Went Bike Shopping Today

[Titania]

So, I decided to go out today to take a look at road bikes. I got lucky and got a fantastic sales guy who I was super comfortable with. We chatted for a while about what I was looking for and he started out with grabbing a Specialized Dolce to see how I fit on a road bike.

He sent me out for a nice ride (take all the time you like!!!) first on a Trek Madone. It was like angels came down from the sky to wisk me along! Gosh, I love road bikes compared to my MTB. I LOVED the feel of the carbon bike, but didn't really like the Shimano shifters and found the brakes to be almost unusable for me given how small my hands are. The Madone felt a bit stretched out for me on the trainer, but that feeling totally went away out on the ride.

Next, I went out on the Specialized Dolce, since he wanted me to see whether I preferred carbon or aluminum. I far preferred the SRAM shifters...they made more sense to me. But, I didn't like how the aluminum bike rode.

So, what I decided I wanted to try was a carbon bike with SRAM components. He had a 2012 Specialized Ruby in stock, but it wasn't built yet. I've got an appointment next weekend for a ride on the Ruby (with SRAM) and hopefully a real fitting!

It was a very exciting day for me! I've never felt more comfy on a bike than I did on those road bikes today. I'm really hoping the Ruby is exactly the thing! The wait might kill me! :)

[babynoahsmom]

I have a Specialized Ruby. I traded up from my Dolce. Love my bike! Save yourself some money and go straight to the Ruby. It will be worth every penny you spend for it. The ride is wonderful and it shifts like a dream.

[Titania]

Did you test ride a Madone, as well? I'm curious as to how similar they are from a geometry standpoint.

I'm also getting fitted for clipless pedals, which I've never used before and am a bit scared of. Hoping I can manage not to kill myself on my test ride!

[turbojackie]

I am going to be looking for a road bike next year and am looking forward to hearing how you like it. Do you mind if I ask the price range?

Also, what is "clipless" Thanks! I have a lot to learn!

[Catrin]

IMO it is about having the right horse for the course :) I HATE my mountain bike on pavement, but that isn't what she was designed for. She rides like a dream on mountain bike trails and I know that my skill level is currently far below what she is capable of.

I've heard great things about the Ruby, a lot of women here love that bike. You might want to test ride a couple of others just to see how different road bikes feel...and it is also a lot of fun to try out different bikes.

[Hi Ho Silver]

So, I decided to go out today to take a look at road bikes. I got lucky and got a fantastic sales guy who I was super comfortable with. We chatted for a while about what I was looking for and he started out with grabbing a Specialized Dolce to see how I fit on a road bike.

He sent me out for a nice ride (take all the time you like!!!) first on a Trek Madone. It was like angels came down from the sky to wisk me along! Gosh, I love road bikes compared to my MTB. I LOVED the feel of the carbon bike, but didn't really like the Shimano shifters and found the brakes to be almost unusable for me given how small my hands are. The Madone felt a bit stretched out for me on the trainer, but that feeling totally went away out on the ride.

Next, I went out on the Specialized Dolce, since he wanted me to see whether I preferred carbon or aluminum. I far preferred the SRAM shifters...they made more sense to me. But, I didn't like how the aluminum bike rode.

So, what I decided I wanted to try was a carbon bike with SRAM components. He had a 2012 Specialized Ruby in stock, but it wasn't built yet. I've got an appointment next weekend for a ride on the Ruby (with SRAM) and hopefully a real fitting!

It was a very exciting day for me! I've never felt more comfy on a bike than I did on those road bikes today. I'm really hoping the Ruby is exactly the thing! The wait might kill me! :)

I have the 2011 Specialized Ruby Elite with SRAM components. Compared to my former road bike, which was steel and had Shimano components, the Ruby rides like I'm floating on air and the shifting is much faster responding. So if the 2012 Ruby fits you well, you are gonna love it!

[Titania]

I am going to be looking for a road bike next year and am looking forward to hearing how you like it. Do you mind if I ask the price range?

Also, what is "clipless" Thanks! I have a lot to learn!

The bikes I looked at last weekend ranged in price from about $1300 (I think that was around what the Dolce was) to a bit over $2000. You can find a bike to fit any budget, though!

"Clipless" pedals replace the normal platform pedals and use a mechanism to secure your foot to the pedal.

I'll post back with info on the Ruby after this weekend. :)

[turbojackie]

If used the clips in Spinning class. So, if you foot is secured on the pedal, why is it called "clipless"? :confused: Is it secured with something different then the clips like on the spinning bikes?

Thanks!

