djb

proper size and low enough gearing are the most important points.

9 speed and a triple---but details please. Could be a 52/42/30 and a 12-25 cassette.
size--? My wife is about 5' and XS small frames work great for her. At 5'4" a small should be good.

and if your wife doesnt ride much, try to be realistic about not expecting comfort , ie hands, all nether regions, etc, to be a given right away. Padded bike shorts etc , grips, handlebars, stems, all make a difference, but really, she needs to ride regularly to figure all this out beforehand on a new bike to have an enjoyable time.
I wish you both luck, but really, bike fit and properly low gearing is the most important thing.
Give details of this bikes gearing is you are unfamiliar with this.
ie, the chainring sizes in teeth and the cassette range.
So many people and especially women I know have bought bikes that are a bit too big and dont have low enough gearing, which just bring challenges to having a good time, despite the enthusiasm and excitement of doing a bike trip.

and expect a million opinions from faceless internet strangers. Hard to know what to take with a grain of salt and what is valid .

tombc

Gray dust?[/QUOTE]

Rim brakes make a bike much dirtier than disc brakes as the pads wear on the rim. On a long tour it will make everything more gross, and if you live off the bike you'll either have to clean it frequently or be dirty. Just one of many small benefits to a newer bike that will be appreciated over many months.

My advice would be to go to a Liv or Giant store if there is one near you. I think that they make the best off the peg bikes for small riders that are easy to just walk into a store and buy for a good price, in Canada. That is my 2c for this thread and I'll be quiet now.

djb

the reason I mentioned about frame size is that I have had at least 3 or 4 women friends who have bought and use bikes that even with a much shorter stem, the reach was still a bit too far forward and not high enough.
Of course there is no black and white answer here, every rider is different for comfort, but just be wary. At least your wifes present bike is a good template to go from, but as she ridden a lot on it, for long rides of multiple hours, a few days in a row?

good luck with assessing things.
again, internet strangers can only help so much.

dvdwmth

I doesn’t make sense to compromise on touring bikes since having to abort your carefully planned trip over broken spokes or rack or chain or having a million flats or whatever, is really annoying.

Youre talking several months. Just buy a dedicated tourer from someone who can size the bike properly and make appropriate adjustments, and if the cost is an issue sell it after. If you don’t do it this way now, you’ll likely end up doing it later after you’ve found out the hard way why people use what they use.

Aborting really sucks.

phughes

tombc

Yes, it is a bit of a sad joke that the best place to go in this country is often the Giant store. Most shops I've been at haven't moved enough units to stock bicycles for the very tall and short riders, and the experience fitting them is often not there.

If my opinion is so poor as to be funny, well I only have 18 years in this industry. Less than many! Please share your experience, unless this is just a troll subforum now and I've missed the memo.

edit: thought of something else for OP - the Norco Indie is very popular here and available in sizes down to XXXXXXXS or something. Great for a rental fleet, I've put children on the smaller ones. Maybe you could get a good price on one of those, they often come with hydraulic brakes, triple cranksets, good clearance and cargo.

indyfabz

Like this or something?

tombc

Was I that slim before? I need to get back in the saddle.

If anyone has a size 20.5 SPD sandals for sale PM me.

Calsun

What is your wife currently riding? No need for a special new bike for what you intend to do in Europe. Most people who make such a trip can afford to stay in hotels or B&Bs and eat in restaurants or cafes and no need for camping or cooking or food staples. Pannier racks can be put on any road bike with clips around the stays.

indyfabz

Boring troll is boring.

phughes

No, it is you assessment of rim brakes that was hilarious.