Bike recommendations for a mature newbie female

[SadieKate]

A mid-50s co-worker showed up in my office yesterday and said that she really wants ride a century next year. She's always asking about my rides. She’s gone on an incredibly strict and medically supervised diet and lost over 50 lbs with (my estimate) about 30 to go. She used to ride bikes with her children years ago and is now getting back to pedaling the paths on her Bianchi Milano. I talked to her about setting intermediate goals, getting serious about riding and buying a more appropriate road bike. She’s committed and excited, so the pressure is now on me to help with her game plan.

So, what road bikes should we consider? We haven’t done a fitting, but she’s about 5’2” (at most) and probably short-legged. I’m guessing her back isn’t the most flexible but she remembers the days of having a light bike and a better aerodynamic position than the Milano, neither of which is good on the Milano. I haven’t bought a complete bike in years (only bought frames and done custom builds) but a complete bike will get her the most value for her money. The few WSD bikes that I’ve picked up seem incredibly heavy. What weight range are we talking? I’m sure we’ll want a short top tube to keep her back happy, a small bike to match her height, adjustable reach levers and very stable handling. What should we look at? She’s prepared to spend some money but we don’t need to break the bank either.

We’re looking at some organized half-metrics as goals through the summer so she’s OK on the Milano for now but we need to start looking.

Thanks, one and all! Any advice you have on coaching her is appreciated. I'm going to do my best to be encouraging but not push, but if she doesn't have the right equipment . . .

[Veronica]

A custom Riv. :p


V.

[SadieKate]

You're SOOOOO funny! I'll suggest that but I doubt she'll want to wait 2 years for it. :D

[Surlygirl]

SadieKate, how flexible is she? Being short you might want to look at WSD bikes with sloping top tubes or a mixte frame. Riv makes one. Drop handlebars give you more hand options, but a flat bar might give her a more upright position so as not to strain her back. Lots to consider.

[Veronica]

The back thing was what made me think of a Riv. I would expect the non customs to take much less time. But being 3/4 of an inch above average height for a female ;) I haven't paid too much attention to the range of sizes. Jo's Saluki looks mighty good though.


V.

[SadieKate]

I want a Riv - I'm drooling after the Glorius. However, for my friend . . . yes, a Riv would be wonderful but even a production frame is about the same cost as a Specialized Dolce.

[Trek420]

Veronica "A custom Riv. :p"

We laugh but I'm starting to see the point of Riv. There were a few on ALC4 (saw just 1 last year). About day 5 I caught up with on at lunch saw the Riv rider chatting with a group of gals who were all complaining "my ___ hurts, my ___ hurts, my ____...."

She just smiled and said "I feel fine", hopped on her bike, rode off....disgusting.

My vote is for steel, a nice Mondonico or Torelli or maybe Surly Long Haul Trucker.

Here are some purty steel bikes from the ride including mine. I should have styled the photos and taken the plastic off but the plastic bags on the seats are for dew, and the bags on the top tube are for the ride numbers, oh well. I think you can see that the set up on mine is a little more upright than most. Very comfy on the back.

[jobob]

Check out the Riv Rambouillet. It now comes in 50 and 52 cm frame sizes - these take 26" tires instead of 700c

http://www.rivbike.com/html/bikes_rambouilletframes.html

There's nothing wrong with the Saluki, except for the wait time! Although I think they might have some of the smaller frames still in stock, but they have to be painted, and currently one person is doing essentially all of the Saluki paint jobs.

[SadieKate]

I'm just not sure she's ready for a $2,300 bike. Who knows, maybe she'll decide that it's so drop-dead gorgeous that it's the one, but . . .

[bikerz]

Sounds like you're co-worker is similar to me - I have alot of weight to lose, and I'm 40 pounds along the way now (thanks to 6 months of biking, mainly!) And I'm about 5'2"", so not very tall either.

When I went shopping for a bike, I was very nervous and self-conscious about the process - imaging skinny-minny, super-cyclist kids not really taking me seriously. I decided I would buy from the store where I was treated the best, and go with the recommendations they gave me, since I didn't know much about bikes at all. I was concerned (perhaps unreasonably) about the bike feeling stable under my weight.

Anyway, Mikes Bikes in Berkeley was great - the sales person named Meghan was very helpful, supportive, gave good advice, and did a good job fitting me. She recommended, and I bought, a Specialized Sequoia Elite - about $1100. It has a suspension seat post and carbon forks, which I was told would help absorb bumps that we heavier riders will feel more deeply. The bike might be a bit heavy - but not compared to me!

I figured if I really stuck with cycling (which looks like the case) I'd probably upgrade eventually anyway, and after losing weight and getting stronger, I might be more comfortable on a different kind of bike, or be ready to appreciate and take advantage of a lighter bike, and certainly be in a better position to know my riding style, different components, etc.

Just my (long-winded!) 2 cents worth. Your friend is fortunate to have your help!

