Biking and I (Stella) have a complicated relationship. Like every other kid in the USA, I rode a bike when I was child; I had the nostalgic “banana seat” bike. And I can say, with certainty, that I never rode a bike again after the age of seven or eight. For some reason, the bike moved out of my life shortly after I learned how to ride it. I think my fascination had moved onto roller skating, which had been a love of mine since the age of three.
Fast forward over thirty years to Spring of 2014. I was at work one day, and out-of-the-blue, I decided that I was going to buy a bike after work. Larry and I had not even been talking about biking recently nor had anyone around me at work, so what caused me to make that sudden decision is still a mystery. Perhaps I was looking for another outdoor activity for Larry and I to do together…
At that time, we were living in Green Bay, WI. There is a wonderful, locally owned bike shop called The Bike Hub in De Pere, which is right along the Fox River Trail. After work that day, I hightailed it to the shop where the owner helped me to pick out the Giant Sedona DX W; this is a hybrid bike that is no longer under the Giant brand as it has moved to Liv, the first cycling brand completely dedicated to women.
The bike we had picked out seemed like the perfect bike for my size and biking aspirations. I wanted a bike where I could sit up straight and have my arms level to my chest and close to my body (I didn’t want to be stretched forward on the handlebars due to my back problems). And, because I am a very petite person, I wanted to be able to get on/off with ease, without having difficulty hopping over a tall, straight bar. The bar on this bike slopes down, making it a breeze to get on/off.
RIDE: The overall ride of the bike is exceptional. It easily and comfortably glides over gravel, cracked pavement, and any other obstacles along the way. The seat (saddle), however, does take some getting used to. Even though the seat appears to be thickly cushioned, that cushion is still hard. At one point, I purchased a special pad to go over the seat, but didn’t really like that either. After a 20+mile ride, my butt bones are sore.
DURABILITY: Since purchasing it in 2014, this bike has put on some serious miles. It has been ridden on pavement, blacktop, gravel, grass, dirt and mud. Nothing has failed or broken, and it still has the original tires. The brakes stop very smoothly and I feel very secure.
HANDLEBARS & GEARS: I love the handlebars. They are a straight bar and can rotate forward or backward to suit my preference. And, like any other bike, they raise and lower to suit my preference. The diameter of the handlebars where the gears are fits the size of my small hands perfectly, and the gears are easy to change. The left gears has three different settings, and the gears on the right side allows for the other adjustments, (3×7).
WEIGHT: Due to my overall lack of biking experience and ownership, I am unable to make an educated comparison with regards to different weights of bikes. However, I can say that this bike is much heavier than thinner framed, “street” bikes. And, this could be part of the reason why this bike isn’t particularly suitable to biking in areas with hills/inclines. Even in the lowest gears, it can be exceptionally difficult. For example, if I were to go on a biking trip to Ireland, this is NOT the type of bike I would want to ride.
MISCELLANEOUS: The bike comes equipped with great light reflectors. I added on a metal bottle holder to the front of the handlebars for shorter treks, and a small bag that velcros around the bar directly beneath the handlebars to carry a few extra items, when needed. Additionally, I had some toeclips added to the pedals because my feet kept slipping off the pedals when I first began riding (I tried two different types of toeclips before I found the ones that I like).
As noted above, the production of the Sedona DX W is now under the Liv brand. However, if you’re searching for it online and happen to come across a used one or the new Liv brand, here a few things to consider:
- If you are looking for a fast bike, then this is NOT the bike for you.
- If you are looking for a bike that will easily pull you up hills/inclines, then this is NOT the bike for you. This bike is especially NOT ideal for use in very windy conditions!
- If you are looking for a leisure bike, for both short or long-distance treks on fairly flat terrain, then this might be the bike for you.
- If you are looking for a comfortable, women’s specific bike (for petite women), then this might be the bike for you.
NOTE: Check out the review for the new bike that I purchased Oct 2020! Trek Dual Sport 3 Women’s Hybrid. I donated my Giant bike to Bicycle Village in Aurora, where it will be refurbished and donated to Recycle Bicycles.
Overall: Good Purchase
Price paid: $500
Place purchased: The Bike Hub – DePere WI
Link to Liv Cycling website: Liv Cycling
Note: This blog receives no payment or other compensation for reviews of products or services. If I/we did not pay full retail price for a product being reviewed, I/we will explicitly state that in the review. Unless explicitly stated, I/we have no affiliation or relationship with the product being reviewed.
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