Digest 2001-05-03

From: Adrienne Zuerner 
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 5:41 AM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: [WCDL] LeMond bikes


Any women out there own a LeMond? I'm 5'2" with small hands and would like
to hear about overall fit plus grip/breaking fit from women who have been
riding LeMonds for a while. I'm looking at the Buenes Aires and like what I
have read about frame, fork and other components. My local bike shop will
order it to fit, but since it's not a women's specific design, it doesn't
have the smaller dimensions in the handlebar and elsewhere.

Thanks.  AZ


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From: Deanna Sanderson 
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 3:26 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] LeMond bikes


Hey yea!  I've got one of those bikes!  My husband informed me that last
week on this site I mis-spelled Greg LeMond's name.  Oops!  Apparently he's
pretty famous...but what do I know?

Anyways...I have a Nevada City LeMond bike.  I am 5'4" and have no problem
with fit.  The brakes/gear shifters can be moved to fit your small hands
better (although I did not have to move mine). I have a longer than average
torso so I switched to a longer stem.  I got fitted twice at my local shop
and tweeked with the adjustments for the first two months as well as changed
the saddle three times before finally arriving at what I think is a perfect
fit.  It doesnt seem to be an issue that it is not a women's specific
design.

Best to you.



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From: Adrienne Zuerner 
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 6:46 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] LeMond bikes


Deanna,

Thanks so much for the info on your LeMond bike and for taking the time to
respond. I've got so much bike info in my head right now it's hard to sort
through it all. So it helps to have some concrete info.

Regards,

AZ


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From: Suzanne Pharr 
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 9:28 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] LeMond bikes


Hi, I'm Suzanne.  I'm new to this forum.  I have the same problem with
height.  Nothing personal, Deanna, but if you have a longer torso then you
don't need a women's specific design as badly as the rest of us.  The
problem for most women is short torsos.  I had a terrible time finding a
bike that fit until I switched to a Bianchi.  I don't know anything about
the frame geometry on LeMonds, but overall, European frame geometry favors
women over American-made bikes like Trek because European bikes tend to have
shorter top tubes, making it easier to reach for us short folks.  I wouldn't
be at all surprised to find out that Greg LeMond designed his bikes more
like theEuropeans.  That doesn't mean there aren't good American made bikes
out there, just be careful.  My advice would be to be extremely picky about
what you get--you'll be miserable if you get the wrong bike.  Unfortunately,
I found that out the hard way.

Good luck,

Suzanne Pharr



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From: Sadle Bred 
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2001 6:28 AM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] LeMond bikes


>I wouldn't
>be at all surprised to find out that Greg LeMond designed his bikes >more 
>like theEuropeans.  That doesn't mean there aren't good American >made 
>bikes out there, just be careful.

Just a small correction :) Lemond bikes are American made. LeMond is one of 
the many brands in the Trek Family. Trek (www.trekbikes.com) is based in 
Wisconsin in the midwestern USA. Trek's higher end bikes are built in their 
Wisconsin production facility. Other familiar Trek brands include Gary 
Fisher, Klein, and Bontrager.

You should check out the Lemond Geometry at http://www.lemondbikes.com/ and 
compare it to geometry of other bikes you are looking at. If you don't know 
what a particular number (angle, measurement) means, ask someone you trust 
at your bike shop or in your bike club. If you want to know if it is 
European geometry, I suggest comparing some big name American brands 
(Cannondale, Trek, Specialized) to some of the more well known European 
brands (Mercx, Colnalgo, Pinarello, etc.).

With a longer torso, you should have no problem getting a bike that fits 
properly as long as you are over 5'3" or so. I'm 5'3" with a very short 
torso; I ride an Italian bike called a Casati, which has a much shorter top 
tube than is standard. If you like the bike and it fits well, try to work 
with your shop to get them to switch out the stem and saddle until you have 
the perfect fit. Of course, in a perfect world, we would all ride custom 
bikes :) If you can afford a custom, it is definately the way to go! There 
is nothing else like it. Although my road bike is a "stock" bike, my 
mountain bike is a custom and handles better than any other "stock" bike 
I've ever owned.

Trish
Atlanta, GA

Trish Albert
sttarlite@hotmail.com
Starlite Farm and Southeastern Cycling On-Line
http://www.geocities.com/sadlebred
Life is Boring Without Risk...Live on the Edge!
Team Peggy-Ride Like A Girl!





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From: Tfrazzled@aol.com 
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2001 3:35 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] LeMond bikes




for all you shorter women out there-------There is a company that makes bikes 
just for women.  They are called Terry bikes--they even do tours through 
womantours. 
I've read about both. Sounds like a good bike and a fun group of tours. 
Trish 



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From: Jashardie@aol.com 
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2001 4:08 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] LeMond bikes


I have the same problem--small build, small hands, short torso.  In following 
this thread, there hasn't been specific discussion of what the issue is all 
about.  I know quite a lot about it, because it's also been my problem.  So 
here's the deal:  What this issue is about is that on average, men and women 
have different body geometry.  It is not enough to compare height.  For 
example, usually if a man and a woman are of the same height, he will have a 
longer torso and she will have longer legs.  For tall women, this is not a 
problem.  But for short women, a bike that will fit a 5'4" guy, won't 
necessarily fit you--the top tube is likely to be too long (his torso's 
longer so it's ok for him.) 

