Pls help me pick a frame size for my GF!

[Destroy]

Hi. mtbr.com forums suggested I come here for quality female bike input. :)

I'm going to copy and paste with edits from my other post....

I'd like to get a bike for the GF as an Xmas present. She's 6'1" and about 145lbs. normal women build.

She is a Trek fan and currently owns a 1985 Trek touring bike which has a top tube length of 23 inches(58.5cm) and a 25 inch(63cm) 'vertical' seat frame tube length. I have no clue what 'size' it's classified as.

Edit: After some searching
http://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/85TrekSport.pdf

I figured out she for sure has a 25.5inch frame on a 420 Trek.

I've sort of narrowed down to 2 current Trek bikes.

At a triathlon event, she demo'ed a '06 Trek 5000 WSD in a 57cm frame this summer and came back from the test drive beeming about the bike. I asked how the fit was and if she felt cramped or uncomfy but she said 'No, it was awesome!'. In theory, a 57" is way too small for a women of her height and I'm guessing she may have been so excite about the bike that she didn't feel the fit properly.

I've talked to my LBS and they recommend a mens '06 Trek 2200 in 58 or 60inch for a nice price of $1400 (but only at that price till the end of the week, then it jumps back up to $1700 or so) and they shyed me away from the '07 5000WSD for $1700 thinking the fit would be really poor and too small for her.

The 2200 is obviously the better deal and has better components but lesser of a frame and is a mens frame.
The 5000 is nice carbon and made for a women but is it too small for my gf ?

Below is a pic of her being fitted 'as best as possible' on the demo 57cm bike.


What do you all think? 5000 in that pic an ok fit for her? Or stick with the 2200 instead and in what cm size?

Thanks for any feedback.

[silver]

Geez...you know we can't answer this for you.

I would think that you really need her inseam measurement.

My first thought...and I'm a COMPLETE amateur...is that the 57cm is too small for her.

Is there any way that the bike shop could swap out the bike after she receives it in order to get the best fit?

I don't ride a WSD...I ride a regular Trek a 58cm. I'm 5'8" with a 34.5 inch inseam. Most people of my height do not ride a bike this big.

Have you considered the 5000 (not WSD)?

I personally would go with the carbon frame. And if this is an 07 bike it would be more likely that the bike shop would swap it out after fitting her.

just some thoughts

[silver]

check out this link for inseam measurements

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/

[silver]

With the 5000 WSD the 57cm is the largest size. If you went to the 5000 (not wsd) you could go up to a 58 or 60 or 62.

I'm guessing that her current bike would be the equivalent of a 63 cm.

I don't think this means that she has to have a 63 cm for this bike?

But of course if you got her the 5000 58cm and it didn't fit her...you could send it to me....It would fit me just fine....thank you.....I think thats what you should get her....yes, definately! ;)

[light_sabe_r]

best way to choose the best sized frame is to actually get her on it to test drive that puppy!

If she reckons the WSD suits her I would not discount her opinion of it so quickly!

Theory doesn't account for much! I'm supposed to be a small yet I was much less cramped on a M frame than a small.

In her opinion of the ride it may have been the overall ride of 07 WSD that she loved. There are other things to consider than the frame.

Check out the handlebars. I'd even compare the handlebars between the WSD and the men's bike just to be sure. She may have been raving about the fact she could reach the brakes and gears without any discomfort and change them easily. Women's bikes tend to have a smaller width accross because of we're less broad in the shoulders. Look into it.

the other thing is a saddle. It's very important!!!! (if you haven't already picked up on that) Read any of the saddle threads in http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36 to get an idea about the ones we like and http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37 to get an idea about the one's we hate. But the saddle's a very important thing too and it can make or break the riding experience for women. You do want her to keep riding with you don't you??

You can ALMOST bet that the men's seats will be way too small for her hips. So she will get on the guys bike and say "saddle sucks" in which case you'll need to buy a new one for her. So your discount in price may not add up to much when you make adjustments to saddles and handlebars (if needed)

The big thing is ask your girlfriend about what she REALLY liked about that test ride. What bits that stand out in her mind will make you understand what she WANTS and probably NEEDS in the bike as well as the frame size.

Sorry The only way to be sure is get her on it and test ride it!! If she tries the mens bike and hates it you'll have your answer.

[salsabike]

best way to choose the best sized frame is to actually get her on it to test drive that puppy!

If she reckons the WSD suits her I would not discount her opinion of it so quickly!

Theory doesn't account for much! I'm supposed to be a small yet I was much less cramped on a M frame than a small.

