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What size then?
Mid range retro vs budget new
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secret_squirrel
Senior Retro Guru
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15" ct or thereabouts.
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Location?
secret_squirrel
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Reading & work in London
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Re:
In your situation I'd be looking for a mint secondhand modern bike. The sort you're after is the one bought then never really used. Shouldn't be too hard to find a £1000+ rrp bike within budget.
My fiancee bought a brand new Orange Diva frame and I built it up with the parts from one of my modern bikes. Looks new, isn't heavy, is built with decent parts and cost less then £400. It's been used three times by her and once by my nephew in two years! I would be advising you to do the same if you hadn't stated you haven't the time but with that being the case I'd be on the look out for a bike like it as it still looks new. :roll:
In your situation I'd be looking for a mint secondhand modern bike. The sort you're after is the one bought then never really used. Shouldn't be too hard to find a £1000+ rrp bike within budget.
My fiancee bought a brand new Orange Diva frame and I built it up with the parts from one of my modern bikes. Looks new, isn't heavy, is built with decent parts and cost less then £400. It's been used three times by her and once by my nephew in two years! I would be advising you to do the same if you hadn't stated you haven't the time but with that being the case I'd be on the look out for a bike like it as it still looks new. :roll:
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Titiritero
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Re:
There is a lot of talk about specs, but not so much about the intended use your wife will make of the bike.
In my opinion, I would go with the modern bike, or even better a used modern bike (to get more specs for the same money).
Newer bikes, and specially the lower range you are targeting, have a more relaxed geometry, more comfortable than the long top tubes and even longer stems our retro bikes came with. As a general rule, at same height women have longer legs and shorter arms than men, just the opposite most retro bikes seem to be designed for.
My wife has a "modern" budget mtb at home ('07 Trek 3700), and then a decent retro mtb ('91 Scott WindRiver with full DX) by the in-laws (influenced by me) and she finds the modern one way more comfortable. In the retro, after her continuous complaints I had to raise the stem to the maximum, and when even at the limit was not good enough, we bought a ridiculously long quill/short reach stem which is both horrible and terribly comfortable for her.
The budget Trek, with its short top tube, high rise stem and high rise handlebar, was a success from the beginning. Heavy? Yes! Which one she prefers? The modern one in any case... We even do long tours with it. And she does not seem to mind the weight, as she has been "accessorizing" it with everything she finds: rear rack, bell, all kinds of reflectors, and clip-on mudguards with which she laughs at me when we come back from a wet off-road route and her back is still dry.
Your wife might prefer a racing low position, or prefers aggressive riding which a comfortable bike can't provide, who knows, so best is to set a budget and let her choose among the options available... A budget used modern bike and a good quality retro bike can come to a similar price (around 200 EUR). Also, female specific frames don't sell so much, so it's not hard to get a previous year model at a good price!
There is a lot of talk about specs, but not so much about the intended use your wife will make of the bike.
In my opinion, I would go with the modern bike, or even better a used modern bike (to get more specs for the same money).
Newer bikes, and specially the lower range you are targeting, have a more relaxed geometry, more comfortable than the long top tubes and even longer stems our retro bikes came with. As a general rule, at same height women have longer legs and shorter arms than men, just the opposite most retro bikes seem to be designed for.
My wife has a "modern" budget mtb at home ('07 Trek 3700), and then a decent retro mtb ('91 Scott WindRiver with full DX) by the in-laws (influenced by me) and she finds the modern one way more comfortable. In the retro, after her continuous complaints I had to raise the stem to the maximum, and when even at the limit was not good enough, we bought a ridiculously long quill/short reach stem which is both horrible and terribly comfortable for her.
The budget Trek, with its short top tube, high rise stem and high rise handlebar, was a success from the beginning. Heavy? Yes! Which one she prefers? The modern one in any case... We even do long tours with it. And she does not seem to mind the weight, as she has been "accessorizing" it with everything she finds: rear rack, bell, all kinds of reflectors, and clip-on mudguards with which she laughs at me when we come back from a wet off-road route and her back is still dry.
Your wife might prefer a racing low position, or prefers aggressive riding which a comfortable bike can't provide, who knows, so best is to set a budget and let her choose among the options available... A budget used modern bike and a good quality retro bike can come to a similar price (around 200 EUR). Also, female specific frames don't sell so much, so it's not hard to get a previous year model at a good price!
secret_squirrel
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Great advice I do think she would prefer a more modern position she has quite a short body. . So that's good advice.
For £400 you could get something new like a Carerra Vulcan. Hopelessly put together (halfords) and weighs a tonne but given the reviews, for what it is doesn't look terrible.
However....I bought my 1996 Orange P7, SLX kit that was still running well, all in mint condish for around £200. Whack on some upgrades, lighter kit etc and you have a bike that for my money would be far quicker round your average trail centre than the afforementioned Halford's special.
Brakes will probably be the one thing that differentiates. As you know, stopping power on even the shiniest of Canti brakes can be somewhat lacking!
However....I bought my 1996 Orange P7, SLX kit that was still running well, all in mint condish for around £200. Whack on some upgrades, lighter kit etc and you have a bike that for my money would be far quicker round your average trail centre than the afforementioned Halford's special.
Brakes will probably be the one thing that differentiates. As you know, stopping power on even the shiniest of Canti brakes can be somewhat lacking!
secret_squirrel
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I can actually get a fairly decent discount at Halfrauds as my Bro works there. But the frames always going to be the problem I think.
Not too fussed about brakes - V's are more than good enough for the Missus's riding, and have a number of XT sets floating about in the shed, though I've got a spare set or 2 of Hope disc wheelsets so can give her an instant wheel upgrade if I get a disc model.
Not too fussed about brakes - V's are more than good enough for the Missus's riding, and have a number of XT sets floating about in the shed, though I've got a spare set or 2 of Hope disc wheelsets so can give her an instant wheel upgrade if I get a disc model.
