Female in need of bike advice

[MissLivvy]

Hi,
I would like to get an entry level road bike. I test drove a few today in
the size range of 51-52. I am almost 5'7". I have long legs and arms but I
am short-waisted in proportion. One of the bikes I rode looked like a
woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most of the work in my lower legs
(below the knee). The other bikes looked like a men's frame and it felt more
like my entire leg was doing the work. I don't know if that's because the
"women's" bike had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started
looking at this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a thing
as a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke with
did not even mention this. At any rate, if someone could give me some
tips/advice on choosing a bike I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking of spending
$500-$1000 but could pay more if there was a good reason.
TIA

 

[Henk Senster]

"MissLivvy" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
> I would like to get an entry level road bike. I test drove a few today in
> the size range of 51-52. I am almost 5'7". I have long legs and arms but I
> am short-waisted in proportion. One of the bikes I rode looked like a
> woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most of the work in my lower
> legs
> (below the knee). The other bikes looked like a men's frame and it felt
> more
> like my entire leg was doing the work. I don't know if that's because the
> "women's" bike had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started
> looking at this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a
> thing
> as a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke with
> did not even mention this. At any rate, if someone could give me some
> tips/advice on choosing a bike I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking of spending
> $500-$1000 but could pay more if there was a good reason.
> TIA

Already looked at this site?
http://www.chainreaction.com/wsdroad.htm

Groeten,
Henk

 

[Frank Knox]

"MissLivvy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi,
> I would like to get an entry level road bike. I test drove a few today in
> the size range of 51-52. I am almost 5'7". I have long legs and arms but I
> am short-waisted in proportion. One of the bikes I rode looked like a
> woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most of the work in my lower
legs
> (below the knee). The other bikes looked like a men's frame and it felt
more
> like my entire leg was doing the work. I don't know if that's because the
> "women's" bike had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started
> looking at this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a
thing
> as a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke with
> did not even mention this. At any rate, if someone could give me some
> tips/advice on choosing a bike I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking of spending
> $500-$1000 but could pay more if there was a good reason.
> TIA
>
Go here:
http://www.terrybicycles.com/product.html?c=Bicycles

 

[Roger Zoul]

MissLivvy wrote:
:: Hi,
:: I would like to get an entry level road bike. I test drove a few
:: today in the size range of 51-52. I am almost 5'7". I have long legs
:: and arms but I am short-waisted in proportion. One of the bikes I
:: rode looked like a woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most
:: of the work in my lower legs (below the knee). The other bikes
:: looked like a men's frame and it felt more like my entire leg was
:: doing the work. I don't know if that's because the "women's" bike
:: had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started looking at
:: this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a thing as
:: a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke
:: with did not even mention this. At any rate, if someone could give
:: me some tips/advice on choosing a bike I'd appreciate it. I'm
:: thinking of spending $500-$1000 but could pay more if there was a
:: good reason.
:: TIA

Some woman don't need a WSD, some do.

 

[Pat]

: MissLivvy wrote:
: :: Hi,
: :: I would like to get an entry level road bike. I test drove a few
: :: today in the size range of 51-52. I am almost 5'7". I have long legs
: :: and arms but I am short-waisted in proportion. One of the bikes I
: :: rode looked like a woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most
: :: of the work in my lower legs (below the knee). The other bikes
: :: looked like a men's frame and it felt more like my entire leg was
: :: doing the work. I don't know if that's because the "women's" bike
: :: had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started looking at
: :: this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a thing as
: :: a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke
: :: with did not even mention this. At any rate, if someone could give
: :: me some tips/advice on choosing a bike I'd appreciate it. I'm
: :: thinking of spending $500-$1000 but could pay more if there was a
: :: good reason.
: :: TIA

Miss Livvy---get yourself to a different bicycle shop. Those guys you talked
to know squat about fitting a bike to a person!

