Rather lost female beginner road cyclist looking for her first bike!

Great stuff, no doubt the body geometry fitting service is a boon if you have an icky back. For what it's worth, cycling has rid me of back pain- something about the gentle but prolonged stretch of a properly-fitted road bike position.

When my better half bought a Trek Lexa (size 54) I had to ride it back from the shop and at 5'10" I found it quite cramped, so if you found it comfortable and they do look nice, that is the bike for you. Compromise at your peril, if you do not like the look of a bike you will not want to ride it so much. Good chance of picking up a little used second hand one as the weather will soon change and the nights draw in. (Hers only lasted about three months (less than 50 miles) before she decided she preferred mountain bikes so the buyer got a bargain)

As everyone's said, fit is really, really important.

A 56 sounds quite big for someone who's 5'9", so I'd recommend you try smaller sizes just in case they feel even better than the 56.

For comparison, I ride a 56 but am 6' 0" (& have a short torso & long legs).

Excellent! And some good questions.

Out of interest, if the Lexa suited you so well, can you not get that? Or is it beyond your budget?

A few thoughts from me:
1) Try a number of different bikes to see what makes *you* *happiest*. This will make the biggest difference! If possible, do some head-to-head trials to see how they compare to one another on the same day, in the same conditions (and do all you can to ensure the shop technicial sets them up consistently the same as one another). I think I tried about 6 different bikes over a number of sessions before buying my BMC (which I still love dearly 4 years later - it has seen a couple of upgrades...).

2) There may be average male body proportions and different average female proportions, but everyone is different. My proportions are atypical for a male (very long legs compared to body length). This means that 'male' geometries out of the box are generally too long for me (too great a reach). However, I still comfortably ride 'male' bikes, e.g., by getting a shorter stem. Don't be entirely put off by male bikes, if you see one you like the look of and is not too far off in terms of fit. Adjustments can be made - see below (although you may want to check crank length - if the bike comes with 175mm cranks, you may find that a bit long)

3) Many female bikes come with triple chainsets, where very few male bikes do. I am not too sure of the reason for this, unless the manufacturers think that females will typically operate over a narrower cadence range than males. A triple chainset will obviously be heavier than the equivalent double. I would imagine that if you do get a double, you'll want a compact (rather than traditional).

4) Someone above said avoid Halfords. However, Boardman bikes are very good, so do not entirely discount those. Only challenge is that you may struggle to get Halfords to allow you to do a proper test ride. That was a complete deal breaker for me - they said I would only be allowed to ride around their car park!

5) Fit adjustments that are easy to make are:
* Stem length
* Stem height
* Saddle position (and saddle itself)
By playing with these, you can make some fairly dramatic changes to the geometry of any bike to ensure it fits you better (although obviously best if what you start with is not too bad)

6) Look for end-of-season deals as we start to go into winter. Although it is possible that the best deals on this year's bikes will not pop up until early next year (I got a 2009 BMC in April 2010 for a big discount).

Let us know what you decide in the end

If you can try one and vfm is important then this:
http://road.cc/content/news/131472-just-new-merlin-cycles-pr7-costing-just-£300

looks a great bike for the money.

Although the review is from the future evidently (20th Oct '14) so it says.

I bought a unisex/mans bike last year (in the sale, so good discount), and it's fine for me. I'm pretty tall, and got the impression the women's bikes were made for 'petite' women. I looked silly on them, and the proportions were all wrong for me. That said, the shop had 3 women's bikes, and about 40 mens.

Getting a good bike fit can be important though - the 'fit' at the bike shop was inadequate and I developed knee pain. Amongst other things, the saddle was way too low.

My wife rides a "non women-specific" bike. The shop we went to swapped out the stem for a shorter one & did a "part-ex" with the saddle, so she got a "higher spec" (more expensive ;)) women's specific saddle & paid the difference, which even on a short test ride made a huge difference to her comfort.

I too am new to road cycling although I have done a lot of cycling over the years, I have never owned a road bike until now. As everyone says fit is key and herein lies the problem, as few shops have many ladies bike. I was lucky, my local high end bike shop recommended a Specialized Ruby and I love it. Its really comfortable and suits my style of riding.

