Another beginner with a bunch of questions

[ccbloom]

If you're looking for a road bike, you might want to try a men's road bike vs. the wsd's (women specific). I just went through the whole process of buying my first bike, and I learned that the wsd's are geared towards the avg. woman who has longer legs and a shorter torso. You sound like me (I'm 5'2") and have a longer torso and shorter legs.

I ended up spending $500 for a new 2006 Trek 1000. Yes, it's an older model, but it's plenty of bike for me as a new rider. I know it's a little more than your budget, but there are deals to be found (I believe this bike was about $800 when it first came out). The benefit of buying new vs. used is warranty and LBS help. I also got 1 yr of routine maintenance on my bike, which equates to about 1 tune-up ($60) and any other fine-tuning I need.

[tctrek]

Odinne, one of the benefits of finding a bike at a local bike shop is that you can actually "shop". You can try out different bikes and see how it feels getting on/off, maybe even test ride it a little in the parking lot.

You can get an idea of bike size, wheel size, brands, etc. Then you can search Craig's list and other sources of used bikes and you will know what you are looking for --and you can price shop that way.

I would recommend against buying a bike that you haven't tried first... so try them out at the bike shop and if you can't afford their prices, go price shopping elsewhere.

[TrekWSDmechanic]

I just went through the whole process of buying my first bike, and I learned that the wsd's are geared towards the avg. woman who has longer legs and a shorter torso. You sound like me (I'm 5'2") and have a longer torso and shorter legs.

Hi. I know this post is a few days old but I just wanted to clarify this some. WSD bikes (which is Trek's brand name, btw, not a general term) are absolutely not made the way they are because of some generalization about proportions. In fact, during the research stage we found no scientific evidence that women on average have one proportionality moreso than men.

We change the geometry of our bikes in order to deal with the fact that as women, our center of gravity is not located in the same place as that of a man, and it is for this reason that less reach and a higher hand position is more anatomically correct for most women (notice I did not say 'all').

It is not about height.

It is not about proportionality.

If this is what you were told by a Trek dealer, please feel free to send me a PM and let me know which one it was. We train shop staff on the reasons why WSD bikes should be an option for women, and there are still a lot of shops who are getting it wrong.

[tctrek]

I have (2) TREK WSDs and there's no other bike I've ever tried that fit me as well as they do. I have short arms, short legs, short torso... I'm overall pretty stubby . I have very small hands and what I love the most about my WSD is the wonderful spacing when I am on the hoods and need to get to my brakes and shifters. I also love the slightly narrower top bar -- it allows me to keep my arms loose and tucked in.

[NbyNW]

It is also probably worth your while to run some searches here on TE regarding bikes for petite riders. You will no doubt come across a few discussions re: 700 v. 650.

I'm 5'1" with a 27" inseam. My road bike has 650c wheels. I also ride a folding bike with 20" wheels, which I find extremely comfortable, and I love that it has a low stepover. I have a bad hip, so the low stepover makes it easier to get on and off, while I am not so graceful getting on and off my other bike.

[MamboGirl]

I have a Trek WSD 1600. With 650c tires.
The smaller tires are really the key for me. I am only 4' 10" 1/2.
And the bike is perfect for me!

the bike is a 2007 model and I bought it new just about a month ago. I know that the Trek WSD's are above your budget. But think about spending more than you originally wanted to. Because if you spend $300 or $400 on something that isn't great, it is better to spend $800 or $900 on something you will love and want to ride every day. I originally was going to get the Trek 1.2 WSD model, but the bike shop happened to have one of the WSD 1600 there and I went ahead and shelled out the additional bucks for it.
But the Trek 1.2 is around $900 I think, and seems to be a good bike.

[ccbloom]

Hi. I know this post is a few days old but I just wanted to clarify this some. WSD bikes (which is Trek's brand name, btw, not a general term) are absolutely not made the way they are because of some generalization about proportions. In fact, during the research stage we found no scientific evidence that women on average have one proportionality moreso than men.

We change the geometry of our bikes in order to deal with the fact that as women, our center of gravity is not located in the same place as that of a man, and it is for this reason that less reach and a higher hand position is more anatomically correct for most women (notice I did not say 'all').

It is not about height.

It is not about proportionality.

If this is what you were told by a Trek dealer, please feel free to send me a PM and let me know which one it was. We train shop staff on the reasons why WSD bikes should be an option for women, and there are still a lot of shops who are getting it wrong.

To be honest, I can't remember if it was an actual Trek that the employee was referring to when he was telling me about it being for shorter torso/longer legs since I also tried out the Specialized women's bikes. Either way, that is the impression that I was given while testing the women's vs. men's bikes. I'm happy to give you the name of the LBS where I purchased the bike, though. I can say that my first 3 experiences with them were not great; however, as long as I get this one employee there, I'm more than satisfied since he's so helpful.

[Kris]

I've been told this at a Trek dealer. I can't remember if it was a Trek bike I was looking at when he said it, but he definitely said that since I had a long torso, I should look at men's bikes. Nothing about geometry or gravity or the fact that I have little stubby fingers. I'll send you the name of the shop.