kingsqueak

Whatever you do, have her along for test rides. Tire size in particular will affect ride quality quite a lot and the fancier flat-bar road bikes will be riding 25's or thinner, quite a lot more rigid ride. Just be sure she is interested in that. The "up" grades tend to be lighter and quicker due to the wheels and tires and up rated components, but they are also in general, a harsher ride. She may not be looking for that effect.

The Jamis Allegro and Coda are nice flat bar bikes too, just more for the pile to look at.

Another thought too, maybe what she has works well, just clean, shine and lube it all up so it's looking and functioning like new.

My experiments with the wife and a spin cycle, trying to get seats sorted out and fit for her have resulted in "interesting feedback" heh.

MickeyMaguire

My bike is a Fuji Absolute2 from 2012, which has better components than the Absolute1 for 2013 (they cut the cost and kept the price).

Dan Burkhart 

Yes, I see that. I was a Fuji dealer up until I closed my shop in '08, and I see that they have downgraded across the board. Still great bikes though.

Garfield Cat

Sounds like she may end up on a road bike after the next hybrid. Whatever the hybrid, get the light frameset. The low weight she will instantly notice. That and the custom wheels.

This will make the transition, if at all, to a road bike later on.

goldfinch

I have had mixed experience with this chain. They do excellent classes, taught by the guys who teach their mechanics. They actually did a lot to help me fix an old bike I brought in to bike school and allowed me to come to class a couple of hours early. However, the sales staff isn't necessarily knowledgeable. I bought a bike from them early on when I was starting to ride and wanted a rack and a few other things, which they installed. They picked a rack that was the wrong size so it always sat too high. They helped me pick a pump and then sold me an attachment to the pump. The attachment wasn't necessary as it came with the pump. All and all I ended up spending too much money for things that weren't quite right. I won't buy from them anymore.

I like Quick, which I have, as well as the Vita and the FX. Another to try is the Jamis brand, sold by NOW Bike and Fitness and maybe others. Come up to Duluth, my favorite LBS is a Specialized dealer. Though now their inventory is pretty skimpy and they are starting to bring out the skiis and boards.

daihard 

Some "hybrids" are very close, if not identical, to "road bikes," with a double crank and thin tyres. Some even have calliper brakes and a road-bike frame. If she gets one of those road-like "hybrids," she will be able to enjoy riding it for a long time.

MinnMan

She rode a 2012 Trek 7.6 and a 2013 Cannondale Quick SL 1 WSD today. These are the major brands carried by one of the LSBs that I like. I think she liked them both, but she's faced with the rather interesting problem that she knows that they feel different, but isn't sure which one will be better. You can't tell in a 20 minute ride which one will be more comfortable in a 2 hour ride. Later in the day, the Trek was sold to somebody else, and so we would have to look at a 2014 model to get her size. That might be better anyway, b/c the 2014 could then be also a WSD.

To my eyes, they are both nice bikes, though if it were me, I'd choose the Cannondale - it has a lighter frame and better components. She wants to take some time to think about it and maybe ride them again.

The sales person we dealt with was a 50+ woman, and very knowledgeable. That made a significant difference for my wife, compared to trying to get through all the attitudes of some of the young hipster guys who work in that same shop. (During a stray moment, one of those guys came over and asked if she was having trouble deciding which bike to buy. She said yes, and he said, "My advice is to buy the best bike you can afford." Oh wow, what a wise soul. She just glared at him.

curbtender

There is a guy on commission...

tcs

And if none of your LBSs bring any value to the transaction, look at the Motobecane Cafe Century Pro.

MinnMan

Oh, that looks sweet, but now that we're in the process, it's clear that good attention from the saleswoman at our LBS is going to be key, as issues of fit are more critical than componentry.

I'm not in a position to be shopping for another bike for myself, so it's kind of fun to be shopping with her, although I am making sure not to push my opinions too hard. It's just been my job (with all of your help) to show her the models to investigate. I already would have known about the Trek, but Cannondale Quick I learned about from this thread, and it might be what she buys.

Dudelsack 

I've helped buy bikes for my wife and two daughters...or was it two wives and a daughter... anyway, the only thing they've ever woried about was color.

Trek made their entry level Lexa (WSD) the ugliest color ever. I'll have to post a picture of the one I bought for my daughter. If you spent more you got a nicer color scheme. A ripoff if you ask me.

