New bicycle for my better half recomendations please.

The Duk

Hi I'm buying my better half a new bicycle for around €600. she will be using it for cycling to and from work / some road cycling on the weekends. I've been looking at the following 2 bicycles. I can't find much about the Lombardo Model. Would anyone be able to tell me which would be better. thanks in advance.

http://www.lombardobikes.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161%3Aventimiglia-2200&catid=38%3Afitness-bike&Itemid=122&lang=en

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2013.giant.dash.4/11867/56910/

Hmmzis

The Giant looks nice and it's a good brand.

Have you considered a drop bar bike for her? I got my other half a drop bar bike and she's loving it, and she's not even doing any weekend cycles, just commuting. The various hand positions on the drop bars and the drops position itself are worth considering (drops help with battling a stiff headwind).

Get her to a decent bike shop where she can try out some bikes for size and just get the feel for what she would prefer. For a lady the looks of a bike can also be quite a factor when it comes to using it later on and sticking to the commutes and weekend spins.

moving_home

Hmmzis wrote: »

The Giant looks nice and it's a good brand.

Have you considered a drop bar bike for her? I got my other half a drop bar bike and she's loving it, and she's not even doing any weekend cycles, just commuting. The various hand positions on the drop bars and the drops position itself are worth considering (drops help with battling a stiff headwind).

+1 I LOVE my drop bars and wouldn't be without them! I'm a newbie to cycling (girl)

The Duk

I don't think she likes the drop bars to be honest. We went into a shop today and tried out both bicycles, the selling point on the Lombardo was that it was a bit cheaper (this may be a mistake as I've checked its the same price?). the other Lombardo selling point was Kevlar tyres, which the Giant apparently didn't have.

She has tried both bicycles the only difference being the giant she tried was a smaller frame?

I just can't find anything online regarding reviews of the Lombardo bicycle and that has me worried.

Looks have a bit to do with this purchase, but reliability is larger concern. Thanks again.

moving_home

I know nothing about the bikes you have posted but I can vouch for Giant as a brand. I have a Giant bike, the Avail 2 but its a bit more expensive than your budget. Can she get the bike to work scheme? I spent €1000 on my bike and accessories and its only costing me €500.

The Duk

I'm afraid we can't avail of the bike to work scheme. the Giant frame only goes up to 50, would I be right in saying if she's 5,6 with a 31 inseam that frame would be too small.... Thanks again for your help.

Konkers

key size in terms of comfort is effective top tube lenght. see C* in the image of the link below. This is frame measure of the reach for the rider from seat post to head tube. You add the stem lenght to it (once the angles of the headtube and seat tubes are the same) and you will get the distance to the handlebars. Stems can be anything from circa 60 to 130 mm in lenght and can come in different angles. Some would say a stem should be no less than 90mm.

The height of the handlebars can be moved up or down using spacers.

Saddles can be moved up or down to accomodate different inseam lenghts. Cranklenghts (peddle to frame bottom bracket) can be changed as they are available in 3 different sizes (70, 72.5 or 75 cm).

My wife is 5'6 and inseam of 32 and she will be on a small frame, as per the diagram on the link below.


http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.athleteshop.com/media/upload/image/RidleyCompact.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.athleteshop.com/ridley-compact-1119a&h=384&w=525&sz=36&tbnid=cHzfooNvKOQFVM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=125&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dridley%2Bcompact%2Bsharp%2Bedge%2Bdesign%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=ridley+compact+sharp+edge+design&usg=__2s4VOV438Ial9hWHTpIYOzCVsVE=&docid=nIbGuKd1OkvGAM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qqFgUaPoFtGxhAfUg4GYBw&sqi=2&ved=0CF4Q9QEwBg&dur=4904

smacl

The Duk wrote: »

other Lombardo selling point was Kevlar tyres, which the Giant apparently didn't have.

You can get the bike shop to put your choice of tyres on any bike, where you've a trade off between weight and puncture resistance. Shouldn't make too much of a price difference. Personally I like durano plus, and gatorskins are also a very popular puncture resistant choice.

My sister rides a Giant Rapid which is basically the non women specific version of the dash, though I can't see a difference between the two. If you've got a few extra bob to spend, and she's willing to try drop bars there certainly a better long term option. AFAIK the Defy is the same bike with drop bars. That said there's absolutely nothing wrong with the Dash, fine bike IMO.

reallyunique

Unless the bike is a present try asking her to buy it. Only she will know which one is most comfortable for her and what best suits her needs. If she wants advice then give it to her but leave her to look at and choose the bike for herself.
It doesn't matter how good the bike is or what tyres it has, if she doesn't like it it won't get used.

