Biggest mistake ladies make when buying a bike - buying an ill fitting bike. Happens over and over, even good cyclists buy bad bikes. Rule number one.....
1. NEVER buy a man's bike, ever, ever ever ever, no matter what the guy says in the bike store, always ask if this is a women specific bike or a man's bike
2. DO you homework before going, there is a new thing out, it's called the Internet!!! use it and do your homework
3. See my post on bike gears and get yourself a bike that you will use over and over and over
4. check out a few different bike stores, there is no need to spend a ton of money, a good bike can be had for around $1400, you are saying holy cow, that much, hey do you want this hobby or not, think how much other hobbies cost over a few years time, skiing, golf or a vacation, $1400 is cheap in comparison
5. higher costs for a bike are determined by the quality of gearing, not necessary to buy top of the line
6. frame, wheels etc all go into the cost of the bike
7. NEVER LET THE bike store owner tell you that you do not need easy gearing, trust me, YOU WILL NEED IT
See you on the road!!!
11 comments:
Rule #2 - The internet is full of self appointed experts and some of them have blogs. The internet is also full of a lot of misinformation and information found on the internet often sounds so believable that websites like snopes.com have been created to debunk it. Try talking to multiple local sources like bicycle clubs and ask them which shops to talk to and what kind of bike to ride.
Rule #3 – Before you rush out and spend $1400 on a bike ask yourself if you want to ride huched over and tucked into a position suited for the Tour de France or if you want to ride upright. Also do you plan on riding trails which are relatively flat or on the street with lts of hills.
Rule #4 - $1400 will buy you a great bike; provided you are planning on riding at least 50 miles a week, per ride, for most of the year. If your getting a into cycyling for the first time since you were a child $500 will put you on a good quality bike that will allow you to determine your level of interest. You can always upgrade your ride.
Rule #5 – Higher costs for bikes are determined by the frame, rims, and other components in addition to gears.
Rule #6 – No kidding, really? I thought that when you bought a bike each part was sold separately.
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oops, hey fella, my ladies ride good road bikes, we ride long and hard and we are all past 55, none of us has a hybrid
stop selling ladies short, biking is the best sport possible for aging women
we can ride our bikes with bad knees and other issues, hybrid bikes are a waste of $500, better to save the $500 for ur real bike
the internet has great info, what are you, some high school teacher telling his students not to use the internet
aging women can ride long and hard and we deserve good bikes
and btw, my bike was bought one part at time, i bought each component, rim, fork etc, spent a ton of time researching what i wanted on my bike
Dude, y u so :@ u shld b :) ur 64?? I thought you were 14 since your response didn't have any punctuation, let alone bothering to capitalize the appropriate words.
My post wasn't about about selling women short on cycling, you are doing that. With your dogged insistence that the only bike is a road bike and only women who wear Lycra are sexy. I could care less that you ride with women, men, or post-op transgendered Martians. You should visit a local bike shop, contrary to what you think not all hybrids are balloon tired monstrosities with beach cruiser frames. One of the three bikes I own is a hybrid. With 700x28c tires I can match anyone on a road bike for speed and distance. There are also plenty of road bikes for $500 for beginners that don't want to break the bank.
wish i was 14, that would be so sweet, remember don, you are a guy, the older ladies cannot keep up on hybrids, they get discouraged and feel biking is too hard, even if they just go around the block , a road bike is a better choice, dont have to wear cleats, can get handlebars to suit their style of riding, can wear whatever clothes they want, but bike shorts with a pad are HIGHLY rec'd
the hybrid is just too heavy, i rode one for yrs, the road bike is superior for women mainly cuz it is so much lighter and makes biking way more fun
if a lady wants a hybrid for trails or beach riding fine, but no way is it ever gonna be easy to ride one on roads with hills etc
In many instances a man's frame fits me better. It depends on handlebar stem height and geometry. I have a short reach and am very leggy. I always have to have an uncut stem with a road bike. Unless a bike is a city bike/hybrid, stems are just too short. I have to try the bike before I buy it.
I'd like to add that I mostly have hybrids. They are great fun, come in beautiful colors and you can ride them in the rain. They have enough gears for most hills here and they come in beautiful colors. I prefer to "just ride" so hybrids are great. 2014 Bianchi Milano dama [29 lbs] 8 spd x 2, 2014 Giant Via 2W [30] 8 spd x 2, 2011 Jamis Allegro 1 men's [26 lbs, basic bike] 8 spd x 3, 1984 Schwinn Le tour mixte [27 lbs], 6 x 2 spd, 2012 Origin 8 mixte build [29-30 lbs], 8 spd x 3. I'm a senior rider.
well i am a senior as well and i still recommend a good road bike, if simply riding under 20 miles or on relatively flat terrain, a hybrid is fine
I'm sorry, but your red-text assertion to never buy a man's bike is ludicrous and it's brought me out of lurking. I'm a woman and have owned 11 different bicycles in my riding career (mix of road, mountain, cyclocross and old cruiser), and not one has been "women's specific." Why? They don't fit me. I have a long torso, broad shoulders, long arms and long fingers (everything a stereotypical woman should not have). Shorter top tubes, extra-short stems, narrow handlebars and short-reach brakes don't work for me. If someone built like me took your advice, they might struggle to find a good fit.
Besides, I like black and red and neon yellow as bike colors, which usually are "for men." No one should feel that they MUST ride a women's bike, especially if they aren't into butterflies, flowers, pink and purple.
The tip should be, "Never buy a bike without test riding several." And, "Don't let the salesperson talk you into anything. Take your time shopping around."
But I do want to thank you for your suggestion that shoppers must do their homework. I wish I saw this tip pushed more often. Would you go buy a car without doing some research, first, to at least figure out what type of car might suit you and what questions you should ask? I doubt it, and it should be no different for a bicycle.
It's a big investment in something you will (hopefully) use a lot. Before complaining that bike shop workers aren't helpful, make some effort to prepare yourself. And when you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask!
only reason I push women specific bikes as most women are not built like you, for you a mans's bike is gonna work but what I don't like is when a bike store has a leftover small man's bike, they try and stick it on an unsuspecting lady
I am very tall and have a custom bike as neither men nor womens' fit me
most ladies don't do their homework, they trust bike store personnel
don't,mgo loaded with info
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