male pig wants to buy enlightened wife a bike

[SadieKate]

I agree, fit and sizing are very important, honestly she is not much of a gear *****.(non gender specific term mind you dont be offended) she would not know shimano from SRAM and is just learning how to use her gears on her MTB. That being said i agree 105 is a good starting point.

While she may not be as much of a gear whatever at this time, she could be. It is just ignorance at this point. A lot of us with small hands don't like Shimano hoods. We like Campy. She needs to go ride a few bikes equipped both ways before she chooses, even if the bike isn't in her size. She needs to think about the components separately from the frame. This is an awfully expensive present to buy that can cause a lot of pain and unhappiness if it doesn't fit, both the frame and the hoods.

I know a bunch of people who have ridden the short distance tri's on mtbikes with slicks. They knew they weren't going to be fast but they wanted to try a tri. And she won't be the only one out there on a mtbike at the short distances.

BTW, where in NorCal are you? That's a rather generic description of location to ask about shopping. We might be able to help more if you narrow it down a bit.

[steelynorm]

I live in the Sacramento area, but travel around the valley and San jose quite frequently for work. So driving to a shop a hundred miles away from Sac is not a huge issue hence the generalization of Nor Cal.

I do not think that i am going to buy new right now... I am leaning toward a used bike or just getting her some slicks, a tune up, mp3 and jewelry.

Where in SAc Area, Davis, East Bay can i look at a good selection of used bikes?

Or do i just have to let my fingers do the walking?


FYI, to all the beautiful women who have helped me thank you very much and have a wonderful xmas.


THANK YOU VERY MUCH

[SadieKate]

You might contact the Mad Cows Tri team as well as get on the DBC email list. Post that you are looking for a used bike.

Other clubs in town might have email lists also.

Just don't buy her a tri-specific bike at this point. They aren't really comfortable for general road riding such as centuries. At this point in her budding career, she may decide againt tri's and go for centuries or even brevets. A road bike will be much more all purpose, but if she really gets gung-ho into tri's she'll want both.

[Wahine]

Don't be too afraid to get a used bike. If you buy from another woman who is about her height, and your wife does not have any really weird body comp issues (ie really short torso), you should be fine. I am a Physical Therapist and I agree whole heartedly that bike fit is parmount. In fact I've spent much time and money getting to the point where I now do custom bike fitting for people with injuries and special needs. The good news is that there are so many options out there for tweaking out bike fit that if you save a few bucks by getting a good frame you have some money free to invest in a different stem, saddle or seat post which is usually all you need to get a bike to fit well if it is within 2 cm of the right frame size.

The other factor is that your wife is kinda short and if you buy from someone the same height they will likely already have shorter cranks, saving a little cost for you.

Have fun shopping.

Wahine