Best Tourer for a lady?

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Herbie

Veteran
Location
Aberdeen
My new lovely ladyfriend is keen to get a good Tourer for some adventures with me...Can anyone recommend a decent one? I have a Dawes Galaxy and have been looking at the Dawes Galaxy Lady Classic...it looks pretty cool and is white which is the colour she wants...it has to be white ...its a bit expensive but nice..Are there any comparable good brands out there?
 

ScotiaLass

Guru
Location
Middle Earth
My new lovely ladyfriend is keen to get a good Tourer for some adventures with me...Can anyone recommend a decent one? I have a Dawes Galaxy and have been looking at the Dawes Galaxy Lady Classic...it looks pretty cool and is white which is the colour she wants...it has to be white ...its a bit expensive but nice..Are there any comparable good brands out there?
Can't advise as I ride (and always have) a MTB.
But I love white bikes :wub:
 
OP
OP
Herbie

Herbie

Veteran
Location
Aberdeen
I have a Dawes Galaxy for sale. It's not white though I'm afraid and it also depends on you friend's sizing, but just thought I would give it a go.

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/dawes-galaxy-2012-model-48cm.154483/

Hi Your Galaxy looks fab...have you still got it for sale? We may be interested in it..Not sure of my ladys exact measurements at this moment in time...its not a thing i've asked her or taken much notice of as yet but i have asked and am waiting to get them...if she is suitable i would be very interested...of course you would have to courier the bike to me but of course i would pay for that...watch this space :smile:
 
OP
OP
Herbie

Herbie

Veteran
Location
Aberdeen
I have a Dawes Galaxy for sale. It's not white though I'm afraid and it also depends on you friend's sizing, but just thought I would give it a go.

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/dawes-galaxy-2012-model-48cm.154483/
My lady says she is a smidgeon under 5" 4 her inside leg is 29" and her arms are 19" long

Would the bike suit her ? Hard to tell really is'nt it Think we would have to get advice from LBS or somewhere
Would you keep the bike on hold til we find out ? we are quite interested
 

Bikerta

Well-Known Member
Location
North Dorset
My lady says she is a smidgeon under 5" 4 her inside leg is 29" and her arms are 19" long

Would the bike suit her ? Hard to tell really is'nt it Think we would have to get advice from LBS or somewhere
Would you keep the bike on hold til we find out ? we are quite interested


Hi Herbie,

Dawes sizing seems to be larger than a lot of other make of bikes and if you were to use their online sizing this would probably be the size that they recommend. However, looking at her measurements, I would probably advise that this bike would be on the big size for her. I am 5 foot 5 1/2 inches. My inside leg measurement is 29 1/2 and my arm length from pit to wrist is 19 1/2 and although the frame is ok for me height wise, the stretch to the bars feels too long. I could quite easily sell the bike to you, but in all honesty I think your friend would end up with the same problems as myself. You could take on board all the welcome suggestions I have received on this forum to adjust this measurement such as replacing the seat post to a straight one rather than a laid back one and moving the saddle forwards a little, changing the stem or changing to compact bars with a shorter reach and drop measurement.

I think your best bet is to see if you can find a local Dawes supplier where she could try out the ladies version in the size 43cm, which of course is white. I don't know how the frame geometry differs (if at all) from the men's version though. If you found that frame too small, then of course this would be the next size up and would be fine. Please let me know if you do decide to go for this bike.

When looking out for a bike for smaller ladies, it is critical to be aware of the top tube size as well as the stand over height. Most touring bikes are made for the average male and unfortunately women often have shorter reach than a male of the same height.

Best wishes.
Jackie
 
Location
Northampton
I am on the market looking for a touring bike. I have looked at Ridgeway and Dawes Galaxy.
But I am now thinking about the possibility of hybrid bike rather than a tourer. If you are only doing light touring, meaning not carrying a huge load, hybrid may just be suitable. If you are specific about colour, white, then there are plenty of choices.
For example, Sirrus Elite, Trek FX 7.2, Ridgeway Velocity, Giant Escape to name a few.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
You are restricting yourself in 2 ways. First because you want a white bike, but a paint shop can quickly put that right for you. Secondly, you want a ladies bike. Are you really sure she needs a ladies bike. My girlfriend would never think of having a ladies bike, she much prefers a mans bike.

Depending on how much gear you expect your lady to haul, she could even use a TREK Lexa SL with a rear rack. It is what Jannie uses. They are designed for women. We put slightly wider tyres and mudguards on it and she really likes it and it will go anywhere where I take my touring bike.

It also comes in white.

I hope this lets you know that there are other choices.

Steve
 
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OP
Herbie

Herbie

Veteran
Location
Aberdeen
Hi Herbie,

Dawes sizing seems to be larger than a lot of other make of bikes and if you were to use their online sizing this would probably be the size that they recommend. However, looking at her measurements, I would probably advise that this bike would be on the big size for her. I am 5 foot 5 1/2 inches. My inside leg measurement is 29 1/2 and my arm length from pit to wrist is 19 1/2 and although the frame is ok for me height wise, the stretch to the bars feels too long. I could quite easily sell the bike to you, but in all honesty I think your friend would end up with the same problems as myself. You could take on board all the welcome suggestions I have received on this forum to adjust this measurement such as replacing the seat post to a straight one rather than a laid back one and moving the saddle forwards a little, changing the stem or changing to compact bars with a shorter reach and drop measurement.

I think your best bet is to see if you can find a local Dawes supplier where she could try out the ladies version in the size 43cm, which of course is white. I don't know how the frame geometry differs (if at all) from the men's version though. If you found that frame too small, then of course this would be the next size up and would be fine. Please let me know if you do decide to go for this bike.

When looking out for a bike for smaller ladies, it is critical to be aware of the top tube size as well as the stand over height. Most touring bikes are made for the average male and unfortunately women often have shorter reach than a male of the same height.

Best wishes.
Jackie
Hi Jackie and thanks for your reply and great content within...i think you are probably right that my lady (Lorna) would encounter the same problems as yourself and for that reason its a no go i'm afraid which is a pity as your bike looks superb...i know how good my Galaxy is...i've had it for 7 years and i will never look for another bike its that good IMHO Thanks again and our search will go on but we have plenty of time and i'm sure a lady with long arms will come along and bite your hand off for that bike :smile:

Regards Alan
 
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OP
Herbie

Herbie

Veteran
Location
Aberdeen
You are restricting yourself in 2 ways. First because you want a white bike, but a paint shop can quickly put that right for you. Secondly, you want a ladies bike. Are you really sure she needs a ladies bike. My girlfriend would never think of having a ladies bike, she much prefers a mans bike.

Depending on how much gear you expect your lady to haul, she could even use a TREK Lexa SL with a rear rack. It is what Jannie uses. They are designed for women. We put slightly wider tyres and mudguards on it and she really likes it and it will go anywhere where I take my touring bike.

It also comes in white.

I hope this lets you know that there are other choices.

Steve

Cheers Steve :smile:
 
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