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I'm in the market to purchase my first road bike! YAY!
I looked at Orbea's but they are for short torsoed, long leg people. I tried a Specialized Ruby and would need a longer stem, but the leg situation was great. Any recommendations of how to deal with this particular fit issue?
Thanks!
Kel
Actually you are the opposite of a fit "issue" :rolleyes: Most bikes are made for your build.
Unless you are super short and just cannot ride a 48 or bigger my suggestion is to stop looking at "WSD" bikes, which are built for short torso, long legs and start looking at standard fit bikes, which are made for your build. If you liked the Ruby, check out the Roubaix. It will probably fit you better out of the box.
Well now I'm confused. :)
I did like the fit it gave my tush on the Ruby. So I'd have to swap out seats and bars if I went to the Roubaix.
HEY MY BF has a ROUBAIX. I'll try his.
Thanks!!
I agree with Eden. Unless you're really short, go look at non-WSD bikes. They're generally for short-torso'ed, long-legged people. You have a load of options--Giant, Cannondale (though they've improved their women's road bike offerings of late. Never thought I'd be able to ride one.)
I rode a Roubaix. Nice bike. Specialized's saddles are actually pretty similar between the men's and women's. Just swap out the bars.
I'm 5ft 1in and on a 48cm Amira Elite, but I have a long torso and short legs for a woman (I'm built like a gymnast). So my girl parts are touching (but not jammed into) the top of the bar and when I stop, I usually tilt the bike sideways when I put one leg down just in case. I have always tilted the bike when I stop since I am very short, but this doesn't bother me much.
I tried the 44cm Ruby, but I my back curled up when I rode the bike and was very uncomfortable. I rather be comfortably riding and be minimally uncomfortable getting off of the bike. I did not buy a man's bike because Specialized company said that the man's bike is heavier than a woman's bike for the same sized bike.
Also because I have wide shoulders and wanted to swap out for carbon handlebars anyways, I got a slightly wider carbon handlebar than the original stock alloy handle bar that came with the 48cm Amira Elite.
It's really hard to figure out what is comfortable as a newbie. So, as everyone else on Team Estrogen usually says....try out all the bikes in your price range of various sizes, brands, men/WSD.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm
2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle
Agree! The "unisex" or "mens" version is usually built for shorter legs longer torso. The men's Roubaix would have a longer stem, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eden
I have a Ruby and I love it! But I also rode and loved the Roubaix.. go to a good shop that can fit you properly and help you determine which geometry is right for you. Bars, stems, saddles, are all easy swaps.
Oh, and the Specialized shops usually have the BG Fit system.
I'm another to say to look at the men's or unisex bikes and not the WSD bikes. I'm 5ft 0in and chose a Felt F-5 (there is no WSD version of the Felt F series). I love the bike. Mine's a 48cm. I also have shorter legs with a longer torso. I did swap out the seat, but it's for a different men's saddle, just one that is much more comfortable than what came on it. Also I've kept the handle bars because for me they are comfortable. The ONLY WSD bike that I even looked at and would be comfortable on is the Specialized Ameria.
I know 44 is too small and I'm best at the 48 in specializes. I was leaning towards Ruby. What do you think of the Amira?
I only ride a redline 925 which is unisex. I just had a great waist down experience with the Ruby. Not so much waist up.
I'm going shopping on Saturday. I'm soooo nervous!
The Ameria is the ONLY WSD bike I like at all. It has a geometry that is more like the men's/unisex bikes than what the Ruby and Dolce has. I did a test on both the Dolce and the Trek Lexa and felt cramped (waist up) on both of them. I did not test the Amira (no one has one in a 44cm in stock that I knew of). I think the Amira may solve some of the issues with the waist up issue if if the issue is of a more cramped type feeling. The Amira has a bit longer top tube than the Ruby.
Really.... I just recently switched from an old style Ruby (pro '05) to an Amira (pro '11). I was worried, because I already have reach issues - I have *really* short arms, I had a 70 stem on my 44 Ruby... The Amira actually feels better to me than my Ruby did (I still have the 70mm stem). The "cockpit" feels shorter (and I get less neck discomfort too!), even though looking at the measurements it seems like it shouldn't.
