Looking for Advice from the RACC…”Serious Enquiries Only"

Recently my wife has expressed she would like to get more involved in biking (we’re not getting any younger). She has made it clear to me MTB’ing is not an option and feels Road biking looks to be more enjoyable. So, I figure if I set her up properly out of the gate she will have more fun with it and in turn get me more saddle time. This leads me to a number of questions.

First, “is it a good idea to through her on a Roadee right away? Do you think it would be better to set her up with a lighter Touring bike?” She currently rides a touring bike on family rides but the weight is a major factor deterring her from riding. She claims it’s not a problem but during the occasional rides we do I can see it wear her down and deters her when discussing the next ride.

Next…“is the geometry of a female Roadee that much different than a male Roadee? Should I be looking for a female bike or will any road bike do as long as it’s properly fitted?” Again, I think setting her up with the proper equipment will be a major factor in making this more enjoyable for her which brings me to my next question.
Would the female contingent of the RACC be willing to put together a Group Ride once in a while? I feel that women are better at motivating each other than men are at motivating you. IMO, guys are more performance oriented where as women work better together. Of course, I don’t think my wife would be ready for this until Spring time but it is food for thought.

I’m looking at getting her a ride soon and putting her on the trainer to build endurance. With winter getting ready to set in I feel it’ll be the perfect time to start this but at the same time if I don’t make it enjoyable she'll lose interest. The plus side to all this…I could be looking at a Roadee for myself come Spring time….

For the technical question about geometry, the gender of the rider has little to do with bike fit. The critical factors are flexibility, reach, and height- use the wrenchscience bike fit calculator (google or go to the dot com) and measure her up- inseam, sternum notch, arm length, shoulder length, and do the flex check. For a beginner, ease them into the aero position slowly. easy to do. get a 6-degree stem and flop it to the rise side, and begin with about 30mm of headset spacers. Ergo bars (most modern bars) have a shallow drop. That should get your drop height about the same as saddle height. If she's not long-armed or contortionist flexible, start with an overall reach about 5cm shorter than specified for her physiology by choosing stem length accordingly. With time, first switch to the specified length stem, then start shuttling the spacers to from the bottom of the stem to the top, then invert the stem, and so forth until the rider is comfortable in the drops for longer rides.

You might be surprised at how easy the drop position is to get into when worked into progressively. The first skinny-tire bike I built for my wife was pretty conservative. She's got a long torso and long arms, so she was demanding aero bars right away... so I scrapped that bike after a few months and built her a long-and-low bike with a racy geometry. She loves it, and doesn't spend all her time on the hoods like many riders tend to do when presented a traditionally fitted road bike from the beginning. Break those habits quick by starting with a more upright tuck and lowering the bars and reach as she progresses.

If you want her to ride a bike..... DON'T put her on a trainer!

I can think of no more miserable intrduction to cycling.

I agree with Fjaws, Riding a trainer in no fun at all and this will cause her to lose interest quickly. Get her out on the road every chance you can. Otherwise you can hang up you get that roadie in the spring.

Some companies make WSD bikes. Women Specific Design bikes may be a marketing gimick, but sometimes women will feel it is being directed at them and they like it. I worked at a cannondale shop a few years ago and when they came out with it, they started in a mid-range bike. It was amazing how many women spent the extra money for a WSD bike just because it was meant for women. A suitable position could have been had on a cheaper mens bike, but they always spent the extra$$$.

Another option is a company called Terry. They make specific bikes for women too. In fact that is their only focus. The big question is the dimensions of your wife. Is she proportioned to fit a mens bike? WSD started because women usually have different lengths/heights.

The womens group ride is a great idea. I would also suggest that the paved trails are a great place to build confidence before going on the road. The Autofree days are another great place to start. Patience will be the order of the day when riding with your wife at first. Her pace is the pace to ride. Don't try to teach her everything on the first rides either. Let her ride and have fun. As time goes, mentioning things will work better than teaching. A mysterious subscription to bicycling so it is laying around the house won't hurt either.

THX for the input...I didn't really wanna put her on the Trainer full time. Last winter I had my MTB set up on the trainer and once or twice a week she would have me swap the pedals out so she could ride...she kinda enjoyed it. So I'm thinking it wouldn't be too big a deal as long as I let her dictate when she rides the trainer and if I know my wife today would be too cold to ride and we haven't had our first frost yet.

I think Spinning class is another option...

spookyload wrote:
Don't try to teach her everything on the first rides either. Let her ride and have fun. As time goes, mentioning things will work better than teaching.

Now that's a great piece of advice! My wife didn't respond well to hearing all the "knees in, heels out! elbows bent, keep your head up! spin perfect circles! lead the turn with your head, and shift your weight when you brake! anticipate the shift! on the rivet! remember to clip out (oops)..." Once I learned to shut up, she started having more fun. Now she asks me to spot her form now and again, or asks how she's holding her line. Much better approach.

eurotrash wrote:

spookyload wrote:
Don't try to teach her everything on the first rides either. Let her ride and have fun. As time goes, mentioning things will work better than teaching.

My wife didn't respond well to hearing all the "knees in, heels out! elbows bent, keep your head up! spin perfect circles! lead the turn with your head, and shift your weight when you brake! anticipate the shift! on the rivet! remember to clip out (oops)..."

LOL, now that's something I would do even though I'm not the most technically sound rider.

I want this to be a success so I'm really going to have to bite my tongue...

I think for a person just starting out...you should buy them a nice bike, be a little conservative on the price, because you know you are going to upgrade later if she likes it. Next, I would find a good flat piece of road to start on. Hills discourage new riders; heck I still get discouraged by hills. The right clothing makes this sport enjoyable, I say make sure you get some nice fitted stuff. The last thing I can think of...is to get her a camera so that she can take pictures of the places she goes to. Good luck.

Daniel wrote:I think for a person just starting out...you should buy them a nice bike, be a little conservative on the price, because you know you are going to upgrade later if she likes it. Next, I would find a good flat piece of road to start on. Hills discourage new riders; heck I still get discouraged by hills. The right clothing makes this sport enjoyable, I say make sure you get some nice fitted stuff. The last thing I can think of...is to get her a camera so that she can take pictures of the places she goes to. Good luck.

That's good stuff, I would second the part of bikes to buy. Don't want to drop 2k on a bike she might absolutely hate, but don't want the bike to be a piece that isn't sufficient to ride.
Does she really have her heart set on a road bike? I am a road bike lover, absolutely love the road, but it really is different for everyone I think. Ever consider doing some weekly rentals of bikes? It's probably nice to get some riding in on both before you spend a good chunk of change on something.
My wife rides and would probably like to have someone to ride with.
I am totally with you on the mentality "the more she rides, the more I get to ride!" That is the truth man!
Best of luck!

I just had a chance to read this. I can only speak for me but I would LOVE to go on group road rides with your wife and whomever else (or even if she just wants to ride together whenever). I don't have a road bike yet but plan to get one in the future. However I'm sure we can make it happen regardless of the type of bike.