[Owlie]

Turbojackie,
When it comes to road bikes, expect to spend anywhere from ~$800 for an entry-level bike to...well, the sky's the limit. I'm looking to spend anywhere between ~$2000 for a top-notch aluminum with 105 to ~$4000 (Ultegra-equipped carbon).

I don't know about spinning bikes (though a lot of them seem to use an SPD-type system), but the "clipless" part refers to the lack of a toe clip/cage. :)

[turbojackie]

Owlie, the spinners have a clip that fits about the ball of your foot. Regular biking shoes fit them. Most spinner bikes have clips on one side of the pedal, and a toecage on the other side.

I see you have a Giant Avail. I test rode one a few weeks ago and it was very sweet. I got a little confused on the gears, but I think I would figure it out. I'm use to looking at a number to know what gear I am in. Do you like yours alot?

[turbojackie]

oh, one more thing - what is "105"? Sorry for asking so many questions!

[Roadtrip]

Ruby owner here reporting in... Love it... I have discovered unless your riding on really GOOD pavement, the skinny tires on a roadie will make you hurt (even on a carbon bike) if the pavement is really bumpy. The local trail here has a mile or so of really bumpy trail and it shakes my fillings loose every time we ride through there. My point: buy the right bike for what type of ridding you intend to do. Some have bought CX bikes for the road bars and position, but slightly wider tires of a cross bike, so just ride as many bikes before giving your heart to just one ;)

[Roadtrip]

oh, one more thing - what is "105"? Sorry for asking so many questions!

Shimano 105 group set.... Shifters, derailures, gears... They're a little more expensive, but worth it, big upgrade over Deore or some of the more entry level component sets.

Shannon

[Owlie]

105 is a mid-range Shimano component group. Ultegra's one step higher. (I'm a Shimano girl. SRAM makes no sense to me!)

I'm okay with my Avail. It was what fit in my price range at the time, but I discovered after the fact that Giant's WSD geometry doesn't agree with me. I need a short top tube because I have long legs and a short torso. I also want to upgrade the wheels and components once they start wearing out (probably another year or two). She's still a good bike for what I paid ($750) because I had no idea that I'd get into it as much as I did. Don't let me discourage you from looking at Giant. ;) Giant makes good bikes for how much they cost--the geometry just doesn't work for me (and because of my proportions, a lot of bikes don't work). I'm looking at a Ruby for my next bike (and also at a Cannondale if I can find one to test-ride.)

Shannon, I've definitely felt rattled, but not horribly so on parts of the trail, and I'm riding aluminum, albeit with 25s rather than the 23s that came with your bike. (No, I haven't changed them yet.

[Roadtrip]

Shannon, I've definitely felt rattled, but not horribly so on parts of the trail, and I'm riding aluminum, albeit with 25s rather than the 23s that came with your bike. (No, I haven't changed them yet.

I'm riding 25s now.. Tho I do weight a tad more then you do (dang feather-weight you :) So I may feel those a little more-- dunno. North from Milford is the section I'm talking about. Out from Loveland, north is pretty good trail, but your up near YS now.

[turbojackie]

Thanks for the explanations!

I have short legs and a long torso, so we are the exact opposite!

I currently have a Cannondale Quik. I believe that would be a CX, correct? It is great for the riding I am doing, but I am thinking I might want a road bike, also, for when I want to ride long and on pavement. Just thinking......;)

[Roadtrip]

By cross or CX, I ment Cyclocross, not a hybrid like your Quick.

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/road/cyclocross/2011-superx
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/road/cyclocross/2011-cyclocross-caadx

It's got drop bars like a road bike, but a more aggressive (wider/knobby) tire, so able to go a little off road... Tho not single track like a true mountain bike.

[Mkay]

I had a hard time braking with 105's due to my small hands and decided to go with the Ruby APEX. I absolutely love my Ruby and have no regrets. :)

[Aggie_Ama]

In Texas we they love to use the chip seal pavement (it is cheaper) and I have felt rattled on all carbon too. I actually felt my old steel bike absorbed better but then again Cannondale (my current bike) is known to be some of the stiffest bikes in business and stiffness negates some plushness. I had an aluminum bike when I commuted, hated the feel and the ride felt extremely harsh. Overall unless I could get titanium or steel, I would go carbon.

I think the Ruby is a slightly less aggressive set up than the Madone, you may find this more comfortable. At least this was true when I looked a few years back, I am not up to speed on the 2012 versions.

[turbojackie]

Thanks! All of these terms seem foreign to me!

