Help with First Road Bike for my 70th Birthday!

I have ridden a hybrid, for many years. Before being widowed, we did independent tours in Europe, and now I am doing tours with companies. I was urged last year to try a road bike and clipless pedals. I am being fitted next week for the Specialized Ruby Apex, first time with that type of shifting. Has anyone ridden this bike, and if so any good suggestions for getting more experienced with the shifting. Have you had a good experience with this particular bike? I see there are a lot of postings for using clip less pedals, so will read those. I would love to have more knowledge about using the gears on hills, so will have to go out to the suburbs, as I live in Boston. Thanks for any thoughts!

A good friend of mine transitioned from a hybrid to the bike you are buying and she loves it!
OK, now plugging my club's bike workshop.... March 23d in Concord. Go to the Northeast Thread under "Places to Ride" and there is a link in my thread titled Bike Workshop. We also have a beginner's ride on April 27, with a weekly beginners series starting in May, every Tuesday night.

Actually I just joined AMC, and was going to sign up for this! LOL. after I finished posting on this website. I actually grew up in Concord. I will sign up right now, see you there and would love to learn more about the rides!

Congratulations on the birthday & the present. What a fantastic way to celebrate!

Make sure you introduce yourself!

How awesome! Good luck on your new bike when you get her!

I test-rode a Specialized Ruby Apex. Very nice ride. (Just not the right bike for me!) The shifting thing was a little different for me, since I was coming from Shimano road shifters. You'll get used to them, I promise. Take it out in a big empty parking lot when you get the bike and practice.

Happy birthday, and don't forget to show us the bike when you get it! We love pictures. ;)

Congratulations on one of the best birthday gifts----a new bike.
I have the apex group on my Vaya bike and really like it after coming from shimano sets. It was very easy to get used too, I thought.
The one slight negative for me is that when trying to find your lowest chainring or granny gear in back I am never sure if I am in the lowest or next to the lowest.
If you are in the lowest and shift again it will shift back to next to lowest which can be a rude suprise on the hill your attacking. You just have to be aware and plan ahead.
I'm in my mid 60's and look forward to the best years ahead.
We'll look forward to your adventures with your Ruby!

Thanks everyone for all the encouragement! I go between being excited and terrified, LOL re: clipless pedals. Since I hadn't used either system, I thought the SRAM might be better for my grip as I age. I've been on a bike tour almost every year since 1988, but circumstances are preventing me this year. Hence, learning to use the road bike this year, in preparation for the next one, hopefully 2014 since I turn 70 in January. Since there is a rail trail on the Cape, and bike lanes along the Charles River in Boston, I have safe places for my first attempts. Hills are the big worry! I'm very determined and adventurous so I know I will be fine! Thanks again...will keep you posted!

i have sram on my dolce because i had the very small hands issue with the other shifters.
i find the sram shifters pretty easy to use compared to the rapid fire shimano's on my vita.
the ruby would have been a nice option for me but i didn't want to spend the $$ since i didn't know
how much i would love the road bike. someday......
congrats!!

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone! I alternate between being excited and terrified about learning to ride a rode bike with clipless pedals. I'll be fitted next week, and have safe places to practice, bike/walk trails along the Charles River and a rail trail on the Cape. Since circumstances do not allow me to travel on a bike tour this year, I'm hoping to go next year, in celebration of the big 70 in January. By then I should be a pro! LOL The pooch and I will have to do some road and camping trips instead.

Thanks everyone for all the encouragement and info on shifters! I know I'll get the hang of it, because I am persistent and patient, and believe that age is just a number,LOL. I'm thinking that after I get fitted next week for the clipless pedals, I may put regular toe clips on. This will give me a chance to feel confident with the shifting and being on a road bike, rather than a hybrid. Maybe I'm feeling over cautious, will have to think about it. Thanks again!!

I've been away for a while but now back and just want to congratulate you on The Birthday and on the plans for The Bike. I've got a Ruby (Comp) and absolutely love her. I've no knowledge of the Apex system but am trying out clipless pedals. I have one suggestion, based on a close encounter with tarmac :( that I've had, is to get the pedals that are two-sided so you can comfortably practise your gear shifting without being committed to fixing in your feet. My mistake was trying to learn two things at once and my error with the gears led me to stall and overbalance onto the right side and only remembered too late that my right foot was still attached! No big harm done on that occasion but could have been nasty if the road had been a busy one. Trouble with parking-lot practice is that, in my experience, they tend to be on level ground so not a place for trying out gears on hills... I'm getting on better with the gears now so (if it would KINDLY stop snowing!) I feel ready to put in the cleating practice. Good luck to you and looking forward to seeing your pics and hearing how you get on.

