WANTED: Cyclocross Bike for my wife!

Hi everyone...just signed up tonight, thought this might be worth a chance as I stumbled across it in some google searches....

I am looking to buy a cross bike for my wife...I just recently started racing cross, and she has decided she wants a bike as well, and a cross bike is just a smart way to go for us. It will be her first bike in a long time so I am not looking for anything super expensive or even brand new necessarily. I am just tired of battling ebay/craigslist etc. and thought I might find something on this site.

She is 5'2" so I am guessing around a 49 or 48 depending on the brand will fit her well. Like I said...this will be a new thing for her, but a decent, reliable bike that can handle some road and some dirt would be awesome...doesn't need a super fancy build, just some good pieces.

We live in SLC, UT but I am happy to pay for shipping etc. if we find a good deal. I would be super pumped to stay in the 500 to 700 dollar range, gotta make sure she loves it before we drop in on anything more pricey! Trying to surprise her a little, I am sure she will become a member once we get her rolling! Thanks for your help...much appreciated and happy riding!
-Ian

I'd probably recommend that you don't surprise her - because fit is really important. If you have an idea of what geometry works for her, how long of a top tube she needs - whether she needs a WSD or not, you might manage it.

If she's 5'2, unless she's got a very long inseam, she probably doesn't want to be on 48 or 49 cm cross bike if she's actually going to do cross with it. Cross bikes generally require more standover than a road bike - road bike you can get away with not having or barely having standover - not for cross though. So at 5'2, probably a 48 or 49 cm bike is what she'd want in a road bike, and she'd want smaller for standover. I'm 5'1 and ride 48,49 cm road bikes - but generally they actually measure out to 45-46 cm center of cranks to top of seattube with compact geometry.

Someone was selling a pretty green kona jake frame recently on here, I don't know if it's still available.

Yeah, something closer to 44cm is probably what would fit her. My road bike is a 48cm frame, but for a cross bike I need a 44. I have my eye on a pretty Redline Conquest Pro...*sigh*

Good luck finding a cyclocross bike for your wife. I agree, if a person only has one bike, that's just about perfect. In many ways I regret not going for a 'cross bike first. A ton of the roads to our north are unpaved. I look at them longingly when I am out on my road bike.

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Originally Posted by Cataboo

I'd probably recommend that you don't surprise her - because fit is really important. If you have an idea of what geometry works for her, how long of a top tube she needs - whether she needs a WSD or not, you might manage it.

If she's 5'2, unless she's got a very long inseam, she probably doesn't want to be on 48 or 49 cm cross bike if she's actually going to do cross with it. Cross bikes generally require more standover than a road bike - road bike you can get away with not having or barely having standover - not for cross though. So at 5'2, probably a 48 or 49 cm bike is what she'd want in a road bike, and she'd want smaller for standover. I'm 5'1 and ride 48,49 cm road bikes - but generally they actually measure out to 45-46 cm center of cranks to top of seattube with compact geometry.

Someone was selling a pretty green kona jake frame recently on here, I don't know if it's still available.

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I guess I should have clarified...it isn't a total surprise...we have gone to the local bike shop and had her sized up, I kind of thought 49 was a bit big too, however I think she will be doing more casual riding than racing so it will probably work for a starter kit. It will be a lot of crusing on paved roads and a few graded dirt trails around the area, not a lot of dismounting or single track just yet for her (though I know it will come quickly)

I think the surprise end is more I am just going to go spend the money without asking her or we will never get it done. She is a bit more frugal than I am. =) As for the cross bike...it just makes sense so she can do a little bit of everything starting out...she wants the option to do easy dirt rides or ride on the road, just a good do everything bike.

I would love to get her a WSD...the new Giant TCX W is awesome...just a little pricey maybe straight out of the gate...

Thanks so much for your replies...this is a great forum.

I got a surprise bike for someone once, and it was a disaster. I wanted so much for it to be a surprise (the moment), but the bike didn't fit and he never rode it.

