Recommendations, please

[whoneeds4wheels]

Hello!

I am new into the road biking world and am looking to purchase a nice beginner ride. I am 5'2" and have heard the carbon forks are a must. I have been recommended the Specialized Dulce, Raleigh Revenio 2.0, & Felt ZW. Any suggestions or first hand experience would be greatly appreciated. Also, any input on new vs. used for the first purchase? Thanks :)

[Antaresia]

I was happy to purchase my first bike used, it got me on the road and I was able to figure what I wanted/needed before dropping any serious money on a bike. I don't think carbon is a must for a beginner ride, I'm a fan of steel myself.

[Owlie]

Buying used would get you more bike for the money, but it's harder when you don't quite know what you're looking for.

If you're looking to stay within a certain budget, look at steel (Jamis or Surly), or aluminum with a carbon fork. I'd also suggest checking out Giant, Trek and Cannondale. I've ridden a Dolce, and it was a decent bike.

[Maye]

Check the Lexa family of Trek. Lexa's are entry level bikes. I have a Lexa SLX and I'm very happy with my purchase.

[Slowspoke]

For a first road bike, I LOVE my Bianchi Eros Donna. Carbon fork and campy components. It's a nice smooth ride, not too twitchy. Much as I love her, I am selling her. She is not what I need anymore and my shoulder cannot take the position on her that I was once so comfortable on. The Bianchi is a great bike for club rides and long Sunday rides! I really want something better suited for touring. I didn't know that when I bought this bike and there is not enough room for wider tires or fenders. If I were starting all over, I would go used until I had a better idea of what I really wanted/needed.

That being said, check out my bike on the classifieds. It's probably small enough for you.

[goldfinch]

Where are you going to be riding? What kind of riding do you envision yourself doing? Ratty pavement, through the city, doing errands? On the local MUP (multi-use path)? Maybe a hybrid or a cross bike. Long rides on the road? Maybe a road bike. Want to carry gear on the road, maybe do an overnight? Then maybe a touring bike.

[Koronin]

I also bought my first road bike used. Mine's a Trek 2000. After a year of riding it I bought my 2nd road bike which is a Felt F 5. The F series does not have a WSD version and I'm more comfortable on the men's bikes vs the WSD (shorter legs and longer torso than what women are supposed to have). I love my Felt. I agree with Maye to also look at Trek.

[Tillybug]

I got a really good deal on my used Giant last summer. I did know what size I needed and then started looking around. The used market was tricky up here as most of the bikes were too large.

When this one came up, I scooped it up right away. I then brought it for a bike fitting.

My bike needed some serious tweaking that ended up costing me the same amount as the bike but I'm still ahead from buying a new bike, and my bike is better than what I would have got new.

My advice is to keep in mind if you buy used, you may need to replace a few parts to make it perfect so budget for that as well.

Also, the bike fitting is crucial. I had no idea how off I was and the fitting/new components made a night and day difference.

[azfiddle]

Speaking as another short person, it may be hard to find a good road bike used. I watched Craigslist in my area for a year, and saw only 3 or 4 bikes in my size during the year, and some were too expensive for me.

Good luck- try the bikes before you buy and make sure it will really fit you!

[kelleil]

I just bought an Amira and I'm 5'1!

[tlnbmd]

I am buying my first road bike. I had a hybrid for years.
I tried the Amira and Ruby by Specialized and liked them both!
Any comments? I am 5"2" and they seem to fit me the best. The Cannondale was too long in the reach.
How does the Ruby climb? I live in a hilly area
Thanks

[rivergal]

My first road bike after picking cycling back up a in 2009 was a Felt ZW100. She was a good entry level bike with a decent set of components. Did lots of research and she was in my top 3. Just sold it a few months ago, as I upgraded to a carbon Synapse.

My sister also picked up cycling again in 2010, and purchased a Felt as well, without knowing that was the brand I chose, too. She did go one level up to the ZW95 which had a carbon seat stays as well as fork in the 2010 version.

Felt gives you a lot for the money. I'd suggest riding all the contenders and seeing how they feel. I agree about finding a small frame - it's hard finding one second hand. Sometimes toward the end of summer you can find a good deal on a year-end closeout, but the small frames again are the first to go.

If you're doing a lot of hills, consider a triple crank or a compact double. I think all of the Felts now are compact double standard, while mine was a triple.

[MGM]

I'm a big fan of Specialized Bikes, though I also love my Cannondale and Trek. So I would recommend trying that Specialized Dolce. Giant makes a great entry level bike too, and Felts are fantastic and usually a couple hundred dollars cheaper.