I'm guessing my legs must be relatively long for my height. I don't have stand over issues at all with compact frames. I have tons of clearance. Even with my old 19" Trek with a traditional straight top tube I could still clear without feeling like I was in danger....
Be excited and not scared.
I would recommend that your sales person is a certified fitter so that maybe they can throw in a qualified bike fitting for free when you buy your bike.
I love my Amira and feel that the handling seems less ackward than on the Ruby. Also, you might want to get the carbon handle bars to decrease road vibration. Because I changed stock immediately before I took the bike out of the store, my very nice local LBS gave me some store credit back for the stock alloy handle bars and for the handlebar tape (I changed from the white stock handlebar tape to black).
However, there are a lot of Ruby lovers and Cannondale Synapse lovers out there. So enjoy trying out all the bikes this weekend. Maybe if you can write down what city,state you are in, some of the Team Estrogen members can recommend good LBS shops.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm
2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle
The specialized guy I talked to was trying to talk me into the Ruby as opposed to the Amira. I'll have to ride to see. I did appreciate the whole Zerts situation with Ruby.
For some reason I'm anti-trek and cannondale. Can someone talk me out of that? Its so lame.
The other thought was Bianchi....
Anyway, so my legs are sorta long for someone who is 5 foot, 1. My torso from the hips to the rib cage is long. I lose a couple of inches between my chest and my shoulders. So I'm a bit odd. So I'm mostly long torsoed. Arms are... normal?
I'm at a 730 standover and a top tube of 515 with my commuter, both which place me between the 48 and a 51 on the specialized. The Roubaix 49 may indeed be the better fit, which is 730 and 518, respectively.
When I was on the Ruby I felt comfortable on the hoods but not comfortable in the drops. I wanted to stretch out slightly more.
Ya'll are awesome!
I also love my Amira. I have the 48cm. Loved my Ruby although it is a 2007 and since then Specialized has fine tuned the handlebars on the women's geometry bikes. I was not comfortable in the drops of my Ruby at all and it was a 51. I am very comfortable in all postitions of the Amira and the bike just rides awesome. +1 on all Eden said about it.
I am also not a fan of Trek not that was always the case. It is just my personal opinion of the company, customer service etc. So I cannot help you in to go in that direction.
Sorry can't help you with your issue with Trek. My issue with Trek is that the men's bikes don't come in the 47cm frame anymore and Cannondales are too big for me.
I love my Felt F-5 and would say to check Felt out if you have a dealer semi close by. Our store that has Felt is also our Specialized dealer. When I told them what I was looking for and what I prefer and all, they felt the Amira was the better choice for me over the Ruby (if I went that way) because the Amira does have more of the men's geometry vs the Ruby. Then we also looked at the Felts both the Z and the F series and the F series was what was best for me. I love my Felt. The Felt F 5 has a slightly lower standover height (48cm) than the Amira (44cm) with a longer top tube and wheel base.
Soooo everyone loves the Amira... Interesting!
I live outside of San Francisco so I've got every dealer nearby. Soooo lucky.
I am so thankful for y'all, I'd never even thought men's.
I like Felts but I get gnarled at the color choices (I'm against anything in the color white, which is vastly stronger than my dislike of trek or cannondale. I know, it makes no sense. I also hate bananas but love plantains. This color problem will most likely keep me off binanchi's)
Marin's, Jamis any good? The giant time trial bike is sooooooo hot but otherwise I'm skeptical based off on nothing more than hunch.
Y'all seriously rock!
Don't be anti-Cannondale...they are awesome. :) I'm also anti-Trek, even though my homestate is Trek central. I've heard too many warranty claims horror stories in the past year to ever give them the time of day, though I DO love their Bontrager saddles.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
I agree that some of the colors Felt has can be interesting at best. Most of the F series have a black base color. We have last year's F 5 bikes, hubby's is the base colors of black with orange (this year's F-5 is black with green). Mine is a special edition that is black with blue. I didn't look at the ZWs at all. I know their cruisers have some really wild colors.
C'Dale makes nice bikes. Their aluminum CAAD10 rides about as nicely as the carbon version (Supersix) for a lot less money. There's a good chance the CAAD10 Women's is going to be my next bike, provided there's no geometry changes between the 2012 and 2013 (when I graduate--present to myself!) models. (I'm the opposite of you--short torso, long legs.) Jamis is also nice. Check out their steel road bikes (Satellite/Quest). I have no opinion of Trek or Marin.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
(I don't like white either--I spent an hour yesterday putting nail polish over all the scratches on the white bottom half of my bike. I can't find a true color match, so it's sort of obvious.)
