Road Bike Help!

[snowtulip]

Hi Everyone,
I was recently at the bike shop buying some armor and one of the guys mentioned that they just got a road bike that would fit me. I don't road bike, but had been thinking about getting a road bike to speed up my 16 mile commute to work. So I am ignorant about road bikes, this was the first time I had been on one, and it sure doesn't feel like a mountain bike.

My questions for you lovely ladies are: this is a 24 in. Felt road bike (hubby says not a good brand, don't waste my time),it's cheap because no one else is short enough to fit the 24 in. tires ($350.00), and will I ever get used to the squirrely manuevering? As a beginner road bike, should I take the plunge? Should I be looking at other things (I don't have any friends that road bike, my hubby has knowledge, but doesn't like road bikes...so I don't have anyone with a clue about road bikes). All feedback greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[pedalfaster]

snowtulip,

Are you teeeeny-tiny? The Felt24 is actually designed as a small road bike for kids. I do think it could possibly be an interesting solution for women who are too petite for even the smallest women's frames. I once had a customer who was 4'8" on a good day...and wanted to do triathlons...too bad they didn't have this bike available at that time!

There is nothing wrong with the Felt brand that I know of. You see a lot of 'em at du's and tri's.

I'm not sure about the handling. If the bike is designed correctly with apppropriate geometry, it should be fine.

The one thing I would be concerned about is tire selection. If you could possibly fit on a small road frame (43? 47?) with 650c wheels, you would have a broader range of tires from which to choose.

[Surlygirl]

I'm only five feet tall and I have a 42cm Surly Crosscheck that I got at Alfred E. Bike. I think you can get the complete bike for around 600. What's nice is you can run fat tires on it and its steel so you can run it on dirt roads and you can put skinny tires on it and ride the roads. It gives you a bit of diversity. I love mine. I don't think I'd buy a kids bike, they just aren't built as well in my opinion. Then if you love road riding you can move up to a more expensive machine later.

[snowtulip]

Thanks for the info. I'm almost 4ft 11in., so it's been difficult finding bikes, especially on the cheaper side (just until I discover if I enjoy the road bike). I'm glad that you both remind me about tires. I'm a tire fanatic with my mountain bike, quiet picky...so it's good to have a reminder. I might start looking into other frames, some of the bike shops say they can usually order 43 (a little too big) and larger, so it's good to see that 42 is available.
Thanks for the help and the reminder about quality of kids vs. adult bikes.
Enjoy!

[betagirl]

Ever consider getting road tires for your MTN? I have a set of road tires for mine and it works pretty well, much better than the fatties on it if I want to use it for the road. My B/F uses that one now so I don't leave him too far behind on my road bike :)

Just an idea if you don't want to take the plunge.