In her opinion of the ride it may have been the overall ride of 07 WSD that she loved. There are other things to consider than the frame.

Check out the handlebars. I'd even compare the handlebars between the WSD and the men's bike just to be sure. She may have been raving about the fact she could reach the brakes and gears without any discomfort and change them easily. Women's bikes tend to have a smaller width accross because of we're less broad in the shoulders. Look into it.

the other thing is a saddle. It's very important!!!! (if you haven't already picked up on that) Read any of the saddle threads in http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36 to get an idea about the ones we like and http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37 to get an idea about the one's we hate. But the saddle's a very important thing too and it can make or break the riding experience for women. You do want her to keep riding with you don't you??

You can ALMOST bet that the men's seats will be way too small for her hips. So she will get on the guys bike and say "saddle sucks" in which case you'll need to buy a new one for her. So your discount in price may not add up to much when you make adjustments to saddles and handlebars (if needed)

The big thing is ask your girlfriend about what she REALLY liked about that test ride. What bits that stand out in her mind will make you understand what she WANTS and probably NEEDS in the bike as well as the frame size.

Sorry The only way to be sure is get her on it and test ride it!! If she tries the mens bike and hates it you'll have your answer.


Yes, yes, yes. Fit has less to do with height than with reach to the bars. Listen to your girlfriend--she will tell you what fits her best.

[Mimosa]

If I do the math to metric then she would be 185cm. I am 181cm and I have a 58 cm frame, so that would at least give her a 60cm frame. I looked it up on another website (it's in dutch but here is the link (http://web.bornfietsen.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=31) anyhow) and that site also states that at 185cm she would need a 60/61cm bike.

But what the other girls say is true, my lbs also stated "it's easier to change the height of the saddle then it is to change the reach."

With other words, give your gf a 'giftcertificate' and take her to a lbs which has all the equipment to give a good advice about her size (height, reach etc). Don't try to 'best guess' since you could choose incorrect and she could loose interest very fast because of the fysical discomfort she experiences on the bike.

[SouthernBelle]

Just to ditto what was said, I suspect it was the top tube length that felt so comfy for her. It was probably the first time she felt she could comfortably reach the bars. That is what the biggest difference is when talking about WSD bikes.

It may be worth giving up the surprise factor to take her and get her properly fitted.

As a for instance, a friend of mine's husband bought her a new car for her birthday. She really didn't like the car. But what could she say?

Give up the surprise on the back end and just say you want to buy her gift now, and get her fitted. She will get the bike she wants and you will have made her happy and that is really what you want to do.

BTW, you sound like a good BF. :D

[cherinyc]

Hello Mr. Destroy!!

I have to go with what was said previously as I am another example of how, if you solely based my bike size on my height and inseam, I would be on a bike that's too big for me, and I would not be riding it.
Trully, she has to be on something that she is comfortable on, and minor adjustments can be made (different handlebars, stems, seatposts, etc).
I went to 3 bike shops, all of whom looked at me and put me on a bike they insisted was my size....however, I could barely reach the tip of my finger to the brakes. The 4th bike shop put me on a much smaller bike, but raised the seat, changed the stem, etc...and voila - I was in love.
Women (me greatly included) tend to have longer legs and shorter torsos/arms - proportion-wise - than men. We also rotate differently at our hips.
I think the idea about the gift certicate is a good idea, but I see your dilemma with trying to catch that particular bike at a good price, etc. I would try to find someone on this forum who lives in the area you do, and get their advice on the LBS they like/ go to (we're pretty picky, and we know good service).
The majority (and this is very unfortunate) of LBS's out there DO NOT cater to women at all. They don't get it. And if the LBS you're going to is trying to sell you a bike (even w/ a good price tag) without actually seeing your girlfriend on it, my first guess is that they are more concerned with the sale than whether or not it's the right one for her.
Good luck with your qwest - and chances are, another good deal will come along if this one ends.

[aicabsolut]

It looks like your girlfriend has long arms and legs and a relatively shorter torso. For a WSD bike, it depends on how much that short torso affects her functional reach. Often, people with a shorter torso can ride a bike based on their inseam length because those with longer torsos sometimes have a harder time closing their hip angle (bending towards the bars) enough to reach well at that length of the top tube. Though a long femur length could mean pushing the saddle back farther, thus making a shorter top tube or stem more desirable.

To me, she looks too big for that 57cm, but it's hard to tell from a picture.

