hey ladies.. where your 'bikes' at?? want feed back

I ride a fixed gear bike mostly just around town, however, I do longer rides as well, out of the city to go camping or to find the next best beer. 40+ mile rides one way etc.

Well now I am looking into purchasing a geared bike.. Yes ladies.. I said GEARED bike!!! So in saying this I want to hear  from all of you about your road or touring bikes or in general about your geared bike. What brand you have, what you love or hate about it, anything you have to share. And some guiding suggestions to help me in my hunt for the best bike for me. I will be using it for longer rides and for carrying my camping gear more efficiently this year. Just a side note.. I am only 5"1 so I am pretty limited to frames as well.

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Permalink Reply by dan brown on March 25, 2010 at 5:14am
julie's old bike was the Bianchi with lots o'stickers attached.

DB

Amber K said:
Just what I was thinking. Talk to Julie. I think she may have a bike she may want to sell, but I can't remember which one it was. Sorry, but that's all the advice I have. I don't know a thing about small bikes, but I would definitely go for a cross frame if I was getting a new one for touring.

Sol said:
Hey Shar, you may want to talk with Julie Hochstadter. She just got a 43cm multi-geared road bike from Boulevard bikes.
Permalink Reply by RigWheels on March 25, 2010 at 6:37am
You should also check out the Kona Sutra, it comes with racks and has a nice light weight for a touring rig. Here is a link. Good Luck.

http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=sutra

Stop by Rapid Transit and you can try one out, but call first for availability.
Permalink Reply by Natalie on March 25, 2010 at 8:37am
As a relatively tall, long-legged gal I probably don't have a lot of advice to offer, but I do like my Jamis Aurora Elite a lot. I ride it mostly for growler cruises (2 Brothers in Warrenville, for instance) and other medium-distance one-day shenanigans. I haven't toured with it yet, but I imagine it will do just fine, as it has hauled plenty of beer and other heavy stuff without issue. The 2009 model was retooled, with an all-new touring-specific frame instead of the Nova cross frame the Aurora Elite used in previous years. I'm very happy with the 105 shifters and the drivetrain, and it comes with Vittoria Randonneur tires and a lugged fork that's drilled for a front rack. Just add fenders and rack, and you're set! The only thing that's not stock on mine is the Brooks saddle.

Downside of the Jamis: the paint chips off if you just look at it the wrong way, and their customer service is not as good as, say, Surly/Salsa's. And it's an expensive bike, although if you consider what you're getting (105 shifters, Ultegra rear derailleur, and other good components) I think it's a good deal.

You may find that a cross frame may be what you're looking for. Cross bikes are so versatile, with plenty of clearance for big tires and fenders. Lower-end models usually have eyelets for fenders and racks. And they often are lighter than dedicated touring rigs. For instance, the Surly LHT is a 30-plus pound tank (and I'm not saying that in a disparaging way), while you can get a Cross Check for considerably under 30 pounds. Not that weight is everything, especially if you're going to load the bike up with a rack and panniers full of stuff anyway.
Permalink Reply by shar on March 25, 2010 at 10:35am
i am loving all this advise and info.. keep it coming!!!
Permalink Reply by Trachea on March 25, 2010 at 11:05am
Shar:
I'm 5'5 and ride a 52cm 2009 Bianchi Volpe http://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/gran-fondo/volpe/. The 2010 model appears to have been restaged to women-specific from the description. It has a steel frame, 21 speeds -- I put fenders, rack & lights on for commuting. I bought at Boulevard Bikes, where the salesmen are not condescending to women. I've been very happy with my choice.

Pros: relaxed geometry, steel frame, shorter wheel base. Cons: a bit heavy, paint chips easily, a few too many bianchi logos on the bike :)
Permalink Reply by Liz on March 25, 2010 at 2:58pm
My touring bike is a used 51 cm Schwinn Voyaguer from '87. The frame actually fits pretty well, but there are some annoyances. The bike is just perfect for touring though. All the braze ons and rack mounts you could ever dream of and it runs like a train even when fully loaded. The racks can be loaded up without any heel strike issues and the handling is great even when not loaded evenly. The two issues on a longer ride are:

1. the watter bottles are hard for me to reach
2. the down tube shifters are a slightly long reach.

