Advice needed: starter road bike for 13yo daughter

[roadwrider]

Help. I'm just getting started in looking for a road bike for my daughter who is joining me on some charity rides next summer. She's 5 foot 2 or 3 inches, weighs a slight 98 lbs right now and is very athletic. She has a short torso and is mostly arms and legs.

We've been to our LBS to begin, but I'm hoping to get some advice from women who've been down this road. I don't want to spend too much as she's still growing. I do, however, want to find a bike that fits her well. Used equipment might be an option.

Any help and direction you can give me is welcome.

Thank you.

[redrhodie]

Maybe something like a used Specialized Dolce. That's what I had as my first bike. It sounds like she'd appreciate WSD, since she's all legs. She's probably around a 48-50 cm. Call your local bike store, because some of them take bikes back for upgrades, and resell them, so they have a used bike section you may not know about unless you ask. Or, try Craigslist or Ebay. You might even find one here.

[zoom-zoom]

Too bad I don't still have my 48cm Cannondale Synapse Feminine. That would be a good one to look at. If I had a DD the age of yours, I'd definitely have her try that. At one point we considered hanging onto it for our DS to try in a few years, since it had the short-reach brakes/shifters.

[maillotpois]

Our 15 year old just did the MS ride on a Jamis Coda Femme - http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/12_codacompf.html

She's taller than your daughter, but is also all legs as well.

She didn't want a traditional road bike look because she also uses it to get around with her friends and the road bike (drop bars, etc.) isn't "cool". We got her pedals with SPD on on side and flat on the other so she used her bike shoes for training and riding the MS ride and can use sneakers to get around town.

We also put a rack on the bike so she can carry things. It is a great entry level bike.

[KnottedYet]

If she has very long arms, she may not like WSD. They can feel like a scrunched-up clown bike. Don't be afraid to let her try bikes with normal top tube lengths as well.

[rivergal]

I'd check out the Cannondale Synapse and Felt's ZW and Z series. I had a ZW entry level for my first ride, and it was a good amount of bang for the buck.

Definitely have her check out both the WSD and non-WSD geometry to see which one feels more comfortable.

[jyyanks]

If you are looking for a road bike, what about the Jamis Ventura Sport? It's a great starter road bike for not a lot of money. I am buying the Jamis Coda but I like drop bars and want a hybrid which is why the Coda works better for me.

[roadwrider]

Thank everyone for the great ideas. We're off on the hunt and she's test riding a number of the suggestions you've given me. Your help is very much appreciated.

Regards... Roadwrider