Terry Bikes

[quint41]

I just looked at the Terry website. Oooo! I like what I see. Anyone out there own a Terry bike? What do you think?

Thanks.

Louise

[KnottedYet]

I was really considering one, but then they stopped using steel for the road bikes.

They are nice bikes.

[Bad JuJu]

I had a Terry bike for a long time--it was one of the older models--a 1990 Symmetry, and I just loved it. It was one of the small-front-wheel bikes, because of my size. The smaller front wheel took a little getting used to--the steering seemed squirrely at first. But that might've also been because it was my first decent adult bike and I wasn't used to such responsive handling.

Anyway, I loved that bike for about 14 years. Sometimes it was a minor irritation to have to keep two spare tube sizes on hand (and tires--I always kept a spare tire on hand in case of cuts, lacerations, etc), but that was no big deal. She was just starting to get some rust spots on her. Terry said I could send the frame up to them to be repainted some winter, but I live in FL where we ride year round, so I had just cleaned up the rust and gotten some black paint and painted some cow-looking spots over the affected areas. She was a nice teal green, so I now had a teal green cow :D . Not the best paint job ever, but the frame was protected.

I'd still have that bike if Hurricane Ivan hadn't washed her to the bottom of Pensacola Bay in 2004. I like to think that some lady mullet is riding her now. :p Like Knotted, I prefer a steel frame, so I didn't get another Terry. But if you like aluminum, etc. you might be pretty happy with a Terry. I also think it's a pretty good company, and they'll work with your LBS even if they don't currently carry Terry bikes.

[GLC1968]

I just bought a 2004 Terry Classic off Terry's buy/sell site. It's shipping to me today, so I haven't actually seen it in person yet. The classic is the precursor to the Madeline (touring/commuter bike). I'll post what I think once I've ridden it a few times.

I hope I like it as much as I think I'm going to!! ;)

[Bluetree]

I stopped by a different LBS a few weeks ago for some Specialized parts (not my usual LBS) and noticed that they started carrying Terry Bikes. I spoke to the owner briefly and he said the he got so much response from women about Terry clothing that he decided to also try carrying a few of their bikes.

I was tempted to test one out and asked him what the general response was. He said that women came in to try the Terry bikes, but after a test ride, most opted for a Specialized road bike instead. I'm not sure why. I wanted to ask, but the BF was hungry and had to leave NOW. (Oh sure, had it been a Cannondale dealer, we'd have been there ALL day!)
The bikes looked very nice... I didn't get the details but they were a bit pricey, which may have factored into it.

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, I am a big fan, as for my body they give the best combination of fit and handling. I have a 2005 titanium Isis and a 2001 steel classic (but upgraded to drop bars and ultegra/XT componenets). I have a long femur so need a bike with a slacker seat tube angle, which the terrys offer. With the 24" front wheel my bikes have 48-49 cm top tubes, which lets me use a normal reach stem and normal reach bars, rather than short reach, which gives great handling. I do find that the bikes as terry spcs them have shortish stems and bars, which is what makes them squirrely. Once you at least put a longer stem on them, they handle great. Some of the other brand bikes in my size I find are too stable for me, very hard to steer, so I do like a bike on the quicker side handling wise (to avoid toe clip overlap sometimes the head tube angle is slackened too much), or have toe clip overlap. I agree with everyone else though, I don't know what Georgena was thinking when she went to aluminum this year, although fast women still comes in steel. I also like that even Isis, my go fast bike, can accept a rear rack for occasional light touring. Isis is my go fast bike, and Athena (the classic) my commuter/loaded touring bike.

[GLC1968]

Just thought I'd post an update.

I received my 2004 Terry Classic a few weeks ago and I've put a few commuting miles on her (maybe 60 total so far?). I LOVE the bike. LOVE IT. From the first second I sat on her, I felt 100% comfortable...more so than on my road bike (which is a Specialized Dolce Comp). There is definitely a handling difference, but after 2-3 minutes on each bike, and I've adjusted to it...so not a big deal.

I rode the Classic for a few commutes last week and then this weekend, I rode my Specialized for our MS Tour. 150 miles later, and I'm find myself wishing that I'd taken the heavier Terry on the tour! As much as I love my Specialized...it just isn't as comfy as the Terry. Had the terry had drop bars, I would have ridden her. Now I'm saving up for the bar conversion AND looking for serious buyers for my Specialized so that I can buy an Isis. :o

I guess I'm hooked. :D

[emily_in_nc]

I had a 2001 Terry Isis, and it was a great bike. As posted on another thread on stem length, I probably should have swapped out the stock 6.5 cm stem (too short; made the bike handle squirrely up front) for a 9 cm stem. Also, she was a little heavier than bikes my peers were riding (aluminum and carbon), so I ultimately built up a carbon-fiber Aegis Swift and lost several lbs. of weight vs. the Isis, which helped me for climbing, but the Isis was still a sweet ride. Georgena Terry later changed to lighter steel, then ti, for the Isis, but now is using aluminum, which is too bad, IMO.

I had test ridden a Classic for size (17.5") before ordering my Isis as it was all the LBS had in stock, and I loved it immediately, just like GLC. I just knew I wanted drop bars so ordered the Isis.

I recently sold my Isis to a gal in California, who adores it and is riding it a lot. For me, it had become my trainer bike, and I wanted it to have a better home.

I think Terry bikes are great! I didn't even mind the two different size wheels, though I sure got a lot of questions/attention because of them. I liked that I didn't have toe overlap because of it and understood and respected Georgena's reasoning on this very unique geometry. She truly does make bikes for women and is a woman herself, so I liked giving her my business. If she had come out with the ti Isis when I was hot to get a lighter go-fast bike, she would have had my business again, but I bought my Aegis frame just a bit too early!

Emily