Advice on basic bike for woman plz?

[Andrew @ Work]

Hi,
I'm trying to organise a half decent bike for my girlfriend for a bit of
weekend cruising which will be ridden almost always on tarmac/concrete, so I
was thinking something like a mountain bike with narrower/slick tyres or a
hybrid of sorts as I'm sure she'd hate the riding position of my road bike.

Tossing up between new and secondhand, an Apollo LSX1.1
(http://www.apollobikes.com/range.html) can be had locally (Brisbane) for
$300, I don't know what the RRP is though. And Apollo also offer the
'Marathon' which is supposedly a frame designed for women with short top
tube, wheelbase etc etc. The secondhand market seems to be full of old 10
speeds and even the 15 speeds (remembering my old Shogun Trailbreaker from
years ago these would be over 10 years old easily yeah?) are asking
$100-150.

What brands/frame styles would you recommend looking at? Any shops in
Brisbane worth dealing with?

Thanks
Andrew

 

[John Retchford]

Andrew @ Work wrote:
> Hi, I'm trying to organise a half decent bike for my girlfriend for a
> bit of weekend cruising which will be ridden almost always on
> tarmac/concrete, so I was thinking something like a mountain bike with
> narrower/slick tyres or a hybrid of sorts as I'm sure she'd hate the
> riding position of my road bike.



Buying bicycles for women is no different from buying them for men -
they all should fit the rider and the intended use. Cyclists argue
endlessly (and inconclusively) about differences in frame materials -
differences few, if any, can detect. Fit is something you feel
immediately and all the time, so take the trouble to get it right.

I don't know the retail scene in Brisbane, but I would first shop for a
shop. A shop whose proprietor can give advice you can trust. Then melt
into the background. Your girlfriend won't want to hear from someone who
thinks that a mountain bike is the best thing for cruising around the
roads! My wife takes pride in passing people on mountain bikes in
suburbia. Seriously though, won't your g/f want to decide on the style
of bicycle? Worthwhile women have ideas of their own!

My wife and I like to tour. Nine countries so far with more to come this
year. We like light touring bikes, which are sturdy enough to carry us
across the byways of the world but fast enough (legs permitting) to ride
with the training bunches on a Saturday morning. They seem the real
"hybrids" to me. Never could see where the sit-up-and-beg things sold as
hybrids fitted in. But this is about preferences. Seems to me that the
most important preferences in your case are your girlfriend's.

Good luck with your quest (for both a cycling woman and a bike).

John Retchford



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[suzyj]

Originally posted by Andrew @ Wor

> Hi, I'm trying to organise a half decent bike for my girlfriend for
> bit of weekend cruising which will be ridden almost always o
> tarmac/concrete, so I was thinking something like a mountain bike wit
> narrower/slick tyres or a hybri

Don't be so quick to discount road bikes. If she'll be mostly riding o
roads and paths, then a road bike is much better than an MTB or hybrid

Road bikes are generally lighter than comparable mountain bikes, an
they also have faster tyres. If you're riding a road bike, it's no
going to be very kind to handicap her with a heavy, slow MTB

Another advantage with road bikes is that you can pick up old ones fo
peanuts, simply because they're not in vogue

Importantly though, make sure she gets a bike that fits her. Thi
generally requires a visit to a knowledgeable bike shop

Regards

Suz

PS: If simple is what she desires, she could do worse than finding
used track bike, and bunging a front brake on it. Bliss on wheels


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[oldie]

Hi. where did you see the LSX 1.1 for $300. Sounds like a bargain

Regards, Oldie (in Brisbane


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[Andrew @ Work]

Uni cycle shop, Uni of Qld, St. Lucia.

Ended up with a hybrid from Riders Morningside, great service from them too.


"oldie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi. where did you see the LSX 1.1 for $300. Sounds like a bargain.
>
> Regards, Oldie (in Brisbane)
>
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