Nightmare trying to find a bike for my girlfriend

cookiemonster

Hi

My girlfriend wants to move up from her 25 year old raleigh to something a little more modern - it'll still be used for getting around on (not commuting though), with the added sunday run and training rides (she's damaged her knee and cant run at the mo' but cycling is fine to fill the gap).

We looked first at the spesh dolce, but, tbh, they're horrible and the finishing kit on the entry level stuff is just plain nasty. So here's what I'm after:

- Decent drop bar roadie that wouldnt be a total embaressment on a sunday morning club run
- Eyelets for pannier racks
- clearance for mud guards
- min. level tiagra groupset

I was hoping for something the around £750 price range, but I'm struggling to find anything suitable. Secondhand is good, but I havent seen anything in the last couple of weeks (here, ebay and gumtree) than fits the bill. She's 5'4" so an effective top tube of 51-52 is about right.

My current plan now is a condor fratello with veloce and some harry rowland wheels. Prob £1200 worth of bike which is a lot for something that may not get much use....

Any ideas, pointers or bikes lurking in garages?

Cheers

Jon

Big Banjo

What about a ribble audax?

daniel_b

What about a Trek 1.7?

Bought a Trek 1000 two years ago for my gf, and it has done a stirling job.

Dan

gabriel959

Giant Avail anyone?

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/114040.html

cookiemonster

The trek 1.7 doesnt have eyelets (they do a 1.7wsd and 1.9wsd that would have been perfect apart from that - and strangely the 1.5 does have eyelets, but its sora).

The Avail 2 looks about right though - tiagra, eyelets and aroudn 700-and-something. We'll try and find one to look at in the metal

cheers

daniel_b

cookiemonster wrote:

The trek 1.7 doesnt have eyelets (they do a 1.7wsd and 1.9wsd that would have been perfect apart from that - and strangely the 1.5 does have eyelets, but its sora).

but neither does my part carboned Marin Highway one, but I popped one of these on for about a fiver:


Have to say I prefer that solution to having holes on the rear stays.

So now it does take a rack, great bit of kit, going touring on it on Saturday.

Dan

bigflangesmallsprocket

I've been mooching round on ebay looking at frames myself. found this, it's a smidge too small for me, but if you're looking at Condor touring frames it looks right up your street, and appears to be sized just right your other half:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=220450988399