I guess everyone's point is that we're all quite different. I am only 5'7", have a 32-33" inseam, and am fairly long backed (not long waisted), but I ride a "men's" 54cm. I could go down to a 52cm on some Treks. I tried a WSD bike and felt unbelievably cramped, though my hands liked the smaller bars. That's something you can easily swap out on a larger bike.

I'd be inclined to say that at her height, she needs a bigger bike, and probably a men's bike. Maybe some adjustments like narrower bars or shorter stem are in order to get the best fit. But really the best thing to do is to have her get on a bunch of them and ride around.

[GLC1968]

I'd also like to ditto some of the other girls and give you an example of the reverse situtation. I'm 5'4" (and a half! ;) ) and most other women my height are on 50cm and 52cm bikes. I ride a 44cm WSD compact frame. I have a long torso, but short arms and legs, so while I'm taller than my bike thinks I am...I needed the smaller frame to get the right top tube length.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but if your girlfriend has longer legs but a shorter torso, it's likely that she does need a WSD for the shorter top tube length.

[Trekhawk]

Its wonderful that you want to get your girlfriend a bike for Xmas but Im with the others on this, I think the best thing you can do is let her pick it out. If you want to make it a suprise make up a little card with pictures of her favourite bikes and say one of these is yours....you get to pick or something like that. Being a cyclist she will want to have the fun of picking out her very own bike and this way you can be sure she will be happy. My husband recently gave me a beautiful new bike but he knows I would have been devastated if I didnt get to pick it out myself.

Good luck:)

[Duck on Wheels]

I look at the picture and I'm thinking she may have liked the fit because she liked sitting more upright. If she were to crouch down on that puppy to be more aerodynamic, I'm thinking it would be pretty cramped. But hey, if she likes sitting upright, then let her sit upright.
I'm 5'9", which used to be considered tallish for a woman. My two bikes are both men's 20" Treks and feel fine. Then one ride I was on a rented 20" and was so stretched out my elbows cramped up. I also test rode a 48cm, I think it was. Forget what brand or model. I thought it fit fine, but my sister and other TE friends were saying "No way can that bike fit you!" But you see, I like sitting upright, which a short top tube allows me to do, and as long as the distance and angle from seat to pedals is ok, then the short top tube is not a problem for me.
My conclusion: I agree with the answers above. You've got to find a way to surprise her, yet let her test ride before the purchase is finalized.

[Dianyla]

She looks a bit cramped with the top tube length in that picture. Just because you can jack the seat up high enough doesn't mean it will fit right.

When I had my bike fitting the ergonomics specialist wanted my arms and back to make a 90 degree angle when in a comfortable position with my hands on the flat top of the bars. Notice that in the pic your GF arms make more of an acute (<90) angle and her back is quite upright. It also looks like her elbows would hit her knees if she were down in the drops.

If she's really more into "comfort city riding" the upright position is nice. But judging by the numbers painted on her arm :D I think she'll be happier with a larger frame that lets her stretch out a bit more.


BTW: I wish I were as "normal women build" as 145 lbs on a 6'1" frame! :rolleyes:

[Bikingmomof3]

Besides ditto to what the others said, I had some questions about the bike she was on (nice bike, btw :) ). She looked "cramped". Unless she likes to ride with her arms locked, as soon as she relaxed it looks as though her knees would be hitting her elbows. Go with a gift cert or a nice card with your intention inside. Not one size fits all. I am only 5'4, yet a WSD is too small for me. Others taller, shorter or the same size need a WSD. Finding the right bike is such a personal thing, let her choose.

[Destroy]

I had typed up a nice long reply but the server here at work hicuped and I lost my whole post. Arg. :mad:

Long story short...

My GF was wow'ed by the new bike as a whole. I think any new good road bike would have a dramatic feel difference to her. Heck she still lovers her old bike tons and her biggest complaint is the shifting of her old bike and that she gets a sore back when she rides it. To her, she riding 21 years worth of technology improvement in that pic.

I'm going to visit my LBS tonight I hope and solidify what they will do for me in regards to exchanges or returns.

Evening Edit:Stopped at the LBS on my way home. I bought a 58cm 2200 3 ring with 100% exchange policy to any upgrade or down grade of a bike she chooses if she doesn't like the one I(we) picked out. :D

They were very nice and took lots of time to figure a best guess fit size using my measurements I took of her old bike and by looking at the same pic I posted here. They also offered a fair 25% exhange policy if we need to replace the stem, handlebar, etc components to make it fit to her liking.

NOW...
I'm trying to decide if I should give the Xmas present to her early as in now so she can enjoy it for barely a month or so before WI winter sets in.