I rode some bikes at the NEC show this past weekend and some of them hurt my neck after only a few minutes so a test ride is important. Unless you want to get into serious cycling another school of thought is build up your fitness on a conventional bike which you can pick up cheap and put some road tyres on it. Then when you know what road bike you want you will be amazed how much faster you will go as you will be use to pushing that heavy lump around

Whether you fit a "women's specific" road bike depends on your height

Many taller women may be beyond the largest size of a women's specific bike and can be fitted to a men's bike with adjustments made which generally includes women's specific saddle, narrower bars (i.e. 38cm) and perhaps a slightly shorter stem.

There is also nothing to stop a women fitting a smaller men's bike, as long as its fitted properly and does not compromise her riding position (often the "reach" and standover height for comfort/safety)

Bear in mind a men's 52cm bike is generally longer than a women's 52cm bike

It's well worth visiting a competent dealer which has an experienced bike fitter when you buy your bike, bearing in mind what you said about having had back surgery.

Trek, Specialized and Giant offer very good women's specific ranges, and their concept/brand stores will tend to carry a full range, as well as sales staff and bike fitters experienced with selling many bikes to women, which is always helpful

this is my missus with her Specialized Ruby, which she loves riding!

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb11333899/p4pb11333899.jpg

From the things I've read the bikes for women do not differ in geometry very much. A good bike shop will have someone who can set a bike up for you too.

I have lower back problems and ride a Trek Madone. I only get a bit of back ache on longer rides, by which time everything aches to a degree.

There is also 'getting fit to the bike' i.e. that your body needs to develop the muscles and flexibility, which happens the more you ride.

Ultimately I would not worry too much on getting the geometry right (to the extent that most road bikes subscribe to a shape). Do try bikes to see which feels more natural to you, and if they feel uncomfortable reject them, but you'll probably find that many have a similar feel. So after that it's about choosing the right selection of componentry and looks. There's only so much you can tell from a 10-15 minute test on a bike. Backache and anything else is likely to set in after that.

I think one of the most important things to consider is weight, especially since you're probably not packing as much power as your boyfriend. Having a light bike means that you won't need to exert the same force to ride up that 8% gradient.

Sounds like loads of good advice here. The Trek you rode and loved is a great starting point and I like the fact most manufacturers offer ladies geometry as an option (but any thing wrong with a blokes size fitted with a ladies saddle?) Sizing is so important for your fit and lower back issue so spend time in choosing a dealer that you may need to travel to visit and get a proper bike fit the shop should offer this for nothing or at a reduced cost against a bike purchase. Don't be afraid to use 0% over a number of years with a good deposit, to get the bike you desire and look forward to riding on your own and together. Watch out 11 speed is becoming more main stream and a consideration to purchase now, so try to future proof your purchase (annoy your partner with a better sped'd bike) 8 speed is dead, 9sd ok but 10sd is better, spares will be an issue in a few years for 8sd maybe even 9sd. Trek & Specialised now have there own branded dedicated dealers but locations maybe miles away but they should offer a full range to help you. Independents are great offering 3-4 brands but limited in offering a full range. Main thing is the enjoy the purchase but move on if a dealer doesn't offer what your looking for.

I bought the this bike last year as my first road bike . I did try other bikes but found this the most comfortable as I found with my typical female body shape short torso longer legs no mans bike was a good fit . Did find it rather dispiriting as many bike shops do not stock womens bikes saying either no call for them or a mans bike would be fine . I just love my bike and have joined a cycle club and now go on club rides of either 25 or 40 miles each week and plan to join the 60 mile rides some time soon .

In my case it is true about getting a smaller bike the second time round.

I have learnt that not all bike shops are honest, hence the smaller frame.

Even though there are LBS shops closer to me, I only use the two big chain stores ten miles away as they have never bodged up a job on any of my bikes.

