Which bike do you ride & why?

[lilred]

I'm really curious to know how many of you ride women specific frames.
What do you ride and why did you choose it? Are you still happy with your choice? Is it a women's specific frame?
Just curious.

[TrekJeni]

I ride a WSD Trek 6700 for mtbing. My cross bike is a Fuji Cross Pro (not women's specific) and my road bike is a lowly little Trek 1000 (also not a WSD).

Although I am only 5'4", I've got decently long legs and fit mens bikes okay. I like the fit of all of my bikes. The boyfriend (who's family owns a local bike shop) says, "They work".

My advice is to ride everything, take notes, narrow down your list, and ride some more.

I didn't help did I?

Jeni

[mimitabby]

I ride a custom bike. I guess it's WSD because I'm longer in the leg and shorter in the torso and I'm less than 5'4"
My bike was made by guys who live in my town. I like that very much. There are things I don't like about my bike, but they are minor; and today when i was sailing down the road at 19mph (tailwind ) there wasn't a bike in the world I'd rather have!

[bike4ever]

I'm currently on a Salsa Ala Carte - nice regular steel frame. I've regularly been on men's frames due to my body geometry.

[Irulan]

I have four mountain bikes. Only one is wsd frame, and that is only because it was the right bike at the right price at the right time at the right shop. I did not "intentionally" go looking for wsd.

[crazycanuck]

I just ride a Scott Scale 40..

[KnottedYet]

I have four bikes (Waterford X12, Surly Crosscheck, Giant RS940, Kona Smoke).

None are WSD.

All are steel. And I love them all.

[NbyNW]

Kinda wordy, but I hope it answers your questions --

I would probably consider a WSD bike if I were shopping for something new, as I get the impression that they seem to be designed for short torso/long legs. Not that my legs are particularly long (I'm 5'1"), but I think my torso is short based on how clothes fit, or don't. What I struggle with is that some of the LBS' that I've been to that carry WSD bikes . . . often don't have them in a size that is small enough for me to test ride!

I think my MTB pre-dates the concept of WSD . . . at any rate, I don't recall the term being tossed around when I bought it in 1998. It was the only thing that fit me in my budget at the time. It's a GT Rebound, size 12.5". I'm still happy with it . . . but to be honest I haven't had a chance to take it off road in 5 years (I blame grad school and injury), so recently it has become my neighborhood/utility bike. The knobby tires are going back on this summer, though. This is the cheapest, heaviest, ugliest bike I own but it holds the most sentimental value. The longer I have it the more I love it.

For years I thought my MTB was the tiniest bike ever, but then I met my road bike, which is a Rodriguez Rainier, size "S1" which is their smallest standard size (I measure it at 43cm) but I can't say for sure if it's WSD. I'm told that the frame design is based on measurement data they've collected from years of building custom bikes for petite riders who are mostly women. Love it. It does all the work for me on hills. Chose it b/c Rodriguez has excellent customer service and they make bikes for small riders, and they're 10 minutes away from me. And a good chunk of it was paid for by an insurance claim.

My folding bike that I commute on is a Dahon SpeedPro TT. Dahons are one-size-fits-most. It fits me just fine, it's peppy, I love the color, and it stays safely under my desk while I work. And I wanted to support my friend's company, because I think it's going in a really good direction.

[BluePeace2]

I ride a Radon Mid season, we got it because it fitted, was in my price range and had what I wanted on it. I found the breaks that I wanted and was going to have those breaks! I looked at a women's specific but it cost more and had lower components on it oh and they had run out of my size so mens bike it is
M road bike was hand made for the girl who had it before me so I guess you could say it's women's specific

[Eden]

I have an '05 Specialized Ruby Pro. It is a WSD and in general there are no unisex bikes that are made to fit a 5' nothing like me. Not only am I short, I am the stereotypical longer legged, short torso build, so WSD does fit me better.

I went with the Ruby as it was the only high end stock bike I could get that year that would actually fit me properly.... I had been racing for a year and was looking for an upgrade from my relatively heavy aluminium Fuji. I think since then a few more companies have brought out a small high end model. I am very happy with my bike and I don't regret it at all.

[7rider]

My mtb is a '03 Klein Palomino. It's not WSD, but I generally can't fit WSD frames. I did swap out the stem for something a little shorter and with a bit more rise. For the all of about a half dozen times I use it a year, it seems to work fine. It's a better bike than I am a rider.
My commuter and road bike are also not WSD. My road bike is custom, so it is specific to me.

[Sandrider]

I have an 8-year-old Kona Nunuu hardtail, 16 inches. I bought it because it was what I could get at the time and it has served me well for over 1,000 miles. However, I am not sure it is the right size for me because I have toe overlap. Despite the probably wrong size, the bike handles well in sand, mud, rocks, deep narrow ruts etc. I would love to check out a women's specific bike if I had the opportunity. I am trying to learn about other bikes through reading this forum!

Linda

[dirtygirl1]

#1. MTB: Norco Faze 1 (Full Suspension) - not WSD and I love the way it fits. The make a size XS and it's perfect for me out of the box (I am 5ft 4 and a petite woman). I love this bike because it is so flexible. I use it to race 24 hour enduros - it is great for climbing but also rocks on the dh sections.

#2 MTB: Norco XTC 1 (hard tail) - not WSD and i love the wat it fits. Great for short track or speedy short rides.

#3 DH Bike: Norco Sasquach - again, not WSD but again, i love the fit.

#4 Road: Giant TCR1 - not wsd but the fit is right.

#5: Commuter: Norco OCR3

I guess you can say that I like the way the Norco fits ... they make an XS and this makes me happy :-)

Best bet is to get fitted properly on the bike you decide you like - most bikes can be adjusted to fit you if they are close. The other more spendy option is to get a custom frame built.

[Crankin]

Ah, another mistake. I knew I should have bought the Norco x small.
But, my road bike issue is being rectified. I tried out another Kuota frame, that was only produced for a short time. I could stand over it! So, the first week in Sept. we will be switching out my components to this frame, along with a different bar and brifters. I am happy that the shop is doing this for me for free. He does not want me complaining around town. He knows I lead rides/have contact with a lot of riders and could really poison his business if he doesn't make me happy.

[jayno67]

I've had alot of bikes, none women specific. All fit nice with the right stem length, and seat post (ie layback or zero setback) but I am prolly average build 5'6" with longish legs so WSD not really needed IMO.

Current bikes -

Niner MCR 29er size medium, 90mm stem zero set back post, was gonna go for a small frame, this being a 29er I still had this brain blockage that you have to be a big girl to ride one, not so Med is the go. Geometry on this bike is totally DIALLED.

Jamis Dakar XC pro dually - 17" wonderful fit - this bike feels tiny now I ride a Niner

Jamis Dragon 17" - perfect fit - lovely bike now feels like a pram compared to Niner

Kona Explosive from the ninetys single speed to run the dog and ride down the shops