Looking for brands/models of ladies bikes with 26"

[Titiritero]

Hi,

I'm in the search of a retro 26" bike with ladies steel frame for my wife, to build it as a "do it all" commuter/touring reliable bike.

Nowadays you can only find those types of bikes with 700 wheels, or with extreme sloping which does not work well with my tall wife (and it's quite ugly at the size 20" that I'm looking for).

I'm not looking for offers, as the local second hand market is quite active (and bigger sizes are easier to find in Germany) but for model suggestions so I can narrow my search. If someone wants to post a picture of their own bikes, all the better.

I know those bikes were never on the higher end of the range, but that is not a problem as long as they have a minimum quality (CrMo frame).

So far I've found that Wheeler used to do a ladies version on most of their middle range. Also Specialized had the Hardrock and Rockhopper in ladies version (although they are hard to find) and other brands like Scott or Trek had one or two occasional models. Any other suggestions?

Some examples of what I'm looking for:
http://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anze ... 2-217-6293
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/njbmx/m ... 9.jpg.html
http://www.harwoodcycles.com/RaleighAlaska2.jpg

 

[brocklanders023]

Re:

Marin did ladies bikes. Here's one available on ebay uk at the moment.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARIN-MUIRWOO ... 4aee21cd66

 

[Fatal Swan]

This post won't help you much in Germany, but I was looking recently for something like this for a family member. It's not retro and it's not steel, but Halfords in the UK currently do quite an acceptable model of this kind for a decent price - the Pendleton Brooke (http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/h ... ybrid-bike). It has an aluminium frame and the (actual) weight is about 28lbs even with all its stock parts. I bought one used from ebay recently and I'm in the process of putting on nicer parts - LX and XT mostly. Depending on how much I end up changing the weight will be comfortably down to about 24lbs I think, and probably lower.

 

[Titiritero]

Re:

Marin did ladies bikes. Here's one available on ebay uk at the moment.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MARIN-MUIRWOO ... 4aee21cd66

That Marin is really nice looking. Exactly what I'm looking for, pity it's in the UK, and anyway it's probably small (I still get surprised to see bike selling adds where the seller does not mention important stuff like the bike size but includes irrelevant details like color).

I'll add it to the list, thanks! The Pendleton is not really on my price range, I'm looking for something used and cheap, and also if possible steel as it will be used for travelling.

 

[ljamesb]

Perhaps she plans to cycle a lot in skirts and dresses. If not though, can I suggest that she doesn't go straight for a ladies bike (with the typical more slanted top tube) as it could be totally unnecessary for her and could very easily limit the quality of the bike she ends up with. There are many, many more awesome retro mens bikes available than women specific bikes.

You mentioned that it will be an all around bike/touring bike. You may find that a taller stem is in order, so that the handlebars end up roughly the same height as the saddle rather than far below it. Many retro mountain bikes have very low stems which mean the rider is put in a more aggressive position (hands lower). This is one of the first things I changed when I made a touring bike from a 26" MTB.

Women tend to have smaller hands, a shorter reach and a lower centre of gravity. I would take this into account when looking at sizing and frame geometry of bikes for her. Depending on her particular body proportions, she might find that a bike with a shorter top tube will fit her better. I think that some women can benefit from different sized cranks (you can look online for how to measure). Also she may need a women's specific or slightly wider saddle.

Women are also generally not as strong as men so she may appreciate a lighter bike. Conveniently, lighter weight generally equates to better quality in bikes in my experience so win, win.

Marin (e.g muirwoods, bear valley, bear valley s.e, pine mountain, eldridge grade - watch the top tube length though) and Specialized (rockhopper, stumpjumper) would be good bikes to look for.

 

[KDM]

Re:

Muddy fox also did quite a few mixte's

 

[hamster]

Ladies frames are heavier and less rigid, in both cases due to the dropped top tube. Apart from fashion there is little reason to choose one unless she insists on riding in a long skirt.

Konas have low top tubes and work well.

 

[Titiritero]

Re:

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Ladies frames are heavier and less rigid, in both cases due to the dropped top tube. Apart from fashion there is little reason to choose one unless she insists on riding in a long skirt.

Konas have low top tubes and work well.

Although I partially agree (marginally heavier), I do not believe ladies frames are a fashion. Definitely not in countries with a strong bicycle culture like Germany or The Netherlands, where ease of use goes before fashion or racing aspects, and where thousands of ladies bikes are sold every year because of their practicality, also for men (unfortunately for me mostly in the 700 wheel size, more suited to street riding but not so much for "do it all" as I'm looking for).

Classic Konas are in general a bad idea for women for most of the reasons mentioned by "ljamesb" regarding retrobikes geometry and women. Very long top tubes and stems.

Let's not forget that, as I mentioned on the opening post, my intention is to have a "do it all" bike for my wife that could be used in the city, when doing extended touring trips fully loaded, as well as moderate off-road (she already has a "proper" mtb).

Low top bar frames are not only practical when riding with skirts, but also when doing repetitive mounting/dismounting (shopping in the city), cycle-touring (not so easy to pass the leg over a loaded rear rack or lean a heavy bike), hopping on the bike when a child seat is installed, or lending the bike to visitors shorter than the owner.

Today I have found a Trek 820 from 1998 online that sells nearby and might fit the bill. Unbranded chromoly frame/fork and Altus 3x7 components all around, seems to be the right size, in very good condition, and with extras like mudguards, chainguard and dynamo lights. They are asking for 95 EUR, I need to think about it a little bit longer...

 

[ljamesb]

The trek 820 is a nice all around bike. I'd say though, that if you wait a bit longer, you might be able to find something lighter and with a higher grade of components (like deore lx or xt), for that price.

Usually, with retro-bikes, you only need to pay a small amount more for a bike with much better components (much, much cheaper than upgrading). Same goes for the wheels - try to look for something with decent hubs and rims.

Also, maybe you could take advantage of your geographical location. There must be lots of German brands of bikes which are equally as good. They may sell for less because they don't have the same notoriety as some of the American brands, but you could get more for your money.

The link below is a search I've made on ebay.de for the word 'deore' in titles and descriptions.

ebay deore search

Then this link, is the same search, but for 'sold listings', so you can get an idea of how much bikes sell for in your area.

same ebay search, but for 'sold lisings'

 

[hamster]

Ladies frames are a hangover from a hundred years ago when it was considered improper for women to wear trousers. That's why it is indeed 'fashion'. While it is awkward to lift a leg over panniers, the top tube is a key important part of rigidity and therefore a loaded bike with a mixte frame flexes more and handles worse.

While Konas indeed have longer top tubes a shorter stem will solve it. The right stem is critical to fit any bike and it's odd that you dismiss them simply on the standard stem length. Lower models (suck as the Hahanna and Fire Mountain) have shorter top tubes anyway. My wife's commuting and utility bike is just such a bike with a 60mm stem with rise.