MikeAmoke

Hey guys, my and my girl want to start riding together. i have a Flite 100 track bike and i was wondering what kind of bike to get her. im thinking a track bike so she can keep up with me and get a workout for us at the same ttime. any opinions?

yummygooey

Kilo TT

Nagrom_ 

What does her on a track bike have to do with keeping up?

Also, maybe you should ask her what she wants, rather than ask use what she wants... women right?

MikeAmoke

haha she dosent know much about bikes.
yeah i was thinking killo tt, is their frame sizing fairly standard?

bfloyd6969

Does she understand the concept of a fixed gear bike? Perhaps she might like a single speed or multiple gears? If she is set on a FG/SS, I would recommend to get something that has a flip flop rear hub (most of the bikes these days do) and is equipped with both a fixed cog and freewheel. That will at least give her two riding styles to choose from. Also be sure there are brakes - front and rear if she likes the freewheel better than the fixed cog.

Scrodzilla

The geo chart can be found right on the Bikes Direct site.

FWIW, Kilo TT = Flite 100

4rcticFlowers

Kilo TT is the standard answer, and a good bike, but if she's less experienced with bikes than you, you might want to just get a used road bike for several reasons:
1. Riding fixed is more demanding, and if she's not already "into" bikes, this might be a deterrent
2. She will be able to keep up with you better and more efficiently with a variety of gears
3. A Craigslist road bike will be cheaper. If she wants to graduate to something else later, then you can sell the roadie for the same or almost the same price at that time.

broakland

Just get a track tandem FTW


...she'll always be right behind you ; )

GENESTARWIND

find a few different bikes on clist in her general size ranging from roade to single to fixed and tell the seller youre trying to find a bike for her and if she can test ride it.

Let her choose.

Phil_gretz

Wife and two grown daughters here. Listening will be key for your success. Try to get her ideal vision of what "riding together" means to her. Errands? Breakfasts at a cafe? Picnics?
Endurance sweat-a-thons? Charity rides?

The bike must suit her purposes. How is she about comfort? Would a more upright or step-through be here style? Remember, with women, style generally counts a lot.

Is she technically/mechanically/gizmo inclined? Would she prefer something more vintage looking (back to the style question)? Maybe an older mixte geared bike would suit her fine, with fenders and a basket. Not trying to assume anything here, just trying to expand your perspective.

What about hand size and strength? This will affect grips, brake lever throw, and handlebar type. How about wrists and, um, backside? Would she tolerate an aggressive posture, or would some other fit suit her better? Maybe a relaxed trip to the bike store, allowing her to browse and try some different styles would be in order?

Good luck.

So - for my wife, a 1980s touring bike worked best for fit and function. Saddle wound up being the Terry Liberator. YMMV.

Doohickie

You said you and your girl want to start riding together. Who initiated this idea, her or you? If it was your idea, proceed with caution. If she's just agreeing to this to please you, it is probably doomed to failure unless you truly get her buy-in. Don't rush things, don't dictate what bike she should get. The other thing you haven't mentioned is whether she is relatively fit. If she doesn't exercise currently or isn't especially athletic, going right to fixie is probably a very, very bad idea.

With my wife, it was an "extreme step-through."



Last time she had ridden was when she fell off her bike in 5th grade and broke her kneecap, so she was very keen on being able to get on and off easily. After a year and a half we are finally planning our first group ride together, a city-sponsored 5 miler (although if she feels good, she may opt for the 9 mile route).

MikeAmoke

thanks for the response guys :]
As for her wanting to ride, its because we want to start being more active together. Since ive been into biking (I ride a Flite100), shes grown more fond of the idea so im not forcing it on her. Now we're in the market for her bike, She wants a fixed gear like me and of course she wants to look stylin as well haha. our main purpose with riding will be to get a good workout, so i think functionality will come before anything else. With that said i think the most vital parts for long, hard rides is saddle and handles? any good brands i shoudl look at

bfloyd6969

There are some makers that make women specific saddles, but I can't comment from experience as I don't know any women that ride them. I know WTB and Terry make some women specific saddles so have a look at those and look up reviews on them. I think it has something to do with the womens pelvic area rotates differently then mens thus using a different design to suit - dunno....

trigger

Specialized makes some very good women's saddles. I use the Ruby, which is the female version of the Toupe. They've got lots of models to pick from, and a Specialized dealer may have loaner ones you can try. Getting something the right width for her sit bones (and perhaps with a cut-out) will be key. Reach will also be very important for you to consider, as generally speaking, women have shorter torsos then men, and therefore require a shorter reach to the bars. I've had to swap out the stock stem for something shorter on any complete bike I've purchased.

JesusBananas

+1 for Terry saddles.

But why talk to the person in question when you can ask in the internet?