Advice for Ladies Road Bike

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Speedball

Well-Known Member
Location
King's Lynn
Hoping someone can offer some good advice for picking up a decent road bike for my wife.

She's done some leisure cycling before, mainly on a hybrid or MTB but has now got a place in Ride London so needs to up the frequency and mileage.

She's 5'2" with an inside leg of about 29". I was looking at getting the Triban 3 in a 51" frame but the fact it has 650 wheels is putting me off. I'm a proud member of the T3 club and did last years Ride London on it so do like the bike and the price certainly suits, but the wheel size bugs me. Is that rational?

Also considering a Carrea TDF but thought of buying from Halfords leaves me cold.

Not a lot of spare money floating about so limited to around £350 maximum for a budget. Can anyone offer any good suggestions? Are there any hidden gems out there for the ladies?

Thanks
 

vickster

Squire
Avail 5 on sale from ash

http://www.ashcycles.com/site/giant-avail-5-2013

Bit over budget. Or a second hand dolce or lexa?

I did see a small ladies bargain somewhere, will need to remember where!
 

toeknee

Über Member
Location
Wirral
Specialized Dolce Elite (Female specific fit) 48cm
by mickisup » Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:32 pm

48cm Female Specific road bike, 2008 model, original details and sizing detail below:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 6#features
http://www.evanscycles.com/product_docu ... -chart.pdf

Specification includes:
Carbon fact forks
Carbon seat stays
105 cranks and chainrings
Tiagra 9 speed front and reach mech and Shifters
Shimano brakes
Flat pedals (included if required)
Mavic CXP 22 wheelset (rear may need a bearing if being fussy) but very usable
Schwalbe Lugano tyres minimal use
Selle Italia Lady saddle
PLT Pro 10cm stem
Brand new pink bar tape!

A lovely bike, given lots of good reliable service but now outgrown
Marks on top tube consistent with age, also chain marks on rear - I am being as honest as possible - but its a great bike and will suit any teenager or small women rider. Will post or pick up is in Hertfordshire.

£295

Pictures here:

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjTab9P2

This is on bike radar at the moment ^_^
 
OP
OP
S

Speedball

Well-Known Member
Location
King's Lynn
Thanks for all the responses. She's plumped for the Triban 3. At £250 that's great value for someone who will mostly be a leisure rider.

Unfortunately we'll now be the Howard and Hilda of the cycling world so I'd better get myself a new bike :thumbsup:
 

sreten

Well-Known Member
Location
Brighton, UK
Hi,

Why does the 650B wheel size bother / bug you ?
Good idea it seems to me on a smaller bike.

rgds, sreten.
 

Steady

Veteran
Location
Derby
Hi,

Why does the 650B wheel size bother / bug you ?
Good idea it seems to me on a smaller bike.

rgds, sreten.

I'm not the Op, but I just realised I've had a similar thread running and I to decided the comfort of a 51 Triban outweighed the 650c which were also putting me off.

For me, it's down to the availability of tyre choices, there seems three (but good) tyre choices that main suppliers have compared to the hundreds of 700c choices, and superficially there's no colour 650c tyres; those red wheeled tribans look stunning.

Upgrading the 650c wheels as a leisure rider seems far more expensive than the 700c, again, with far more choice.
 
OP
OP
S

Speedball

Well-Known Member
Location
King's Lynn
Thanks @Steady, you've summed up my thoughts exactly.

It was the lack of choice at the 650 level that worried me. Having had my T3 for about a year now, the wheels are the weakest area of the bike. I've just upgraded mine to Fulcrum 7's with Schwalbe tyres (decent deal on Wiggle). Just didn't seem to be as much choice for 650's.

As I said in op, my wife is mainly a leisure rider but hoping she'll catch the bug. If she does, will defo look at changing the wheels.
 
Last edited:

MissTillyFlop

Evil communist dictator, lover of gerbils & Pope.
Hoping someone can offer some good advice for picking up a decent road bike for my wife.

She's done some leisure cycling before, mainly on a hybrid or MTB but has now got a place in Ride London so needs to up the frequency and mileage.

She's 5'2" with an inside leg of about 29". I was looking at getting the Triban 3 in a 51" frame but the fact it has 650 wheels is putting me off. I'm a proud member of the T3 club and did last years Ride London on it so do like the bike and the price certainly suits, but the wheel size bugs me. Is that rational?

Also considering a Carrea TDF but thought of buying from Halfords leaves me cold.

Not a lot of spare money floating about so limited to around £350 maximum for a budget. Can anyone offer any good suggestions? Are there any hidden gems out there for the ladies?

Thanks

Hiya,

If she, like me, has very short legs, it might be worth looking at men's bikes as the geometry might work out a little better. Not all Halfords are terrible - depends on the employees. The triban might be the way to go, or maybe even second hand?
 

Steady

Veteran
Location
Derby
Thanks @Steady, you've summed up my thoughts exactly.

It was the lack of choice at the 650 level that worried me. Having had my T3 for about a year now, the wheels are the weakest area of the bike. I've just upgraded mine to Fulcrum 7's with Schwalbe tyres (decent deal on Wiggle). Just didn't seem to be as much choice for 650's.

As I said in op, my wife is mainly a leisure rider but hoping she'll catch the bug. If she does, will defo look at changing the wheels.

I thought I was the only one worried about the 650c wheels! I'd Googled it a whole lot but there doesn't seem to be many 48/51cm Triban 's asking about upgrading wheels!

I'd actually tried the Carrera Zelos 51cm the day before and the fit just wasn't right at this size (Halfords staff non-existent at the time) but the Triban 3 decision was made pretty much instantly, just felt right.
 
Top Bottom