What kind of Road Bikes do you ride?

[cherinyc]

Hi everyone - I apologize now for the length of this posting.
I am brand new to the group - and so glad to have found it. Not sure how it is elsewhere, but here in the Princeton, NJ area - I am finding the local cycle scene and LBS's to be completely male saturated, so it is good to finally get some female opinions.
Question: Why is it that with everything else in the world, men will loudly proclaim how strange, different, feminine, fragile, etc, etc, etc us women are....yet when I am trying to find a bike that doesn't make me feel like I am stretched out, or can't press/reach the brakes, or my handlebars are too wide, or my saddle is just plain KILLING ME.....the guys at the LBS, AND my boyfriend tell me I am just being too picky, and that a guy's bike is fine for me?
Ok- maybe I was just venting a little there, but I thought I was supposed to enjoy this. The thing is, it's easier to just ride the damn- too-big bike than to argue with him about it.

However, enough is enough, and I am about to buy my first road bike after a riding a very ill-fitting hand-me-down mountain bike of my boyfriend's and hurting my back as a result.

My request from you all is such: To help my search for the perfect bike for me, I really need to get some good opinions on Women's Specific road bikes. I went to 4 bike shops within about 50 miles - and the selection was crap. 3 of them all had the same bike - a Specialized Dolce, and only 1 of those had 1 other option - a 2003 Lemond (which I found too rigid for me - plus....a 2003? have they had it that long?)
The last shop - the closest to my house, which is a plus...carries the GIANT OCR 1 w, and a Cannondale. Now the guy there was soooo much more helpful than anywhere else, so I am afraid I am going to be biased to those 2 brands because of that.
I really want to be sure I get a good bike, and most of the reviews out there are on guy's bikes.

Here's another point to mention. While the first 3 bike shops had me stand over the bikes, and figured me for a 54 (I am about 5'6") - I still felt like I was reaching, and had a hard time braking. The last shop (my bias) put me on a GIANT size S which I think is around a 50, and it turned out even that was too big for my reach. Apparently I have long legs and short arms. Which definitely explains how extremely uncomfortable I was on my bf's old bike.
So even though my height may say 54, my arms say 48 - and after the guy adjusted the seat, handlebars, etc - it felt a lot different.

Alright - that's it ladies. Again apologies for the length, but I had to get a lot off my chest. Next come the apparel questions.
Help????

cheri

[Triskeliongirl]

You may be a great candidate for a terry bike. They have shorter top tubes than conventional male bikes, but still have reasonable seat tube angles. Some manufacturers fool you, by steepening the seat tube angle it appears they shorten their top tube, but in fact since you have to push the saddle further back on the rails to establish the same KOP, its just like having a too long top tube. I ride a 2005 terry titanium isis and I am very pleased with her. However, she was made in ti only in 2005. Maybe you could call them to see if they have any left in your size, or can locate a dealer they sold one to that may have one left (I bought mine from Harris Cyclery in Newton MA, who is a big terry stockist).

[FreshNewbie]

Welcome aboard Cheri! I know exactly how you feel and i am there with you in the same boat. My bf also tells me that I am just being picky about everything when it comes to cycling. Some guys actually do understand that women are different and some unfortunately don't! Don't let that ride a bike that is not your size and will hurt you in the end. I think you are on a right track with going to 4 lbs and comparing what they have, good job! I am 5'4" and just bought myself Specialized Dolce Vita 2005 model (48cm)Today was my first day riding her, and i loved it, but still need to play around with saddle positioning. I used to ride an old model of CyclePro regent ( men's bike) size 50cm and it was big for me but comfortable enough after playing with saddle and paddles to ride as my first road bike. I know a lot of shops will actually order a bike for you and then if you decide not to buy it they will leave it in the store for sale. Talk to the guys in the shop you went to maybe they will be willing to order something different for you. I know Giant makes good bikes and has a good reputation for women specific models, in fact many women on this forum own Giant ( i hope they will response). I know you live in NJ and if you have a car I think you should visit some other stores where you can test ride other bikes and other brands. The store might be far from your house, but then you can come to the one you like and already know what they can order for you ( i know its a little sneaky but whatever works for you to find the ONE). Wish you good luck, FN

[rivergrl]

I just bought a Giant OCR 1 with a small frame a few months ago and so far I really like it a lot. I liked it because I sat a little more upright than on say the WSD Orbea, that was just too stretched out and it felt uncomfortable no matter what he did to adjust. I went into my buying spree being all about that Orbea at first, I was encouraged to look at Trek and some others, but I really just felt the best on the OCR so I kept coming back to it and it happened to be cheaper anyway. I'm completely satisfied with what I bought.

Good luck!

[pikato]

I have a Giant OCR 3 in an XS that I love. LBS just had to make a few adjustments to my handlebars and I was good to go.

When I was looking, the Specialized dealer treated me the same way, showing me only the Specialized Dolce & telling me that it was the only womean specific bike made. I honestly don't know if he thought I was an idiot, or if he didn't think I was really interested in making a purchase. Either way he lost the sale.

