Looking for a womens begginners road bike

[CEB46]

Hi I'm a teenager and new to road cycling, I'm 167cm tall and about 46kg. ATM i only go on weekly rides, but on my trainer at home i do about 10km every second day. Although, when i do get a proper bike i will be doing about 30km each week and build up to about 50km when i get used to the bike. I am purely getting a bike for just road use. I began looking at the Avanti Aria 3, a flat bar road bike and was then steered towards a hybrid so i would be able to go on rough surfaces as well. I then was told that if i bought a good flat bar it would cost around $600 to $700 and may as well get a beginners road bike. I looked at the avanti vitale 1 for $749. I was wondering if this would suite me and whether i should start with a flat bar or go with the road bike and whether there are any other brands of bikes similar to the vitale around the same price.

Thanks /img/vbsmilies/smilies/cool.gif

 

[64Paramount]

It really depends on the type of riding you'll be doing. If you want to be able ride on both rough surfaces or off-road, and regular pavement too, then your going to need something other than a regular road bike.

That type of riding is what a hybrid is designed for; it is the jack of all trades and a master of none for bikes, providing it is equiped with the correct type of tires.

But, if you can narrow down the type of riding you will do to either roughsurface/off-road or smooth surface/paved roads, then you can purchase a bike specifically designed for the application.

It doesn't mean you can't ride a bike designed for mainly off-road use on smooth pavement, but it won't perform as well on smooth pavement as a road bike will. And likewise, a road bike doesn't usually work very well off-road....

I would check around at your local bikeshops and see what they have available in your price range, and test ride as many different bikes as you can to find out which you like the best.

 

[CEB46]

Thanks great advice!

I would be looking for a road bike for smooth surfaces (road and pathways). I have been looking around at my local bike stores and have noticed that trek have the bikes specially for women and same with Avanti (also giant, but a bit out of the price range).

I was just wanting to find out whether there was any other women's road bike like the avanti vitale 1 for the same price range. I also want to know if you can get a proper road bike without the drop bars, but not the step down to a flat bar road bike as atm i am not that keen on the low position.

 

[64Paramount]

One nice thing about drop bars is that you don't have to ride with your hands down in the drops, but you have the ability to do so when you need/want to.

My hands are usually on the top part of my drop bars (just like using a flat bar) or on the brake hoods (which is probably my favorite hand position).

I try to move my hands around in various positions on longer rides to keep my hands from getting tired, and you definitely have a larger variety of hand positions to use on drop bars as compared to a flat bar.

And it may not matter to you initially, but at some point you'll be riding into a strong headwind and will discover that riding with your hands down in the drops will make it easier to pedal...

So, if you're pretty sure you're only going to be riding on paved roads and paths, then I'd recommend you get a road bike with regular drop bars.

 

[CEB46]

Today i went for a ride and did notice at alot of cyclists did have their hands on the top. But i do think that once i get a bike i will get used to the drop bars.
thanks

 

[CEB46]

Hi,

I'm back into looking for women's road bikes and was given three options. The Avanti Vitale 1, the Giant Avail 3 or the EMC etape R2.8 fem 2012. I was told Vitale was the cheapest, Avail was the most comfortable and safest (extra safety brakes at top of handles) and that the etape was made for performance and would give me the best result on road. I know that i definitely want comfort and safety from the avail and don't believe i am at the level for the etape, so it is properly out of the avail and vitale.

can someone PLEASE help me chose as it is a Christmas present and sales are on soon!!!!!!