I would encourage you to cut out a picture of the bike as the surprise, then go get her properly sized. That does not mean simply standover height. It means looking at the top tube and stem length combo and crank arm length, too.

A 49cm could still very well be too large. I am a hair shy of 5'6", and my bike is a 49cm. It just depends on how a person is built, not just height.

It would be a shame to get her a bike, it doesn't fit, she is uncomfortable, and so she never gets into riding and then stops and shies away from ever riding in the future. All because the bike doesn't fit.

It's very nice of you to get your wife a bike, by the way. I hope that whatever bike y'all get, she'll have lots of wonderful miles on it.

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Originally Posted by ian

I guess I should have clarified...it isn't a total surprise...we have gone to the local bike shop and had her sized up, I kind of thought 49 was a bit big too, however I think she will be doing more casual riding than racing so it will probably work for a starter kit. It will be a lot of crusing on paved roads and a few graded dirt trails around the area, not a lot of dismounting or single track just yet for her (though I know it will come quickly)

I would love to get her a WSD...the new Giant TCX W is awesome...just a little pricey maybe straight out of the gate...

Thanks so much for your replies...this is a great forum.

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If you think it will come quickly that she will want to do a lot of dismounting and or single track - you probably are better off just buying a 44 or 45 cm bike to begin with and save having to buy her another bike in a year. I think most of my 48/49 cm road bikes are actually 44 cms if I measure them.

As for WSD - it's made for women who have long legs and short torsos generally. So very many women who don't have those proportions, don't actually ride WSD bikes, because they don't fit them. WSD does sometimes have short reach levers and narrower handlebars that women can appreciate, but often just putting those on a unisex bike works. I don't ride WSD bikes because they have miniscule top tubes for me - but i have a couple friends my same height, that when I put them on my bike, they're practically bent over to try to reach the handlebars - they need WSDs. Bike shop employees don't always realize that and will often automatically just put a woman on a WSD whether or not she needs one.

Thank you all so much for the info. Glad I am learning about WSD. She definitely has a shorter inseam rather than longer legs and shorter upper body...I still want it to be a surprise but I am beginning to agree that it might be smarter to figure the size out PERFECTLY the first time and get something good rather than having to upgrade later. I am learning that on my own bike the hard way...upgrading is fun...but pricey. =)

Thanks again...the search continues.

Don't get her a bike that is too big and figure its fine because she's just riding casual....

Size is sooooo much more than stand over and more than about mounts and dismounts. It's about power and comfort. On a bike that is too tall / long she'll likely just be frustrated, feel weak, slow and her body will hurt. While it may be fine and not noticeable for short jaunts, it certainly won't make her more likely to want to be more serious about riding.

OK, let the "surprise" be that you are buying her a new bike.

Let the fun part be that she gets to test ride them and make the final selection.

You could start by giving her good pics or tear sheets on 2 or 3 models that you think would be good, and make the appt at the LBS to take each on a long test ride, but be very clear that whatever bike she selects is OK with you, and even though you gave her a couple of bikes to try as starters, they are by no means required to be the final selection.

In other words, establish a budget and help her find and evaluate the right bike, that she likes.

This won't be done in a day.

YES. Thanks to both of you for your replies...I would never want to ride a bike that is too big for me, I would never expect anyone to ride one that is too big for ANY type of riding.

We will be shopping around from here on out, plus I have a feeling I would be better off letting her pick it out anyway, I know the kind of trouble I can get in making decisions first and then talking to her later :D


Thank you all so much for your help and advice/expertise, hope this finds everyone riding hard and well.

Hi Ian -
I did much the same thing thing for my husband who biked lots, was waaaay overdue for a new bike but thought it was unfair to spend that much money on himself. I really wanted him to do it tho, so in the end, I went to the bank, got the necessary money out in 100 dollar bills, and wrote him the most romantic note he's ever had from me which said, "Get a bike" (on a little yellow sticky note, no less). He got the message and we went off together to buy it a week or so later. I was so happy for him.