[}{yBr!D^]

After scourging the sites looking for a suitable bike for myself, I've begun looking for a bike for my wife. I figured what better place to ask than here, the Lady's Lounge.

Now, I've narrowed it down to two specifics but I'm not content with the selection. I find it increasingly hard to find and accept that there is a vastly limited amount of selection of women's specific bikes and generally they point you more towards a unisex category. I find many women's HT's to have crappy components and it's beginning to frustrate me some.

Little insight on her... she's beginning her adventure in cycling and hasn't ridden a bike in quite sometime. She's 42, weighs 118LBS @ 5'1" (swears she's 5'3" ) her inseam I'm not too sure what it is but it should be close to 25 I believe comparing to myself (5'7"/160LBS/30 inseam)

I'm generally thinking of a gravel dual sport bike when/if she ever decides to go trailing with me to have some sort of an ability to switch without massive component changes needed. She's hung up on the top tube being the lower slanted style which a woman's specific bike has as oppose to the higher variant of a male or unisex bike would have. She's also fixated that smaller wheels like 26er would feel better for her since she is a bit short and I've avidly tried to reassure her that even at 27.5/+ or 29er she would be find with the correct frame but she doesn't believe me. Also, TEAL IS A MUST lol...

My main concern is her comfort, stopping power, good drivetrain (nothing crazy 1x NX or NX Eagle) and a dropper are a must. I'm looking into a HT over FS because it will help her develop that skill needed to focus on handling and to properly place the bike on the trail lines.

I went with an Ibis DV9 GX Eagle, she personally doesn't want/require a similar bike. I, obviously look at it differently because I want her safe while she rides.

Here are the two (trendy) bikes I found that fit's similar to both our criteria.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...oscoe/roscoe-7-womens/p/23447/?colorCode=teal

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...s/roscoe/roscoe-7/p/28499/?colorCode=tealdark

I'm leaning towards the "unisex" version of the Roscoe 7... better components. I greatly appreciate your help and insight lady's.

 

[127.0.0.1]

get a Giant LIV

here is a selection

https://www.liv-cycling.com/us/bikes/off-road

 

[Mr Pig]

Looking for a bike for my wife

Sounds like a good swap to me.

 

[dbhammercycle]

There are a couple ladies where I work that like the Liv bikes. They had previously ridden Surly and Trek unisex bikes and certainly felt the fit and design of the Liv suited them better. Can you take her to a LBS or demo so she can get a little ride on a couple bikes and get some fit advice?

It's difficult to choose anything for the wife, so keep talking to her about what she would like. I eventually got the right bike on the third try, which turned out to be the least capable off road but she really just wanted to be able to ride around with my son rather than me. That said, I still keep my fingers crossed. Good luck on finding a ride for your lady!

 

[}{yBr!D^]

get a Giant LIV

here is a selection

https://www.liv-cycling.com/us/bikes/off-road

I see most of the Liv models are 2x/3x, would like the less complex 1x to also ensure the chain stays put... she's not going to even use the front derailleur. Still, I'll go more in-depth and look through the Liv lineup.

Sounds like a good swap to me.

I must say, I did laugh at this...

There are a couple ladies where I work that like the Liv bikes. They had previously ridden Surly and Trek unisex bikes and certainly felt the fit and design of the Liv suited them better. Can you take her to a LBS or demo so she can get a little ride on a couple bikes and get some fit advice?

It's difficult to choose anything for the wife, so keep talking to her about what she would like. I eventually got the right bike on the third try, which turned out to be the least capable off road but she really just wanted to be able to ride around with my son rather than me. That said, I still keep my fingers crossed. Good luck on finding a ride for your lady!

Ultimately, going to a shop is a must I just wanted to see what was out there women specific to confirm how limited the choices are if towards the end we would have to accept it and go unisex for her. I would much rather get something catered to her than a universal fit/one size fits most. Reason why I'm not going so HC on this is for the same reason as you, I know she's not going to be riding with me mainly... it's more so to be able to cover multiple surfaces and to ride with my daughters. Fingers crossed here too but highly unlikely to happen lol.

