FS: 2009 Specialized Ruby Expert

I am selling my wonderful 2009 Specialized Ruby Expert. I bought this bike about 6 months and have about 500 miles on it mostly on the trainer. It is a 51 cm size, red and white, with Shimano Ultegra components. The bike is too big for me. I have had multiple fittings and cannot get it to fit me comfortably. I am 5'1 and definitely was sold by the sales guy. I am asking $2300 OBO as it is a $4000 bike. Let me know if you want some more info. I can also email pics if you are interested. Here is a link to the bike: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...1&menuItemId=0

My word, that is huge for you. I am 5'2" and have had road bikes in 44 cm (actually a 17.5" Terry), and 48 cm. I have a traditional "WSD" build with long femurs for my height and a short torso. I can't imagine fitting any bike > 48 cm. Of course it all depends on inseam, torso length, arm length, and all that, but at 5'1", you were certainly sold the wrong size bike, as you say.

I think the bike shop should take it back! It's a shame they can get away with selling you a bike that clearly doesn't fit. And then you've had to spend $$ on multiple fittings. That's just wrong, wrong, wrong.

I hope you find a buyer. Posting photos of your actual bike in addition to the link would help a lot. I'm sure it's a lovely bike.

Where are you located? I agree that it would be helpful to post some actual pictures of your bike. I'd like to see them. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

My word, that is huge for you. I am 5'2" and have had road bikes in 44 cm (actually a 17.5" Terry), and 48 cm. I have a traditional "WSD" build with long femurs for my height and a short torso. I can't imagine fitting any bike > 48 cm. Of course it all depends on inseam, torso length, arm length, and all that, but at 5'1", you were certainly sold the wrong size bike, as you say.

I think the bike shop should take it back! It's a shame they can get away with selling you a bike that clearly doesn't fit. And then you've had to spend $$ on multiple fittings. That's just wrong, wrong, wrong.

I hope you find a buyer. Posting photos of your actual bike in addition to the link would help a lot. I'm sure it's a lovely bike.

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I agree. I'm 5'3" and couldn't ride more than a 48 cm in that bike. What a shame to have such a beautiful bike and not have it fit you. I hope you can sell it and get another bike that fits. You will be amazed at the difference.

I am so sorry to read this, I had something of the same experience with my Trek 7.6. I do remember my first fitting at my current LBS when they told me if they just went by my inseam that I would take a 51cm frame, but I can't go > 48cm at most. I fully agree that the shop should take it back! Have you spoken with the owner about this? It is worth the conversation, and in the long run it would pay off for them...These things do get around!

I will post some of my pics today. I am truly sad to try to sell it but my body just aches when i ride. I am in boise, Idaho. Definitely willing to ship the bike. I will even through in the aero bars that are on it that I bought. I jar need to figure out how to post pics.

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

I think the bike shop should take it back! It's a shame they can get away with selling you a bike that clearly doesn't fit. And then you've had to spend $$ on multiple fittings. That's just wrong, wrong, wrong.

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+1.

There is no freaking way you would fit a 51cm bike and the salesman who sold it to you is unethical and unprofessional. Contact the store manager and see if he would (at the very least) allow a trade-in/exchange for a bike your size.

If that doesn't work, go up the food chain and contact Specialized. Let them know that one of their dealers engages in this kind of behavior.

A 51cm bike is not even close to your range.

a 51? Wow, that seems huge to me, too. :eek:

I'm 5'0" and I currently ride a 44 and we had to shorten the stem.

Like others, I am really sorry to hear you had this experience. That was simply irresponsible by the bike shop. I hope you still want to ride - this is just the type of stuff that pushes people away from cycling.

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Originally Posted by Bluetree

+1.

There is no freaking way you would fit a 51cm bike and the salesman who sold it to you is unethical and unprofessional. Contact the store manager and see if he would (at the very least) allow a trade-in/exchange for a bike your size.

If that doesn't work, go up the food chain and contact Specialized. Let them know that one of their dealers engages in this kind of behavior.

A 51cm bike is not even close to your range.

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Couldn't agree more!

I had a similar experience when I purchased my first road bike, a Trek 2100 WSD. The dealer where I bought it from, put me on a 54cm (I'm 5'6"). I unfortunately, didn't any better and did not realize the bike was too large for me until I had ridden it for an entire season...all the while wondering why it never felt quite "right". I sympathize with your situation and hope that you either find a new home for it, or can talk your dealer into letting you return it for a smaller size.

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Originally Posted by nscrbug

I had a similar experience when I purchased my first road bike, a Trek 2100 WSD. The dealer where I bought it from, put me on a 54cm (I'm 5'6"). I unfortunately, didn't any better and did not realize the bike was too large for me until I had ridden it for an entire season...all the while wondering why it never felt quite "right". I sympathize with your situation and hope that you either find a new home for it, or can talk your dealer into letting you return it for a smaller size.

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I'm 5'6" and wishing I was buying a new 54cm road bike. I tried smaller frame bikes, but I felt like I was up to high in the front or I wanted to keep pushing my rear off the back of the saddle. 56cm was too big. 54 was just right.

Didn't mean to hi-jack the thread. This sounds like a great bike! I'm sure you'll be able to find a buyer for it.

It's one thing if a bike is "a little" on the big side. Depending on leg and torso length, adjustments can be made to frames that lie on the farther ends of the scale.

