question re buying hybrids

magicbastarder

my wife is looking to buy a hybrid, and the shop we've settled on stock giant, trek and specialized (but don't have all models in stock due to the 2015 stock swapover).
just a few questions - does anyone have any general thoughts on trek vs. giant vs. specialized? from my research, giant seem a bit cheaper than trek for fairly similarly specced bikes (budget is maybe €700); she wants to go for slightly chunkier tyres than on some models, and likes the look of 32c tyres.

secondly, she's about 5'11 and has an inside leg measurement of about 35 or 36 inches, and long arms, which means that she's only been able to hop on men's geometry bikes in any shops we've been to, but definitely preferred the 22.5" trek over the 20" trek (FX model). would there be any point in trying a woman's geometry frame (if you can find one - treks only seem to go up to 20" anyway for women's geometry)?

magicbastarder

also, i keep coming across this chart for sizing, and it's consistent on the hybrid sizing chart in that the cm and inches frame sizes do not match - is one measured to the top of the seat tube, and the other to the centre of the seat tube?

http://www.cycle.org.uk/category/bike-sizing-chart/
e.g. a 19-20" frame is listed as equivalent to a 55-57cm one.

magicbastarder

anyone? i'd be interested to know if the metric/imperial conversion is a typo or whether it's just a different method of measuring.

rollingscone

Don't have an answer on the measurement issue but you'll find that Giant Hybrids are excellent at being Hybrids, Spesh and Trek probably are too but there's not much going between them other than looks so if Giant is cheaper, just get the LBS to put fatter tyres on (AFAIR the Escape type hybrids can go up to 35s).

I still have my Escape 2 (pending money for a CX bike) which I run with 28s and Drop bars/bar end shifters and racks, it has done everything from 100km plus roundtrips to the rougher offroad sections of the Royal Canal towpath without a complaint.

quozl

I don't know the answer to your question but I have a 22.5" Trek 7.5fx. I'm about 1 inch taller than your wife and have long legs for a bloke - but not as long as she does.

It sounds to me like the 22.5" Trek would be good for her. The idea of a 20" one sounds mad to me with her dimensions and the only worry with the 22.5" would be reach to the bars, ie top-tube length. I doubt it'll be a problem - you do say she has long arms and being a straight bar bike you don't have to reach as far as you would if it had drop-bars on the same frame but make sure she isn't too stretched out reaching the handle-bars.

The women specific ones aren't really that special. Some brands have a slightly shorter top-tube in their women-specific models. Sometimes they come with slightly narrower handle-bars. Some just have what they consider a more girly colour plus a lady's saddle.

If she's comfortable on the 22.5" then I don't think she's going to get anything extra from a women's specific frame.

It might be worth asking them to swap the saddle to a women's saddle for you. Generally women have wider sit-bones and want wider saddles than the men's one. Surely the shop would happily swap the saddle for an equivalent women's saddle for free and they should be able to advise if the one on it is suitable for her.

magicbastarder

cheers; the shop we're going to get it in are happy to swap the saddle for a womens' saddle.
i believe the woman specific geometry would usually mean the top tube is about an inch or an inch and a half shorter for the same frame size, so even if she was comfy on a men's 20" frame, she'd be more upright on a women's 20".

at one point when we were doing some research, we were told by a shop assistant that she'd want a womens-specific geometry because 'women have thin little shoulders'. i think she overtopped the guy who told her that.

10 Carrolls

I'm a 6'4 male and I had a 25" trek 7.2 which ran 35 tyres. Lovely bike, sorriest thing I did was sell it. The guy who bought it was about 6'2 and his wife took a spin on it too, she was the same height so it should be grand.

magicbastarder

a colleague of mine is the same height as you, and has a 25" trek frame and loves it.