The Duk

Thanks for all the advice, she's gone in today to try them out again. I given her all the advice we have gotten on boards and I'm leaving it up to herself to decide.

I think she was leaning towards the Lombardo but was just worried as there seems to be very little information or reviews about them online.

Thanks again.

mirv

Absolutely not! The effective top tube length is NOT an appropriate measure of reach. The REACH is an appropriate measure of reach. It's measurement R in the picture that you've linked to.

It is the horizontal distance between the bottom bracket and the center of the top of the head tube. You could have an incredibly slack seat tube angle giving a longer effective top tube length, or an incredibly steep seat tube angle (like which occurs for smaller bikes) which gives a shorter effective top tube length.

This shortening or lengthening of the effective top tube length is entirely virtual as you should be putting your saddle in the same position behind the bottom bracket regardless of what seat angle you have on your frame if you want the same fit, ie on a steeper frame you'd push your saddle back further than on a slacker frame. This entirely cancels out the change in the effective top tube size with seat angle.

Go to the geometry section on this bike;

http://www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk/road/performance/sensium-300#onglets

The 46, 49, and 52cm have more or less the exact same reach, except that the larger the bike is, the taller the stack height is, despite having a smaller effective top tube length on the smaller bikes.

Konkers wrote: »

key size in terms of comfort is effective top tube lenght. see C* in the image of the link below. This is frame measure of the reach for the rider from seat post to head tube. You add the stem lenght to it (once the angles of the headtube and seat tubes are the same) and you will get the distance to the handlebars. Stems can be anything from circa 60 to 130 mm in lenght and can come in different angles. Some would say a stem should be no less than 90mm.

The height of the handlebars can be moved up or down using spacers.

Saddles can be moved up or down to accomodate different inseam lenghts. Cranklenghts (peddle to frame bottom bracket) can be changed as they are available in 3 different sizes (70, 72.5 or 75 cm).

My wife is 5'6 and inseam of 32 and she will be on a small frame, as per the diagram on the link below.


http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.athleteshop.com/media/upload/image/RidleyCompact.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.athleteshop.com/ridley-compact-1119a&h=384&w=525&sz=36&tbnid=cHzfooNvKOQFVM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=125&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dridley%2Bcompact%2Bsharp%2Bedge%2Bdesign%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=ridley+compact+sharp+edge+design&usg=__2s4VOV438Ial9hWHTpIYOzCVsVE=&docid=nIbGuKd1OkvGAM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qqFgUaPoFtGxhAfUg4GYBw&sqi=2&ved=0CF4Q9QEwBg&dur=4904

Konkers

mirv wrote: »

Absolutely not! The effective top tube length is NOT an appropriate measure of reach. The REACH is an appropriate measure of reach. It's measurement R in the picture that you've linked to.

It is the horizontal distance between the bottom bracket and the center of the top of the head tube. You could have an incredibly slack seat tube angle giving a longer effective top tube length, or an incredibly steep seat tube angle (like which occurs for smaller bikes) which gives a shorter effective top tube length.

This shortening or lengthening of the effective top tube length is entirely virtual as you should be putting your saddle in the same position behind the bottom bracket regardless of what seat angle you have on your frame if you want the same fit, ie on a steeper frame you'd push your saddle back further than on a slacker frame. This entirely cancels out the change in the effective top tube size with seat angle.

Go to the geometry section on this bike;

http://www.lapierre-bikes.co.uk/road/performance/sensium-300#onglets

The 46, 49, and 52cm have more or less the exact same reach, except that the larger the bike is, the taller the stack height is, despite having a smaller effective top tube length on the smaller bikes.

Ok, my fault on the language front. I'm not up on the technical language. By reach I should have said stretch for the rider I.e from your arse on the saddle to your hands on the bars. My point was that in choosing a frame you should try to get this right and the seat tube length first, all other things being equal.

Yeah agreed re the position of the saddle relative to the BB. Of course but i was just trying to give simple advice not get into a detailed debate. Thanks for the clarification. ....... I'll get me coat now.;)

The Duk

So Thanks once again for everyone who has posted on this. she has decided to go with the Giant and will pop in and get measured up etc for the bike over the next week. the measuring tape is out and by the time she goes in she'll know exactly what she needs. thanks again.