Specialized Vita, or best bike for female beginner...

Astridrides
Astridrides Posts: 5
edited August 2009 in Road buying advice
Hello,

Please be prepared for lots of stupid questions, I'm new :P

I'm finally planning on getting a proper bike. Mainly I'll be using it for commuting across London, but eventually longer rides and cycling holidays etc too.

I'm a big Condor fan, but just cant afford that right now. So wanted to start off with something around the £300/£400 mark. I've seen the Specialized Vita and really like the look of it, but have a few questions;

Is this a decent bike? Anyone have any experiences of it?
What's the difference between the Vita, Vita Elite, Vita Comp & Vita Sport?
I'm a sucker for Campag, would I be able to change the groupset at a later date?
Are there any other women specific bikes out there that you would recommend?

Also, I'm aiming to buy from an independent bike shop - any recommendations in London?

Thanks in advance!

x

Comments

  • Astridrides
    Astridrides Posts: 5
    Also, does it have clearance for mudguards/racks?
  • Astridrides
    Astridrides Posts: 5
    No ideas, anyone? :(
  • LazyBoycp
    LazyBoycp Posts: 320
    Try http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBC ... 3&eid=4818 for details on specs, etc. Looks as though the front fork can take a rack. Don't know about mudguards, but I don't see why not, even if it is only something like the Crud guards that everyone is getting excited about over on the Commuting forum.

    I don't really have any more helpful things to say (I'm technically inept and don't live in London!) other than that my GF has got the basic 2009 model. She's only been out on it a couple of times so far, but she loves it (at least partly because it's so pretty, apparently... :roll: :lol: ). When she was buying it, the guy at Edinburgh Bike Co-op said that since she hadn't ridden a bike for years she probably wouldn't notice the benefits of getting a more expensive one - don't know if this would apply to you though.

    You may get some more help if you post on the Beginners forum.

    Good luck!
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    Have you thought about doing it through the cycle scheme, my good lady did this and you'll get much more for your money?

    With that in mind £400 should get you a decent entry level road bike from Trek or Specialized etc.
    Take a look at the Evans Cycles website; they have pretty much most entry level main line manufacturer road bikes for ladies on there. You will also find the spec's for comparison; before you go to your local bike shop and buy :wink:.

    And try the cycle scheme website calculator to help you work out how much it should cost you.
    Hope that helps :D
  • Astridrides
    Astridrides Posts: 5
    Thanks for the replies, has been very useful.

    Sadly cant do the cycle scheme, I am a freelancer so its just not possible.

    I used to ride a lot when I was younger - mostly BMX-ing etc. Had a quite dramatic fall almost killing myself and haven't touched a bike since but really keen to get back on one as soon as possible - figured best to start off around the entry level mark for budget and getting used to it reasons. Eventually I'd like to start building my own - i used to do a bit of it back when I was a teenager but not to any great extent.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Hi Astridrides

    Over in Commuting Sarajoy has a Vita so she would be a useful starting point. I'm afraid I can't help as I'm a hybrid user for the time being but am thinking of getting a Vita Elite later this year.

    Contact the Specialized concept shop over in Ruislip to see if they have the Vitas in stock. I fell in love with the Dolce Elite (purely because the 09 model is red) but can't afford it.

    All the best

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