opinions on women's bikes



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Sascha

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Hi everyone, you might remember me from the Girl=pastel thread last week. I've moved on and am ready
to consider bikes.

I've been looking a little more closely at women's bikes now that I've decided for sure that I want
a new one. Are there any women on here that own or have ridden and have an opinion on the Trek WSD
bikes 2300, 5200, the Cannondale R800, R2000 and the Specialized Women's Dolce Vita. I have two LBS
chains here in the Twin Cities--one sells Treks and LeMonds and the other sells Cannondales and
Specialized. The person with whom I spoke at one seemed really keen on selling me a Dolce Vita even
though it's a special order only bike and I've got no test ride option. He was really into the
women's geomery on that bike. He suggested I come in and test ride the plain Vita and make my
decision based on that.

So, my finalist are probably the Trek 2300 (even though I still don't like the blue), the Cannondale
800 and the Specialized Dolce Vita, all triple crank, cuz I'm a baby. This final list is based on
components, frame material and my desire to spend sensibly, not wildly. As much as I would like to
get a custom colored/built bike, It just doesn't feel right to me at this point.

So ladies, any opinions you'd like to share? Or, so I'm not discriminating, any men with wives,
girlfriends or friends who have opinions?

Sascha
 
See the Raleigh Capri (women's specific) based on a Terry design. Shimano 105 triple. My girlfriend
shopped and bought this one! Loves it.
 
We sell a great many of the 2300WSDs, so I'm obviously biased, but customers love them. Just because
it's a WSD (Women's Specific Design) doesn't mean that it's going to fit you properly without help
from someone who knows something about fitting someone. It's the beginning, not the end. You need to
find a shop that really seems to understand how to make you comfortable on a bike, and is more
interested in you achieving *your* dream rather than riding how they think you ought to.

Regarding the shop keen on selling you a Dolce Vita, something seems strange there. Women are a very
healthy percentage of the road market, so why wouldn't a shop that's keen on a bike stock it? Unless
there's a different model in the line with the same frame that you could test ride, or they're
willing to bring one in with no obligations, I'd look elsewhere. You're spending good money, it
ought to get you a great bike!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Sascha" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Hi everyone, you might remember me from the Girl=pastel thread last week. I've moved on and am
> ready to consider bikes.
>
> I've been looking a little more closely at women's bikes now that I've decided for sure that I
> want a new one. Are there any women on here that own or have ridden and have an opinion on the
> Trek WSD bikes 2300, 5200,
the
> Cannondale R800, R2000 and the Specialized Women's Dolce Vita. I have two LBS chains here in the
> Twin Cities--one sells Treks and LeMonds and the other sells Cannondales and Specialized. The
> person with whom I spoke at one seemed really keen on selling me a Dolce Vita even though it's a
special
> order only bike and I've got no test ride option. He was really into the women's geomery on that
> bike. He suggested I come in and test ride the
plain
> Vita and make my decision based on that.
>
> So, my finalist are probably the Trek 2300 (even though I still don't like the blue), the
> Cannondale 800 and the Specialized Dolce Vita, all triple crank, cuz I'm a baby. This final list
> is based on components, frame material and my desire to spend sensibly, not wildly. As much as I
> would like to get a custom colored/built bike, It just doesn't feel right to me
at
> this point.
>
> So ladies, any opinions you'd like to share? Or, so I'm not
discriminating,
> any men with wives, girlfriends or friends who have opinions?
>
> Sascha
 
When you're 5'1 and can't touch the ground on anything larger than a 45 or a 47 with small wheels, a
WSD is probably the way to go. I already have one from REI and it fits me well (45cm, 750 wheels). I
stood over a Trek 2000 WSD the other day, size 47 with 650 wheels and barely had clearance. If you
can reccommend other bikes with frames that might fit me, I'm listening. I settled on WSD because
they seem to fit. The last time I was shopping I actually had a guy at my local bike shop throw me
on a 50cm bike and tell me it was natural that I couldn't touch the ground and that I had to lean
the bike sideways to get on as there was negative clearance. That's what drove me to REI.

Also, with the Dolce, the lesser model has the same frame, just different components and so I am
considering test riding it. In the world I live in, most of the bike shops around here have maybe 2
women's bikes in stock. So, I get to do a lot of driving to check out bikes. Bike shopping for the
short can be a major chore. The Cannondale dealer admitted that they had very little in the way of
Cannondale at all because the company is slow in sending them stock.

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We sell a great many of the 2300WSDs, so I'm obviously biased, but
customers
> love them. Just because it's a WSD (Women's Specific Design) doesn't mean that it's going to fit
> you properly without help from someone who knows something about fitting someone. It's the
> beginning, not the end. You
need
> to find a shop that really seems to understand how to make you comfortable on a bike, and is more
> interested in you achieving *your* dream rather
than
> riding how they think you ought to.
>
> Regarding the shop keen on selling you a Dolce Vita, something seems
strange
> there. Women are a very healthy percentage of the road market, so why wouldn't a shop that's keen
> on a bike stock it? Unless there's a
different
> model in the line with the same frame that you could test ride, or they're willing to bring one
> in with no obligations, I'd look elsewhere. You're spending good money, it ought to get you a
> great bike!
>
> --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
>
>
> "Sascha" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Hi everyone, you might remember me from the Girl=pastel thread last
week.
> > I've moved on and am ready to consider bikes.
> >
> > I've been looking a little more closely at women's bikes now that I've decided for sure that I
> > want a new one. Are there any women on here
that
> > own or have ridden and have an opinion on the Trek WSD bikes 2300, 5200,
> the
> > Cannondale R800, R2000 and the Specialized Women's Dolce Vita. I have
two
> > LBS chains here in the Twin Cities--one sells Treks and LeMonds and the other sells Cannondales
> > and Specialized. The person with whom I spoke
at
> > one seemed really keen on selling me a Dolce Vita even though it's a
> special
> > order only bike and I've got no test ride option. He was really into
the
> > women's geomery on that bike. He suggested I come in and test ride the
> plain
> > Vita and make my decision based on that.
> >
> > So, my finalist are probably the Trek 2300 (even though I still don't
like
> > the blue), the Cannondale 800 and the Specialized Dolce Vita, all triple crank, cuz I'm a baby.
> > This final list is based on components, frame material and my desire to spend sensibly, not
> > wildly. As much as I
would
> > like to get a custom colored/built bike, It just doesn't feel right to
me
> at
> > this point.
> >
> > So ladies, any opinions you'd like to share? Or, so I'm not
> discriminating,
> > any men with wives, girlfriends or friends who have opinions?
> >
> > Sascha
> >
>
 