The Amira's a fine bike, but I didn't like the ride. It's harsher, but that's because it's more of a performance or racing bike. It does have a lower, more aggressive posture. Give it a try - but do try that Roubaix. If you loved the Ruby the Roubaix might do the trick. I also felt cramped on the Ruby until I realized I had to go up in size to a 54cm, not a 51. And then we did the fitting to adjust everything just right.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
What do you mean when you say you felt "cramped." I test road a Ruby 44 and it feels so small to me, but the LBS said he felt that was the correct size. I know he wasn't trying to sell me a floor bike because he had a 47 on the floor and ordered the 44 from specialized. My Giant Bike is one size bigger than the 44 and is a hybrid. So I really don't now how to feel. :confused:
I already bought the Ruby 44 but it is at the shop due to my accident. So I really do have time to change my mind regarding size.
The Specialized 44cm is basically what a Trek 47cm is or a Felt or Felt 48cm is. Specialized measures their bikes differently.
I LOVE my Amira. LOVE. Yeah, it's a bit of a "harsher" ride compared to a Ruby with all of the vibration-dampening inserts built in, but I've always liked a stiffer, more aggressive ride. It's a very responsive bike, you ask and it gives back. I actually went into the shop intending to buy something more like a Ruby but based on my feedback they got me on the Amira, and I got off with a huge grin on my face. I knew I had blown my budget and found my bike.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
My other contender aside from the Ruby was a Trek Madone WSD (I can't remember which number.) I did like the fit but it wasn't as nimble as the Amira and felt a bit clunky in comparison. It was a nice bike for the (closeout) price, however, and I did consider it, but it didn't make me go, "Wheee!" the same way the Specialized bikes do.
I did also like the feel of the Cannondale CAAD series, but they were too long in the top tube for me. Since I had just gone through that with my unisex Orbea frame, fixing that at the stem was the last thing I wanted and the more compact Amira cockpit felt better.
I would actually say the Cannondale I rode was the closest to the Amira in exciting me - but I just wasn't willing to go there with the top tube. I know there are lots of C'dale fans here and that you're not one (I'm usually not either since the fit is usually all wrong for me) but don't talk yourself out of a really good bike for you!
I do my first shopping tomorrow. First go is to ride Specialized Roubaix, Ruby, Amira. Then orbeas. THEN jamis and felts. Then giant and Fuji. Trek, cannondale, marin last.
And no white!
Thoughts on clips? I've never clipped in.
I felt like I was kneeing my boobs constantly (I'm not large chested so that was an accomplishment) and my upper back felt like it was tied up in knots!Quote:
Originally Posted by kajero
Boooooo accident. Hope you are ok!
yes! Exactly! I want that wheeee factor and I hope my budget and ego don't get in the way!Quote:
Originally Posted by winddance
Personally I'm not comfortable with clipless. I have a set of pedals that are platforms on one side and clipless on the other side. I have no issues clipping in with my left foot, but I still have issues with my right foot. So I prefer these pedals.
For my feeling cramped on the both the Dolce and the Lexa was feeling my back was too curved due to the top tube and feeling like my arms/shoulders were being forced to be too tight to my body. Part of the reason I prefer the men's/unisex bikes as long as I can find ones that have a low enough stand over height. For me this just proved to me again why the WSD bikes are not for all women.
That's sage perspective. My commuter is unisex and I feel better on it even though it's not perfect. If I can get the rear support I felt with the Ruby and not feel too curved, that will be the one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Koronin
Clips unnerve me but I know it's best for power throughout.
You don't have to get clipless pedals immediately. It took me a year of riding to make the jump. (I went straight from platforms to clipless, rather than using the cages that came with the bike.)Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
While I need a short top tube, I find my back is happier with a more aggressive posture. It's strange.