[Dirt Girl]

SadieKate,
I'm a road bike newbie and don't know lots about them, but if her price range is around $1500, I have two suggestions. The Jamis Quest is a steel frame and a good value for the components. I think I tried the 47 and at 5'1" I didn't fit quite right, but everyone is different. I'm also a fan of the Bianchi Eros Donna (WSD) which I ended up buying for under $1300. It's steel and rode smoother than any of the aluminum bikes I tried including the Dolce and the Trek 1500 (I think). I love, love, love the Campy shifters! NOTIHING I've tried fit my small hands like these things. The more upright position of the Specialized Sequoia was enticing to me, but the ride did not compare to the Bianchi and I didn't like how the Sequoia climbed.

I've been very pleased with the Bianchi as a starter road bike.
http://www.bianchiusa.com/556.html

Hope this helps at least a little. Keep us posted.

[tatormc]

I would suggest a Giant as I've had 2 and love them! I'm also 5'2" and the XS fits perfect. I started out with an OCR3 which is a very basic beginner bike so I'm sure she'd want more than this. I just upgraded a month ago to the TCR Composite 2 and this bike is wonderful and very pretty!

[CorsairMac]

Well you know me - I'll throw in for Trek. When I first got back into riding I told the kid I hadn't ridden road bikes in years and I was going to use it for commuting blah blah blah. Bless his heart he listened to what I said - which wasn't what I meant! (my bad) He sold me a 26" comfort bike which was sweet and heavy as an ox and not at all what I wanted. I probably would've been happier with the Trek Hybrid which is heavier than a road bike but uses skinnier tires and is built more for speed than a comfort bike. It also sits up vs a road bike if she's concerned about flexability.
She might do better going to different bike shops and talking to them. I'm currently riding a vintage Trek 50 cm frame which fits my 5'2" height perfect but it isn't a WSD nor have I ever ridden one. Maybe offer to go with her if you have the time and she seems intimidated by the process.

[SadieKate]

She might do better going to different bike shops and talking to them. I'm currently riding a vintage Trek 50 cm frame which fits my 5'2" height perfect but it isn't a WSD nor have I ever ridden one. Maybe offer to go with her if you have the time and she seems intimidated by the process.This is the reason I'm collecting info. The endless variety of bikes available now can be overwhelming if you know nothing about them and, as many of you remarked, the LBS' lack of knowledge when it comes to fitting non-hard body older women. I'm trying to narrow down what people like and I really want input from this older group of women coming to riding from years away from fitness activity.

I will be going with her at some point but I want to get better 'larned myself on the complete bikes out there (don't think she'd like my approach of buying a frame, piece-mealing the parts, and then trashing my kitchen as a bike shop). I am very worried about the drop bar position for her but I don't think she'll be happy riding longer distances on anything less.

I'm going out with her for the first time later this week to talk about things like shifting, cadence and cornering. This will tell me a lot! I think she also tried to get in a 14-20 mile ride on Saturday so I'll get a ride report from that.

So, you girls who have been away for a long time, how did you handle the drop bar position? How far below the saddle are your bars and are you comfortable?

[JanT]

Well, being a "mature" woman who got into biking a few years ago, I'll throw in my two cents. I started off mountain biking about five years ago, and bought an entry level bike. After a year, I was disappointed with it, and upgraded to a better bike, but nothing classy--a couple steps above entry level (TREK 6700). It still meets my needs. When I decided to get a road bike, I figured a step above entry level would suit my needs. I'd already had the experience of riding the straight handlebar on the road with the mountain bikes, and know exactly what people mean about the importance of having different positions for the hands. So I bought a true road bike, a Specialized Allez Sport, triple. The various hand positions also allow me to get my back into different positions, which is important for me for longer rides. The seat is about the same height as the handlebars, with the nose tipped slightly down.

I haven't ridden much with groups, but when I rode the mountain bike, even with semi-slicks it was hard to keep up with anybody. With the road bike, I keep up with what appear to be the "average" riders (not racers!) without much difficulty. While your friend might find the hybrid type bike easier to ride, in the long run, she might be happier with a true road bike. TREK has the 1200c and 1500c comfort models, that are road bikes designed more for comfort and have a suspension seatpost and brakes on the tops as well as the hoods. Sometimes I wonder if I'd have liked one of those better.

Good luck to your newbie friend; she's lucky to have someone like you to show her the ropes!

[SadieKate]

Thanks, Jan, for all your comments. Someone on another forum recommended the Trek bikes with the softtail suspension. I've been intrigued by these but need to check out the weight. She complains about the weight of her Milano but better gearing and high pressure narrow road tires may take away that issue. I had a small fit session at my LBS Saturday and learned a bit about hip angles which comes from the bar to saddle setup. It matches with what you're saying. Good to hear it from someone who isn't young, male and negative 5% bodyfat :p .

[bikerz]

I have the "extra" brakes on the top of my drop bars, as JanT mentions, and I used them all the time when I first started riding, since I spent quite a bit of time in an upright position.

