u/mother_of_aroids

Hey ladies!

I’m very new to cycling, and my goal is eventually to complete an Ironman 70.3 (and see where we go from there). So I’m looking for my first proper road bike!

From what I’ve read, an endurance bike seems like the most appropriate choice for long-distance riding, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

I’m 164 cm tall with a 77.5 cm inseam, so I have relatively long legs and a short torso. I feel like a lot of the information online is geared toward men, and I’m a little nervous about making a €2,000-3,000 investment only to discover that the geometry doesn’t work well for my proportions.

Could you recommend some brands/models that would be worth looking at for a first bike? My budget is around €2,500 for the bike itself, although I’d be willing to save a bit more if there’s something that would be significantly better suited to me.

I’m leaning toward carbon rather than aluminium, but I’m definitely open to being corrected on that too! I’m very new to all of this and mainly want to make a good choice rather than spend money based on misconceptions.

If anyone has similar proportions (especially long legs/short torso) and has found a bike that fits them really well, I’d LOVE to hear what you ride and what size you went for. I am based in the Netherlands btw.

Any recommendations, advice, or corrections welcome. I’m here to learn from you ladies! ❤️

I just got engaged 3 weeks ago and if I am honest I have no idea where to start with the planning nor with setting a budget. Our families reside in and around EU mostly, and we want a wedding in Italy. We are thinking around 90 people - we would like to pay for one night of accommodation for our guests. My partner said we can set a 25k Euro budget but after doing some research I think that is probably not realistic.

It doesn't have to be super luxurious, we just want something outdoors in the nature - maybe in Umbria - autumn 2027 (preferred) or spring 2028. Can someone please help me set my expectations? What is realistic in your view?

I would love to hear any wedding planning advice that you wish someone had told you. Thanks in advance! I am so so excited and terrified at the same time anything you can give me is very much welcome!