Newb Status? Now what?

[MRL788]

Hey girls! So I typed in Google, "Women's Road Bike Forum" and this was the first one that came up. I checked some posts before registering and everyone seems really friendly here so I thought I'd join.

So here's my situation/dilemma, and I'm hoping to get some details to steer me in the right direction so I don't get so influenced by my boyfriend.

My boyfriend just recently bought a Specialized Allez road bike. I wanted to join him in his new found interest. Actually he's been into bikes for awhile but he just recently bought his first really nice bike for himself.

So I shopped at this place called Performance Bicycles which is located in Southern Cali. I kind of felt pressured by this shop but that's beside the point.

I went on two test rides. I was introduced to Fuji bicycles. The sales guy showed me the Absolute 2.0 and the Absolute 3.0 road bike/comfort. I definitely was attracted to the 2.0 because it had so much bells and whistles and it had that carbon form. Just the technicalities of it looked better than the 3.0. However, I don't have $650 to spend. So I opted for the 3.0 because I wasn't sure if I would ride enough to justify my spending of $650. Mind you, the 3.0 is HALF the cost of that. Well, two days later.... I ended up returning it because I just really thought about it when I got home. And I wasn't happy with the look and the feel of it despite having pretty good test rides.

I just wanted to get some feedback on any other suggestions for road/comfort bikes where I don't have to spend an arm and a leg but still have a quality beginner bike to get around with my boyfriend.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

[hebe]

Hello and welcome! I identify completely with your bike-buying woes. I have to go to nursery now but just wanted to say you must find a bike shop that you love, really, it makes all the difference in the world. Will be back later.

Right. I can't really advise you on exact bikes to try as you probably have a whole different range available to you on your side of the Atlantic. But I do suggest going to all your local bike shops, on your own, and telling them the kind of thing that you're looking for. They should listen, suggest, and not make you feel at all pressured. You might need to clarify the type of bike you want - over here "road bikes" and "comfort bikes" are two completely different animals and I think the US terminology is similar. The bike you tried is a hybrid, so it would be useful to try to work out exactly what you didn't like about it so that another shop can help direct you to some better choices. You can change both the look and feel of a bike to some extent, though obviously only within certain limits. Different shops will carry different bike ranges so going to a few different shops will let you see both how the shops compare and how the bikes feel.

I'm currently looking at changing my comfort bike for something lighter, prettier and faster. The two that are front-runners at the moment are the Specialized Vita and the Giant Escape 1W, these might be worth a look? Good luck!

[lph]

Hi, and welcome!

No bikes to suggest, unfortunately, but do concentrate on feel when you test ride, and also when you get the bike back home. An ugly bike can ride like a dream (and can be painted or prettied up), an uncomfortable bike will never be good no matter how pretty it is. Good for you on returning the first one! You need to like the bike if you're going to ride it, especially if you're trying to keep up with someone faster on a better bike.

Don't be too put off if you can't keep up, btw. A lot of us have been there, and it's an unfair playing ground. Have fun riding with your bf, but if you feel slow, ride a bit alone or find a riding partner or group with a better pace for you. You can only improve so much at a time.

[goldfinch]

What type of riding do you see yourself doing? Long rides on the road? Multi-use paths in the city? Around town on city streets? How hilly? How fit are you? All these and other questions will effect what type of bike may work best for you. However, I do agree that starting out with a relatively inexpensive bike makes sense until you know whether riding is for you or not. But the bike needs to be good enough so it doesn't cause its own frustrations when you ride. And as Iph says, it takes time to get into the swing of biking.

So, the suggestions about working with a good bike shop are excellent. Talk to them about what you plan to do, test ride bikes. Different shops carry different lines of bikes so you will want to try several shops.

The type of bike you tried is a hybrid. There are many other bikes of this style you might want to try. The Trek FX series is one of the post popular. As the FX bikes get more expensive they also are more like road bikes with flat bars. The FX3 is a nice hybrid bike. You might give that one a try. Most manufacturers have similar lines with similar price points. But you might also find out that a different type of bike appeals to you more and will fit the type of riding you do better.

Another option, if you or your BF are handy and feel like you can evaluate the quality of a bike and its condition is to buy used, like off of Craigslist. I've outfitted several family members with Craigslist bikes. There are lots of poorly maintained bikes out there and in some areas, people sell Walmart type bikes for nearly as much as they pay for them, but good deals on good bikes can be found.

[Owlie]

Hybrids...There's the Trek FX series, Giant Rapid/Dash or FCR (if you're looking on Craiglist--they renamed the series a year or so ago), and I know Specialized and Cannondale have their own versions, but I can't remember them.

