WTB: Aluminum Road Bike

[Nate Miller]

Hello,

I am posting for a female friend who is looking to purchase a
54" (she's 5'7") aluminum road bike. She is very new to cycling and
cost is near the top of the criteria. I'm not sure she would be
interested in paying any more than $1000 for said bike. I was
thinking something with a carbon fork/seat post would be nice. If you
have something she may be interested in, shoot me an email.

-Nate

[Luke Majewski]

IMO a 54 cm is way too big for someone 5'7".  I am a little taller than that and ride a 51-52 in more than one frame manufacturer.  That being said, maybe she has really long limbs.

[Nathan Miller]

Great info Luke.  Glad I posted her height.  Obviously, anything that would fit her height would be considered.  For some reason I thought female frames ran smaller or something.  Obviously, I shop for them often! 

[Luke Majewski]

That could be the case so some MABRA women can hopefully respond, but to my knowledge frame geometry is a little more compact for women but not so much that bikes are not somewhat interchangeable between sexes.  If she lives near a bike shop and will likely support that bike shop in the future, I would suggest her sitting on a couple of bikes for sizing purposes.  I generally do not like to use a bike shop if I do not plan on buying something, however in this case I think the justification is warranted.  My first bike fitting was at a shop and I told them I was buying used for under $200 and they were still very helpful in helping size me.  I ended up buying a $2k bike from them 8 months later :)

[Beth Mason]

Okay, you forced me into it.
There is no such thing as a "female" frame.  Most frames are gender neutral (no reproductive organs at all).  There are Women's Specific Design (WSD) bikes out there, but they are still measured like other bikes - from the center of the BB to the center (or top) of the TT.  What sets them apart is the geometry (sometimes) of a shorter top tube.  The complete bike usually offers something like a narrower set of bars and shorter reach bars and brake levers.
WSD is a great marketing tool, but the bikes are not much different, and they definitely aren't "female".
The sloping top tube is for everyone now, we don't ride with skirts anymore.
Vickie, stay quiet.
Beth
www.bethbikes.com

--
Beth Mason, PT, OCS
SICI, SICI Adv
www.bethbikes.com
410-562-4776

[Claudia]

Well, I am 5'7'', and ride a 54, it fits me perfectly but I have long legs. I have tried 52s and they fit too small for me... Just my $.02

-C

[Kemal Tuncer]

My bike has nuts.  How do you explain that?

(Take it away, Vick.)

KmK

[Ryan Douglas]

Nate,

 

As you can see there are many ways to skin a cat. No female bikes...though this is correct...we all got what you meant.  Human bodies are also very different...maybe she has really narrow shoulders and long legs, or wide shoulders a long torso and short legs....possibilities are in the gazillions! Not to mention new bike geometry is different than a frame even 5 years ago.

 

Given that you put this in your post: She is very new to cycling and cost is near the top of the criteria.  I'm not sure she would be interested in paying any more than $1000 for said bike.

You accompany your friend to one of the 20 or so bike shops in the greater DC area and have her properly fit to a new entry level bike under $1,000 so she can also buy a lock, helmet, and pedals/shoes if she is gutsy.  Buying a used bike off the MABRA listserve for a someone on a budget and this may be their first road bike is a crap shoot.  Start out with an entry level bike that fits and once she is addicted....then she will go for the bling and have some kind of understanding of what she likes about a bike.

Now here is the Plug for a few shops that would be good places to start:

 

www.arrowbikes.com (Hyattesville) Chris and Chris no Female Bikes and how to fit (yep I said female bikes)

 

www.haymarketbicycles.com (Haymarket)  Then you can take her on a great ride right out the front door.

 

Disclaimer: I own no part in either of these shops, but Arrow is my team sponsor so I am a little biased.  I think you get the idea.

[Luke Majewski]

This is why I said that women's frames are sometimes more compact, i.e. shorter top tube.  I'm not sure whether you are agreeing with what I said by adding more support or disagreeing.   Seems like either way I hit a nerve.

In any case, I agree with what you said and thanks for the clarification.

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 12:27 PM, Beth Mason <bethb...@gmail.com> wrote: