gulp. i got my new bike

well, guys, i've been waiting really until it came. But it did come.
A beautiful Bianchi Veloce. I straddled it, plenty of room there.
So it's the right size.
I've never had a road bike, so my husband insists that it will take some getting used to.
I feel like i am sitting on the front of my crotch and stretching my thumbs right off of my hands. Suddenly, I can't remember which way to shift! (my cross bike has the exact same number of gears)

Husband wants me to take it out and get it fitted before i do much more.
I definitely want to do that.

Will i ever feel like i am not going to fall on my head when i'm riding it?
it wants to go like the wind. It takes almost nothing to make it go really fast.
I hope i am not too small.
WE figured out that my arms are plenty long, but my torso is what is shorter on me.

I never thought about it before but compared to the husband, my hands go much further down my legs, like a chimp :)

so we put the bike on the rack and i played with the gears for a while so at least next time i ride it i will know how to shift.

Has anyone else had these troubles?

If you look at my Avatar, you see how the cat looks? that's how i feel!
mimi

Congrats on the new bike! Get a fit, and enjoy! Shifting does get easier, though I did look at my cogs and chain rings for a long time back when I had my Trek.

(I'm just a little envious. Ok, a lot envious. Even though I love my commuter-mobile, I want a whole stable of bikes!)

Sounds like your top tube might be too long if you feel stretched out. Did the bike store folks fit you before they sold you the bike? If your torso is shorter (like mine), you might need to get a WSD bike. I have the Bianchi Eros Donna and love it.

Congratulations on your new bike. You may find that after a few weeks pedalling you feel a lot more comfortable. Mind you, I am another one of the short torso brigade, and I had to get a bianchi WSD (dama bianca), which I love and fits perfectly.

Bron

Hi Mimi,
Congratulations on the new Bianchi. I bought my new Veloce last year and love it. Is yours that beautiful celest color? Lise on this forum also has the same bike. The bike shop I bought it from did a fit before I even took her home. ( Included in the price of the bike). They changed the handlebars to narrower ones and put on a Salsa stem for a more comfortable reach. They also spent an hour or so making other adjustments. The results made for a very comfortable ride. You are right, she is so fast, well could be, with the right rider anyway! I did switch out the saddle to one that suits me better after a couple of weeks. I went from a Treck Mountian bike to my Bianchi. Give yourself some time to get used to the feel of being on a road bike. I still feel like I am flying every time I get on my Veloce. Have fun.
Sandy

As Sandy said, I have the same bike. I love riding the Veloche. So fast and smooth. It was an adjustment, going from the "geometry" of my Marin Larkspur to that of the Veloche. I was fitted to the bike when I got it, because I, too, felt like the cat in your avatar (which I love!). I went in to check the fit after putting about 200 mi on it, but they were really busy. I'll go back some morning when it's quiet and have them check me and tweak it. I did get a new saddle; the Terry CrMo was leaving my girly bits numb.

The shifting is a breeze. I had to get used to holding the handlebars and using the brakes differently. I don't like being so bent over, but have adjusted, and so far I can see the road just fine. I don't ride in the drops, because I need to keep my head up and watch the traffic.

I'll bet the new fit makes a big difference, and if not, well, you've got a lot of great advice here!

hi all
the bike is not celeste, it is colored like the bike in my Avatar. (dark dark navy and YELLOW)

I confess, i bought it on ebay! that's why the shop didn't fit me, there WAS no shop. I bought it from a lady named Mimi. It already had the salsa bars, so i was thinking the fit would be a piece of cake. I already knew I was going to need a new seat, in fact, i never even sat on the bontrager that it came with. My husband put a brand new (his) B17 on it, poor guy doesn't know that I need a new B67 on it. :)

Well, this afternoon we're leaving for a weekend in Wenatchee .. a bike ride on the tandem. When we get back, I'll get an appointment to get myself fitted.

I was really swayed by the awesome componentry and wasn't prepared to pay the full price for a new bike with WSG.
I might have a really great bike for sale. (sigh) I am hoping that getting some parts changed around and tweaked will make this bike fit me. i have already read so many things on here about women getting the WSG bikes and the problems with making bikes that fit us.

One of the best female riders I know is a woman pushing 60. She is nowhere near 5 feet tall. She has a little bike with little wheels (both the same size)
and she can zip up hills like no one's business. (and downhills too!) but she paid a small fortune for that bike!

I was hoping to avoid that cost, so I bought a nice used bike...
thanks everyone.

It may be that the bike shop will be able to change a few things to make you feel more comfortable. If you're not used to a road bike, it may just feel that way at first. I know the first time I got on one, I felt like I could just head straight on over the handlebars. I just bought my hubby a road bike (his first) yesterday and he said the same thing. I'm 5'4" and have a 51cm Bianchi Eros (Celeste) -- it fits me fine -- but, that was after having more narrow handlebars put on it and a different stem. I also have a short torso and long limbs. I would have probably gone for the Eros Donna if I had researched well enough to know that there were bikes specifically designed for women. At the time, I did not.

Hope it all works out for you!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hibiscus09

It may be that the bike shop will be able to change a few things to make you feel more comfortable. If you're not used to a road bike, it may just feel that way at first. I know the first time I got on one, I felt like I could just head straight on over the handlebars. . I would have probably gone for the Eros Donna if I had researched well enough to know that there were bikes specifically designed for women. At the time, I did not.

Hope it all works out for you!

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thanks Hibiscus!
i have a fitting appt thursday. i already knew about the WSGeometry
bikes but i didnt want to spend that much (my bad)
on my first road bike.
i will let you know how it turns out
thanks for posting

my appointment was cancelled but my new saddle came in the mail today
(black b67)

all by myself (for the first time ever!) I put the saddle on myself and adjusted
it as LOW as it could go. It is clearly too low for my legs; BUT.
BUT.
i rode the bike around and i didn't feel like i was going to topple over the handlebars! There is hope. I can probably get the handlebars raised a bit
and then raise the saddle too.

I sure hope i can schedule my fitting appointment soon.. we have relatives
in , two college graduations and a wedding in the next two weeks.

thanks for your support.

Hi Mimi- as long as the top tube measurement isn't too different from your cross bike, I am sure it can be made to fit you with some tweaking. If it really doesn't work out, you might try a LBS that buys/sells used bikes, that way you can be fit but not pay as much as new, and maybe even broker a trade. I thought you were looking for a bike with fenders, but isn't this a racing bike without fender clearance? Good luck, and let us know how it works out! -e

Hi mimitabby,
How's it coming along? Did you get the fit appointment?
I bought the same bike recently, so I'm curious to hear how it turns out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

Will i ever feel like i am not going to fall on my head when i'm riding it?
it wants to go like the wind. It takes almost nothing to make it go really fast.

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I feel kinda the same way with mine, the bike is so responsive that I need some practice to get it under control. I'm sure it's the fact that it's light and relatively stiff. But for me it felt more relaxed and comfortable than the aluminum frames that I rode.

I had the fitting appointment when I bought mine and it was really informative. I learned a lot. It must have taken an hour. I don't remember if they did this twenty years ago - it seems like quite an effort on the part of the LBS staff, so it must pay off for them.

Good luck and let us know how it's going.
Amy