PS

Avoid Halfords

Hi and welcome! It sounds like you're on the right track to start with, because often new riders make their first post with something like "Which is best, Trek Thingummybob 2.1 or Giant Oojammarwhatsit 5 series? Do I need lighter wheels? I have a flat nose, do I need cosmetic surgery to give me an aerodynamic face?" etc etc, when the reality, as said above, is that the best bike is:

a. one that fits
b. one that suits your style of riding
c. one you like enough that it will drag you out of a warm bed on a Sunday morning so you can thrash the nuts off it on your local hills

So it sounds like the Trek Lexa is a good bet for you - certainly they are good bikes. This site has a review here:
http://road.cc/content/review/93301-trek-lexa-slx-women-specific-road-bike

I have the Trek Madone and really like it. As mentioned above, they cover different price points so you can choose the one to suit your budget. That said, what feels comfortable on a test ride might feel different after a couple of hours, so I'd suggest getting the shop to do their best to ensure you get the best fit, buy the bike (only if you're sure!), then get some miles in over a couple of months. Most shops will give it a free fettling after 6 weeks to adjust cables etc once everything has bedded in, at which point you can ask them to re-check your riding position. This assumes a level of competence on their part though. For example, I got mine at Royles cycles in Wilmslow, Cheshire, which is a decent shop and they know their stuff. I don't how how good the advice would be in, say, Evans cycles though, despite both being Trek dealers. Alternatively, given your back history, you might choose to have a professional bike fitting - Pedal Precision at the Manchester Velodrome charged me £110 for a good couple of hours, Richard knows his stuff and will take your icky back into account. If you can tell us your area, someone may be able to suggest good local shops/fitters.

If you aren't sure about the bike, then to help you decide, visit other shops and mention that you've tried the Trek Lexa. That's Trek's 'female-specific endurance road bike', and you'll find other manufacturers have their own equivalent offering in the same market space and aiming for a similar fit/experience.

Don't worry about not having a massive budget either. As you become fitter, faster and used to longer distances your body changes, so it's better to spend low now then lust after a £2000 monster in a year or two when you have a really specific idea of what you as an individual want from a bike (handling, ride, spec, geometry etc), than spend big now then find out that you evolve into a different kind of rider.

Sale season is underway now, so get out there, have a shop around, take your passport or driving license to leave with the shop while you have a test ride, and don't be afraid to try loads. Have fun!

Agree with the previous points about fit - if it's comfortable you will enjoy using it far more. If the budget won't stretch to a Lexa take a look at the geometry of the bike you tried and see if you can match that up to a cheaper bike. One thing to beware though is that the charts don't tell you about stem length, saddle layback (how far behind the seat tube the saddle clamp is) or the width and curve of the handlebar - all of which can have a significant effect on the bike's feel even if it has the same geometry.

Try lots of different bikes and go for the one you like best. The best bit of advice I would give though is don't penny pinch (at the lower end of the scale £100 can make a big difference) - if it fits and you love it save up for it if necessary, you will always regret not getting the right bike and the one you end up with will always feel second best. Hope you find something.

As said, fit and therefore comfort is paramount. If you liked the Trek so much, I believe the Lexa range covers a few price points so might be worth starting there and comparing from there onwards.

As said, fit and therefore comfort is paramount. If you liked the Trek so much, I believe the Lexa range covers a few price points so might be worth starting there and comparing from there onwards.

The best bike for you is the one that fits you best - in a first bike this is the one thing that will make a real and lasting difference to how much you enjoy and continue to enjoy cycling.

There is nothing to say that this couldn't be a 'men's' bike and as you say there will be more choice if it is. In general women are thought to have shorter torsos relative to their overall height (and longer thigh bones) which tends to mean a shorter top tube length. Men's 'endurance' or 'sportive' bikes are often like this, so may also fit you. You may however not fit the 'in general' mould!

I have spoken to more than one bike shop assistant who says that when people come back for their second bike they often go for a smaller size than their first one, so maybe start small and work your way up rather than the other way around.

Budget is up to you but the sales are on and you can get a lot of bike for your money if you shop around. Just remember that a bike with 50% off that is a bit too big for you is just a slightly less expensive mistake!

Lastly, try lots. Although the chain stores may not all have the greatest customer service they will have a wider range. You can always buy it somewhere else and I wouldn't feel guilty about it if I were you.