[Geonz]

So, does she have that bike yet :-)

IMHO the critical factor is FIT, FIt, FIT. It's going to be a different bike for different people. I'm beginning to appreciate my good fortune in having found good LBS people (unfortunately I recommended the joint to a friend who went there when the owner was staffing it and *he* was more of the "this is the bike I'm selling, therefore it's what you want" breed - oh, he went out of business...) They were really gracious to a newbie, told me all kinds of stuff (including a detailed, clinical dissertation on the importance of not putting pressure on soft tissues) even though I was buying (shudder!!) an entry-level hybrid.
I liked the feel of a Bianchi and didn't know why - and they'd sold the one I had test ridden, which was the last of the last year's models I could afford - so they suggested the difference might be the angle of the stem, and traded off stems and sold me a nice Giant (pronounced Gee-aunt since it's part Bianchi) because it really *did* put the angles where they felt good. It's got about 18000 miles on it now. It is a hybrid but with 28's instead of 35's tire-wise which was the best change in the world. REally, tire size is much more important than weight.
She might even try switching off tires on the bike she has, first (especially if she could borrow some).
I also think you don't really know what you like in a bike until you've been riding, so starting at the high end would be risky.

[KatieBelle]

Glad to know the proper pronunciation of Giant. I would have made a total fool of myself at the LBS tomorrow. ;)

[SadieKate]

"Gee-aunt" - yes, my SIL called to tell me some friends had given her bike. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what she was talking about so I had her spell it. :rolleyes:

I should report in about my friends. I had my 2nd ride with them Wednesday morning. They are going like a house a fire. I'm really pleased with their progress. I'm trying to get Marty to start looking at road bikes. The other isn't so committed to the whole idea but I think the two of them are going to sign up for the 30 mile route on the Tour of Napa Valley which they can do on their current bikes. They're doing 20 mile rides now and are going to expand this to 25 miles with the climb up to Folsom Lake. This should put them in good shape for the ride. I also think that having done the Tour of Napa Valley that they'll have hit some milestones that will increase their confidence and just spur them onwards.

So, we have good progress and Marty is just bubbling every day!

[SadieKate]

Marty just picked up her Specialized Dolce Elite(? - the one with the 105 group) today and we went for a little ride in the friendly invisible hills (i.e., winds) of Davis. She pedaled into the headwind pretty fast and then really cranked it up when we turned around and held it at a steady 20. You gotta love tailwinds!

I am so happy for her. She seems just like a kid. I think she really feels that this is the activity that brings her the most joy and that she'll be able to do for a long time. She and Candy have signed up for the 30-mile route at the Tour of Napa Valley which they'll do on their hybrids. Candy will be buying her road bike in the next few weeks when she sees Marty zipping around on her new wheels.

Joe, the owner of the Wheelsworks in Davis, spent an incredible amount of time taking measurements before he ever put her on a bike and then took a great deal of time setting up the one she tried as a demo. That was last week. Today, he went through a detailed fitting session again on the real bike and showed her how to use a CO2 cartride and even put together her tool bag even to the point of putting her tubes in ziplocks with talcum powder. He was really good about putting her on a frame with the proper length top tube but a tall enough headtube to keep her bars at the right height. I was very impressed with his attention to detail and fit for a rider of her fitness and flexibility. The rest of the shop staff were in the team effort also. I can't say enough about their efforts. Marty left the shop just feeling like the red carpet had been rolled out for her. They're even having a basic bike maintenance class in a couple weeks - great timing.

Thanks, everyone, for your advice and words of wisdom. Only time will tell, but I think we got her on the right bike for the purpose. Once she gets better acquainted with the handling and the gearing, I'll bring her to my house with the trainer and get her set up with clipless pedals. Told her she was going to be riding inside for a couple hours that day so enjoy her outdoor riding for right now!

[CorsairMac]

very nice SK! how awesome that she found the bike for her and has a friend like you! and wow - I'm very impressed with Joe at Wheelworks!! maybe when I'm ready to try a NEW road bike, I'll have to road trip to CA to see him!
So have you told Marty about us yet?? muuuuuuahhhhhhhhhhaaaaahhaaaa!

[SadieKate]

I will have to share Marty's story about something that happened while I was gone for a few minutes. Joe, at this "full service" shop, was fitting her bike and while she was spinning away on the trainer, he leaned closer and said quietly, "Now you know, nothing comes between you and your bike shorts. We just happen to notice little things while we're measuring." Marty did 'fess up that I'd already told her (whew, my reputation is safe) but now she says this is most conscientious bike shop she's ever been to. "They even talk about your underwear!"

[PinkRacer]

I'm 5'1 3/4 (can't leave that out ;) ) I ride a customer Rod but I am thinking about buying this Bianchi Eros Donna http://www.bianchiusa.com/556.html as a daily ride when the weather isn't so nice... The thought of riding my ROD in the rain just kills me...

What is really nice about it is it comes with Campy parts at least at all of the LBS I've seen it at. With the height thing comes the really small hands, mine seem to have no issue breaking with campy. Hands fulls on hoods and can grab the breaks. It's a really comfy bike, tha tcomes small enough...

I had a Raleigh w/Shimano stuff on there and I hated it.... I couldnt grab the brakes and it was so not fun going down hill. I pretty much had to take my hands off the bars to break. I did sell it to a short lady with much larger hands as I woul dnot want to see anyone else go though the same issues...

Anyways that's my rant from the little peoples of the world....