My fancy fast bike is a 49 cm Gary Fisher Super Arc GS (their women's specific). That has just the right reach on everything, and shifters in the brakes and is really nice, but it not very good for touring. It wouldn't hold much load and the geometry is too tight for panniers without heel clearance issures.


As far as gearing goes. Since the areas you're looking at touring will (I'm guessing) be relatively flat I would go with an even ratio (some bikes are geared toward the extremes small granny large middle upper). I personally have biopace gearing on my touring bike, it an eliptical shaped gear that gives you a more even pedal stroke. My road bike has a standard triple gearing. Either way for long distances I would recommend a triple. It will give you more options for routes that suddly become hilly and having the granny gears is important when your going uphill with a loaded touring bike.

Anyway that's all I can think of off hand, let me know if you have other questions.
Permalink Reply by Bikefreeek on March 25, 2010 at 4:05pm
Ciclo Urbano has this Long 'Small' Trucker for sale...


It's a 2009 42cm with 26" wheels and a mix of Deore XT and 105 with Avid brakes and other nicely selected parts. It has less than 500 miles on it and was donated because it was too small for the guy who originally owned it. It was a little on the big side for Julie, but I think you're a little taller than she is. It's a real steal at $850 and we'd be happy to set it up with racks and fenders for you and throw in the labor for installation at no charge. Come check it out! 2459 W. Division St.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on March 25, 2010 at 4:39pm
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner

Ok, I'm a little prejudiced, since I own one. But that seems like a good price to me.
A another nice thing about the LHT is that they have standard and commonly available components. No exotic bottom bracket in sight. And if you plan to buy only one bike this is a excellent choice. It can be loaded down for touring, but if you just want a long day ride, it handles that very well also.

May I suggest you put this one on your short list?


Bikefreeek said:
Ciclo Urbano has this Long 'Small' Trucker for sale...


It's a 2009 42cm with 26" wheels and a mix of Deore XT and 105 with Avid brakes and other nicely selected parts. It has less than 500 miles on it and was donated because it was too small for the guy who originally owned it. It was a little on the big side for Julie, but I think you're a little taller than she is. It's a real steal at $850 and we'd be happy to set it up with racks and fenders for you and throw in the labor for installation at no charge. Come check it out! 2459 W. Division St.
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 25, 2010 at 5:46pm
Shar, I'm sorry I have been silent. It's a bit too late for me to think, but I will tomorrow (friday)!
Permalink Reply by Liz W. Durham on March 25, 2010 at 5:47pm
I would second the Surly LHT for a bike. Surly makes amazing bikes!! I cannot speak as to fit for you though. I know their bikes fit me well but I am a fairly tall woman.

I would also recommend the Salsa Fargo. Fabulous bike for all your touring needs. Again, I cannot speak to fit for you.

My 2 bikes are a vintage Celo Europa road bike and a Surly Big Dummy. Depending on how often and/or how much you want to haul around on your bike you should consider the Big Dummy. It is a long tail bike and totally ROCKS!!! And its top tube angle is great in terms of standover height or wearing a skirt. Disadvantage are that it is heavy and that since it is longer than a normal bike, you cannot easily take it on the metra (although I think I have figure out how to do so).
Permalink Reply by shar on March 26, 2010 at 12:49am
shit.. that was suppose to be me saying that.. really need to look at who is logged in to the website when responding... I will check out the lht today

iggi said:
i will come check this out.. it is a steal!!! crossing my fingers it feels good to me. thanks alex! hopefully I can make it there some time today

Bikefreeek said:
Ciclo Urbano has this Long 'Small' Trucker for sale...


It's a 2009 42cm with 26" wheels and a mix of Deore XT and 105 with Avid brakes and other nicely selected parts. It has less than 500 miles on it and was donated because it was too small for the guy who originally owned it. It was a little on the big side for Julie, but I think you're a little taller than she is. It's a real steal at $850 and we'd be happy to set it up with racks and fenders for you and throw in the labor for installation at no charge. Come check it out! 2459 W. Division St.
Permalink Reply by Trachea on March 29, 2010 at 7:38am
Shar;

I hope you do go check out the Surly that Alex Wilson has at West Town Bikes (also a place where the mechanics aren't condescending to women). I was considering a Surly, but ended up choosing a bianchi instead. For sure the Surly has more street cred than label whore bikes (like my Bianchi). Nice green color too.

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