Hi just wondering if anyone could help, I’m looking to get my first road bike and struggling to find a seasonable priced one (which isn’t out of stock because of Covid-19). I’ve found the Wiggins Rouen ADV Junior Road Bike - 700cc Wheel - 17" Frame and was wondering if this would be okay for a women of 5ft 3 160cm. Looking at the sizing it’s the same as a small road bike (c.17 inch with 700x25 tyres. Would this be ok or am I missing something? Don’t want to end up with an actual kids bike haha!! Thanks all :-)
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Do you find it comfortable to ride, for you ?– Criggie ♦May 11, 2020 at 2:01
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Halfords site says "Age Range : 9-12 years", but the size guide says 150cm-178cm for 17" frame and 17" would normally be an adult sized frame, not a 9-12 year old size. If it fits and is comfortable the label means nothing. 'Junior' could simply be a way of lowering price to match the teenager market, without devaluing the 'adult' range.– mattnzJun 9, 2020 at 23:18
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Questions seeking product/service/learning material recommendations or item valuations are off-topic because they tend to become obsolete quickly. Instead describe the situation or specific problem you are trying to solve, or try chatting about it in The Velodrome.– Daniel R HicksJun 11, 2020 at 12:43
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2 Answers
This doesn't appear to be a current model--I can't find specs on this exact bike. This seems to be a house brand for Halfords, and I'm a little suspicious of a house brand, but that's just me.
The general advice given around here is that if the bike fits and you like it, get it. It doesn't matter who it was originally intended for. That said, this sounds like this bike is small for you.
A junior's bike might have lower gearing (junior racers have restricted top gears), although if this bike wasn't intended for racing, then maybe not.
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Elaboration for the OP: junior racers’ hardest (I.e. top) gears are lower than you’d find on adult bikes. This is due to regulation, and I think the intent was to not make them strain their knees too early in their careers. (I’m not sure if there’s empirical evidence for that, and it could just be based on tradition.) Jul 11, 2020 at 13:35
I'd be very cautious of the sizing.
The size/age range combination seems odd (apart from being a wide range of heights for one size of frame). Going by the WHO height charts used in the UK, that bike would be too big 75% of 12-year-old girls and more than 50% of 12-year-old boys. More worryingly they give the same age range for the 19" model, while for the version with 26" wheels (and only 1x8 gearing) they don't give a frame size only an age - but bikes with 26" wheels are also suitable for adults.
The specs and size guide which I can only get to load under the 19" model that isn't included in the guide) suggest that 160-178cm is reasonable for a 17" junior frame. So there seems to be a little inconsistency - nothing that couldn't be resolved with a test ride, perhaps trying a couple in the shop first.
Every experience I've heard of with Halfords and bike fitting has been poor. Without a test ride I wouldn't go near it. If you can test it (for a sensible length of ride -- I did an hour on my main bike before buying it) and it seems to fit, then by all means go for it. It seems rather low spec for the price (2x8 Claris gearing for example) but that may be what you have to pay to get anything at the moment. There's nothing inherently wrong with buying a "junior" bike if that's what fits, though they often are either under-specced or seriously expensive.
