Having enjoyed the delights of my road bike for the 8 months or so, my better half would like one too. However, she’s not keen on the idea of drop bars and hates the idea of clips. So, what is the closest bike in terms of weight, slickness and roadworthiness you can think of? It is not intended for any off-road duties as she already has a good mtb.

Budget: £1000.

Lots of flat barred road bikes about like:-

Scott Metrix 20 Solution £850

Cannondale Badboy 29er £799

Trek 7.6 FX WSD £900

To suggest but a few….

why isn’t she happy with drops out of interest? most of the time i spend on the hoods and most people i know do the same, having drops and using them aren’t the same thing.

I just find the way my hands are angled more comfortable on the hoods than on flat bars, i guess it is the way wrists rotate.

Cotic are flogging X-Weekdays for £750 (56 and 54cm i think…) then some classifieds action for bars, shifters and levers?
I would be able to help with the components mentioned….

My neighbour was in same situation and last month got a spesh tricross. Slightly more upright than road bike and with flats. She now loves the drops and is getting SPD’s next month

why isn’t she happy with drops out of interest?

She’s only tried one but I think it’s the sense of being too far over the front (even on the hoods). I’ve said we could try a shorter stem, but she’s not going for it!

Boardman Performance Hybrid?

range from £500 to £900 i think. I have an older, base model bought as a possible commuter but its so nice to ride i use it as my ‘road’ bike, doing all day runs on it. Its nice and comfy with a useful range of gears – not too heavy either.
I don’t like drops for several reasons and find this bike a really nice ride.

i use it as my ‘road’ bike

Interesting. As she has a mtb I wondered if it was simply worth sticking slicks on, but I’m guessing you see a qualitative difference?

Hmm, the danger with the cross bikes listed above is that I also need want a new commuter 😕

Worth a try on a CX bike as she won’t feel either so low or so far over front. Pop on slicks and all sorted 🙂

Totally out of budget, but I’ve been trying to resist one of these for ages…
Spot Bikes Acme

I’m sure they used to do an 11 speed version of this, but can’t find it at the moment…
On-One Pompetamine

If you want to be spoilt for choice…
Any one of these?

I got a Specialized Crux built up for my other half who was in a similar situation. She wanted a road bike, but wasn’t confident on a standard road bike with drops.

We ended up with a Specialized Crux with a 90mm Specialized stem which is adjustable, a pair of Specialized women’s expert drop bars and flat pedals.

She is currently running the stem at + 16 degrees and is more than happy on the drops now.

The frame just so happens to be bright pink which she loves as well.

For reference my other half is 5ft7 and is on a 52cm Crux.

IMG_0048 by Ample Brew, on Flickr

Saxabar – my Boardman is far closer to a road bike with flat bars than a mtb with slicks, so is very different and much faster to ride. It has 700c wheels so rolls much quicker than a mtb with slicks. I can average 17mph on it so it must be fairly good if i can do that!

It would be worth checking one out for fit as it is a good ride with a good smile factor.

Lots of good suggestions here. While the webby prices look tempting (with the exception of the Spot bike!), I’d hate to get it wrong, have to spend time and money altering it, and then possibly still for it to be wrong. We have a Spesh store and a Halfords close by so I’ll try there first. This could be an expensive birthday coming up!

+1 Boardman hybrids. I use mine daily for the commute and have done plenty of leisure rides up to 80 miles.

My wife had exactly this. She was well kitted out by The Bicycle Repair Man in Prudhoe who were happy to change to flat bars and stem to suit, etc. Definitely the advantage of a good LBS over the ‘net. She ended up with a Giant TCX of some sort but modded.

Giant Avail 1 with 105, and a short flipped stem. She’ll get use to riding on the hoods. The Avail 2 my son rides has additional brake levers on the top of the bars and Tiagra, which he loves. If she doesn’t like clips, then Shimano 324 dual sided pedals, SPD one side, flat for school shoes the other. It really is an excellent bike.

Either the Boardman hybrid or the Ridgeback Flite http://www.mobile.wheelies.co.uk/p29890/Ridgeback/Flight-03-2010

Both flat barred, both with road’ish gearing, both got discs & 700cc wheels, both take guards.

I’ve had both and there’s nothing between them

Specialized Vita (elite I think is top of the range) women’s specific & not too girly.

My GF has a kaffenback we bought secondhand. She didn’t like the drops as she wasn’t confident braking, so I got some crosstop levers. After getting out on it, she now only uses the hoods and drops.

Another vote for the Boardman Hybrids – I’ve got the base model (cost £499) and use it as my ‘road bike’ and when compared to my Boardman MTB Hardtail, the MTB feels like a tractor!

I’ve used the Hybrid for all sorts of rides (up to 60 miles) it is currently running full length mudguards (winter mode)

go and try one out – they do lady versions aswell…

Why the insistence on drops if the OP is specifically looking for a flat barred set up?

PS, ive done the Coast to Coast in a day on my Boardman hybrid, 135 miles/9’300ft of ascent and it was comfy enough for that.

muddydwarf – Member
Why the insistence on drops if the OP is specifically looking for a flat barred set up?

When has any sensible advice really ever been given out on here – bar (he hee) the few posts above pointing out Boardman & Ridgeback flat bar road bikes

Giant dash 1.Basically a flat bar Avail.

On my CX bike, as I managed to smash my 9-speed STI lever when I had drop bars, I currently have a flat xc carbon bar and (retro-tastic) X-lite bar-ends with foam grips on the bar and the ends(The bonus is being able to use mtb v-brakes).

-Drop bars are more comfortable. Use a high/short stem.

I also have a set of road tyres, but I’ve not used them in years since fitting go-anywhere Land Cruisers instead.

Boardman bikes do appear good.

That Acme is a thing of beauty.

Damn you, Belugabob…!

In budget, flat bar, full carbon, from Brant’s roadie mates

Well within budget:

Cotic Roadrat

I’ve been trying to resist one of these for ages.

Shirely you haven’t been trying to resist, you have actually resisted. Now give yourself a pat on the back and go and treat yourself

The Giant Dash bikes are rather lovely. The Escape range is good as well if a more upright postion is required.
Tim
(spanner monkey for Giant)

Shirely you haven’t been trying to resist, you have actually resisted. Now give yourself a pat on the back and go and treat yourself

🙂

If I worked closer to home, and had secure storage at work, I’d be ordering one right now.