Madtown Bob

My wife has a hybrid and a road bike. She is a light-weight and so is her road bike and does not feel comfortable riding it when it is windy. She has been blown off the road. Her hybrid is older and heavier but she still prefers riding it when it isn’t windy because she likes the trigger shifter and brakes more than her road bike brifters. Even though it is heavier, the triple on her hybrid has much lower gearing than her road bike so going uphill even seems easier. Finally, the pedals on her hybrid are much easier to clip in and out of than the ones on her road bike. So when I ask her which bikes should we take, her answer is typically the hybrid. It’s fine with me because when we’re out for our typical ride, we are not looking to get it done as quick as possible. However, when we’re on a tour, she’ll pick the road bike and feels that she’s faster because she trained on a heavier bike.

I did get a better saddle for both bikes and a better handle bar grip for her hybrid. A grip with one of those wing-shaped platforms for her wrists. I find that bikes in your price category are pretty competitive so it will come down to personal tastes, the LBS and the fit.

Garfield Cat

Still, get the light weight. She will notice that instantly. Along with that, the handling should be more responsive. How close is that?

daihard 

Mine weighs about 22 lbs naked, which may not be as light as the high-end carbon-frame road racers, but it's not bad. The top-of-the-line 7.7 FX does share the carbon frame with the Madone 3 line. I don't know exactly how much it weighs, but I'd expect it to be under 20 lbs. Given the frame and components it has, I consider the 7.7 FX a "flat bar road bike," though Trek officially categorise it as a "Fitness" bike (same as the lower-end FX series).

h2oxtc

The Vita looks a lot like the Cannondale Quick that my wife had. We sold it when she got her road bike. I regret selling it - it was a nice bike.

I'm presently converting our mountain bikes to rigid carbon forks and slicks. We just don't ride single track enough to justify the space they occupy. Losing the suspension fork will lighten the bike 5 lbs and the slicks will roll nicer on the greenway.

Wanderer

If she likes the Specialized, there is no reason that you have to go back there after the sale..................

Garfield Cat

I just posed the question to my bike fitter who is not associated with any bike shop. I gave her the context, about the rider. Then I asked her if a road bike frameset can be adjusted (fitted) to accommodate a rider who may be "in transition". The key issue is whether hybrids that resemble a road frameset should just be skipped.

Other thing, this particular rider may not have ever had a good fitting. A good fitting and a real nice frame set, and that would make a big difference.

goldfinch

If bikes came with uncut steerers this would work a lot better. Start with bars high and if you want, work your way down.

daihard 

Totally agreed about a good fitting and a good frame set.

I don't necessarily know whether or not the OP's wife should be in transition or not. You make it sound as though every rider will eventually want a drop-handlebar road bike and riding a hybrid is just a step towards it. It may be true for a lot of people. I'm just not sure if she fits that description.

MinnMan

I'm the OP and I'm not totally sure either, but from the way she talks about it, she may never go for the full roady experience - not the bicycle and not the other things that go with it (distances, speed, pedal system, outfit, attitude, etc. etc.). If she ever gets there, there's always n+1, so we're shopping for the right bike for now.

wobblyoldgeezer

Good position to be in - happy with the present bike, wanting something similar but the next step up, If I read the original post correctly?

In a fit of generosity I bought the spouse a Trek 7.5 fx WSD in 2006. She's ridden in the Middle East, France, Scandinavia, USA, Austria, Hungary, Ireland on it - comfortably and fast. 8000 miles on the computer now, and for a lot of time the computer was out of battery.

She's hard to keep up with on that bike!

Asked if she wanted a new different bike. Response, no, it's the right one, but maybe a bit out of tune right now. So I rode it 25 miles this morning to our favourite but not very close bike shop to get a new chain and cassette, cables and middle ring, brake blocks and a lube. And despite it feeling like a well used bike, it was a lovely ride.

We're both big fans of Trek 7.5 fx!

(Not a shill, definitely enthusiast!)

Garfield Cat

Let any rider get on a bike that's 16 lbs and maybe 5 pounds lighter than their current ride, and watch the "wow" factor. I think its like "you don't know what you're missing".

When you were a kid and there were your buddies with different bikes, didn't you want to just try out their bikes once in a while? Remember the first kid that got a 10 speed and all you had was a regular bike?

Where's the excitement of a new type of riding? Adults have all this baggage all about "no, not for me".

MinnMan

I sort of agree with you. A nice road bike is just so much more like flying than even a spiffy hybrid. I asked if she would test ride one just to see what it's like, but she wasn't interested. And as I get older, I've learned that I have to let other people (and not just my wife) make their own decision, even if it's not the decision I would make.

Garfield Cat

Decision making is a lot about conquering something. Sometimes its prejudice.

decosse

So was a decision made ? Just curious. By the way, due to this thread I just got a 2014 Specialized Vita. You all have a lot to answer for, lol. j/k