Women's endurance bike, help needed please

[TaylorCM]

I am cycling to Amsterdam over 4 days and need an endurance road bike for the training and trip. I am looking to spend under 1k and take advantage of the Jan offers.

I have found some online, but any help/advice would be appreciated! My current thoughts are Cube Axial WS Pro Disc 2019, Cube Axial WS GTC Pro 2019, Boardman SLR 8.9 CARBON Womens and Giant Contend SL 1.

Finally, a couple of questions, is 9 gears enough and do I need a female specific bike?

 

[AuroraSaab]

I'm fairly new to cycling so can't really advise on bikes. I am female though and bought a second hand carbon road bike (Giant tcr 3) which isn't a women's bike - I find it fine. As long as you get the right size, I think you would be ok with one with a higher cross bar. It is probably more important that you try the bike though as the frame will differ between brands.

My husband has just ordered a Cannondale Quick 7 hybrid from Rutland Cycles for £240, but I noticed they have some womens road bikes at decent discounts:

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/road-bikes/instock/onsale

If you def want carbon:

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bike...19-ladies-carbon-road-bike-blackorange_461945

 

[vickster]

How tall are you? If smaller, wsd might fit better and less likely you’ll need to change stuff

Maybe add Cannondale Synapse to list
Other than that, go try your shortlist out. Cyclesurgery sell Cube and Giant. Cycle Republic for Boardman. All should let you

 

[vickster]

I'm fairly new to cycling so can't really advise on bikes. I am female though and bought a second hand carbon road bike (Giant tcr 3) which isn't a women's bike - I find it fine. As long as you get the right size, I think you would be ok with one with a higher cross bar. It is probably more important that you try the bike though as the frame will differ between brands.

My husband has just ordered a Cannondale Quick 7 hybrid from Rutland Cycles for £240, but I noticed they have some womens road bikes at decent discounts too.

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/road-bikes/instock/onsale

If you def want carbon:

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bike...19-ladies-carbon-road-bike-blackorange_461945

The Giant is very much a race bike rather than an endurance model.
Avail a better bet, albeit alu (like the Contend in the OP)
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/461930/products/giant-liv-avail-sl-1-disc-2019-road-bike-black.Aspx

Is the ride fully supported or do you need to carry your own luggage?
A 9 speed bike has 18 gears (2x9), more than enough to do what is presumably a broadly flat ride once you get to France/Belgium/Holland

 

[Julia9054]

WSD not necessary (apart from finding the right saddle) but if you do go for mens, you may find you have to go down a size so important that you try them.

 

[Racing roadkill]

A ‘road bike’ becomes “women specific” when the size, geometry ( how the tubes that make up the frame are sized, shaped, and angled in relation to each other) the saddle supplied, and the gearing, are chosen. In the good old / bad old days, the only difference with a “women’s bike” was that it was typically the smaller frame sizes available, from a standard bike. So with that considered, no you don’t ‘need’ a women specific bike, if there are none that take your fancy. A small sized men’s bike will do the job. However, if you want the extra considerations given to women specific bikes, the Boardman bikes are very good. 9 speed bikes are fine, if you’re starting out.

 

[Pale Rider]

No one has mentioned one of the most important criteria - colour.

I often prefer the pastel shades used on the ladies' version of a bike.

The owner of my local bike shop tells me colours tend to change with each model year.

Current trend for flat bar bikes is flat camouflage colours, greens, beiges, or what we called at school yellow ochre.

 

[Sharky]

On your earlier post, you were looking or a bike or commuting into London. What did you get?
If this is comfortable, don't rule out using this for a trip to Amsterdam.
And if you are commuting into London now, this will give you a solid base for training and you'll only need to do a few longer rides to get you up to the distances you'll be doing for the 4 day ride.

Good luck for the ride.