I'm looking to purchase a first road bike for my wife and am considering a couple manufacturers and bike in the $1000 - $1500 range. I don't know if she really needs a Women specific bike as she is not short at 5'7" with a 31.5" inseam. We took a look at the Trek 2.1 WSD bike for $1200 and the Bianchi C2C Via Nirone 7 $1500 which is not woman specific, but the top tube and seat tube measurements are very close to the women's version of the trek. She wants a road bike that will give her a comfortable ride and not a super laid out position. Can anyone comment on whether it's worth a woman to purchase a women's specific bike if they are 5'7" and would most likley ride a 53" bike? I see the benefit of the 5' woman riding a 47" inch women specific frame as the top tube would be too long on a male bike frame, but does the "women's" geometry difference become negligible when the bike sizing get's up to 53"? I hope that made sense. Any comments are greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Clint
Thanks
Clint