buying advice
 

I am not a cyclist, so I am fairly clueless. My wife has started cycling for exercise. I expect she will ride about 15 miles per day. I want to buy her a bike but I don't want to spend a lot of money on overkill. So, what I am wondering is if it is worth spending $600 for something like a Trek 7.2 FX or should I go buy a $300 bike from the local Sports Authority? Will it make much difference for her since she is not riding very far each day?
Thanks.

Talk with her !
 

Just a thought ! ;)

Buying from places like Dick's, Target, K-Mart, and Walmart, usually don't go too well, due to inferior componentry and improper installation. Customer service will be dismal at best. If you need bike repair a few weeks down the road, you're going to end up where you should have started in the first place....

Your friendly neighborhood, local bike store (LBS).

IMHO you'd be much better off purchasing the award-winning Jamis Coda Femme road/commuter bike. It lists for $550 and you'll most probably be able to get a 2010 or 2011 model for much cheaper.

Go to your LBS and have your wife fitted (make sure she gets the right sized bike for her build). Next, tell them that you're interested in a variety of bikes. However, you might settle for an older model of the Coda Femme Bike...

Good Luck! :thumb:

Yes. That's an hour or two per day, depending upon her speed. Would you rather drive a Yugo for an hour a day, or a Toyota Camry?

OK, good points. I am going shopping around today. I have about 2 weeks until her birthday. Thanks.

Don't buy the bike for her, take her along bike shopping and have her try the bike because the bike has to fit. Unlike Walmart and Target, bikes come in different frame sizes for different size riders. Walmart and Target carry bike in a one size fits all style to minimize the number of bikes they have to carry. Even as little as 5 or 10mm can make a huge difference in how the bike feels.

Even if two bikes are the same frame size, there can be little variations in the geometry that make one preferable over the other.

I understand wanting to surprise her, but in the end, you're not riding it so you picking one arbitrarily might not work out so well.

Also, X-mart doesn't provide service. Also, their bikes are often of inferior quality and will soon get to a point where they can't be fixed. A good bike, with decent care, will last forever. I have a friend who each spring buys a $100 bike; by fall it is unrideable. I've known him for about 8 years; if he had just bought a $600.00 bike in the first place. . . .

Well, I didn't get out today. I am going to get a more expensive bike. I will take her out on her birthday to get one chosen and fitted. Another question. I have a good bike store nearby that a couple of local cyclists recommended. ( www.chainwheeldrive.com ) Generally, would a good shop be able to "fit" a bike to my wife as well as a Trek, etc. store?

I looked at their site -- Specialized is a great brand and they have a lot of those. In a fitness hybrid, the Vita would be great if she likes the feel of it. The Vita is the women's version of the Sirrus you'll see there. For many women, the women's-specific design is better (geometry and saddle often better suited to a woman's proportions). The Vita is a fun, zippy bike to ride. She might not like the saddle at first, but they are sooo much nicer than the fat/gel saddles once your body adjusts.

Specialized has some other models she might like, but since you mentioned the Trek 7.2fx, that Vita would be a comparable model. Also, that store has Raleigh bikes, and the Cadent is a similar type of fitness hybrid -- that's not a WSD, but she might like it anyway. I think Raleigh Alysa might be a WSD of the Cadent, but I'm not sure on that. If the geometry is ok, sometimes just switching out the stock saddle to a WSD saddle can be a big help for a woman's anatomy. ;)

Anyway, if the salespeople treat you both with respect and listen to your needs, they should be great because they do sell some great brands. I don't know much about some of the other brands they sell, like the Felts, but have heard some good things about them. You could read up on some brands and reviews in the meantime, but you'll need to know her riding preferences, etc.

You are so sweet to support your wife like this! :thumb:

A good bike shop will be able to find which size bike is right. Its really not until you get to the major fits that you have to look around more, but those fits are the ones that cost a couple hundred bucks and take several hours. That is more for a road bike though.

Both Trek and Specialized, and Raleigh are good brands. The geometries are different, so it's more about finding the right one for her than brand when looking at the better brands.

I would agree with most of the other posters. Go with the best bike you can afford. I have an entry level trek hybrid that is serving me very well. My uncle however just picked up a new hybrid Schwinn Midmoor at close to 300 bucks from Wal*Mart. It got very positive reviews on the site but in use it is a very poor quality bike. Slow, heavy and uses some very sub standard components. After about 70 miles or so the bottom bracket is now on it's way out. Shop your local bike shops they are a wealth of advice and service. The latter being the most important part I've found out the hard way :)

Definitly check out the Jamis line, Coda, Citizen

This sounds like a better plan. Trek, Specialized, Giant, Gary Fishr, Jamis, Kona, Marin, etc are all reputable bike manufacturers. The first three are probably the biggest players.

