Girlfriend's Bike Gone
 

I won't say it was stolen as she left it pretty much abandoned and unlocked at her office for over a year, but regardless she is now without a bike and wanting to get back into it. Being the good boyfriend I occasionally manage to be, I told her I would help set her up with a new one. So I have a few questions for our female (or otherwise knowledgable) members:

1) Is there any merit to the WSD bikes? Are there any real, tangible differences between a two geometrically close to identical bikes, if one has WSD and the other does not?

2) I have the better part of a low mileage Ultegra 8sp group on hand for a tri-bike project that has yet to find the right frame. Would going the used route and either having bar-end or downtube shifters be an option for someone relatively inexperienced on a bike? Alternatively, are there 8sp STI shifters out there that I'm unaware of (aside from Sora)?

3) I'm not sure she'll stick with it, if I don't go used are there any budget-ish frames that won't make either of us feel too guilty if she decides she doesn't like it and goes back to running?

4) If I give her a bike how long does she have to stay with me? ;)

I see your in Cambridge, go to Wheel Works in Belmont on Trapelo Road. They've got a good selection and a lot in stock. Don't go on a weekend though. Their sales people seem pretty decent. CycleWorks in Burlington is good but their stuff tends to be high end and expensive. I'd avoid REI or EMS, they tend to focus more on Mountain bikes and dont have that wide of a selection.

I just got my wife a Trek 7300 for like $435. WSD bikes are usually a little shorter from seat to handlebars to accomodate their shorter torsos. And the cross bar is lower to make it eaiser to get on and off.

Tiagra was 8 spd just a few years ago, if I recall correctly. I imagine there was a time when 105 was 8 spd. Perhaps in the middle ages.

My Klein came with 7-speed 105, so maybe not *quite* that long ago. :p

For the OP: WSD is particularly good for more petite women; over about 5'4" the returns diminish (most WSD styles don't come in larger sizes anyway).

Was your 7-spd STI?

Cycle Loft is nearby and not too bad, I bought my first bike from them when I lived in Boston. They are under new ownership now, so I can't speak to the current staff.
As someone who is building up a bike from a frame, I can say that in 'most' cases it is cheaper to buy the complete bike you want over building or upgrading.

Bring her to a shop (that knows bike fit), and get her on some bikes. Everyone is built differently....a woman I ride with is 5'6" with a 34" inseam.

I was at Wheelworks in Belmont last week (first time). They have a decent selection of bikes. I found they have the best assortment of accessories I've seen yet compared to other bike shops. You may also want to check out Innterational Bike in Newton. They also have a very good selection of bikes on hand. I bought my last 2 bikes there (Gary Fisher Zebrano and a Trek 2.1 spa). When I bought my first bike there, I found a bike I liked but it was a little small, Test rode another to check out the size. They ordered the one I liked in my size, it only took a couple days to ship it from thier warehouse. They allow you to take it for a decent test ride as well.
But the best advice is to do some research online, then hit a few bike shops (take notes). Then do more research before the purchase. And remember a good fit is the most important. If you don't think the bike shop is getting your friend a good fitting bike, go to another shop.

I'll probably be hitting up Wheelworks since her and I have an acquaintance working there as a wrench. Good to know the WSD is mostly for smaller sizes, she's 5'7 so we'll focus on standard models I guess.

Check out a couple WSD bikes too. My wife is 5'7" also and just bought a Trek 2100 WSD. All the other bikes she tried (regular men's frames) she felt too stretched out on.