Try everything out and see what feels best on test rides. I'd write more, but I haven't had enough caffeine yet to write anything intelligent.

[goldfinch]

Hybrids...There's the Trek FX series, Giant Rapid/Dash or FCR (if you're looking on Craiglist--they renamed the series a year or so ago), and I know Specialized and Cannondale have their own versions, but I can't remember them.

Try everything out and see what feels best on test rides. I'd write more, but I haven't had enough caffeine yet to write anything intelligent.

The Cannondale version is the Quick. I have a Quick4 and it is very similar to the Trek. Specialized has the Vita. Hebe provided a link.

[Zippinalong]

Bet thing to do is get out there and try a ton of bikes. It can be a daunting process as let's face it, no one has a lot of patience for looking and trying, you just want to find something and ride!
But take your time, make sure you really like the bike and the most important thing of all is to get fit once you purchase the bike. It makes all the difference in the world in terms of how much you enjoy the bike and also avoiding injuries. While your BF may have some suggestions, remember you're the one that has to ride it. If you don't like the bike it will be a waste of money.

[Bluetree]

Stop by Surf City (Costa Mesa/HB) or JAX(Fullerton/HB) before making a decision. Spec and Trek have a lot more options for women than many other brands and are a good starting point (those stores carry enough stock where you should be able to find something in your size to test). If you're down in the southern portion of OC, try Rock n'Road. If you are taller, then give Cannondales a try, too (they have longer top tubes so are not good for short people or those with short arms). Test as many bikes as you can before making a decision. Good luck.

[Bike Writer]

MRL 788, welcome to Team Estrogen! I can't add to the great advice already given but just wanted to welcome you and make an observation.

Congratulations on recognizing that bike was not right for you and having the gumption to return it. The lure of just getting out and riding is strong, but shopping for a bike can be a lot of fun too if you approach it that way and not let confusion frustrate you. At first you will be confused because sales people will give you confliciting information and high pressure. Stay away from those kind of people and shops. When you find a shop that will be helpful to you in the future you can recognize that quality by the type of questions they will be asking you and how much they are trying to understand you and your riding desires. That distinguishes a shop that is trying to get you to fit into what they are trying to sell you.

Someone mentioned trying various shops because they can only sell certain brands. That is really key to this. All the major brands carry the kind of bike you want, but not all will be suitable for you and trying them out is the only way to find out. It takes time, but keep it fun and the time will fly!

[Sky King]

If you can, go see Chuck and Gretchen at Pacific Coast Cycles, they aren't going to try to sell you something you don't need or want. 2003 S Coast Hwy
Oceanside, CA 92054

[Bethany1]

My son has an Allez. Wonderful bike. As a newbie myself, it's overwhelming looking at bikes, especially getting the size/fit right. I just figured you bought a bike you liked and off you went. Now it's hybrids, mountain bikes, street bikes, racing bikes, comfort bikes, cruisers...arghhh. LOL.

I don't know alot about the other brands, but Trek and Specialized give tons of options for sizes and bikes. I liked the Surly bikes as well but I think they are out of your price range.

I have a Specialized Sirrus that is great for going around town. I put teal/blue tires on it and half the boys in the neighborhood fight over riding it as it's the "Tron" bike. Go figure.

Go to different stores by yourself or if you feel comfortable with your boyfriend (they do tend to get in the way though) and check out different bikes. WSD bikes are sized more for women depending on your needs. Try one of those as well to compare.

Don't buy too big of a bike or too small of a bike because you want instant gratification. LBS can order you a bike and it will there in a couple of days.

Good luck!

[Geonz]

IMO I would hesitate on making a big investment on a first bike. Everybody's different, and the only way to find out what's important to you is to get out and ride, and figure out what you really want to improve and go from there.

I started wtih an entry level hybrid (a Giant Nutra) which I chose after riding about 20 different bikes at 4 different shops, based on What Felt Best. (In fact, it has a Bianchi stem because I'd really liked the Bianchi but it cost the most so I rode others to make *sure* I liked it better... then went back because it did but that bike had sold... and I asked why I'd like it better and they moved a Bianchi stem onto the Giant. On an entry level bike, even )

I wanted something lighter and faster with bigger gears, after a few thousand miles... but I realized I didn't need a road bike. I got a 7500FX with skinny tyres instead. It's light and fast... but my back does *not* like to be bent over, and most other folks don't mind, and I'm not really into going fast fast fast.