Hi Lizbeth. I agree that the HB stem is often very short, with the result that some road bikes make me feel as if I am about to fall over the handle bars onto my nose. I don’t like that super aggressive slant. Have you tried what they call relaxed geometry bikes? For example, Specialized does a few variations of those, such as the unfortunately discontinued Sequoia, which was one of my favourite bikes. These are especially designed to be more level and comfortable. They don’t necessarily have to be women’s bikes – some of the men’s bikes are quite comfortable. Maggie loved my Sequoia. Just a thought … although then of course there is the battle to get the brake levers right. Bear in mind that most things on a new bike can be swapped out.

And for me the HB stem is always too short – even on a women’s bike. I need a level top on a drop bar, shallow drops and short reach brake levers. Road bikes just don’t fit me well enough.

Hi Lona. This is a very, very tough call. Personally I LOVE Specialized road bikes. I think they have lifted them to level of speed and elegance that is something like Olympic ice skating – just plain awesome. But Giant makes great bikes too. I think it comes down to personal taste, and how your body fits. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that if you are going to spend close to $1,000 on a bike, you take a lot of bikes for good, long test ride. It will come down to what works best with your body.

Hi Lucy. I asked Maggie about this, and this was her reply: “Honestly, I find the levers on the top best. The drop levers are a little big for me, and I have average sized hands.” BUT what you can do, Lucy, is get the bike shop to put spacers under the levers. They don’t last forever, but while they are in place, they really help. I agree with Maggie – bike manufacturers do NOT seem to have figured out how small women’s hands are. Even on the WSD bikes, the levers are usually too wide. It’s a very serious flaw, given how important brakes are. And from what I’ve seen, it’s across the board – NONE of them get it. The brake levers are ALWAYS too wide. I suspect there are no women in the bike design workshops …