Buying my first road bike

[snajim]

I am looking into road bikes... I have been going to cycle classes for a few years and would like to now try outdoor cycling.

I am 5'0 ... I believe I am a size 44cm. I am a college student and i am looking for suggestions and tips...
Brand... Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, or Giant? does it matter if it is women specific.
Components... Ultegra? should I buy the best? I want a bike that is more than an entry level bike because I know I want to get really into it.. i want it to carbon fiber.
I have saved some money and my limit is around $2500.

I was looking at the 2013 Specialized Amira Sport Compact... but now I am not so sure anymore
Please help me out. I really want to start riding and I have been waiting way too long for a bike and don't want to purchase an overpriced bike

Thanks.

[tulip]

Welcome to TE, and congratulations on deciding to ride outdoors. The best thing to do is to go test ride a bunch of bikes and see what you like. A properly fitting bike is more important than getting the lightest or most expensive.

[Bike Writer]

Welcome to TE, tulips adivce of test riding bikes is the best way to choose a bike. In addition my two cents would be don't fall into the too much information trap. It's easy to get overload when you're shopping for a bike. If a shop is bombarding you with information that is going over your head or not listening to what you are asking and answering your questions, try another bike shop. The place you do business and their after the sale policy and treatment are equally as important as the bike, you need a trusting relationship with them and and a sound comfort level.

[happyscientist]

I agree with what the others are saying. Take test rides, find an LBS you can work with.

When it comes to women specific bikes, they are based on the assumption that we have shorter torsos and smaller hands than men. If a men's bike is more comfortable, get the men's. I bought a WSB, but the handlebars were too narrow for my broad shoulders, so I had the shop replace them.

As far as budget, keep in mind that you may be able to save a few hundred dollars by getting a new bike that is 1-2 years old and has been sitting on the shop floor. The changes from year-to-year are so small that new riders aren't going to see any difference. You will also need that money for accessories such as helmet, shoes, and shorts.

[lgibster]

I agree that finding a great LBS and test riding a ton of bikes is the best way to go. I recently bought my first true road bike (I rode a Specialized Vita Elite hybrid for two years) a Specialized Rube Elite Apex Compact and I love it. My advice is to find a bike shop that will let you test ride a ton of bikes and not just go by your height when choosing a frame size (mine needed to be a size larger frame than what my height showed). Most importantly the bike needs to fit you and be comfortable so you will want to ride it. The Apex shifters fit my smaller hand a lot better so I went with those. Make sure the LBS will work with you to "fit" the bike to you. Also look for the older models at the LBS that are still new, but just last years models, usually they will give bigger discounts on those this time of year. I went with the carbon frame and I do not regret it, but the most expensive is not always what is best for you, so test ride, test ride, test ride. Good Luck.

[emily_in_nc]

It's harder since the OP is 5'0". The chances of her finding a "ton of bikes" to test ride are much smaller than for someone of average height. Sometimes one or two test rides are the best you can do. But definitely work with a shop where the workers are helpful and knowledgeable, concerned with fit, and aren't just trying to sell you something on the floor. Sometimes they will have to order a bike for you to get one that fits, and they should be willing to do so. Also, be prepared that the first bike you buy is not going to be your long-term bike. Most of us learn so much about cycling in our first year or two that we want completely different things in our next bike. So don't go crazy and spend too much.

I remember doing a club ride once and riding with a young gal (also very petite) who was riding an entry-level aluminum road bike with Sora components. She was a new rider averaging around 13-14 mph and was already in love with cycling. I had to go a little slower than my usual pace so that she could keep up with me. A year later I ran into her again while my husband were out doing our own ride. She was on a full carbon bike, riding with her now-teammate, and FLEW by me. Seems she'd gotten into racing and gotten much stronger and faster, and with it came a new bike. You just never know where your first bike will take you, so don't overspend, but get something you love that fits so you'll get out there and ride. That's the most important thing. Then, when you decide to upgrade, you can either keep the "starter bike" or save it for a bad weather/trainer/bike's in the shop bike!

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[thekarens]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I also want to "plus 1" for finding a great LBS. I was already leaning towards a steel bike, but the LBS sold it for me. The fact that I had been visiting that shop for a few months and always got good advise with zero pressure helped immensely and it's paid off with the bike I chose in the end. I LOVE my bike and love the shop manager, wrenches and fitter. I get superb service and they have thrown in a lot of little extras. I also went with last years model to get the biggest discount.

