First Hybrid Recommendations?

Hello to ALL the cool chickies on this forum! I'm so psyched to have some legitimate questions for you.

My situation: Bought a cheapo women's "mountain" (read: beater) bike for $10 a few months ago and got completely hooked on cycling---doing it, reading about it, browsing for accessories for it, etc.. Now, as much as I love this bike, it's also a heavy, semi-painful ride that I'd like to supplement in the spring with a good hybrid.

Question 1:
Can anyone recommend a quality hybrid that would go for about $350-$400, on sale or not?

Question 2:
I'm 5'4" and have discovered that a hybrid male frame with only a 31-inch standover height is STILL too big for me. Are there frames smaller than this, either male or female? Might I need a specialized frame?

Thanks for any help!

Glad to know you've succembed like the rest of us. At 5'4" you should be able to get a stock bike. I'm just under 5'4" and had a Marin Larkspur that I really liked. It was no lightweight compared to expensive road bikes but it wasn't bad for the money. It weighed 26 lbs after I put some narrower higher pressure tires on it so it would roll better. If you're going to stay on the pavement, a 700c wheel will roll more easily than a 26" mtb wheel.

welcome to the forum!! several bike brands now are making WSD - women specfic designs - you might look into some of those. I just bought my Trek Navigator 200 in Aug and it was not a WSD but it seems to work very well for me. I am alos 5'2" tall with a 30" inseam! (can you say long legs!) I'm going to look Very seriously at some of the WSD designs for a road bike come spring tho - starting with Trek (my brand of choice). Good luck and have fun!

Don't know if it's considered a hybrid or more of a comfort bike but my first really good bike which I bought this summer is a Giant Cypress, great bike!! Paid right about $300 for it at a LBS.

I've had a Trek 7200 for a few years and I really like it. The price is right in your range and they make both men's and women's. Give it a look.

Stephanie

Thanks, gals! I'll definitely check into the models you mentioned.