Drops or flat bars? How much do you want spend?
Just looking at a light tourer/road bike/commuter to replace the partners ancient Dawes Galaxy and there is not a lot of choice out there, especially if you want a female specific frame and you’re a tall (5’8″) female.
We looked at a Specialized Vita as that comes in XL, the Giant Thrive is only available in medium, but might have done the job in large. Next option is a custom frame or converting a drop bar bike to flat bars maybe.(This is what happened with the Galaxy).
We’ve only just started looking so I’d be interested in all options/opinions as well.
Can’t help with an opinion on the ‘Invite’ as the Giant site says not available anymore?
Marko