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I wanted her to get a 29er in the first place. Her riding is mainly forest roads/paths and she walks down the challenging bits on reds but that was on a fully rigid early 90s canti braked bike that was way too big for her. Her family and friends gave her 'anti29eritis' so in the end I found a lovely 2013 Orange Diva 26er hardtail which had all the spec she was after. BUT it arrived today and it turns out the shop had a 'stock and website discrepancy' so I've just unpacked the 2014 version which is a 29er. All spec and price is identical apart from wheel-sized bits.
I've squared it with the shop that I can go on a more than tarmac ride (gravel etc) and return it if she hates it.
I'm not going to tell her it's a 29er, I'm just going to let her ride it.
My theory is that the 29er will smooth out the trails she normally rides on but will also give her the confidence to ride more gnarly stuff due the overall much better equipment and larger wheels.
What do you reckon? Am I doing the right thing? She may accuse me of secretly tricking her into getting a 29er but that's a storm I'm willing to weather.
Not great at judging the size of things is she? 😆
Just tell her whats happened, let her try it and decide whether she likes it.
She'll slowly realise as she's riding it. But then she won't want to get off because she'll be having too good a time.
Go home and a knock a wall down, she'll miss the wheelsize discrepency in her fury
She's a grown up.
Tell her what's happened and let her make her own decision.
So, she currently has a 26er. She has been looking at the spec and pics of a 26ers and has chosen a nice 26er.
You are going to give her a 29er and pretend nothing is up.
Yup, utterly foolproof plan... 😉
Honesty will be your friend, just tell her size doesn't matter
Will an extra three inches really make her happier?
It's all about width these days.
[i]Just tell her whats happened, let her try it and decide whether she likes it.[/i]
+1
I knocked the shed freezer off by accident on Wednesday, that's still raw enough to bury some bad news in, do you want me to tell my wife?
She's a grown up.Tell her what's happened and let her make her own decision.
This
I'm the one who for the last six months has been researching and presenting bikes for her viewing pleasure. The only thing she's really bothered about is standover height. My main search criteria were air fork, external BB, decent wheels and brakes. Her family and friends have been warning her off 29ers. Not for any good reason than it sounds weird. I keep telling her about Tracey Moseley at 5ft 4in winning the EWS on a 29er!
Do you want her to have a bike that she feels she owns, chose and is comfortable on or just 'the right bike because Deveron53 says it is'?
She's a grown up, whether you agree with her decision or not it's hers to make. Tell her what's happened ask her to have a ride to see what she thinks and accept her decision.
I'd have warned her off a 29er too- not because of her height, but because I don't like 'em.
If she doesn't want it don't give it to her- the last thing you want for someone who isn't that into cycling is a bike they don't like, whether that's because of wheel size, colour or whatever, because they'll not use it as much as a bike they do like.
This is what she believes as she tasked me with finding the perfect bike for her, it's just that the chant of: "29ers are huge" from the chorus of disapproval has been too loud.'the right bike because Deveron53 says it is'?
I will get her to check standover height etc. Then a quick tarmac car park circuit then I'll tell her about the wheel size then we'll set off on a mainly tarmac ride. The shop has authorised a fairly flexible test riding window due to their error.
Crazy I know but........ take her to the shop to try it out for size? Should dispel the wagon-wheeler size myth and instead make her question why the front end is so high/stem upside down
So she's got the opportunity to ride it about a bit and then decide... where's the problem?
If you don't tell her about the wheel size she might panic and think that she's shrinking!
Reverse pyschology... tell her the bike shop has dropped a clanger and you have had a right go at them over it... blah blah ( do this right and you will look a hero!!). i only went mad cos i knew how much you didn't one of these. Never mind we can get the one you wanted which will take another 6-8 weeks.
Your wife will then say" * don't get stressed sweetie.., lets go and have a look at it...
* Possibly
29er's are cumbersome on short people. Tracey Mosley isn't exactly your average rider, i've seen shorter ladies out on 29ers and they look like they are literally sitting in between 2 big wagon wheels with naff all control. I'll also bet Tracey's bike is just a little more than custom..
So - tell her the **** up and go get her what she asked for she's been sensible and kept it a 26!
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wwaswas - MemberShe's a grown up.
Tell her what's happened and let her make her own decision.
at least we hope she is....
Congratulate her on having a bike that doesn't have an obsolete wheel size.
I'll also bet Tracey's bike is just a little more than custom..
Prepared to bet it's completely stock, bar the odd prototype stem or whatever, frame will be stock geometry.
My wife's 5'6", she and I got frustrated with how much hard work her old bike made things - she had less of a problem being left behind on borrowed bikes, or on mine. On the odd occasion we swapped, she'd hare off, and I'd be left behind on hers, strength and inspiration seemingly sapped, bored, twiddling. Great fun, great handling on the way down, just rubbish if you had to pedal.
We got her a 29er, and the change is remarkable. I used to look back for her, after thinking I'd been taking it easy and be amazed how far back she was (makes me sound like an arse, I know!). Now I can clip along for a fair bit and be amazed at how close she is.
let her make her own mind up, she'll probably prefer it for the riding you're talking about.
29er's are cumbersome on short people.
My 5'6" wife would disagree, she swapped from a 26" Rockhopper to a 29" Jett and loves it. She is faster more confident and better able to keep up with me which means she enjoys riding with me more.
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My wife's 4'11".
I won't be buying her a 29er.
Standover height killed it. It's going back...
wwaswas - Member
My wife's 4'11".I won't be buying her a 29er.
How sweet, you buy her bikes. What if she wants to buy one?
Haven't read all the replies, just the OP:
My girlfriend can't possibly make decisions about bikes, so rather than her get her pretty little ovaries in a tizzy about it, I'm going to lie to her so she'll have the bike [i]I[/i] want her to have.
What could possibly go wrong? 🙄
Sell it to renton.
Sell it to renton.
😆
[i]How sweet, you buy her bikes. What if sthe wants to buy one?[/i]
Oh she can spend her own money on what she wants. Her most recent purchase was a Pashley princess with all the timings that weighs more than 40lb's.
It's a 'a bit hard to pedal up hills' apparently.
I agree with the op to just let her ride it and make her mind up from there, if the shop are happy to exchange it after this then you have nothing to lose.
I built a rigid 29er for myself never having ridden one previously and love it and wouldn't go back to 26"wheels now.
Have you looked at the whyte range? 802 etc?
She'll probably love it. A good few of the women I ride with have got 29ers in the past year or so, they all love them. Confidence and speed increased overnight.
[quote="wwaswas"]Her most recent purchase was a Pashley princess with all the timings that weighs more than 40lb's.
My cousin's wife wanted one of those. He bought her one. She rode it once. 18 months later, he sold it. I'm not sure she has even noticed yet.
She'll probably love it. A good few of the women I ride with have got 29ers in the past year or so, they all love them
Is that cos they're all basically shopping bikes?
my missus had a Pashley Poppy, absolutely hated it, although it looked great!
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rattly on anything but the smoothest road, heavy, hard to pedal, terrible brakes and strangely nervous steering
sold it, put the money towards a Specialized Ruby women's road bike, loved road cycling so much we got her a Giant Propel Advanced Pro this year!