However, in making bikes with shorter top tubes (anything less than 53 cm, 
I've read), you run into problems if you ride a bike with standard men's 
wheels, which are 700cm.  With a short top tube (I ride a 48) if you have 
700cm wheels, during a sharp turn your foot can actually hit your wheel.   
This is called "toe clip overlap".  It can take you down.  It can kill you.   
It's happened to me.  Don't let it happen to you! 

In a word, no one should ever put 700 cm wheels on a bike with a short top 
tube.  Instead, the "women's specific frame" geometry usually has 650 cm 
(approx. 26') wheels front and back.  The wheels are smaller, and thus the 
top tube can be shorter without incurring the danger of toe clip overlap.   
This issue is becoming generally acknowledged and several manufacturers have 
responded by making bikes with 650cm wheels.  Trek makes one, Litespeed makes 
one, and for 5 years I've ridden a Rodriguez Stellar which has this geometry. 
 It's available through a shop called R+E Cycles in Seattle, the website is 
www.rodcycle.com. 

Georgena Terry came up with another solution (she may have been the first to 
manufacture women's specific frames--I think it's at least 15 years).  She 
had the idea of putting a standard 700 cm wheel on the back, and a 24" wheel 
on the front.  It's an ingenious design, and although it's raised some 
eyebrows, this is a very successful company and the bikes are marketed 
nationwide.  Although I do not ride one, I must admit that I find them very 
attractive.  Terry makes this design in standard steel (both road bike and 
touring styles) and also titanium. Check out their website at 
www.terrybicycles.com.  If you click on FAQ on first page, you can find a 
short discussion of bicycle fit and geometry.  Terry has clothes, shoes, 
accessories, helmets and bikes all available through their catalog and 
online.  It's a great company, very responsive and attentive to women's 
needs.   

So--this has been pretty long-winded.  I just hope that any woman who reads 
this will very seriously consider getting accurately measured for a bike and, 
if you have a short torso, get a women's specific frame.  DO NOT let some guy 
in the bike store tweak it so that it "fits".  It won't. 



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rom: Deanna Sanderson Helsten 
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2001 9:13 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: RE: [WCDL] LeMond bikes


My dear hubby says "The Giant" road/racing bike could be good for you, and
also there is a new Schwinn has the same geometry as The Giant.
May be worth looking at.

best, Deanna


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From: Joe Cimer 
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001 1:59 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: [WCDL] MTB Seat


Hello all:

My wife has had a helluva time trying to find a good bike seat that will get 
her through 2-3 hour single track rides without causing pain and numbness to 
her, well, sensitive area.

Right now her setup is: a women-specific mtb saddle with a center-cut hole, 
a gel pad, a 15.5" K2 Zed X frame and a shorty 10 degree rise stem. She is 
about 5' 6" in height and weighs...I cant tell you.

Any advice?

Regards,
j


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From: Earth Trek Adventures 
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001 7:05 AM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] MTB Seat


Hi Joe

I know this one!!!!!! All too well... had a women's specific seat with
the cut out and it worked well but it was too wide in the back and made
it difficult for decents etc..

Now I use a WTB seat with a slight notch in that area....but here's what
makes it work.....I angle my seat down.  Start with just a little angle
and add a little to the degree until it works.  This trick works even
when the seat is a men's race style.  It forces you to sit more on the
sit bones and the angle keeps the seat away form those, well, sensitive
area!!!

While I have your attention...check out my website..might find one of my
camps interesting.

Ride Hard
Angie Weaver


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From: 
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 8:56 PM
To: Womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: [WCDL] New list member


Hello everyone, 

I am an avid cyclist/smog sucking commuter/endorphin junky with off road 
tendencies....I found this list and thought it would be great to talk with 
other women cyclists.  I live in beautiful Washington state and the weather 
lately is getting me off my trainer and back on the road were I belong.   

Ride on! 
Stella...... 


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From: susan.j.heimann@gm.com 
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 9:16 PM
To: womens-cycling@teamestrogen.com
Subject: Re: [WCDL] New list member


Hello Everyone,
    I am new to this site and interested in anyone who has participated in
CycleOregon.  It is a 350 mile, week long ride somewhere in Oregon.  This year
it will be in Eastern Oregon near the Steen Mountains.   I am concerned about
comfort and what to expect after 50 miles a day on a bike.  I am in search of a
good bike and have learned alot just from reading your e-mails, so any info will
be appreciated.   Thanks and happy cycling.

Sue

P.S.  I am a 47 year old female in good health.  Just haven't riden a bike in a
long time and certainly not for 350 miles.   Mid life crisis has hit me!!!!!


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