Low End Bike Shopping for My Wife

Hey TheClaaaw.  If you know what size to get I heard of people having success with Bikes Direct.  Seems like the right price.

http://bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm

First of all, no one's laughing at you (at least I'm not). Second, you'll be hard-pressed to find a new road bike for $500. Most that I've seen start in the $700 range, before tax. Unless you go with one of those random Nashbar bikes (which I really know nothing about other than the catalog shows up in the mail every few months).

I bet you could get her on a used road bike for around $500. You'll still probably be looking for steel or aluminum, older components, and not the sexiest ride in the world, but there's always someone upgrading.

If you find a used bike you like, make sure you inspect it for wear and tear. If the tires are bald, the wheels out of true, and the cables rusted and needing to be replaced, you're looking at a good $150 in parts and labor. Also consider that you may have to replace the saddle before too long....it's rare that a new bike owner loves the existing saddle. Not to scare you off, but I've seen people get "great deals" on bikes and end up dropping a couple hundred to get the bike up to snuff.

If you can't find anything, there's nothing wrong with using a hybrid for triathlon. And a hybrid can still serve as a trusty commuter/rec bike after she outgrows it athletically.

Buy used road bike off Craigslist, BT, ST  or something similar. She will get a much better quality bike.

how about this one

http://bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/grand_record_x.htm

they've got a size 50 in yellow. 

That looks like a lot of bike for 599.

oh, no doubt. I don't want her to have a bike like mine, so I have some small advantage. As it is, she outruns me with almost no training, and she's hardly fast, but I'm just that slow. But our second half-marathon together, I got a lot closer to her time, from weight loss and training, and she was a total winter slacker. By fall I plan to keep up. By 2013, I will be faster.

As she is really freaked out by OWS, I don't know how she's thinking Eagleman. Though she did watch the race, and it was a calm swim, as opposed to 2 beach tris I did last summer that I doubt she'd do. Our local sprint is a pool time trial start.

Back to my question: assuming my wrench skills are non existent, I'd prefer to go through a LBS for this one. There are some really attractive bikesdirect roadie prices (roadie, aluminum frame with carbon fork for $399? How?) I just don't know to deal with a bike in a box.

OK, so how do we figure out what size frame she needs?

I don't want to be that guy who goes to an LBS and gets them to do all the real work for us, then order elsewhere. My primary LBS is too nice a guy for me to do that. (There is one not too far away with a rep that I don't like, I wouldn't mind taking advantage of as badly, but I still can't do it.)

I used this online calculator when we got my wife's bike... same boat as you.  Wants to ride, doesn't want to spend a bazillion bucks on a bike, etc.  This got me "close enough" in the way of sizing and then we did the tweaks to the fit (stem/seat/etc) once we got it.  Worked out pretty well... not perfect I'm sure but for the $$$ and the way she rides it's good to go.  FWIW she is fit well enough to be comfortable ridding for 30+ miles.

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

How about something like this:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1118664_-1___400316

Not too spendy but not very "L" in the LBS to you. 

Have you thought about having this conversation with the guy at the LBS?  If he's a nice guy, you have a relationship, and you've shown a willingness to use them for bike repair / services / accessories, there's a chance you could take the measurements, then do some combination of (i) cutting you a deal, (ii) keeping you in mind if he knows someone looking to to get rid of theirs, or (iii) give you first shot if someone trades in a bike of the right size.

All that said, I went through a similar process before my wife eventually declined last winter.  Here were the least expensive bikes I found that I thought would be good enough that she could use them for a few years if she liked it.  (Prices & links are probably dated.)  I know it's too expensive right now, so my recommendation would be to wait or just talk to your LBS guy.

Trek 1.1

$730, Bike Sport (probably), aluminum, 16 gears, fitted & checkup from Bike Sport, no pedals, so-so components

Gearing: Compact Chainring 50/34, Cassette 8x 12-25, Speed Range @90 rpm 10-30mph

Link: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/sport/2_and_1_series/1_1_h2_compact_2011/

Cannondale Synapse Women’s Alloy 7 Sora

$879, Bike Sport (probably), alloy, fitted & checkup from Bike Sport, no pedals, so-so components, woman model

Gearing: not sure

Link: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/womens/womens-performance-road/womens-synapse-alloy/2011-synapse-womens-alloy-7-sora

Giant Defy 2

$1130, Bike Source Park Rd Shopping Center (probably), aluminum, 18 gears, fitted & checkup from Bike Source, caged pedals, so-so components

