need to buy my wife a bike

[sgtiger]

2nd:Cotton or china: Clothes, cotton bar tape or, yeah, ceramic bearings

Sheesh.... Have I taught you nothing?

China - A girl can't be on a bike ALL her time, now can she? She's gotta eat, right? How about some plates that are bicycle themed? Maybe racers chasing each other around the rim. Or a coffee mug with Campy or Park Tools logo on it. Better yet, go to one of those pottery cafe places and make her a tile or dish embedded with a cog(or other bike part - make sure it's something that'll survive the firing) that she's worn out! Oh! And a girls gotta bathe too, right? She'll appreciate a nice soak after her long rides in a new clawfoot tub. Aaaah! It's enameled with some ceramic substance which is close enough to china, that it practically IS china!!!

Cotton - Greens, baby! No, no, not those greens. Sure, they'll provide her with the phyto-nutrients and minerals she'll need to sustain her on a long ride(Not to mention: Keep her insides cleansed). These greens. That's right, I'm talking cold, hard CA$H! It's printed on a paper made with <gasp> COTTON!!! The most versatile gift of all! It let's her choose any bike accessory she wants. Whether it's a new piece of bling for her bike or a whole nother bike! She could even spend it on the cycling vacation of her dream$. Boosting her favorite racer up the mountain on the next Giro d'Italia(Ooh, what a tight toosh!). Experiencing bicycling utopia. Riding through the Pyrenees. She's only limited by her imagination and the $ize of the gift(Hopefully lots)!

~Sg"If you're going to dream, dream BIG, I say!"tiger

[steelynorm]

Thought I would give you an update.

She has road tested 4 bikes so far
Trek 4.5WSD
Trek 2.3 WSD
Specialized Ruby
and a Felt FW 15

The winner so far suprisingly is the most inexpensive, Trek 2.3 WSD, she said it was the stiffest. and most solid feeling so far.

If you have any other suggestions, I really want to purchase her a bike soon.


Thanks for all your help

[alpinerabbit]

The two treks seem to have almost the same componentry - my most basic advice is go no lower than 105.

How do these compare in weight - does the perceived solidity of the 2.3 come from its weight?

[tulip]

If she likes it, why keep looking? Sometimes you just know.

[sgtiger]

The winner so far suprisingly is the most inexpensive, Trek 2.3 WSD, she said it was the stiffest. and most solid feeling so far.

If she's not positively sure this is the one, maybe she can ask the LBS if they'll let her take it out for a day. The worse they can say is "no."

A couple of the LBS's here will let you take a bike for a day or two for a fee (and take down a CC# in case, ya know, the borrower doesn't return). Usually some part of the fee can be applied towards the purchase of that bike.

If this is an option, remember to have her take her own saddle and pedals and have the LBS switch them out for the stock stuff.

[kelownagirl]

Which Ruby? (Comp / Expert / Pro?)

[steelynorm]

i think it was the pro for around 2300?

Iwas thinking of having her test ride a Terry or Giant.

norm

[Triskeliongirl]

Where do you live, it can be hard to find dealers with a terry in stock, but I have two terry isis bikes that I absolutely love (and have owned 2 classics as well, one is crashed and one is retired). They do post lists of dealers on their website, but be sure to notice if they sell bikes vs clothes and accesories only. They have a program where they will ship a bike to a shop of your choice, and I believe you have a certain period to return it (but I think you have to pre-pay and may lose some shipping fees so check). I forget where you say you lived, but you can check their website. Terry's are also easy to come by used for a good price, but if she wants to race tri, they aren't the lightest thing out there. I have a 2005 titaium isis which is considerably lighter than my 2003 steel isis. This year they are being produced in the waterford factory from fairly light weight steel, but most of what you'll find used is probably on the heavier side of ideal. One thing nice about the terry geometry is they use a normal (i.e. 73-74 degree seat tube angle on all sizes). Other manufacturers use 75-76 I think to make the reach appear shorter than it really is, which can make it hard to get set up properly if she has a long thigh (like me). But again, if she is looking for a tri set up a steeper STA may be ideal. I hear Giant's are very good values and light if they fit her.