Please help me recommend a bike

[NHAero]

A good friend of my wife is looking for a bike after her husband apparently ran over her hybrid bike from REI. I think this was a fairly basic bike. She's in her 50s, good condition, does spinning in the cold season so uses clipless pedals. Her typical ride is from her home, for an hour, and here on Martha's Vineyard will typically include both pavement and dirt, and dirt here can occasionally mean patches of sand.

She came by yesterday and I put her on my Litespeed 26er that I converted to a drop bar bike with Conti Speed King RSII tires (lightweight with minimal tread but they're 55-559 so a lot of width.) She'd never ridden a drop bar bike, got it that they offer more hand positions than the straight bar on her hybrid, and she got that the wide tires would make some of the dirt road riding easier. Like me, she has some lower back issues so doesn't want to be too bent over - I have the bars on the Litespeed slightly above the saddle height.

What are good choices for bikes which come with drop bars, wider probably better than the Nitto Sobas I have on the Litespeed (parts bin :-), and will take wide tires? I'm not sure whether to suggest a bike based on 26, 27.5, or 29 tires - the 55-559 tires yield a wheel diameter similar to a 25mm tire on a 700C rim. She has a 32" inseam so I don't think large wheels would be a problem.

I was thinking the new version of the Salsa Vaya. I don't know her budget, but I need a place to start. Thanks for any insights!

[cp43]

The Vaya sounds like a good choice. I think just about anything that's in the gravel road bike category could work well. Trek does the 520, 720, and 920. Specialized does the AWOL and the Sequoia. Surly Cross check, Long Haul Trucker, or Straggler. Etc.

Depending on budget, and bar height, it's probably worth exploring another hybrid, with a bar swap to something flat, but with more hand positions. Something like this , or a Jones bar.

Chris

[AngryScientist]

i was just in REI yesterday and they have launced a new line of bikes branded as COOP (co-op) bikes.

they look great, check them out!

[NHAero]

Those Coop bikes look like a real contender. Good stack/reach numbers like the Vaya. Thanks!

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

i was just in REI yesterday and they have launced a new line of bikes branded as COOP (co-op) bikes.

they look great, check them out!

[ceolwulf]

How about something from Velo Orange, like the Campeur?

[weisan]

Originally Posted by ceolwulf

How about something from Velo Orange, like the Campeur?

Yeah.. Eroica ready too!

[NHAero]

Good thought - seems to have a more traditional stack and reach so bars lower, maybe not as comfy for her?

Originally Posted by ceolwulf

How about something from Velo Orange, like the Campeur?

[kevinvc]

Is she committed to drop bars? If she's just looking for more hand positions, something with relaxed geometry and a Jones bar might be even better. Just a thought.

[NHAero]

Not committed at all, and I think that since she hadn't ridden a bike with drop bars before that choice wasn't on her radar screen. I'm hoping that I can suggest a pretty stock bike to her but for sure the Jones bar is a good thought, thanks.

Originally Posted by kevinvc

Is she committed to drop bars? If she's just looking for more hand positions, something with relaxed geometry and a Jones bar might be even better. Just a thought.

[bmeryman]

If she's interested in flat bars I was going to suggest a Velo Orange as well. Or maybe a Soma.

If she's open to flat bars (or maybe upgrading to multi-position flat bars), I really like the Jamis Coda lineup (the Coda Sport is my favorite). It's got a fairly neutral geometry that feels quick enough on the road and stable enough the rest of the time. Bonus points for being inexpensive yet reasonable component-wise.

It makes me sound a bit crazy, but I feel like the Coda Sport is one of the most competent, modest bicycles produced today. Jamis also has a lifetime warranty on their steel frames.

And no, I don't work for them. I'm just irrationally fascinated with a $540 bike.

[NHAero]

Thanks for that suggestion - the Coda looks most like the bike she had, a 24 speed hybrid. Do you happen to know what the max tire size that bike will accept - it comes with 32mm but doesn't give a max.
Thank you

Originally Posted by bmeryman

If she's interested in flat bars I was going to suggest a Velo Orange as well. Or maybe a Soma.

If she's open to flat bars (or maybe upgrading to multi-position flat bars), I really like the Jamis Coda lineup (the Coda Sport is my favorite). It's got a fairly neutral geometry that feels quick enough on the road and stable enough the rest of the time. Bonus points for being inexpensive yet reasonable component-wise.

It makes me sound a bit crazy, but I feel like the Coda Sport is one of the most competent, modest bicycles produced today. Jamis also has a lifetime warranty on their steel frames.

And no, I don't work for them. I'm just irrationally fascinated with a $540 bike.

[bmeryman]

Depends on whether she'd like to run fenders or not. 32s are nice with fenders, 35s fit comfortably without fenders. I think I test fit 38s, but the clearance was a bit tighter than I'd like.

I'd consider greater tire clearance to be one of two complaints I have about the bicycle. I'd much prefer clearance for 45s or 38 with fenders.

That being said, if she ends up with the disc version and you feel like practicing your wheelbuilding craft, I have test fit a 27.5x2.1 in the front successfully.

[Greenpea]

Check out the Raleigh line too. The Port Townsend probably checks a lot of boxes

http://www.raleighusa.com/port-townsend

[likebikes]

nothing wrong with another flat-bar hybrid- buy whatever the lbs on-island has.

these days, they come with discs and 10spd rear cassettes.

[NHAero]

So far the Coop bikes and the Salsa Vaya seem to offer the most upright drop bar position - what a range of stack and reach on the bikes folks have suggested. The REI bike seems like a good value for $1,099.