 

[Jem7sk]

I was in the same situation a couple of years ago. My wife went and rode a few bikes but unfortunately there are not many shops around here. She feel in love with the Trek Stache 7 and still loves it. Sometimes when she doesn't go riding with me, I will sneak it out and ride it. It is a lot of fun and very comfortable with the big 29+ tires and has tons of grip so you don't have to worry about the front or rear sliding out as easily as other bikes do. You can't even feel the small bumps.

 

[}{yBr!D^]

I was in the same situation a couple of years ago. My wife went and rode a few bikes but unfortunately there are not many shops around here. She feel in love with the Trek Stache 7 and still loves it. Sometimes when she doesn't go riding with me, I will sneak it out and ride it. It is a lot of fun and very comfortable with the big 29+ tires and has tons of grip so you don't have to worry about the front or rear sliding out as easily as other bikes do. You can't even feel the small bumps.

The Stache 7 looks nice, but she won't be down for that maroon color (Cobra Blood).

The geo looks similar to the Roscoe 7...

 

[Jem7sk]

The Stache 7 looks nice, but she won't be down for that maroon color (Cobra Blood).

The geo looks similar to the Roscoe 7...

My wife's is green and she loves the color. Being a former Kawasaki motocross guy, I like it too...

but yeah, I don't like the new color of the 7. The 5 and the 9.7 looks cool.

 

[}{yBr!D^]

The 3 Liv bikes I saw look good geo wise, but that fork hurts.. coil spring on all 3... one is a 2x and the other 3x... I could always get the bike as is and convert to 1x NX Eagle and change out the fork for solo air 100mm (not sure if it could handle a 120mm)

 

[}{yBr!D^]

My wife's is green and she loves the color. Being a former Kawasaki motocross guy, I like it too...
View attachment 1267031

but yeah, I don't like the new color of the 7. The 5 and the 9.7 looks cool.

That color is hot, man! What year is that Stache? I do like the chainstay placement.

 

[Jem7sk]

That color is hot, man! What year is that Stache? I do like the chainstay placement.

2017.

 

[}{yBr!D^]

Cool, I like that color for her, I'm going to check on pinkbike to see if there is a lightly used one in that color (S)

 

[twodownzero]

The Trek Roscoe is the best selling hardtail at my LBS. I prefer a higher spec build but the bikes you linked to will be perfect for her. She will need the smallest size.

 

[formica]

Most gravel bikes don't have front suspension. The selection of women's gravel is pretty pathetic. I ended up with a Revolt even tho I am a die hard Liv fan, just because I could get a carbon frame.

Thing is, you *can* do easy, buff singletrack on a gravel bike, but it can be a pretty rough ride if it is anything but buff. In this case, you need good bike handling skills to compensate for lack of suspension. Then to top it off, a gravel bike puts you in the body position close to how we old people used to ride cross country bikes in; IE, laid out more like a road bike (not slack). There is a reason why mountain bikers have moved towards more slack geometry and suspension

Why would you choose this for a beginner mountain biker? Get her something trail appropriate. A small or XS frame shouldn't have top tube standover issues.

Edit: I see you are leaning towards a HT which is a good idea.

 

[SkolinIN]

my wife got a Specialized Fate Comp Carbon and its been great

 

[mthopton]

We just went down this road as well and my Wife landed on a Trek Fuel EX8 WSD. What she loved about it were the 27.5+ tires and the stability they offered along with the ease of a 1x drivetrain and solid stoppers. She has taken to the trails quite well thus far. She is also 5’3” and a size small in the Trek. We were able to find a shop that was selling their very lightly used demo bike for a pretty significant discount.

My biggest advice is let her ride as many bikes as you can and let it be HER decision.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[EKEL]

The Roscoe & Stache are both good options. If possible, find a shop that will rent or a demo day near you where she could try a couple of different bikes and sizes to see what feels comfortable. And yes, a 27.5 or 29er will roll over things much better for her, absolutely better than a 26er (which is what I started on). And color is important, so it's great that you're looking for a color she likes! I'm sure you'll do this, but since she hasn't ridden in awhile make sure to take her on flat pavement/dirt/easy paths & let her get comfortable with the bike. I came across a woman the other day on a trail who didn't know how to shift her bike, husband was off in the distance, and I just hoped she wasn't going to give it up because she was discouraged/uncomfortable with the basics of shifting while also trying to tackle a trail. Good luck to you both.

