Quote Originally Posted by GLC1968 View Post
I agree 100%.

If she wanted to buy the first road bike on the spot - then she's likely going to love this sport. I fell in love in one short ride and I do wish I'd gone with better (and better fitting) bike the first time around instead of 'upgrading' twice in the first two years (all three were road bikes, so it's not like I couldn't have bought my last bike the first time around!). This is particularly important for people who might be a hard fit (like me) because bike shopping can be very frustrating. I say, go with the best fit on the best bike you can afford. She'll thank you for it!
Ditto. And if she even has 1% of her brain that thinks racing might be fun, then definitely don't rule out a more performance/aggressive geometry frame. I ended up on a women's "comfort" bike, instead of the men's/unisex performance frame that I realized after only a few months would have been a more ideal fit with my body type and interest. Only a year after receiving my first road bike I am ready for an upgrade. This time to carbon (from aluminum...which really sucks on our rough, chip-sealed rural roads) and this time with better components (from Shimano 105 to SRAM Rival and lighter wheels and better brakes).