Looking for a fast commuter / audax / winter / whatever you want to call it bike for Karina (other half).
Cyclescheme so up to £800 (she wants to buy a new Exposure Strada to go with it).
All the mainstream manufacturers do women specific bikes(shorter top tube, smaller bars, short reach brakes, womens saddle and styling), but none of them seem to have deep drop brakes / clearance and eyelets to take full length guards.
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I'm guessing the only option is going to be a 'custom' build - a Ribble or a Kinesis etc with 'women's bits' on it? (She's tall - 5'10 so size won't be an issue)?
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At 5'10 she may not need to go with womens specific. Best thing is to try some. 5'3" here and my bike wont even take two bottle cages its that dinky.
Agree with Domino, at that lofty height she can ride a men's bike no problem, and no doubt uses standard cranks and bar widths. All that is women specific about a bike that size is the flower on the saddle.
look at the dawes range, my daughter got a good deal on a 09 vantage from spa cycles it was a tourer but had rack and guards
The normal obstacle is small sizes means toe overlap - but at that height that won't be a problem. Don't see why women specific sizing would be a benefit - just get the correct top tube length on any Audax frame. Get compact (dropped top tube) geometry if standover is a concern.
Use Crud Racer guards? They really are good.
Giant Defy, or SCR as it used to be. Takes mudguards, has deep drop brakes. Normal Giant range of cheapish to expensive.
Russell
The marin lombard road bike more or less fits what you are after - just under the £800 with mudguard eyelets.
http://www.marin.co.uk/2010/bikepage.php?ModNo=10LO
You can fit full length mudguards onto small frames - my 48cm touring bike has them but I have the shimano deep drop brakes.
Also look at these http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f%5FProductID=5450&f%5FSupersetQRY=C240&f%5FSortOrderID=1
the missus has a carbon TCR running standard brakes and Crud race 'guards. Works a treat. If the only reason to go with deepdrop brakes is mudguards then you can easily get round that.
Thanks all.
Some great tips. 😀
I should have mentioned she's currently on a Giant OCR small mens frame and fits that fine, and she's got clip on guards on it (the SKS ones?) but has seen the benefit of full length guards on my Ribble.
Plus eyelets for a rack might be good too.