 

[}{yBr!D^]

For the sort of use she will be utilizing the bike for will be a learning curve for different surfaces... it will be used mainly on pavement I would say because of my daughters... I'm sure rarely she will be hitting the trails with me. I do plan on teaching her the basics of the shifter, how to shift and when to shift, along side how to use the dropper post and when it's appropriate to engage it. On top of that feathering the brakes through a turn rather than slamming on them.

Reasons why she is more interested in smaller wheels is due to her height. I'm not that tall and I've often explained to her that given the correct frame size the big wheels won't even be a factor and on top of that learning how to properly mount your bike helps wonders. Mine is a 29er on a Medium frame Ibis DV9 and my feet are planted flat on the floor... obviously the saddle/post is all the way down to do this lol.

So, to her her only requirements are small wheels (she didn't know the size) which I'd believe 26" would be what she has in mind, (I'd prefer 27.5/+ for her really) and the colors are a must... everything else is for me to pick. I do plan on taking her to different shops to get the right fitment for her. I'm sure she's in-between XS-S depending on manufacturer.. Trek has her in a small as XS's range the highest her or height.. so I'd rather her not be cramped in the cockpit and use Small which accommodates 5"~5'3"

 

[Leafkiller]

Another vote for Liv. Both my wife and I ride Livs. Matter of fact I'm getting a Liv gravel bike next month. I went HT for both of us. My wife is only 4'11" and she rides a small bike no problem. She doesn't do that much trail riding. Matter of fact most of her rides is on concrete sidewalks that I do a lot of riding on. She has a Bliss bike while I have a Tempt. The Thrive is the one I'm getting next month.

 

[mLeier]

Little insight on her... she's beginning her adventure in cycling and hasn't ridden a bike in quite sometime. She's 42, weighs 118LBS @ 5'1" (swears she's 5'3" ) her inseam I'm not too sure what it is but it should be close to 25 I believe comparing to myself (5'7"/160LBS/30 inseam)

My main concern is her comfort, stopping power, good drivetrain (nothing crazy 1x NX or NX Eagle) and a dropper are a must. I'm looking into a HT over FS because it will help her develop that skill needed to focus on handling and to properly place the bike on the trail lines.

I'm a 42 year old woman who is 5'2" (with shoes), my inseam is 28.5" barefoot.

I started biking when I was 40. If your main concern is comfort, for the love of god, get her a full suspension bike. I fully understand that hard tails may help to develop technical skills better and faster, but unless your wife is planning on quickly becoming an expert and has goals to become a sponsored rider, there is no need for the slight edge that learning on a hard tail might give her. Fun and comfort should be the main goals. I'm telling you that the comfort of the rear suspension makes biking way easier on my body and makes the whole thing way more enjoyable. I never even lock my rear suspension out on long climbs. I can also tell you that if she loves biking and does it enough, her skills will progress quickly even on a full suspension bike. I'm fact, she may progress even faster because of the confidence that rear suspension gives when riding over obstacles rather than feeling like you are being bucked off the bike. In 2 years, my skills have increased amazingly. I've gone from being a complete beginner to riding lots of long, hard black diamond trails in the mountains. I ride in the expert women's groups on group rides and hold my own in the men's advanced groups. If you want her skills to progress quickly, some real coaching will get her there faster than learning on a hard tail over a full suspension.

I also say that 27.5" wheels are a must. I even demoed a few 29ers and really liked them except that the top tube was too high for me. 26" wheels are outdated, slow, and don't roll over things as well. There are reasons that hardly anyone is making them anymore and being set on that wheel size really limits your choices.

I love Liv bikes. I'm currently riding a 2015 Liv Lust and I just ordered the new Liv Intrigue Advanced.

If you get anything other than the lowest end bike, they will come with a 1x drivetrain. Regardless, your wife likely isn't an idiot, and implying that a 2x would be too complicated for her to learn on is doing her a disservice. 1x drivetrains are very new and everyone has been riding and learning on 2x or 3x drivetrains forever. Plus, you can pretty much leave the front in the easiest ring and just forget about it and only use the rear chain ring for most riding. I only switch my front chain ring on long, smooth fast downhills.

If you plan on her riding with you and hope that she learns to love biking as much as you do, do not buy her any bike that you would not buy for yourself.