Sascha wrote:
> Hi everyone, you might remember me from the Girl=pastel thread last week. I've moved on and am
> ready to consider bikes.
>
> I've been looking a little more closely at women's bikes now that I've decided for sure that I
> want a new one. Are there any women on here that own or have ridden and have an opinion on the
> Trek WSD bikes 2300, 5200, the Cannondale R800, R2000 and the Specialized Women's Dolce Vita. I
> have two LBS chains here in the Twin Cities--one sells Treks and LeMonds and the other sells
> Cannondales and Specialized. The person with whom I spoke at one seemed really keen on selling me
> a Dolce Vita even though it's a special order only bike and I've got no test ride option. He was
> really into the women's geomery on that bike. He suggested I come in and test ride the plain Vita
> and make my decision based on that.
>
> So, my finalist are probably the Trek 2300 (even though I still don't like the blue), the
> Cannondale 800 and the Specialized Dolce Vita, all triple crank, cuz I'm a baby. This final list
> is based on components, frame material and my desire to spend sensibly, not wildly. As much as I
> would like to get a custom colored/built bike, It just doesn't feel right to me at this point.
>
> So ladies, any opinions you'd like to share? Or, so I'm not discriminating, any men with wives,
> girlfriends or friends who have opinions?
>
> Sascha

Apart from being shorter than most men do you also have the typical dimensions of a woman? Ie
longer inseam and a shorter torso than the typical man of the same length as you. I am a man but
have typical womans dimensions and would probably benefit from a womans frame. Next time I buy a
bike I will look into that. Today I use a shorter stem. So normally if I have understood everything
right, womens frames usually have a shorter toptube than the same size frame built for a man. Today
I ride a Trek 5200 one size smaller than my length calls for and a 20 mm shorter stem than the
original. My seatpost is set fairly high and the handlebars are as high as they can go. It fits me
very nicely but it is right on the limits. The WSD probably would have normalized things for me had
I known about it.

The second problem is being short and finding a frame that will fit you and the wheels. That doesn't
have so much to do with being a woman as being short.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.
 
"Per Elmsäter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Sascha wrote:
> > Hi everyone, you might remember me from the Girl=pastel thread last week. I've moved on and am
> > ready to consider bikes.
> >
> > I've been looking a little more closely at women's bikes now that I've decided for sure that I
> > want a new one. Are there any women on here that own or have ridden and have an opinion on the
> > Trek WSD bikes 2300, 5200, the Cannondale R800, R2000 and the Specialized Women's Dolce Vita. I
> > have two LBS chains here in the Twin Cities--one sells Treks and LeMonds and the other sells
> > Cannondales and Specialized. The person with whom I spoke at one seemed really keen on selling
> > me a Dolce Vita even though it's a special order only bike and I've got no test ride option. He
> > was really into the women's geomery on that bike. He suggested I come in and test ride the plain
> > Vita and make my decision based on that.
> >
> > So, my finalist are probably the Trek 2300 (even though I still don't like the blue), the
> > Cannondale 800 and the Specialized Dolce Vita, all triple crank, cuz I'm a baby. This final list
> > is based on components, frame material and my desire to spend sensibly, not wildly. As much as I
> > would like to get a custom colored/built bike, It just doesn't feel right to me at this point.
> >
> > So ladies, any opinions you'd like to share? Or, so I'm not discriminating, any men with wives,
> > girlfriends or friends who have opinions?
> >
> > Sascha
>
> Apart from being shorter than most men do you also have the typical dimensions of a woman? Ie
> longer inseam and a shorter torso than the typical man of the same length as you. I am a man but
> have typical womans dimensions and would probably benefit from a womans frame. Next time I buy a
> bike I will look into that. Today I use a shorter stem. So normally if I have understood
> everything right, womens frames usually have a shorter toptube than the same size frame built for
> a man. Today I ride a Trek 5200 one size smaller than my length calls for and a 20 mm shorter stem
> than the original. My seatpost is set fairly high and the handlebars are as high as they can go.
> It fits me very nicely but it is right on the limits. The WSD probably would have normalized
> things for me had I known about it.
>
> The second problem is being short and finding a frame that will fit you and the wheels. That
> doesn't have so much to do with being a woman as being short.

I suggest you give GEAR WEST in Long Lake a visit. This is a wonderful bike shop owned by a women
and I have nothing but praise for their professionalism good luck and let us know what you do John
 
Well, I'm not a lady, but I have ridden with a lot, and one of the more popular quality women's
bikes is made by Terry.

In fact, the company specializes in bikes engineered for women.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": http://www.geocities.com/czcorner
 
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