Printable View
I am absolutely new to road biking, not too young anymore and have some back issues. My husband, an avid cyclist (Marinoni), eventually persuaded me to hit the road with him for daily recreational workouts.
We are living in a hilly area so frame weight is definitely an issue and we are now in between Cervelo's unisex concept and Specialized's women specific Ruby series.
Any recommendations?
Try them both out, and others too, and go with the one that fits you best. Fit is more important than anything else, in my book. Best of luck!
+1 - the only way is to go out and try different bikes.
IMHO there is no "best" theory of fit. (and it bugs me when any builder implies so....) Its about finding the best bike for *you* and not what someone else thinks is the ideal construction of the human body.....
Hi Abakus :)
Welcome to TE to another Vancouver girl. That makes five of us now. Lovely that your husband is a Marinoni Man. (I come from Marinoni Land, a.k.a. Quebec, although sadly I don't ride one.)
I suggest that you test-ride both bikes and see how they feel, if you haven't done it yet. It is really what matters the most.
If they really feel the exact same (unlikely), then you're probably having to choose between shops. Pick the bike that is sold by the shop you feel most comfortable with. Or, if you really want bike A but are not happy with the shop selling it, you might want to try another shop. (Ex: Specialized is sold by a few shops in Vancouver; Cervelo not so much though...)
Hope this helps, and looking forward to seeing you around!
How did you go with making a decision?
If you are still choosing (I haven't been in for a while so sorry if I have missed another thread and you have a new bike) between specialised and cervelo... for me there would be no choice.
An R3 is superior to a Ruby. Sorry Specialised fans, and I know there are many on this board, but that is my honest opinion based on how the bikes are built, designed, components and who actually rides specialised in semi-pro and pro circles (and before I get pulled up and told that you do see specialised bikes in tours, sorry, but what you tend to see is specialised labels - if you investigate its usually other bike frames/components under the labels. I would choose cervelo over specialised any day.
Having said that, one of my riding buddies has a Ruby Pro, and she loves it - she does big miles on it and it has never let her down.
This is not my thread, but good to know:)... I'm thinking about a Cervelo myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by RoadRaven
To OP...
The R3 is more agressive race geometry compared to the RS. Which is a bit more upright. If you have back issues, you might might to check them both out. I've seen both the bikes in person at the lbs and they are sweet looking.
Being a Ruby rider, I have to very much disagree with ya on this one Raven.... At the time I purchased my bicycle the Ruby was the ONLY high end carbon frame available for a person my size. To this day Cervelo's fit theory is all wrong for my body. I would not fit on even their smallest frame. It may be right for some people, but certainly not all of us and fit is really important.
As far as Specialized's quality. My bike is top notch and was an incredible value for the money. Granted I got the first year they produced a women's carbon, they were practically giving them away... and they've changed a few things since then, but I got full DA on my bike, and I mean full DA, even the wheels. I've never had a problem with the bike. It is fast, nimble and stiff enough to be a good sprinter, but still doesn't have a harsh ride.
As far as the pro's go.... only some of the fastest guys in the world have been on a Specialized... (like Boonen and Bettini) It does happen occasionally (with any of the bike brands) that one or even a few of the guys has a different bike branded to be like the team's. I think it happens more often with TT bikes, as it is harder to dial the fit of a tt bike and arguably much more important as 100's of a second are making a difference, so many go with bike/components other than the sponsor bike - often even custom. Road bikes though, I believe most of them really do ride the sponsors bike.
And Eden, this is such an important thing... and although we have 5 cervelos in our stable now, none are mine because even though I am taller than you, I have 2 other makes (Giant and EMC2) which fit me betterQuote:
Originally Posted by Eden
I don't disagree with you on this one either. They are great value for money, and can (like any bike) be upspec-ed easily to be even better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eden
However, if I had to choose between the two (and money was no object) I would always choose cervelo.
OK... I may stand (or sit) corrected on this one. I may be thinking TT rather than RR, so will go back to the places I have gleaned this from and check and hopefully get back to you with the "real" version of what I remember :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Eden
With TT bikes I think it happens all of the time..... I almost bought a used TT bike off of Ebay that had belonged at one time to an American pro woman. It was rebranded as a Lemond, but the stickers were peeling off and you could see that underneath it was something else entirely....
Sometimes though they force the guys to use their bikes... I heard a story once, I think it was Magnus Backstead? One of the big guys tall guys - he wasn't allowed to get a TT bike from another company and their sponsor didn't make a bike big enough for him.... and they wondered why his TT results were not better...
And examine this query just a bit closer.
What are you riding now?Quote:
Originally Posted by abakus
are you sure you want drop bars?
Does he listen to your concerns in this area or does he think he has all the answers?Quote:
Originally Posted by abakus
Not so much. Weight to power ratio is more important. Just don't ride a Huffy.Quote:
Originally Posted by abakus
We?Quote:
Originally Posted by abakus
Are you buying a tandem?
I'm assuming you've ridden both these bikes.
Personally, I'd go with the Specialized.
I'd go with whatever fits.
Maybe it's a Cervelo. Maybe it's a Specialized WSD bike. Maybe a unisex bike. Maybe another brand entirely. BTW, I love my Specialized Roubaix and my soon-to-be-built Tarmac.
I've ridden the Ruby and the Cervelo, R3 and Soloist. They are different bikes, and both have their pros and cons. (My Ruby is a 44cm S-Works, the Cervelos were 48cm unisex, which I could ride, but they were not the best fit)
If a women can fit on a Cervelo and wants to be competitive (climbing or racing) it can work. They are fast-fast-fast rides. Personally, I found them to be a harsher ride (esp the Soloist) and for the smaller sizes, the toe overlap is horrendous. It might be different for a taller woman, but I've heard complaints from riders on a 51cm as well. For speed and stiffness, though, the Cervelo is aces.
The Ruby has a much steeper top tube and I found can be more easily altered for a racing-to-relaxed ride. Most likely, this is due to a shorter top tube in relation to its size. It seems to be the midway point between the racing Tarmac and the climber Roubaix, which can suit both aggressive and recreational riders. The BB on the S-Works is snappy and on par with the Cervelos, but I can't testify about the Pro or Expert because I've never ridden them.
I can ride the Ruby for 150 miles in comfort. I cannot say that for a Cervelo. On the other hand, I do not feel comfortable on the Ruby for racing with my current setup. On the flats, I prefer a much more aggressive posture and would rather not have to change out stems or add/remove spacers whenever the ride profile changes.
But I'm too short to fit properly on even the smallest Cervelo. I'm not proportional to a man and find that the Unisex Theory that Cervelo has is rubbish when it comes to shorter people. Every body is different and I distrust any company that has a one-style-fits-all philosophy.
EDIT: Try both bikes. Heck, try ALL bikes. When you find the right fit, you will know it.