[Trek420]

I am looking into road bikes... I have been going to cycle classes for a few years and would like to now try outdoor cycling.

I am 5'0 ... I believe I am a size 44cm. I am a college student and i am looking for suggestions and tips...

We've had many threads about looking for a bike that fits us vertically challenged women riders. Here's one of my favorites:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12441

[Owlie]

$2500 for carbon with full Ultegra's a tall order, and finding small sizes to test out is going to be hard--especially if you want to test out the specific bike you're looking for. You might be able to find the frame size, but not the components. (It's hard to find WSD bikes with better than 105 components on the floor, and those are usually going to be 48 and 51 cm). I would advise that you might want to spend less than that, especially if you're a student and won't have a lot of time to ride. (I would also advocate being financially responsible and stay below your budget. ;) ). And Emily's right--this is not likely to be your "forever" bike. You are probably going to find that you might want to do things that it's not designed to do. You might find yourself looking longingly down gravel paths (cyclocross bike!), or you might find that you prefer long rides at a more leisurely pace (touring bike?). Or maybe you prefer a more upright posture. Or maybe you decide that you do want to go really fast or even race. But spending $2500 on a racing bike (because that's what the Amira is) when you don't know that that's what you want (or need) may not be the wisest decision.

My advice would be to stick to 105 or a Tiagra/105 mix (make sure the shifters and rear derailleur are 105, though--the front derailleur is relatively cheap to replace at a later point), since the current iteration of Shimano Tiagra is actually pretty nice. 105 will get you similar performance to Ultegra with a bit of a weight penalty. Find a good bike shop that will work with you. Try as many bikes as you can. Talk to the people at the shop. Be prepared to talk about what you want to do with the bike. And definitely read the threads on here about bikes for the petite. :)

[Eden]

Perhaps stay away from the biggest names, and look at bikes from Jamis, Kona, Surly, Scott, Fuji, to name a few. You'll get more bike for the money..

Not necessarily..... the big guys have greater access and greater buying power with the component manufacturers, so you can get *more* bang for your buck with them. Case in point Jamis Ventura Race (their top alu women's road bike) is MSRP $1350 and is largely Tiagra equipped. The Specialized Dolce Comp is MSRP $1500 and comes mostly 105 equipped. The cranksets are both FSA, but the Dolce's is a higher grade. You get a considerable upgrade for your $150.

Shop, compare, look for the bargains and most of all get a bike that fits you and you feel comfortable on. Which ever bike you decide on, don't pay MSRP....

[Owlie]

Perhaps stay away from the biggest names, and look at bikes from Jamis, Kona, Surly, Scott, Fuji, to name a few. You'll get more bike for the money.

For your budget, I'd look for 105 or Tiagra. Both are perfectly good. In fact, I'd go under budget and look at a nice Surly Pacer. Maybe a Surly Cross Check.

JMTC.
I think the OP would have a hard time with Surly. Those things run big.

[Koronin]

Welcome. At 5' 0", unfortunately it will be very tough to find many stores that have bikes you'll be able to test. I'm also 5'0". I was lucky to be able to test 2 bikes when I was looking. One was a Trek Lexa and the other a Specalized Dolce. The thing about this is I live on the NC coast, the Lexa I tested I was 5 hours away in Charlotte, the Dolce was over 2 hours away in Raleigh. (Happened to be in each city for other reasons so was lucky to be able test each one). What I learned was that I need a men's bike because I felt to cramped on the WSD bikes. I have shorter legs with a longer toros/arms. Definitely find a shop that is going to work with you and is concerned about what you need. Another brand to check out is Felt. Felt's WSD line is the WZ line. I bought an F series bike (which is a men's line that there is no WSD version of). I love the bike and it fits me wonderfully.

[Elphaba]

I think finding a good LBS is the first step and then find something you like that they carry. My guys (yes, they are ALL mine LOL) know my Giant's forwards and backwards and they practically drool when Dotty (the Inspire) comes in because she's the only one in Jacksonville, (that we know of). I went in before my first charity ride to replace a cap on the handlebars and walked out over an hour later because before I knew it, they had her wheels off, tuned her up (knew I had crashed her a few times :rolleyes:), polished her up and even reset my computer to standard time.. And didn't charge me a dime, so I felt obligated to by a Camelback bottle with their logo on it.