I find myself in the strange and not unpleasant situation that Mrs Hooter has a keen desire for a new bicycle, in this particular case for road and touring. After several hours of joyful togetherness sitting on the sofa with laptops looking at various purveyors of fine cycles, we are at a loss as to what to get. Happyness has turned to frustration and the root cause is that she doesn't really know what she wants...
This is what we have so far:
1) It needs to be light
2) Take mudguards and a rack for light touring
3) Have a good spread of gears for riding flatland and hills
4) Disk brakes are prefered
5) Worst of all, it has to .... "look right". Most cyclo cross and many touring bikes for instance do not "look right". Any bike from a good value place like Ribble or On-One/Planet-X does not "look right". She's read that a Cotic Roadrat is heavy. Expensive racing bikes of course "look right" but do not meet criteria 2,3 and 4 above. Anything smooth glossy and white does "look right", especially white rims 🙄
She quite likes the Genesis Croix de Fer, but the gears are too high. There's a Jamis bike at Evans, but it's sold out in her size. The Decade Tripster looks like an option, but she says it only "looks right" with white rims - and getting 29er disc wheels with white rims does not seem to be cheap.
So STW massive, what other options are there? Please help!
what's the budget?
Ideally under a grand...
Something like this may suit her, just fails on point 4.
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2010-cannondale-synapsewomens-specific-model
One of the Specialized Sirrus versions?
or change the chainset on the Croix de fer
Thanks noidea, but that's a little too racey. I think we're looking for two sets of rack/mudguard eyelets and clearance for guards and 28mm tyres
Go have something built for her to her spec. Someone like Steve Goff in Lancashire could make just the thing in 531.
Then up to you to supply the rest of the kit.
drop bars or flats?
Drops: Look at the genesis croi de fer (not spelt that way I'm sure) and the Day-One alfine.
Flats: Whyte Caledonian? Lovely bike. The shop I work in sell both and they are the ones I would buy.
How about one of the new Boardman Cross bikes?
Not sure about the looks though.
The Kona Honky Tonk looks great VFM, but no discs sadly.
The Honky Inc might fit the bill.
Ms S was looking for something similar earlier this year and ended up with a Trek 1.5 triple.
Only one set of bosses for rack & guards and no discs, but after test riding a few bikes she just felt that the Trek fitted best and rode very nicely.
All Kona's are "ugly" apparently. I hope she meant all current road-going Kona's rather than my old Humu Humu or Lava Dome...