WSD...Does it really make a difference?

[Chiquita]

This is my second year riding and the hybrid just isn't cutting it anymore. I have been leaning towards the Trek 1500 WSD but I can get a killer deal on a carbon frame Fuji TeamPro. The only catch with the Fuji is that I won't have the opportunity to ride it before I order it. Not such a good deal if it doesn't fit.

So... do the WSD bikes really prove a better ride for the ladies? And is the TeamPro a good bike?

Thanks so much for the help!!!!

[Nanci]

Is the Fiji killer deal so killer that you can re-sell without a loss if it doesn't work out?

Can you go ride _any_ carbon frame to see it you like carbon?

I have the WSD 2100, and have been very happy with it. I bought it without trying it first- just got lucky, I guess.

Nanci

[Polly]

if wsd bikes didn't exist, then my choice would be very limited. Though to be fair, it's not that big a choice as it is!

I'm 5ft 2" with 31" inside leg. I need a shorter top tube, and this is what wsd bikes cater for. My legs are 2" longer than those of my 6ft tall husband. If i sit on his 16" bike there is no way I can reach the handlebars. My 12 year old daughter is currently 4ft 10" with 30" inside leg - she's 'borrows' my juliana cl (borrows as in jooly is now refered to as 'her' bike!)

If you are over 5ft 5" then you have a big choice, most generic bikes will come in a frame size that can be tweaked with stem and seatpost layback to provide a good fit.

This is my experience anyway

[DrBee]

There are a number of other threads around here on WSD (I'm not sure how to link them to this), so try doing a search.

It really all comes down to what feels right once you are on the bike. I'm 5'6" with a 30" inseam and WSD seemed to work for me. I would definitely try to ride as many bikes as you can. I just bought my first road bike (coming from riding a hybrid as you are) and I tried to test out a diversity of frames. For me the Pilot 2.1 WSD (which has more carbon and different geometry) had a more comfy ride than the 1500 WSD and had an overall different feel. I don't have any experience with the Fuji, so I can't comment there. However, there was a huge difference in the feel of the 1500 WSD and the Giant TCR2. Totally different feel - with similar frames and components. So, ride whatever you can, don't limit yourself to 2 models, and do (like Nanci said) at least try a carbon frame before buying the Fuji. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[Aggie_Ama]

Like everyone else has said, if you are short WSD really will make a difference. Polly's explanation is what the LSB told my husband when he was thinking WSD wasn't necessary (I was green and thought a woman needs WSD).

I am hoping to buy a new bike next year and I won't buy without riding. It is too expensive an investment to buy blind. I look at it like a car, I would buy one without test driving.

[Geonz]

Or a pair of shoes, or a bra, or a partner :-)

[Derf]

Is there someway that you can get fitted first? I thought I would end up with a WSD Cannondale, but when they set me up on the test bike and used the angles that the WSD C'dale would have, it just didn't work for me. I ended up with a 50 cm R600 -- non WSD.

[caligurl]

if wsd didn't exist.... i'd have a hard time finding a bike that fit! even on my wsd (ruby pro) i had to shorten the stem! i have longer legs/shorter torso.... so i NEED wsd!

as far as other gear... my current shoes and helmet are men's versions (by choice.. as i wanted a black helmet and specialized carbon fiber shoes..)

[Fuji Girl]

I have a Fuji WSD (2004 Fuji Newest WSD), and yes, it really makes a difference. The smaller handlebars, shorter top tube, and shorter reach to the brake leveres, really make a difference to me. But, it might not make a difference to you.

The Team Pro is a great bike! But not so great if it doesn't fit you. Is there any way you could test ride another Fuji with similar geometry? If you cannot, I would go with the "sure thing" and not with the "maybe." But if you can...it might be worth it.

[mimitabby]

T
Trek 1500 WSD but I can get a killer deal on a carbon frame Fuji TeamPro.
So... do the WSD bikes really prove a better ride for the ladies?

Thanks so much for the help!!!!

I'm not a new rider but very new on this forum. There are a lot of acronyms that i have never heard of. what's WSD?

thanks

[SadieKate]

Women Specifc Design - usually involves stuff like shorter top tubes, narrower bars with a shallower drop, brake levers adjusted for shorter reach, a woman's saddle, frame tubing may be manipulated for a lighter rider, etc. Therefore, it can mean changes to the components only or it can also involve frame design.

[DrBee]

Women's specific design - it's a different geometry. WSD bikes typically have a shorter top tube which reduces the reach. It all comes down to how you are shaped. Height alone doesn't seem to matter.


edit: OK SadieKate posted at the same time and she gave a much better explanation than I did. I tried.

[SadieKate]

It all comes down to how you are shaped. Height alone doesn't seem to matter.

But this is a very good point.

[DrBee]

Thanks Now I feel less dorkful

[HipGnosis6]

OK.... so.... I'm pretty average in proportion for a woman except that I am very tall. I read about and considered the advantages of WSD, but I wound up getting a non-WSD bike. I found that, at 6'1", I could not find one large enough!