Specialized 2010 Amira Expert 54cm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chinook

Hi. I am selling my 2010 Specialized Amira Expert WSD 54cm road bike. $2,000 (MSRP: $3,300). Ultegra 10-speed components. No crashes, wipeouts, etc. Pedals and Garmin equipment not included. New chain in March 2014, and all other components are original, a few scuffs on the pedal end of the crank. Recently serviced. Under 2,600 miles on the bike. Stored inside. Local pickup (Arlington, VA). More info from the Specialized website: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...xpert#features

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Hi,

My girlfriend has always been a Specialized rider. She has a Vita for commuting/running errands, and a Ruby Comp for Club rides. She rides on average of about 100 miles per week. Lately she's been feeling like her Ruby is slow and is holding her back; specifically on climbs.

Since I started riding a road bike back in 2007, I've been a Cannondale rider. I started on a CAAD9. When it got stolen a couple years ago, I bought a new CAAD10. For me, it's an amazing bike. No, it's not carbon, and many people scoff at that because they're ignorant or haven't tried it, but it's a rocket for me and I absolutely love it. Yes, there are "sexier" frames out there, but for value and performance, nothing beats it.

My girlfriend sees how I'm able to attack ascends and she hears how I rave about the CAAD10's efficiency, so she's been very curious about trying one out. She was also curious to try out an Amira, since it's more aggressive in design compared to her endurance-focused Ruby. So we went to a local bike shop last weekend to try out a CAAD10.

The first thing she noticed was that the top tube is very straight and doesn't slope down like the women's Specialized bikes do. Being only 5'2" tall, I could see where that could be an issue. Aside from that, she said the riding experience (around the parking lot) wasn't anything special. She also realizes that you really don't get into the meat and potatoes of how a bike feels and rides until around the 30th mile or so.

After mulling it around, she pulled the trigger and decided to order a men's CAAD10 because she didn't like any of the paint schemes on any of the women's CAAD10 frames.
Since we've been waiting for her bike to show up, she's been having a little bit of buyer's remorse, feeling like she should have given the Specialized Amira a test ride first, since it's uniquely sized for women, and might be more comfortable for her than the CAAD10.

Yesterday we went to her local Specialized bike shop and test rode last year's Lululemon version Amira, which has Ultegra 6800 components and a carbon SLK crank.
Not surprisingly, she immediately felt comfortable on the Amira, as it's not a huge departure from her Ruby. Most of the dimensions and geometry of the bike are exactly the same.

So now she's really second-guessing her decision to order the CAAD10.
I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on why you decided to sell your Amira and buy a CAAD10 after putting 2600 miles on it, and maybe share how you feel about the riding experience of the CAAD10 vs the Amira since you've lived with both.

Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated! :)

Thank you,

Patrick
Bay Area, CA