Gearing: Compact Chainring 50/34, Cassette 8x 12-25, Speed Range @90 rpm 10-30mph

Link: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/defy.2/7307/44048/

Specialized Dolce Sport Compact

$1020, Bike Source Park Rd Shopping Center (probably), aluminum, 18 gears, fitted & checkup from Bike Source, no pedals, so-so components, woman model

Gearing: Compact Chainring 50/34, Cassette 8x 12-25, Speed Range @90 rpm 10-30mph

Link: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=51630&scid=1001&scname=Road

Cannondale Synapse Women’s Alloy 6 Tiagra

$1069, Bike Sport (probably), alloy, fitted & checkup from Bike Sport, no pedals, so-so components, woman model

Gearing: not sure

Link: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/womens/womens-performance-road/womens-synapse-alloy/2011-synapse-womens-alloy-6-tiagra

I have a very understanding LBS when it comes to budget.  The owner suggested looking online when I was looking for shoes and had basically no money to spend on them.  I'll spend money there when I can, but I just can't afford to do that often.

I'm guessing your LBS would assemble a bike from Bikes Direct (one of the ones in my area has a price of 150 I think to assemble).  No fit or anything, but you might be able to get a decent bike and put some money into the LBS.  Even better if you get her fitted and any add-ons needed at the LBS.

I'm sure not all LBS would be cool with that, but I think/hope most would be.

My LBS sells used roadies.  Try asking.  But if you get sized there & then buy it somewhere else, book a fitting with them and insist on paying.  And get a fitting if you want your wife to stick with the sport.  And let her pick out a good great saddle!

I've had really good luck with Performance.  There are a few in PA, not sure how close one is to you though.  Their house brand Scattante has served me well.  They also carry other brands.  I just looked at their website and they have a lot of prior year's bike on closeout.  You could easily go into the store and have the conversation about sizing then have them order one from their warehouse shipped to the store for free.  

Good Luck!

I bought a mountain bike from Nashbar and while yes, it came in a box, it was hardly in pieces.   If you're truly terrible with tools then maybe not possible, but an inquisitive person with the internet to ask questions can definitely do it.

That said, I would first go to the LBS and just say you're looking and what the price range is. They will probably have her try something and then you can start thinking about sizes.

If they don't offer something you can afford, then go the Craigslist route.  It's annoying, yes, but gets more information on sizing and style that she likes and also you might find a great deal!

If all that fails, you probably know what to buy online.

And get the poor girl a road bike, hybrids are never going to be fast enough for someone who is even mildly interested in racing or group riding.  I actually almost bought a higher end hybrid and then came to my senses and got an entry level Trek roadie which I still ride.  Are you SURE you can't stretch to 700-800?

Well, I am sure this last piece was solid advice - but as it turns out, she just doesn't want a roadie. She wants a hybrid. She's interested in completing a couple tris, not racing. Group riding isn't on her radar at all, at least not in the classic sense. Our group rides will consist of all of us out-of-shape 40 somethings digging bikes out of the garage and taking leisurely jaunts on the rail trail. I'll have the nicest bike in the group, hers will be 2nd. We won't be part of the roadie scene, what little there is around here.

We just came home with the Specialized Vita from our LBS. She's happy, it's 100 times nicer than her last bike, and in a few years if she wants to get a roadie, we will do that too.

Hmmm, in the last few weeks, she got a new kayak and a new bike. I think I made up for the wheels I got that she kind of knows about.

I'm significantly taller than she is, yet our leg length is not that different. This could be a consideration in a few years, if I want a tri bike, she can move up to roadie from hybrid.

Well, okay then!  I am glad she is happy.

2nd that on www.bikesdirect.com - my brother-in-law picked out a good bike for me at $550. He helped pick it out because I had no clue what to look for and he's been doing this for awhile. He hooked me up with a yellow Motobecane Record. He said to stick with the "Sora" (whatever that means), and he said it had good components for my first bike. 

I've had it about 3 months now, and I love riding it. It's not heavy and rides great. I'd do some research and check out that website for your first bike. 

I went through the same thing, for myself.  I wanted to try triathlons, but did not have the money to get these expensive road bikes.  After searching Craigslist and things like that for a while I ended up going with Bikes Direct.  This is the bike I have...

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt1000.htm

I have been very happy with it!  I have not had any issues at all, it is smooth, shifts without any problems, etc.  Also, being new to cycling, I took a flat tire changing clinic at a LBS and I have to say that my bike seemed the EASIEST to get that back wheel off in the group!  LOL!