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Buying a Bike for GF
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Thanks in advance for all your help and advice.

My girlfriend recently told me that she wished she had a bike so we could ride together sometimes. I want to buy her a bike as a surprise. She's 5'6" and of normal body size/type.

I am thinking a 54 road bike, and only have around $500 to dedicate to this. So thinking probably used, so I'll troll around eBay and the Classifieds until I find something I like.

Are there any female considerations that I should take into account?
Is there anything better I should be looking for?
Is 54 the right size?
Is this a bad idea?
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Re: Buying a Bike for GF [Vigilante] [ In reply to ]
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Getting your girlfriend a bike is a GREAT idea. Making it a surprise is a HORRIBLE idea.

I'm 5'7" and I ride either a 51/52 depending on the brand. I'm guessing (but it really depends on her proportions) that a 54 will be too big. This is why I say that a surprise is not a great idea. If you want her to like riding, she needs to be comfortable on the bike. That means it needs to fit her properly.

I'd recommend taking her to a shop and getting her to try some bikes. See what sizes work and the kinds of things she likes (colors/style etc). Then use that info to find a used one.
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Re: Buying a Bike for GF [Vigilante] [ In reply to ]
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+1 for what edbikebabe said - you want your GF's input on bike sizing.

I'm also 5'7 and my bikes are a 48 (Cervelo TT bike) & 50 (Ghost road bike) but I've comfortably ridden varying sizes on other brands when we've rented road bikes on holiday 49 (Specialised Roubaix) & 54 (Trek Domane).

And don't even get us started on finding the perfect saddle! :-)
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Re: Buying a Bike for GF [Vigilante] [ In reply to ]
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I think it's super nice of you to get her a bike. Shopping for a bike can be totally overwhelming, so even if it is not a surprise, it is a great gift. Massively awesome gift!

I agree with the others about finding out what size she needs. Let her know that finding the right saddle will probably take some time, but no worries. Getting a good bike is the hardest part.
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Re: Buying a Bike for GF [edbikebabe] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks all for the advice! Sounds like I need to take her into the shop to get sized!
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Re: Buying a Bike for GF [Vigilante] [ In reply to ]
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Vigilante wrote:
Thanks all for the advice! Sounds like I need to take her into the shop to get sized!

I've got an awesome 51 Kestrel for sale. She's a beauty with very low miles if you're looking for a nice used road bike.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix
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