Bike Shopping Catch-22

Hi, another newbie here – these boards are great.

I’m buying my first bike since my long-ago Schwinn 3-speed (with a pretty white basket on the front), and I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’m 5’2” and I have neck/shoulder issues, so handlebar fit/comfort is really important to me. How do I get an lbs to work with me on handlebar adjustments in the test riding phase? The lbs folks all put me on a 15” inch bike to test ride (if they even have one) and assure me that they’ll be able to make appropriate adjustments with the handlebars once I choose a bike to buy, but that makes me really nervous. Are they right? Should I be focusing on other aspects of the ride at this point?

I’ve tried the Trek 7200fx, Specialized crossroads, Giant Cypress DX, and Trek 7100. The Cypress had my favorite handlebars, but the ride seemed sluggish. I liked the ride of the 7200fx better, but wasn't sure about the reach as set up. Plus, all the Trek dealers I’ve gone into (I live in the Los Angeles area) have been pretty snobby - is that a Trek thing? I'd keep going to more shops, but noone seems to keep many 15" bikes in stock to test ride.

Any ideas anyone can share? Am I expecting too much from the lbs, Trek or otherwise? I'm notorious for overthinking everything, and maybe I am here, too.

Thanks, Cathy

you are expecting too much at all. IMO, the lbs should be willing to put on different stems/handlbars, etc during the test riding phase. You are the consumer, if they expect to sell a bike they should be willing to take the time to make sure it is the correct set up before the purchase, not after. At one lbs that I frequent, where they sell Trek, they are more than willing to make sure the bike is just right before the purchase. I have a Trek 7700FX that we put a different stem and different handlebars on before I decided because I hated the stock set up. By the way, I love the ride of my Trek and would highly recommend the fx series. Good luck and make the lbs work for you!! or go somewher else.

Hi Cathy!

I used to live in LA County and couldn't find one Trek dealer that would treat me like a decent human being. It left a sour taste in my mouth and swore I wouldn't consider buying a Trek. We recently moved to Orange County and I started looking, once again, at buying a road bike. I have found Jax Bicycle Shops to be really good people. They deal in Trek and Specialized. On the road bike I bought, they changed out the stem during my test ride. They have a policy that you can keep bringing the bike in for fit adjustments. I had my bike for almost a month and still felt it was a bit too small. They swapped out my seat post for a more laid back seat post and the fit is much better. Unfortunately, I'm in between sizes, otherwise they would have replaced my bike for the next size up.

Here is a link to Jax. I think it would be worth your time to visit a couple of their shops. http://jaxbicycles.com/site/intro.cfm

Good luck!

Just be careful about the stem. If it's too short, it can have a negative impact on the bike's handling. Make absolutely sure the frame is the right size before you buy a bike. My shop put a too-short stem on my bike when I bought it, and I ended up putting a longer one on myself. I'd rather stretch a little more than I should than feel terrified going down a hill because the tiniest movements make the bike swerve too much.

Hi, I'm 5'2" also and I bought a 7200FX woman's 15" frame. Here are my thoughts:

1. No, I don't think it's unreasonable for you to want to have fitting done before you buy.

2. In my experience, all the LBSs in my town don't give you much attention unless you're buying a more expensive bike. I hope that's not true for you.

3. The hybrids are made to be pretty adjustable, and we had no problem adjusting the reach on mine. We had more problems adjusting the seat back far enough so that my knees were in a proper position.

So I was frustrated with the buying process, and worried about fit, but went ahead b/c I liked the ride the best. And it HAS turned out OK. I can do 20 mile rides without any discomfort, but I am still totally frustrated with LBS.

I would recommend being very clear and direct that you have specific issues with your neck and shoulders (not just "worried about fit") and if necesssary ask them for a specific time to come in when they aren't too busy so someone can really help you. If you ask that, and they still hem and haw, don't be afraid to ask the manager. Also, I wouldn't be afraid to say that you like the handlebars on the giant better, and want to make sure you can get the same level of comfort on a trek, or they might lose the sale. But I can be an aggressive East Coast witch if I get too frustrated!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've been trying to be specific about the fit concerns, but apparently I don't have the right vocabulary yet. And, yes, I suspect that my price range may have a bit to do with it (although I'd look at a more expensive bike, if anyone had one I could ride). One shop suggested starting with a low-end road bike because they're more adjustable, but I'm not ready yet for the drop handles and the skinny tires.

Given LA traffic (I'm in the Valley), I'm afraid that an orange county bike shop might as well be on Mars! Funnily enough, the shops that have been nicest about suggestions on fit have been the smaller ones that just don't have the bikes in stock - and I can't bring myself to order one sight unseen.

Thanks again, Cathy

on why bike shops have so few bikes for me to test ride - who knew that bikes have model years like cars! Turns out the 2006 bikes will be out over the next couple of months and shops are trying to deplete their current inventory. Sigh.

Good news is that I found a Trek dealer who works with women alot. He told me that the "new hot thing" for 2006 are WSD bikes (the makers just noticed us?) Trek and others are increasing their lines of WSD bikes. This guy said that when all the new stuff comes in, his shop will be 1/3 women specific. Now if only he weren't in the middle of nowhere, he'd be perfect.

Meanwhile, I'm fixing up a friend's mountain bike so I'll have something to ride till new bikes get in the stores.

Appreciate all the other threads on what you need to get started,

Cathy