[Owlie]

I had a hard time braking with 105's due to my small hands and decided to go with the Ruby APEX. I absolutely love my Ruby and have no regrets. :)

Huh, I have small hands and short fingers, and haven't really had a lot of trouble with Shimano. I do need short-reach shift levers(a borrowed bike with regular 105 was not a pleasant experience!), and does Shimano make short-reach 105 or Ultegra? They tend to advertise short-reach brake levers on entry-level bikes, but not so much on the higher-end ones.

Jackie, don't worry. None of us were born knowing this stuff. We all had to learn. :)

[Owlie]

I'm riding 25s now.. Tho I do weight a tad more then you do (dang feather-weight you :) So I may feel those a little more-- dunno. North from Milford is the section I'm talking about. Out from Loveland, north is pretty good trail, but your up near YS now.

Oh goodness, yes. That part is pretty bad.

[Caddy]

By cross or CX, I ment Cyclocross, not a hybrid like your Quick.

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/road/cyclocross/2011-superx
http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/road/cyclocross/2011-cyclocross-caadx

It's got drop bars like a road bike, but a more aggressive (wider/knobby) tire, so able to go a little off road... Tho not single track like a true mountain bike.

Actually, I took my cyclocross onto the single track last weekend. It's quite common at my park, apparently. There were bits and stretches that I could not pass, such as a very steep uphill with roots, but I believe most of the mountain bikers were also walking it. Course, I was going much slower than they were :)

And from what I understand, if you have small hands, SRAM is better with less hood and you won't accidentally brake when you try to shift. Unfortunately, I let the local bike shop person talk me into 105s instead, grr!

[Titania]

Huh, I have small hands and short fingers, and haven't really had a lot of trouble with Shimano. I do need short-reach shift levers(a borrowed bike with regular 105 was not a pleasant experience!), and does Shimano make short-reach 105 or Ultegra? They tend to advertise short-reach brake levers on entry-level bikes, but not so much on the higher-end ones.

Jackie, don't worry. None of us were born knowing this stuff. We all had to learn. :)

When I mentioned my difficulties with the Shimano 105 brakes during the test ride of the Madone, my sales guy mentioned that the 105s are intended to be shim-able. So they put shims in to lower the engagement point.

The SRAM apparently can be adjusted without shims, which Nate did before I rode the Dolce.

[Titania]

And from what I understand, if you have small hands, SRAM is better with less hood and you won't accidentally brake when you try to shift. Unfortunately, I let the local bike shop person talk me into 105s instead, grr!

The fact that the hoods were smaller was another feature that made me prefer the SRAM over Shimano. The Shimano hoods were uncomfortable large for my petite little mouse paws. :)

[Caddy]

Huh, I have small hands and short fingers, and haven't really had a lot of trouble with Shimano. I do need short-reach shift levers(a borrowed bike with regular 105 was not a pleasant experience!), and does Shimano make short-reach 105 or Ultegra? They tend to advertise short-reach brake levers on entry-level bikes, but not so much on the higher-end ones.

Jackie, don't worry. None of us were born knowing this stuff. We all had to learn. :)

I believe that the Shimano Tiagras and Soras shift like Campagnolos, with a separate thumb shifter. I don't remember how large the hoods are. However, 105s and above use the 2:1 shifting, which is an issue for small hands.

And what do you mean shim-able? Does that shorten the reach?

[Titania]

And what do you mean shim-able? Does that shorten the reach?

Nate showed me how they shim the 105s...they pull the brakes all the way towards the handlebar and put a small metal shim into the mechanism which keeps the brake levers from moving away from the handlebars as far when they return to the "off" position. That way, they're closer to the handlebars when you reach for them.

[Owlie]

I believe that the Shimano Tiagras and Soras shift like Campagnolos, with a separate thumb shifter. I don't remember how large the hoods are. However, 105s and above use the 2:1 shifting, which is an issue for small hands.

And what do you mean shim-able? Does that shorten the reach?

I don't know that Tiagra's like that, but Sora and whatever that one below Sora is do have that thumb shifter. I do have trouble shifting into the big ring, but that's not a reach issues--that's a force issue related to the fact it's a cheap triple with cheap shifters. :D
I did test-ride a 105-equipped Roubaix (so it has "normal" reach) and it was a little bit of a stretch to shift, so hopefully proper shimming would take care of it.

[jusdooit]

Don't know what tire pressures those of you having a bumpy ride are using, but you may want to try slightly lower pressure to absorb some of the bumps.
My bike has Ultegra and it came with short reach shifters (R-700, flight deck compatible).