Shopping critically - help needed

[Birder_on_Bike]

I'm VERY new to the world of road bikes.

But I have wanted one for two years, and instead of buying a cheapie bike that marginally passes as a road bike, I decided to wait and save up for something more quality.

I still can't afford something super nice, but I'm not planning on racing so I should be good.

I am looking seriously at the Specialized Allez and the equivalently priced Trek. (can't remember the name) :o

Test-rode the Trek yesterday, but the 56cm Allez had sold so I'm going to go back and test-ride the Allez tomorrow when they get it in.

I'll definitely ride the Trek again too, so that I can compare them better.

What are some things I should be looking for to compare between the bikes?

Until yesterday, I'd never been on a road bike...

Thanks in advance. :)

[Biciclista]

ask the LBS to compare the components. Do you live near hills? you might want a triple instead of a double (3 chainrings on the front instead of 2)
are you heavy? you might want a sturdier bike.
Which one FEELS best to you? This is tough, because a 5 minute ride in the parking lot didn't tell ME much, I'll tell you that.

[Birder_on_Bike]

ask the LBS to compare the components. Do you live near hills? you might want a triple instead of a double (3 chainrings on the front instead of 2)
are you heavy? you might want a sturdier bike.
Which one FEELS best to you? This is tough, because a 5 minute ride in the parking lot didn't tell ME much, I'll tell you that.

I live in southern Michigan. ;) We don't have a whole lot of hills here, and most of them are really small, relatively speaking.

I'm very lightweight.

I actually rode the bike through town, but I agree - didn't learn much about it but how nicely it shifted and how the brakes worked. I couldn't find any relatively big hills close enough to try it on.

Thanks though! I'll definitely have the LBS go over the differences tomorrow, and see what I can pick up myself.

I wish you could get bikes on trial like you could binoculars! The decision would be much easier then. :D

[Biciclista]

well, a compact double would probably be fine for you then. All I can say is ask lots of questions. Remember, your standover height is not the only important measurement when buying a bike. If you are proportioned like an average woman, your legs will be long enough for a bigger bike than your arms are. Thus the WSD. The women's specific dimensioned bikes.
If you don't take this into account you might end up with neck, back and hand issues.

Again, a really good LBS helps a lot.

[sundial]

Talk with the bike mechanics and learn the pros and cons of each design. Then ask the bike shop if they will let you take both bikes out for the afternoon and test ride them on one of your routes--kind of a side by side comparison. Wear your shoes and shorts that you would normally ride in and give it a whirl.

[TxDoc]

I wish you could get bikes on trial like you could binoculars! The decision would be much easier then. :D

Agree - but some bigger bike shops allow you to take the bike out for like a day or two (instead of the usual ten minutes around the shop) if you leave your driver's license. It also depends on what bike you plan to buy, it's like with cars, Honda allows you to drive for half an hour, Jaguar lets you out for the whole weekend sometimes :D
What are the components on those two bikes you are looking at?
Also, ask the shop who does their fittings and see if this person can take your measurements to begin with. It helps to make sure that the bikes you are looking at really would fit you. Sometimes we like a model on a magazine or in the shop - but when we try to ride it's not for us.
Make sure that the shop takes your measurements accurately, and give you a choice of geometries based on those measurements and on the kind of riding you intend to do. I emphasize this because sometime I see people that just purchased a bicycle for the first time, and the shop looked at them and sold them something based just on height and gender - and many times this does not work out. Some women do well on women-specific geometry, others do not. It depends on your body, and they need to take your individual measurements and find the bicycle that is best for your body and your riding plan.
Once you know what geometry is the best fit for you, then go with the better components for the budget you have. But make sure your bike fits you properly, because the wrong geometry can cause several health problems down the road.
One last little piece of advice... do you have a friend who is knowledgeable about bike riding or mechanics and fitting? if yes, it does not hurt to take him/her with you to the shop.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
:)

[canonsue]

I just purchased a Surly Long Haul Trucker, so my advise is to visit several LBSs. I went to six bike shops. I learned something from each shop experience. Even though there are a lot of different bikes out there, each shop has only a couple brands and even models that they push out the door.

I also learned that there is a large range on how helpful and knowledgeable different sales people can be even if the person is the shop owner.

I also found that most shops do not keep smaller frames for shorter women other than the WSD models in the showroom. (which are fine but did not work for me as I wanted a bike for touring and riding on dirt roads)

Good luck with your shopping. It sounds like you are taller and will have many choices to test.

-Sue