Pat in TX

 

[Pbwalther]

>One of the bikes I rode looked like a
>woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most of the work in my lower legs
>(below the knee). The other bikes looked like a men's frame and it felt more
>like my entire leg was doing the work. I don't know if that's because the
>"women's" bike had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started
>looking at this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a thing
>as a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke with
>did not even mention this. At any rate, if someone could give me some
>tips/advice on choosing a bike I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking of spending
>$500-$1000 but could pay more if there was a good reason.
>TIA
>
>
Bikes are made for male proportions. Men have longer torsos and shorter limbs
relative to their height then women do. A woman's bike is made with a shorter
top tube then a man's bike. The top tube is that metal tube that goes from
below the seat to below the handlebars and travels horizontally. The other two
tubes on a bike frame are angled downwards. However, most women can ride a
"men's" bike just fine. You can just swap out the stem (the thing that holds
onto the handlebars) to bring the handlebars back closer to the seat which acts
the same was as shortening the top tube. However very small women of around 5'
may require a female specific frame.

The center of gravity on a woman's bike should be the same as a man's bike and
the feel of pedalling should be virtually identical. I dunno what is going on
with that.

Bikes are not like cars. When you buy a honda, you get a honda engine, honda
brakes, honda frame and so on. In bikes, the manufacturers only make the
frame. They buy the components from component manufacturers and components are
things like seats, seat posts, brakes, deraillers, wheels and so on. Two bikes
with the same components and similar frame geometry will perform in a very
similar fashion. There may be some subtle differences in ride feel and
handling but that will be about it.

If you are planning to be a relatively serious recreational rider, you may want
to get a bike with Shimano 105 components or better. Shimano 105 is usually on
bikes starting at $1000 and up. Shimano 105 is Shimano's entry level racing
component group and it gives you something like 98% of the performance of the
top end line at about 40% of the price. It gives you good value and
performance for you money.

However, I have friends who did not want to spring for 105 and are quite happy
with Tiagra.

 

[Steven M. Scharf]

MissLivvy wrote:
> Hi,
> I would like to get an entry level road bike. I test drove a few today in
> the size range of 51-52. I am almost 5'7". I have long legs and arms but I
> am short-waisted in proportion. One of the bikes I rode looked like a
> woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most of the work in my lower legs
> (below the knee). The other bikes looked like a men's frame and it felt more
> like my entire leg was doing the work. I don't know if that's because the
> "women's" bike had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started
> looking at this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a thing
> as a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke with
> did not even mention this.

No doubt their store didn't sell any WSDs, or to be fair, maybe they
thought you didn't need one.

Definitely look at the Terry bicycles. Besides being WSD, they offer
some excellent features that are getting hard to find in other
manufacturer's products. I.e., the Terry Symmetry still uses s CroMo
frame, which is superior to the aluminum frames used by most other
manufacturers. It still uses a traditional adjustable quill type
headset, as opposed to the less desirable threadless headset.

"http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?c=Bicycles&sc=Sport&item_no=3014"

 

[Art Harris]

"MissLivvy" wrote:


> One of the bikes I rode looked like a
> woman's frame

Possibly a "compact" frame with a sloping top tube. That might be a
good choice for a small frame because it gives greater standover
clearance.

> and it felt like I was doing most of the work in my lower legs
> (below the knee). The other bikes looked like a men's frame and it felt more
> like my entire leg was doing the work.

Probably due to the saddle postion. Your leg should be just slightly
bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Make sure the bikes are set up
the same when you test ride them. That includes seat (height and
fore-aft position), and the bars (height relative to the saddle and
reach).

See:
http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/roadbiketestrides.htm

Art Harris

 

[B i l l S o r n s o n]

Steven M. Scharf wrote:

> Definitely look at the Terry bicycles. Besides being WSD, they offer
> some excellent features that are getting hard to find in other
> manufacturer's products. I.e., the Terry Symmetry still uses s CroMo
> frame, which is superior to the aluminum frames used by most other
> manufacturers. It still uses a traditional adjustable quill type
> headset, as opposed to the less desirable threadless headset.

