kristina440

Hi, I'm a 5'7'' female looking for my first road bike. A lot of people have been telling me to check out bike direct and I've found this bike but I'm not too sure about specs and whats good or bad. If someone can help me out and let me know if this is a good deal and a good bike! thank you

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/sheila.htm

seymour1910

Hi, and welcome to BF. To help people point you in the right direction give more details. What are you looking to do with the bike? What is your budget? BD is not bad if you know what you are looking for and what size you need, but you don't know this yet. Do you have any good bike shops local to you? Ask any and all questions here and you will get all the information you need going forward.

edit: also, where are you located? some people are good at finding nice craigslist scores for you if the budget is tight.

rebel1916

Well you will get "some of the cutting edge tech of the diva-level Ultegra and Dura Ace" so that's a plus. Seriously, if you like to tinker, BD is great. But I would not buy that bike. Stretch your budget to $4-500 minimum and stuff starts getting mo' better. It's not half as pretty, but I believe the Windsor Wellington 3.0 is a better bikeat 4 bills, and if you can stretch it to $460, that Fuji Newest 2.0 is real nice...

freedomrider1

Welcome,you need to find a local bike shop[LBS] with a woman sales person if possible.When my wife bought her bike we went to several bike shops and i do suggest you do that also,but the one she felt the most comfortable with was the one with a couple female sales persons.

jon c. 

Craigslist will definitely get you more bang for the buck if you're in a decently sized area. Otherwise, check out your local shops before going the mail order route. There are often sales of old model years around this time and when you buy from a shop you'll have someone who can do any minor adjustments you may need. And many shops offer free tune-ups for a year or longer. You also get to test out a few bikes and see what feels most comfortable.

vwchad

I also vote you go to a loca bike shop. If you already know what you want and are comfortable working on your bike, then BD or craigslist is fine. For your first bike and no experience with proper fit or the mechanics of a bike, a good bike shop will make the experience much better. Many have said this before and there is a lot of truth to it, you don't buy a bike, you buy a bike shop. That bike shop should be able to get you on the right size bike, the right type of bike for your desired riding, and get you in touch with some local rides and riders. Good luck with your search, that is part of the fun. Welcome to BF and the sport.

TrekFix

Another vote for the LBS. If it is your first road bike then an LBS can help with sizing and you may need a WSD (womens geometry) I am a 5'7" female and had a 54cm Trek 520 touring bike, that was too big, a Bianchi via Nirone 53cm (womens version) that was ok for fit but, I always felt like I was riding on top of it.

I recently went to my local Trek store and tried a LEXA SL in 54cm and I knew right away it was almost perfect. All bikes had a 53-54 cm effective top tube but something about the LEXA just felt right. I am hoping it shows up under my Christmas Tree

BTW I tried 52cm Men's version bikes too but always felt stretched out. I have short torso and long legs so, WSD works for me.

Brandonub

Yet another vote for going to your local bike shop. The specific brand isn't going to matter so much for the most part, finding a shop that you like and a bike that you're personally comfortable on is going to be the important thing. Take a few bikes out for test rides, you won't know what's best for you until you do.

rumrunn6

that bike looks fine plus it has the 2nd set of brake levers reminiscent of the old '70s bikes. I always liked those l;evers. bear in mind those extra levers don't offer as much stopping power cuz they are just cut in line. but the sloping top tube of that bike would make it good for a beginner too. sizing is important so is assembly and truing the new wheels. havbe it shipped to your LBS for assembly. if your LBS is cranky about that find another LBS. if you are not sure about the size have your LBS check that for you. or call the BD customer service line.

ZippyThePinhead

OP, I would be sure to check your fit with this online fit computer before buying online. That bike you linked at BD has a sloping top tube, so you need to be careful regarding the sizing. It could be an expensive mistake to correct if you buy the wrong size.

The components on the bike you linked are near the bottom end of the spectrum, so I would agree with the others who suggested increasing your budget just a little, if that is feasible. If you find that you like cycling, there may come a time where you look back in regret for buying this sort of bicycle. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Regarding the whole LBS vs. online source, there are pros and cons associated with both approaches.

Buying from BD will probably cost much less than buying from an LBS, but if you have problems with assembly, some of the savings could be erased when you turn to a local bike shop to seek assistance. Too, you could buy the wrong size if you're not careful.

Buying from an LBS will probably cost a lot more-- I don't know of any stores around where I'm at that can compete on price, but some can compete on the quality of the bike-- but you won't have to deal with assembly, fit, etc.

You have another alternative, which is buying a used bicycle off Craigslist. Just to give you an idea, here are a couple of bicycles local to me:

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/3448977295.html

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/3450415949.html

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/bik/3467006151.html

You need to be a little careful when buying off Craigslist, but if you find some possible bikes around you, post them here, and folks will tell you if they are good or bad.

lesdunham

Kristina,

The bike on BD is an ok entry level bike. Some depends on your intended riding (all road?), knowledge, and desired comfort level. If you see yourself riding more than 50 miles (or more) on a charity ride you might be better off spending a touch more. If 20 miles or less once or twice a week than this BD Dawes is good. At 5' 7" my guess is a 52 cm frame is about right. If you don't know for sure then visit a bike shop and see what fits you best.