Or... do I just wait it out and give the bike as a normal Xmas present in Dec knowing she can exchange it for something else but won't be able to even test it out at all for 4 months. The catch is, its a Closeout bike so in Dec there will be no more 2200s to pick from if she decides she likes that model but wants a 60cm instead of a 58cm.

What you all think? Surprise her with the gift now or wait?

[Veronica]

Now! When she can still ride.

V.

[xeney]

Yes, now. And this is a great gift.

[Mimosa]

My vote would be now to, she can then try it and feel if it fits and what needs to change.

[light_sabe_r]

NOW! Just put a santa hat and some tinsel on it. :P

[DirtDiva]

Give it to her now so she can get everything dialled in and enjoy it - I couldn't bear having a beautiful new bike and not beeing able to ride it for months because the weather was too crap! You can always get a few bike-related bits and bobs to give her on the day itself. :D

[cherinyc]

NOW!!! I agree with dressing it up X-masy though, if you still want to go with that theme. How fun?!!!! I would be so impressed that so much thought went into it.
And yes - this way she will have a chance to ride before the chill sets in.

[mimitabby]

hey Destroy
great compromise solution. She can love that bike or take it back for another!
thanks for stopping by!

and i vote for NOW too :)

[SouthernBelle]

I vote now too. Primarily because she needs to ride some to know what changes need to be made. that may be difficult in December. Either way, let us know her reaction and then give her this addy.

[Dianyla]

1. Give her the bike now.

2. Give her the url to team estrogen.

:D

[Kano]

Besides, you know you want to give it to her now, or you would have waited til much closer to Christmas to buy it!

Karen in Boise

[ladyfish]

Now. And, you have to come back and let us know how she liked it!!!!

[Destroy]

Plan is to give it to her tonight. Just need to figure out an excuse to get her in the bike shop. I'll report back.

[SouthernBelle]

Tell her you need to stop and pick up some Pedros something or other.

Make sure they have a bow on it. ;)

[mimitabby]

this guy's a keeper. What fun!

[Destroy]

Ok here's what happened.

My excuse to get her near the bike shop was on Thursday I told her I wanted to go out for a fish fry dinner on Friday night. My GF is very sharp and immediately became somewhat suspicious since its rare for me to want to go out to eat but she eventually went with it cause it'd be a nice date after all. :D It would be at a new restaurant which has my LBS right along the driving route.

On the way Fri evening, I said I needed to quickly stop in the LBS to pick up a tool that special ordered for my mtn bike. Luckily, she opted to go in with me instead of wait in the car.

Went to the main guy, told him I was here for my *wink* special tool *wink*. He called his co-worker over and ask him to go find the tool. Co-worker went in back, messed around for 1 min then called the main dude back for help. Main dude came back 15 sec later with a tool and said while show to both myself and my GF an actual tool "This is the tool, right?".

At that same time, the co-worker walked up behind us with the very nicely Xmas decorated shiny new bike. I turned to my GF, told her I have a surprise for her, had her turn around and gave her a kiss saying 'Merry early Xmas'. She immediately read the large sign I made for the bike that had her and my name on it.

Needless to say she was TOTALLY surprised. She didn't know how to react at first cause she didn't think it was for real right away and said so. I replied, "Read the sign, it's yours." Then she got it and just said "Wow!" and was very happy and in awe.

So for the next hour we stayed at the bike shop fitting the bike and finding out that a 58cm is indeed too small for her. So in the end we sadly had to leave the bike there and ordered another one in 60cm instead. Should have the 60 by mid next week which is too bad cause there was some really nice weather this weekend and was hoping she could ride it right away. Oh well, nothing ends up perfect on projects like this I guess.

Dinner went very nice (she really liked the fish too) and so was the rest of the passionate evening. *wink*

For any that skipped the earlier text, this is what I got her...
http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/archive.php?bikeid=1446000
http://www2.trekbikes.com/images/bikes/medium/2200_candyred.jpg

[Bad JuJu]

I just love happy endings!

[mimitabby]

What a nice guy to come back and give us all the details!!

:)

[Trekhawk]

Pleased to hear it all went well. Im sure your girlfriend will have a blast on her new bike when it arrives.:)

[neuroticcyclist]

I hope the 60 cm works.

I weigh 150 and am 6'2". I ride a 61 cm (oddball brand) but had to have the handlebars narrowed, since bikes that big are guy sized and the big handlebars were too wide and caused great fatigue. Make sure the LBS really fits her whole BODY and not just the legs.

[Bikingmomof3]

How romantic. I do so love happy endings. :)