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Original poster

Womens racing bike.

34 replies

magicgirl74 · 07/03/2015 18:19

Iv been looking on and off for a few years for a racing bike with a womens specific frame like the one i had as a teenager(i had a lovely raleigh wisp)but with little success.iv looked at second hand on ebay and they are always miles and miles away with no option of delivery or the frame size is to big( im 5ft 1 )iv seen a new one by bobbin bikes called a luna which is lovely but doesnt seem to be available anywhere has anyone seen anything similar?

OP posts:
Original poster
magicgirl74 · 07/03/2015 23:42

I live in a village and the roads can get a bit pot holey,hubby thinks i would be better with a mountain bike as there are no foot paths and there is a lot of farm traffic.I dont go great distances usually between 5 and 10 miles but i find my current bike really uncomfortable i end up with back ache,sore hands and a sore bum.Im reasonably fit for my age(40 years)iv looked at second hand but they are usually to big for me as im 5ft1 and have short legs 27 inch inside leg and i find bike shops intimidating i can spend up to £700 im really unsure what sort of bike would be best ??

OP posts:
FelixFelix · 07/03/2015 20:01

Where abouts in the county are you? (Assuming you're in the UK of course!). Do you have a local bike shop who could help you find what you're looking for?

BuggersMuddle · 07/03/2015 19:58

Yes as Thistle says more info would be useful. There are trade-ups that are worth it if the budget is flexible and others that are less so, but it'll depend what you're looking to do.

Having said that, can I chip in with the Trek Lexa WSD as a possibility?

I have another of their WSD road bikes, am also fairly short and love the fit. (Don't own a Lexa, but have had a go and the geometry is virtually identical to the one I do own).

it's certainly racier than the one you linked to, but it also has rack & mudguard mounts if you did want to e.g. commute with panniers.

I have had a Dolce and it was fine, but it still has a fairly long top tube for a WSD IMO. I rode mine for a long time but still found it a bit 'reachy'.

Best thing though (barring a bike fit) would be to try a couple out. Places like Evans cycles are generally happy to get in a couple of models for you to compare.

pootlebug · 07/03/2015 19:42

Where are you? I have a women-specific road bike that I probably should sell as I don't really need a road bike and a tri bike. It's like this www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/xenith-endura-sport-2012-road-bike-ec031746#features

I'm 5'5 and it's too small for me really (got it on ebay) - which is another reason it should go.

(hoping I'm allowed to say this and don't get in big trouble).

Thistledew · 07/03/2015 18:55

Could you say more about what sort of riding you are doing and/or want to be doing?

There are road bikes that are made to be "women's specific", which means that the proportions are slightly different from standard models: women tend to have shorter bodies and arms than men. These will look very like a 'men's' bike with the straight cross bar. They may or may not suit you, depending how long you are in the arms and body.

If you are riding for more than an hour or so at a time, then I would look at something that looks like what you might imagine to be a 'men's' bike. The one you linked to is not really suitable for serious cycling as the style of the frame will be more inefficient in terms of energy transfer. It is also likely to be heavy, and the components (the moving parts) are fairly low-end in terms of quality (although perfectly good for light riding).

VivaLeBeaver · 07/03/2015 18:43

this

VivaLeBeaver · 07/03/2015 18:41

I'm 5ft2 and struggled although my requirements were slightly different as I wanted a bike which I could fit a rack on for touring and also wanted sissy brakes. I ended up with a Specalized Tricross.

For a more road only bike Specialized do quite a few women specific road bikes which look good.

Original poster
magicgirl74 · 07/03/2015 18:37

Couple of hilly bits and i ride a couple of times a week

OP posts:
ragged · 07/03/2015 18:23

Okay, that Luna isn't for racing, it might be alright for fun road rides.
Budget is around £550, right? And you want a woman's traditional frame, not a men's crossbar?
Where and how hilly and how often will you ride this hypothetical bike?

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