The preceding was an editorial and does not necessarily reflect the opinions
of RBM members.
--
BS (no, really)

 

[David Reuteler]

B i l l S o r n s o n <[email protected]> wrote:
> Steven M. Scharf wrote:
>
>> Definitely look at the Terry bicycles. Besides being WSD, they offer
>> some excellent features that are getting hard to find in other
>> manufacturer's products. I.e., the Terry Symmetry still uses s CroMo
>> frame, which is superior to the aluminum frames used by most other
>> manufacturers. It still uses a traditional adjustable quill type
>> headset, as opposed to the less desirable threadless headset.
>
> The preceding was an editorial and does not necessarily reflect the opinions
> of RBM members.

*cough* .. i'm lucky to have finished my coffee.
--
david reuteler
[email protected]

 

[pam_in_sc]

MissLivvy wrote:
> Hi,
> I would like to get an entry level road bike. I test drove a few today in
> the size range of 51-52. I am almost 5'7". I have long legs and arms but I
> am short-waisted in proportion. One of the bikes I rode looked like a
> woman's frame and it felt like I was doing most of the work in my lower legs
> (below the knee). The other bikes looked like a men's frame and it felt more
> like my entire leg was doing the work. I don't know if that's because the
> "women's" bike had a lower center of gravity or what. Until I started
> looking at this newsgroup today, I did not even know there was such a thing
> as a "WSD" an I'm disappointed that the 2 different salesmen I spoke with
> did not even mention this. At any rate, if someone could give me some
> tips/advice on choosing a bike I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking of spending
> $500-$1000 but could pay more if there was a good reason.
> TIA

I was told that at 5 ft. 6 in. I was tall enough to not need a WSD. But
then the bike store I went to didn't sell them, so they may be biassed.
Anyway, I'm happy with the Orbea Aspin I bought--about $1200 with
Campy components. I got an adjustable stem and that has worked well for
me to be able to adjust the fit more. I bought more bike than I needed
and it has inspired me to take my riding more seriously.

Pam

 

[Mike Jacoubowsky/Chain Reaction Bicycles]

> I was told that at 5 ft. 6 in. I was tall enough to not need a WSD.

I would argue that the opposite it true; the real benefits of a "WSD" are
more obvious in the larger sizes, because there's more "room" to shorten the
top tube. On a smaller frame size, minimum top tube length is, to some
extent, determined by the need to keep from having excessive overlap between
the foot and front wheel. On larger frame sizes this isn't such an issue, so
"mens" top tube lengths tend to be even more disproportionate for women than
on smaller sizes. Plus, purely anecdotal evidence would make it seem that
women's legs get longer, relative to torso length, at an increasing rate as
they get taller. Rarely do you see a 5'9" (or taller) woman with
relatively-short legs, or so it seems.

The only way somebody would be "tall enough" to not need a WSD would be if
they had long-enough torso & arm measurements. It has nothing to do with
overall height. Could be that that's what your shop meant- that you have no
trouble with fitting a particular bike because your upper body is long
enough.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

 

[Steven M. Scharf]

pam_in_sc wrote:

> I was told that at 5 ft. 6 in. I was tall enough to not need a WSD.
But then the bike store I went to didn't sell them, so they may be
biassed. Anyway, I'm happy with the Orbea Aspin I bought--about $1200
with Campy components. I got an adjustable stem and that has worked
well for me to be able to adjust the fit more. I bought more bike than
I needed and it has inspired me to take my riding more seriously.

It's not just height, it's different body proportions, i.e. women often
have longer legs and a shorter torso. They may need a shorter reach,
while at the same time needing a longer distance to the pedals. You can
do some adjustments by changing the stem, changing the stem height (on
threaded headsets), and maybe changing the cranks to longer cranks, but
this shouldn't be excessive.

The Aspin is an excellent bicycle, especially the frame. But it comes
with a threadless headset, how did you manage to get the adjustable stem?

Orbea is not well known in the U.S., and the Aspin is apparently
discontinued.

The original poster might also take a look at the Bianchi Brava. It's a
chromolloy steel framed bicycle, adjustable headset, and it does come in
smaller sizes for women, but I don't think she'll need those sizes.

Also, while I'm not sure if it's sold in the U.S. yet, the SpeedLifter
compensates for the problem of threadless headsets. But by the time you
order from Germany, pay shipping and account for the Republicans, you're
going to be at $100.