Yes, WSD frames are not for all women. Some are more comfortable on the unisex frame and that's fine. It's good to have a choice. I have a bike that's a men's frame, and two that are WSD. I have a Specialized, Trek, and Cannondale. They are all terrific bikes. Each one felt completely right for that type of bike, but the brand didn't translate into guaranteed comfort on another. For example, my hybrid road bike is a Cannondale Quick 3. I thought I'd love the Cannondale Synapse when looking for a road bike. I liked it alot, but it didn't feel quite right, and the aluminum didn't give me the "whee!" factor (though the carbon did). The Specialized frame geometries were more comfortable for me on the road bikes. It's great that there's so many choices available to us even though it can be confusing initially. Good luck on your quest today, kelleil! Oh, and do get properly fitted. The potentially right bike can feel totally wrong with a bad fit!Quote:
Originally Posted by Koronin
I like Speedplays. Not only are they kind to your knees, but I feel like they're a good first option due to the amount of float they have. I'm somewhat of a klutz but have found they were easy to get out of and avoid the slow tipover. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
I have to say the thing I loved the most about my Orbea (aside from its overall prettiness,) was the fact that it absolutely OOZED up hills. That bike probably would have climbed without me. Its new owner finds it to be the same.
If you like the Amira's feel but not the WSD fit, the unisex version is the Tarmac, so perhaps add that to your list as well?
As far as clipless pedals are concerned, I LOVE my Speedplay Frogs - just love them! They are a dream to clip in/out of, have never unclipped accidentally, very knee-friendly, and as mountain bike pedals the platform is larger than SPD mtb pedals. Nothing wrong with using mtb pedals on the ready as the recessed cleats does make it easier to walk around.
I've heard good things about LOOK and Speedplay road pedals but I've not used them.
Ladies, I couldn't get off the Amira. The ruby and roubaix were fine (48 and 51 for the ruby, 49 for the roubaix. Of the two I liked the roubaix better.) But with the Amira, my upper back didn't hurt, it was effortless in the drops, and I had this deep sense of joy. My butt didn't love it as much tho, so the ruby/roubaix gets a point there.
My bf tried to talk me into the ruby due to the cassette being better for climbing as we've got 2000 ft climbs here but the Amira won hands down.
Granted I had a hard time getting started on any. On my commuter I stay on the seat with a toe down. To start from standing is going to take getting used to.
And then the clips... I'm not ready but I'm thinking MTB clips.
Oh what have I gotten myself into?
There will be crazy descents! I don't have health insurance!!
Ayeee!
Speed plays, crank brothers, shimano MTB? Those are the recs I've received thus far
(although really I gotta be good just starting, a month or two maybe)
Glad you were able to test all 3 to decide which was best. Also for for your butt, it could be a different saddle would help with that.
Congrats! You're feeling more comfortable with a more stretched out position. The Amira is a super bike and one you'll be proud to own. I went clipless for the first time with my new road bike, and got the Speedplay Light Action (road pedals). A lot of people use the Speedplay Frogs on their roadies too (mountain bike shoes). They are very light, two sided so no fumbling for the correct side, and easier to clip in and out of than some other pedals. Have a good amount of float, too, so you don't feel locked in one position. I told my bike shop that if they could find me a shoe that didn't hurt my foot and a pedal that I could get in and out of with relative ease then I'd consider going clipless. Well they did, and I went clipless. :eek:
Oh, and you could switch out your saddle, which I believe is the Jett(?) to the Lithia Comp used on the Ruby. Both are Specialized. They make very nice saddles.
The Amira is an awesome bike. (I'm actually considering one, since I think the Ruby may be too upright for me.) You can swap out the saddle. It may be more comfortable because of the extra padding in the Lithia/Riva as compared to the Jett.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
As far as clipless pedals are concerned, I'm currently using SPDs (Shimano MTB pedals). I like them. There was a bit of a learning curve there, but I like them. I'm probably going to be changing them out for Speedplays or Looks on my next bike, but they're fine to get started.
...Yeah. That was my argument to myself about the Ruby or the Trek, because I have a compact on my Amira and live in some pretty hilly territory. But!! I love riding my bike so I figured that would help me get strong enough to ride on those hills instead of having a sort of, "meh" feeling about the entire situation. And the descents are fuuun.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleil
Give yourself time on clipless. No need to rush. Enjoy your bike!
Cassettes are cheap (relatively - maybe about $100...) and easily replaceable... in fact they are a part that wears and *needs* eventual replacing. That certainly shouldn't be a deciding factor.