At a given price point, most bikes within a similar price range are going to be similar. There may be some minor differences, but the big thing is how well the bike fits the rider and the preferred riding position. Bike frames come in different sizes to suit different sized riders. The frame is usually measured according to the length of the seat tube, where the seat post slides in, but different manufacturers measure differently so the number isn't so important. The other important measurement is the distance between the seat tube and the head tube because taller riders also tend to have longer arms so this distance changes with the frame size. The head tube is the front tube where the handle bars are attached.

I noticed the bike shop you mention offers fitting service but that's a much more complex service than you need. When I said the bike needs to fit, I meant basic fitting such as the size of the frame and attachments. For example, if the seat is in the desired position, are the bars too close, far, high, or low. Changing the frame size, stem, or spacers will change how the bike feels and is usually free. I think most shops will change out the stem for free for a similarly price stem that changes the amount of rise and the length.

I finally got to spend a little time looking around today. Based on the salespeople at the three best bike stores in the area, I should be considering:

- Trek 7.2 FX
- Specialized Vita Sport or Elite
- Felt ZW 95 in case she wants something that is a bit more road bike oriented.
- Giant Escape 1W

I especially enjoyed the surfer dude sales rep, "Man, if she sees it and she's not feelin' it, just move on. You know what I mean , man?"

I guess we will go out for the day and have her ride each one.

I wish I could be that poetic. He's right, too.

You're on the right track now. Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, Jamis, Marin, Felt all make good bikes in that price range. The geometry of the bike has a lot to do with what will feel good to her, so she really has to try them. Certain changes can be made, as others have noted, that will change the feel of the ride. I've had a fairly upright hybrid's stem lowered for a more road bike-ish position. Be aware that not all women like the women specific models, though. Some ladies are more comfortable on a men's frame, especially if they're tall. I'm a female, and as much as I liked the Trek 7.3 and 7.5, I felt too cramped on the WSD. My Cannondale doesn't even come in a women's medium, just small and large. They use the men's frame for the medium size.
Saddles can always be changed, so she shouldn't judge a bike by saddle comfort.

You have quite a price range there. The Specialized and Felt have carbon forks that may make the ride a bit better. The Trek 7.2 says hi-ten steel so that might be a better ride, but heavier. The Giant says alloy so that might be aluminum which might ride a bit hard. The Trek 7.4FX has a higher price but has carbon fork.

You also have a huge price range among those bikes.

This is how I was looking at it - most of those bikes are in the $500-$600 range. If I remember correctly, the Vita Elite and the Felt are about $800 (the Felt is closer to a road bike). I really didn't expect to buy those two, but I wanted to give my wife the option just in case "she's feelin' it" as the salesman said. I just hoped she wouldn't be feelin' it for those two.:D.

Since then I went back to the Trek store and looked at the next step up there - 7.3 FX. It's about $650. That's obviously a more affordable next step up than the Vita Elite. So I guess I'll take the Vita Elite off the list. You know, I started out thinking about $300 bikes and now I am considering an $800 bike. Look what you guys have done to me!

Well, we bought a bike yesterday. It's 3 weeks until my wife's birthday, but I figured she would like the extra 3 weeks to ride it and so we went out yesterday. We ended up with the Trek 7.3 FX. The Specialized and Giant didn't fit as comfortably as the Trek. Unfortunately, the 2011's are $100 less than the 2012's, but they couldn't find one in her size within a couple hundred miles. So, in the end we are spending close to $700 for a 2012.
I really appreciate all of the input everyone gave me. I can see some of you took the time to look up the details of the bikes. My wife is really happy.:thumb:

Congrats! I'm sure she'll enjoy it, the 7.3 was a bike I was considering on my last bike buying purchase. The fit is everything (well, almost!). If it feels more comfortable then it's the right bike for her right now.

Woo hoo -- congrats on the purchase! You're a good man. ;) Happy birthday to your wife; this is a gift she will use and love for many years to come....

My prediction is that you end up with a new one for yourself as well by x-mas:)

Xmas! It's my birthday next month! I know she is going to feel guilty riding next to me while I'm on my beach cruiser. I'll give her the old "It's OK honey, I just want you to be happy. Don't worry about me. Just wait for me at the next intersection."

haha...oh yes...the old 'i'll upgrade you first' trick to expand the overall upgrade budget :) i know it well!

:thumb: