entry level road bikes for women

neil²
neil² Posts: 337
edited October 2009 in Road buying advice
Greetings!

My better half has set an ultimatum that the next new bike has to be one for her! Fair play!

Having no experience of being a woman, I thought that I would ask for recommendations for women's road bikes. I don't even know whether the consensus is that a 'women's' bike is really necessary or a small frame will suffice. Also I don't know whether a triple is considered essential (- they seem to be common on the entry level ones).

She's 165cm / 5'5" if that makes any difference. We're thinking of entry level - Tiagra (Sora maybe) or equivalent type of components, Alu frame, maybe carbon forks - you know the idea.

So - interestested to hear comments on...

- specific good value bikes
- is it really necessary to go for a 'women's' bike?
- does she really need a triple?

Cheers! N²
The Riddler
The GT

Comments

  • Simon Notley
    Simon Notley Posts: 1,263
    Women's bike is a good idea as it will have shorter reach, narrower bars and possibly shorter cranks, as well as actually coming in a the right size, which might not be possibel with a mens bike at 5'5".

    A triple is a good idea, it's easy to forget how hard it can be to ride up hill when you're just starting out.

    I recommend a Giant SCR W if you can pick one up cheaply (which you often can at the right time of year).

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