Thanks, I have been researching the responses on the forum regarding clipless pedals. I actually talked to the LBS and had them put toe cages on regular pedals for a start. I am supposed to get fitted on Wed. but we have yet another round of snow coming in tomorrow!! so I will wait and see how bad it is since it is a bit of a drive there. Terry has the 2 sided pedals for sale on theMonday Madness sale for $60 so I am tempted to order them. Although the fellow I have been working with at the LBS has been great, he's an experienced rider and may not know how worrisome is can be to be trying clipless pedals for the first time. He shied me away from the double-sided saying how heavy they were. He was sympathetic to taking things "in stages" however, and gladly just put some inexpensive cages on. It's the hills I am concerned about, when I first try being clipped in.

Just my .02 as someone who is new to being clipped in. I'd start with "comfortable" places as far as being clipped in goes...your subdivision, an empty parking lot, park, etc. I spent several days just going in circles in my cul-de-sac, then I moved out into the subdivision, then to the park and then on a group ride. Once you're comfortable with those things hills won't seem quite so scary. I figure if nothing else, if I find a hill I can't pedal up I can always walk it :)

What shop are you buying from?
A salesperson who is telling you not to buy the dual sided pedals because of weight, raises my concern. That's something a racer would be concerned about. He or she might also tell you not to use spd/mountain style pedals on your road bike. You are obviously experienced in many facets of cycling and that will help you. I agree to starting in stages and I also did something similar to Karen when I got my first clip less pedals. First in my neighborhood, then around the area, where the streets were flat, and finally I rode for about 3 weeks with only one foot clipped in and the other resting on top of the cleat. Finally, I felt that was dumb and I was naturally starting to clip in. However, using clip less on hills makes climbing easier; you start out on small hills and build up.
The one thing I will caution you about with the dual sided "campus" pedals, is because they have the cleat only on one side, that side is heavier and it makes the pedal flip over when you are starting off. Not all of the time, but sometimes you have to kick it to flip it to whatever side you want, be it flat or cleated.
I will talk to you at the workshop, but I am interested where you bought your bike...

I work in a bike shop. I do tend to caution people new to clipless against the campus pedals because if you want to clip in, they flip over, and having to look down at your pedals at intersections can cost you--I definitely don't talk about the weight! Provided that you're aware of the tendency for them to flip over and it becomes instinct to turn them so that the clip-in mechanism faces up, they're a viable option. (I still tell people to consider a dual-sided (ie, you can clip into either side of the pedal) SPD-type pedal as well if they're thinking of the "campus"-type pedals.)

I tried out the campus-style pedals when I first learned to ride. I didn't like them. It took those few extra seconds to flip the pedal to clip in (when it worked the first time), and the platform side was so slick that I couldn't keep my feet on the pedals, so I really couldn't use the platform side. I moved onto good quality BMX pedals and was quite happy with those until I went clipless a year or so later (Speedplay Frogs). That was my experience, but that doesn't mean everyone will have the same issue.

if i can ride clipless, anyone can. i am in my 60's and not the most coordinated person on the planet. i have the dual sided pedals, shimano A530's. i don't find it too difficult to transition between the flat and clipped side. the idea of toe cages scare the daylights out of me and i think they would be more difficult that the clipless.
if i am changing sides, i just wait until i have my speed up before i clip in. it is sometimes easier to be on the flat side if the situation could create a quick need to stop ie,
MUT and there are alot of kids on bikes or walkers who aren't paying much attention to where they are walking. the only thing i had problems with was the cleats that came
with the pedals. i needed to switch to the multi release cleats. they are much easier to clip out with.

Thanks everyone! Due to recent snow, I haven't been fitted for my bike yet, rescheduled it to this Monday. I've decided not to purchase the shoes and pedals I set aside. They offer 10% off things bought with purchase of a new bike, but that's not going to break the bank. I want to be more informed and confident about what I want. As it is, I may not have put enough time into the purchase of the bike, it was an emotional purchase, done too quickly perhaps. I have gotten positive feedback about the bike however, so I'm looking forward to getting out on it finally. I'll get familiar with the SRAM shifting, and then get the clipless pedals/shoes. Looking forward to talking with you at the workshop, Crankin.

