Women Specific Road Bike - Advice Please

[Paul Walters]

My Fiancee has decided she wants to add to her collection and is looking for a womens specific road bike. She currently rides a hack on her commute, and has a Dawes tourer for longer rides..... I am thinking she'll need something slightly higher than "entry level" but she will definitely need a high gear range as we live in Devon, and even the tourer gets pushed up some of the steeper hills !

Can anyone recommend a make/model...... what are the Boardman bikes like ? Spesh Dolce ? Any advice gratefully received.

Cheers
Paul

 

[Saluki]

Giant Avails are really good. I nearly bought one earlier this year but then went for my PX instead. They are great to ride, handle really well and look quite attractive. They come in Aluminium or CF depending on budget. Usual numbering Avail 4 for Sora (poss Tiagra nowadays) to Avail 1 (Ultegra).

Seriously look at the PX too. Great bikes, there is a lot of bike for the money.

What is your (her) budget?

 

[vickster]

+1 for the avail. I had a 2012 avail 2 for about a year, no complaints. Jefmcg has done over 10000kms on the same bike

Ashcycles have 2013 models to stretch your pound a bit

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

You get a better spec for the money with giant than specilazed or trek. Boardman wsd models are very limited in range. I think px only have a carbon wsd model for a grand

Cannondale synapse another good option

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b65s134p0/Road-Bikes/CANNONDALE/Racing-Bikes-Women-Specific

What's the budget? A triple or sram 11-32 cassette may work for the hills

You don't have to get a wsd bike, but you may end up having to swap bits like bars and stems, even cranks, this will depend on your wife's stature

I'd say the dolan prefissio as a customisable model could be a good option too, but a good lbs would be able to help you out with sizing

Personally, although I am not small, I don't get on with shimano shifters as the hoods are the wrong shape and I can't brake effectively, my roadbikes both have sram, one has cross levers for more confidence braking in heavy traffic

 

[Paul Walters]

Budget is sort of £600-£1000 for the right bike. She is 5'2" and would best be described as "petite" build. I've had to adjust the brakes on all her bikes as she has quite small hands, so that info on the Shimano brakes was good too ... Ta...
Thanks for the heads-up on the Giant, that's the sort of insider info I was after.
How does a compact double compare with a triple? The Dawes she has is 27-spd with (I think) 48/38/28 and 11-32 cassette. I don't think she'll manage without the granny ring though.
I'll check out the Ash Cycles website.
Thanks

 

[vickster]

Can't get a SRAM triple unfortunately. Not sure Giant do one on the Avail (they did last year on the Defy but reckon the men's will all be too big)

http://www.dolan-bikes.com/road/roa...nium/dolan-preffisio-aluminium-road-bike.html

Comes in a 45cm, can spec as wished, can get SRAM too

I don't like Specialized myself, but this offers spec and size in budget

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/dolce-elite-x3-eq-2014-womens-road-bike-ec053032

Or a Trek if you can find the right size http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/lexa-sl-triple-2014-womens-road-bike-ec054298

 

[Paul Walters]

I'd sort of had my eye on a Specialized Dolce as they seem to be available with a triple, and I've seen a 2012 model with Shimano 105 groupset on it on ebay (but not in her size). Her Dawes has a mixture of XT/Deore and it's given superb service, so I was hoping on matching that with a road bike with at least Tiagra or 105. Maybe a tall order for the budget though ? An alu frame and carbon forks would be a good start for her, though she's been looking at my Orbea Onix with green eyes......Anyone know about the Felt Ladies ZW85? It's at the very top end of our price range, but she says she likes the look of it, and so she might want to ride it more.....

The Dolan website seems to be jammed at the moment... :-(

 

[vickster]

I can't recall anyone posting about a Felt ladies bike...have you Googled?

Not a triple though http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/store/product/51392/Felt-ZW85-2014-45/

Good spec for the price however

 

[Paul Walters]

Yeah, I did a quick search earlier and came up with this
http://totalwomenscycling.com/road-cycling/road-bikes/2014-womens-road-bikes-under-1000-16955/5/
I suspect any one of these would be more than enough for her, but I wanted some "hands on" reviews..... hence my thread.
A friend of mine who has Forza cycles in South Wales once told me that Felt were suffering problems with build quality, but that was around 5-6 years ago now, and I suspect that's no longer the case, though I've not investigated them due to my reservations in that respect.

 

[hopless500]

I can't get up hills on my compact double, but I can on the triple, so I'd suggest a triple!
(and I'm going to try to get my double changed for summat else )

 

[vickster]

The advantage of trek, specialized and giant are lifetime frame warranties. But not if bought second hand.

I can only speak for giant from the mainstream. Mine was fine, not very exciting but reliable. No triple but I don't live anywhere hilly and am not afraid to do the walk of shame! Not built for hills and a crocked knee! That said on my 11-32 cassette I've not walked for ages. If ever! I did a few times with the 12-30 on the giant

I sold the giant as I wanted the comfort of steel and the genesis is much prettier!

Most people probably only have experience of one or two road bikes or brands

 

[Paul Walters]

Hi Hopless.... oh dear, that might be a problem. Fiona struggles with the triple on her touring bike...... I agree that Norfolk is nowhere near flat... we had a week's cycling there last Spring, and found some very steep and sharp little hills ! Devon makes no pretence. It IS hilly.... and we live in Tiverton, where any road out of town goes up a hill.
Vickster...... hmm, I hadn't thought of the warranty for this, although I did buy my Orbea rather than a de Rosa for that very reason......
Gearing... I'll do some sums on gearing ratios to see how the double compact compares with the triple on her tourer and see where we come..... thanks for all the help.
I'm waiting for our LBS to ring back with a price on the Felt (I've just discovered he's a Felt dealer, and since we're sort of related to him, he always gives us a good price).

 

[Cyclist33]

I can't recall anyone posting about a Felt ladies bike...have you Googled?

Not a triple though http://www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/store/product/51392/Felt-ZW85-2014-45/

Good spec for the price however

There were certainly Felt ZWs a couple of years ago that were WSD versions of the Zs...

Don't know if they still do them!

 

[vickster]

The link is for one

 

[JasonHolder]

Boardman woman's road bikes are brilliant and gorgeous. Dolce/ruby is equally as top notch. Get either price dependant

 

[Anyon]

My otherhalf bought herself a Cannondale Caad 8 on impulse, but after fitting extra brake levers on the bars, she still found the handling very nervous and not confidence inspiring.
Long story short, she sold it and bought a Whyte Victoria, Road bike frame with Mountain bike handlebars. She absolutely loves this and is much more confident, also the hydraulic disc brakes are better over the ones on the 'dale.