Buying a used bike for my gf - fit questions

[bvz]

Wow. Thanks for all the awesome and quick responses!

Owlie: I think you are setting me straight again on the geometry. I was getting starstruck by how high end the components are and forgetting how important the geometry is for comfort (I ride a fairly relaxed bike specifically because I didn't like how twitchy the higher end bikes seemed). That's what happens when you shop craigslist at 2 am. Bad me.

OakLeaf: Thanks for the extensive research you did. I couldn't figure out what year the bike was and just assumed it would have shifters integrated into the brake levers. Now that I think of it, the price is very low for it to be a recent bike with that level of components (again, I use the 2 am excuse to try to shift blame away from me ). I'm not really against an older bike as long as it is of high quality with the exception of the shifters. I think she should have integrated shifters to make the experience more enjoyable. One of the most common complaints I have heard regarding biking from other people (luckily not my gf) is that they hated "10 speeds" because it was hard to shift. I suspect they are still thinking of friction shifting on the downtube. But all the info you have given me, especially reminding me that tires get old, is excellent. With regard to the size of the brake levers, luckily that shouldn't be an issue. She is 1 foot shorter than me but has almost the same sized hands! She's embarrassed about it but I think it's pretty cool.

Thanks again for all the replies, and I will post back with my results. And who knows, with any luck she will get so into it that she becomes a regular on this forum herself, eh?

[bvz]

Oh, and not 10 seconds after I hit submit on my last post, I found this:

http://archive.giant-bicycles.com/it...999&model=9514

So it seems to be a '99, though I can only find references to the frameset, and not a full bike. I've looked around a bit but can't discern whether the 99 ultegra's used integrated shifters. Regardless, the mystery will only really be solved if the poster gets back to me (and if history is any guide, that may not happen at all...)

[malkin]

Take a tools with you when you ride so you can change her seat position(s). Smile and do this happily and encourage her to keep changing it until it is right.

[Trek420]

Bvz, Based on your Craigs ad I surmise you are in the Bay Area? There are many places that sell used bikes here. You get the services of an LBS, adjustments, swapping parts, selection, test rides ... without the possible bad karma of a hot Craigs bike.

Off the top of my head; Pioneer bike shop off Piedmont Ave in Oakland, Trips for Kids Recyclery in Marin, Missing Link Bike Co-op in Berkeley (new bikes south side of the street, used on the north), Karim Cycles in Berkeley .... I'm sure there's more than these. This is just off the top of my head.

[moonfroggy]

There is also the bike kitchen in San Francisco

[Trek420]

Yep, and there's another one of those in the East Bay ...

[bvz]

Thanks for all the bike shop suggestions... I think I'll look around at those (I actually bought my first and second mountain bikes at the missing link almost 20 years ago and the same guy who sold them to me is still working there!)