is more for leisure.
I am wondering if anyone has any advice / recommendations as I have looked at the giant via 1 w (2014) and the XDS pearle alloy
and many others.
I think that the comfort of the seat is a huge factor - so if there are any owners of the Giant via I would like to hear
your thought and opinions - or of any other models worth considering...

thanks for your time

oddjob2

The used bike market is flooded with seldom used bikes, because of poor fit, etc. I strongly recommend you either present your gift via a gift card from a bike shop or buy a bike from a store with a liberal return policy, like REI.

goldfinch

One thing to keep in mind that even if a seat is about perfect for you it will take a week or two for your rear end to get used to the seat. It will not be comfortable the second day after the first ride. People sometimes are not patient enough to determine whether a seat works. Then, they end up buying a big fat squishy seat that in the long run is not as comfortable as a harder, narrower seat.

https://sheldonbrown.com/saddles.html

Remember too that if after a couple of weeks the seat remains uncomfortable that saddles are easily changed. I would never buy a bike based on the seat. In fact, most bikes seem to come with generally crappy saddles and I have switched saddles on every single bike I own. What one person likes for a saddle may be torture for someone else so experience of others often does not translate into what your wife's experience may be.

The Giant and the XDS are totally different bikes. However, both are probably best for riding on the flats or around town as there are not the low gears to get you up the hills. As much as surprises are great I agree that the best thing to do is let your wife ride and pick the bike she likes best. Or, as others suggested, if you have an REI or other store that allows returns buy from there.

I bought a sister a bicycle for her birthday. We went shopping together and I had a list of what she might like. She ended up with a bike she loves and I would never buy.

fietsbob

have a budget for a very nice bike for your Wife? look at Georgina Terry's line of bikes ,
she specializes on making bikes for Women.

her steel frames are made for her by Waterford in Wisconsin.