Hi again, Citycyclegal! That sounds like a good idea to take it in stages. Also, I guess it means that, when you do buy the clipless pedals and shoes, you'll already have the non clipless variety to swap back to if you want. That comment from the bike shop about pedal weight is only a serious consideration if you are a serious racer, I would have thought. As I'm always on the high end of the 'normal BMI' spectrum I look at it in this way - if I really wanted to lose some more bike-weight, rather than being the LBS dream customer and buying into the featherlight, super-expensive, pro-racing gear saving a few grams here and a few there - well, I could just lose a few grams off me instead :-)). The Ruby is so wonderfully light already and the bits and pieces I've added to her (Crudguards, lights, saddle, bags (top tube and saddle ones), pedals) don't seem to have spoilt her for me. I had a bike fit, by the way, and thoroughly enjoyed it as the guy was really helpful and I went away feeling so much more confident that I could now enjoy the Ruby with the least damage to my ageing body! I wish you years of pleasure from your lovely bike :-))

re: weight of pedals, that was my thought also...I just listened to him, but knew it wasn't something I would take seriously. He also told me that you didn't add a rack to this bike...? which I also didn't pay attention to, and now I see all the things you have on yours, LOL. Right now, I just want to get the bike, bring it home, and ride it for a while. I'll figure out what I want on it later. I just came back from a bike repair/maintenance workshop, and feel much more confident about my purchase. The workshop was very informative, lots of fun, nice people, and I met Crankin. I talked to people who had the dual pedals, Frogs, and some who changed from them to others. Right now the weather report is saying light snow on Monday...aargh....enough! Fitting on Monday! looking forward to it. Thanks so much!!! everyone for all your replies and encouragement! It means a great deal to me.

Check your private messages, Citycyclegal. You'll see a notification at the top of the window.

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Originally Posted by Citycyclegal

re: weight of pedals, that was my thought also...I just listened to him, but knew it wasn't something I would take seriously. He also told me that you didn't add a rack to this bike...? which I also didn't pay attention to, and now I see all the things you have on yours, LOL. Right now, I just want to get the bike, bring it home, and ride it for a while. I'll figure out what I want on it later. I just came back from a bike repair/maintenance workshop, and feel much more confident about my purchase. The workshop was very informative, lots of fun, nice people, and I met Crankin. I talked to people who had the dual pedals, Frogs, and some who changed from them to others. Right now the weather report is saying light snow on Monday...aargh....enough! Fitting on Monday! looking forward to it. Thanks so much!!! everyone for all your replies and encouragement! It means a great deal to me.

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Carbon frames usually lack eyelets for racks. It's not so much "you don't" but "you can't." Although I think "you can't" evolved from "you don't."

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

I did find I needed the front deraillieur adjusted at the shop a couple of times. And, apparently, that is common with SRAM. Confusing when you are not sure if you are doing it correctly.

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THANK YOU!!

I had that happen to me - and I took it in to be adjusted. The LBS guy wanted to make sure I knew how to shift it.:rolleyes:

When I saw the same thing happen to an experienced rider today on an Amira with Apex, I knew it wasn't just me!

To the OP - I love my Ruby!!

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Originally Posted by luvmyguys

THANK YOU!!

I had that happen to me - and I took it in to be adjusted. The LBS guy wanted to make sure I knew how to shift it.:rolleyes:

When I saw the same thing happen to an experienced rider today on an Amira with Apex, I knew it wasn't just me!

To the OP - I love my Ruby!!

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When I first bought my Charge home, it needed a bunch of front derailleur tweaking. (It didn't help that I'm not all that experienced with SRAM.) It's better now, but I think it'll need more in not too long.

Congrats on picking out a GREAT bike and happy birthday to you! What a terrific gift to give yourself! I have a Ruby Comp and I absolutely love it. I tried many, many road bikes before deciding on the Ruby. It has a wonderfully smooth ride. Although I have Ultegra components, I'm sure you will get used to SRAM in no time. My boyfriend went with SRAM on his Specialized Tarmac and has no issues. We are both older, me 58 and him 62, and really enjoy the ride quality of Specialized.

Owlie and luvmy guys, I was glad to have remembered your posts about the front derailleur. Due to weather, and circumstances, I have only taken my Ruby out for 2 short rides. I am still becoming familiar with the SRAM, but did notice that some tweaking may be needed. Looks like some good weather and free time coming up next week, so I'm really looking forward to getting out!