Litespeed vs Specialized Ruby

[cdavis]

I need opinion/review on the Specialized Ruby Pro. I have been riding a Litespeed Tuscany (47') for five years...just have never loved the fit since my previous four bikes were custom builds (steel). So before I go custom Litespeed...I was told about the Specialized WSD bikes. I'm 5'1. Thoughts on the Ruby Pro anyone...thanks. I am a seasoned rider. Prefer road racing to time trialing. & occasional long distance triathlons.

[Eden]

This is all just subjective opinion -
I don't have a Litespeed, but I do have a ti bike. My ti is a 47cm with 650 wheels, I also have a 44cm 06' Ruby Pro, with 700c wheels, that I race.
Personally I find that the carbon bike is snappier and quicker. I think that the geometry of the carbon bike suits me better (short, longer legs than torso, relatively long thigh bones - I have to push my saddles back fairly far to get good knee position)
The ti bike is very smooth - I recently put a carbon seat post on it and I bumps and road noise are virtually gone. Not that the Ruby isn't smooth, compared to my old alu/carbon its very nice, just not quite as much as the ti.

[Flybye]

Hey there, I purchased a Ruby Comp in June quite by "accident" I guess you could say - I wasn't looking for one, but when faced with a great deal, shell out the bucks, right?
My bike prior to the Ruby was a Giant OCR 2 aluminum frame, not women's specific. I liked this bike ALOT, or so I thought, until I rode the Ruby. It was all over for me then. Hand over the money :D
My speed has increased greatly - I am a complete beginner - from 14 to17/18 mph with a medium amount of effort, but I consider that a compliment to the bike. I too, am getting stronger, but having this bike has made it more encouraging to work on things like speed, distance, and cadence.

I am much more comfortable on this bike that I was on the Giant.

I had the opinion prior to purchasing a WSD bike that it was all marketing to make women happy - after all, a bike is a bike, right? Now I am starting to rethink that a bit.

I love the saddle that came with the bike, but may switch it out for longer rides (ie a century) because it is a bit squishy. It has been fine for 25 mile rides, and on those rides, I have ridden hard.

I also went from a triple to a double and can not really tell a big difference. I can handle hills just fine with a double.

I like the shifting on this bike.

I like this bike.....
Hope my $ .02 helps!

[cdavis]

May I ask why you race the Ruby Pro versus the ti bike? You sound like the same size as me ..only I don't have the longer legs. darn. but I do like to sit back and pedal a harder gear...what size cranks do you have? thanks for the feedback :)

[Eden]

I've had the Ruby longer than the Ti bike. (I won the ti frame in a season long point competiton last year). I still race the Ruby because I honestly believe that for me it is faster, better acceleration, better climbing, plus I don't have to worry so much about having non-standard equipment at races. Being able to use neutral support is kind of comforting, even though I've very rarely had to take advantage of it.
I use the ti bike all winter long - as ti is pretty indestructable, and for flat crits sometimes.
I have 165 cranks on it.
btw I am 5' even and have about a 28.5/29" bike inseam.

[cdavis]

thanks much for the info...wish I lived closer so I could see your Ruby Pro. It's hard to hand over that much $ and not be able to test drive the model (Houston bike shops just don't carry small bikes of this calibur). I'm just a little over 5' with a 27 inch inseam..have been riding 165 cranks and 650 wheels from the beginning...do you notice the difference between the 650s and 700s?

[Eden]

I switch back and forth between the bikes pretty regularly (I also use the ti bike as my commuter) and I don't really notice any handling differences, they corner similarly enough at least.
I had to order mine pretty much sight unseen too, but I'd been riding another bike with nearly identical geometry so I was pretty darn sure it was going to work for me. You can always see if any of your local shops has a 44cm Dolce in stock - even though its a different material, I believe its the same geometry.

[SouthernBelle]

If you are seriously considering custom ti, you might take a look at Lynskey, which is also in Chattanooga. The Lynskey family founded Litespeed, sold several years ago, and is now back in the bike business on a smaller scale.

[cdavis]

Thanks for the info on the Lynsky family...will look into it. Called the Specialized bike shop here and fortune has it that they have a 44cm Ruby comp in stock for a test drive...thanks all for the feedback!

[Jo-n-NY]

Good Luck in test riding the Ruby Pro. I also got one in March. I had the Dolce Comp which was my first road bike and really loved it, but as others have said, the Ruby Pro is so much smoother, extemely responsive and my speed has also increased a few mph with not much more effort.

I will look forward to hearing how your test ride went :)

~ JoAnn