Selling a bike to a newbie that is clearly out of the ballpark is quite another. Any experienced bike seller/fitter/rider would know that it was too big. Trust me, your salesperson knew this. If you bought an '09 bike in late 2010, he was simply trying to get it off his floor, at your expense.

(BTW, you mentioned aerobars. If you are using the bike for tris, your frame could even be a tad smaller than a road set up)

Man, this salesman really is unethical if that's what he was doing. You absolutely need to contact the store owner and inform him or her what happened, and I'd put it in writing and copy customer service at Specialized, whatever VP is in charge of keeping customers happy. That's the person you want to write a letter to. That will get you some action on this.

Good luck getting a better fitting bike.

Roxy - 5'3.5" and riding a 51cm 2004 Specialized Ruby Comp, wondering now if my numb hands may be because my bike is too big for me

Is the 51 measurment from the seat tube or top tube? I sometimes see 2 different calcuations, and can get confused but I have a Specialized now that from the top tube is 50.6 (or 51) and from the seat is 48cm..it fits me perfect and I am 5 '3'. But I happen to be looking for a newer model bike..

Please email pics as soon as you can..and would you be willing to ship? I live in NC
Thanks, Carolyn
crmundt@earthlink.net

Thank you everybody for your input. I called the bike shop today where I purchased the bike back in June. I talked to the manager and explained everything that has happened (multiple fittings, purchasing of different parts). She wants me to come buy and show her what I am talking about. We shall see what she says. But, the damage has been done and I am now looking to purchase a new bike.

I am still trying to figure out how to post pics in the forum. Any ideas?

https://picasaweb.google.com/1122913...39144203725474

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https://picasaweb.google.com/1122913...39163872080498

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Originally Posted by amkipe

I am still trying to figure out how to post pics in the forum. Any ideas?

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I hope the shop will take the bike back on a trade on one that fits, but if you can't get any satisfaction, to post photos, you need to have a place to host them first. Do you have an account on Photobucket or Picasa, or any number of photo hosting sites? If not, you can sign up for a free account. I use Photobucket and have been happy with it. You then upload the photos to that site. At least on Photobucket, when you click on the photo, it will give you the direct link. Copy that link.

Now, create a post here on TE. Click on the little mountain icon above the box where you are typing your post. It will ask for the link to your photo. Paste in the link.

That's it! It sounds much harder than it is when I write it out.

Good luck, and please keep us posted about your meeting with the LBS manager.

Pics are now added on the first post on the second page of the post! Thank you!

I'm 5'1 - and I can ride the 51 cm specialized. It's 51 cm on compact geometry. If you look at the actual geometry of that bike the seat tube is actually 45 cm. The top tube is 518 cm, which would be long if you're looking for a WSD, but I prefer my top tubes around 530-540 mm because I don't have a WSD body at all.

I did at some point a few years ago go test ride specialized rubys and the salesmen did put me on a 52 cm model, which fit me fine.

Now, I wouldn't buy that specialized ruby because that 75.5 degree seat angle would kill me. I like a 73 degree seat angle.

So anyways, depending on the proportions of OP and whether she's got a WSD body, saying that she can't ride a "virtual" 51 cm bike at 5'1 isn't necessarily true because I do ride very comfortably road bikes with similar measurements (except for the seat tube angle).

Just a thought... do you need the aero bars? Are you doing triathlon? If not, then the bike might fit you ok to just ride with the drop bars. To get a good fit with bar extensions, many people need to go down a size with the top tube. For example, my road bike fits great, but it would be horrible for using clip-ons. I'd be so stretched out! It's worth considering at least if you can't return the bike. That said, I agree with several posters that this size bike is probably too big for many people of your height. Looking at the fit they've done on the bike, it definitely looks like you could go down at least a size. BUT you probably won't be able to get the bars so high relative to the saddle with a smaller bike (which will have a shorter head tube), if that position is what you are looking for. It looks like you've got the bars at max height on this bike.

I am actually training for Ironman Canada and Boise 70.3. So, I do need the aero bars and they were purchased when I originally bought the bike.

Went to the bike shop yesterday. I brought my bike in and showed it to the manager. She is about my size and she saw how large the bike was for me. I tried out a 47 cm amira and felt insanely mOre comfortable. I really do want to make the bike work so we tried a straight seat post. I took the bike home last night and did a two hour ride on the trainer. The way my weight shifted and it really didn't put me that much closer to where I need to be on the bike. I am going to take it back today and just let them know that I am going to sell it and purchase another bike. I truly can't imagine doing my half and full ironman on something that is this uncomfortable to me.

Over the weekend I went and picked up a new frame for the bike. The bike manager actually had a 48 cm in the emerald green color for me to try out. They put all of my components on the new frame (bars, wheels, aerobars). I rode it on Sunday. What a difference the smaller frame makes. I didn't have any pain in my neck or shoulders. The bike shop has been great to work with.

So you have the frame now that you need to sell or did she offer to buy it back or swap even up? I ride a 51cm and would have considered it, but I recently bought a Ruby Elite at my local shop, tho the Expert is one PRETTY bike!!

Shannon

I truly haven't decided. I am pretty sure I am going to keep the new frame with all my components on it. Though I still want a tri bike pretty bad!

I am interested in the 51 Specialized if you haven't gotten it sold yet???

I traded in my 51 cm for a 48 cm. But I am going to sell the bike in general. I have purchased a tri bike that fits perfectly for me. I am still having some trouble with the Ruby and her fit. She has the aero bars on it but they can be removed and the Shimano Look pedals are going with her as well. I am going to sell for $1800.
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