Definitely don' let others talk you into something, do what feels right for you!

[Nanci]

I have the Trek 2005 2100 WSD. I love it. The bars/brakes etc. actually feel tiny to me compared to my MTB, but very natural. You can definitely tell it's a WSD setup.

Nanci

[GreenLady]

There are plenty of WSD bikes out there. Ok, maybe not "plenty", but many companies make them: Trek, Giant, Orbea, Cannondale... I'm 5'3" and ride a 49cm Airborne Wasp frame. Unfortunately, they don't make Airborne frames any more; they were great bikes.

Anyway, don't settle for a bike that doesn't fit you. You are spending lots of money on a bike and you want it to fit; if a bike store doesn't have bikes that fit you, have them order it, or move on.

And yes, the bike scene almost everywhere is male-saturated. Some males will be patronizing, or ignore you, or whatever. On the other hand, others will be very nice, precisely because you are a woman. Try to find the nice ones - they do exist!

[DrBee]

I have the Trek Pilot 2.1 WSD and love it! The geometry fits me just right and it's a super smooth ride.

Welcome to the forum! Head on over to the Getting to Know you thread and introduce yourself further.

Good luck finding the right bike. Try everything you can get your hands on! You'll be amazed at how different they feel. And make sure you get a good fit!

[rivergrl]

I don't know what it is but in my city (somewhat small city) there are two main bike shops conveient to me and I've noticed (along with a few other female friends) that the Trek/Specialized shop is just rude if you are NOT male. I went in to look/shop for a bike and was all but ignored, finally I got someone to help me and they were not interested in selling me a bike that's for sure. They pretty much just pointed out a pink bike and said "you might like that one." and pretty much walked off until I inquired about a specific bike, even then, he never showed any interest in answering my questions.

On the otherhand, I was never treated rudely by the Giant/Orbea crew as I call them. I went in a few times before deciding to take a test ride and every time I was very impressed by their knowledge of the bikes and their willingness to help. My sales guy also followed up with a very nice thank you card a couple of days after I bought my Giant. He has also called once and left a message asking me how I'm liking the new Giant.

[bcipam]

It's interesting you found the 2003 Lemond too rigid... which model did you try? The Zurich which for 2003 is a steel/carbon hybrid should be anything but rigid. I ride the 2002 Zurich, which is all steel, and find it to be a flexible ride.

I would suggest you stay away from Aluminum bikes if you don't want a rigid, harse ride. You need to consider carbon, Ti or steel. I wouldn't shy away from a steel bike. New steel bikes are very light weight and very comfortable to ride. Steel is also durable - just like Ti but only better!

AND and can't emphasize this enough and lord knows this forum is full of the same discussion but get a bike fitting before buying the bike. Standover is no indication of bike fit. There are so many other measurement even more improvement, reach being one. Every bike is different so you need to be sized on your bike of choice. If your legs are long but torso and arms short, you might be a candidate for a WSD model but do not assume just because you are a women WSD bikes are for you.

Good luck, take your time. Don't rush your decision. Be informed, research, research, research.

[Susie]

I'm 5'5" and I ride a 54 cm Specialized Ruby Pro and I absolutely love my bike. It climbs like a dream and absorbs so much shock from the roads that I swore some of my local streets were repaved. The Ruby line comes in 3 models, all carbon fiber. One comes with Shimano 105, one with Ultegra and the Pro comes with Dura Ace components. Of course, I swapped out the Dura Ace for Campy Record, but that's a whole other thread.

Susie

[cherinyc]

I really appreciate you all taking the time to respond to my posting. I am learning so much already. BTW - I have to say that it is because of my boyfriend's support that I even had the guts to get back on a bicycle after 15 years, so I probably didn't paint such a great picture of him. He is very loving and generous, but he comes from the old school of "no pain-no gain", so when I say something hurts, he's probably thinking it's just because I am not used to it.
Anyway, it's hard to not get frustrated, I just have to remember that he is fully supporting me in my cycling endeavors - in his own special way.
Just wanted to clear my conscience

[greenmtngrrl]

I ride a Giant OCR 1 size M (not WSD), which I bought early this year. I love it! When I was shopping around and testing bikes, I had mixed experiences at the various LBSs -- one was awful, a few were okay, and two were really helpful.

I tried the Giant OCR 1 at one shop in a size S and it just felt too small. I tried telling the salesguy and he just discounted everything I was saying because according to his measurments, a size S would fit me (I'm about 5'6" with long legs). Ha, that pretty much turned me off of that shop. I immediately went to another shop that I knew also carried Giant -- they were fine with me trying the Medium, so guess who got the sale?! They even matched the lower price of the first shop!

Bikes/brands I tried during my quest: Trek (variuos WSD), Specialized Dolce Vita, Terry, Cannondale, and Giant.

Don't buy from a shop that doesn't listen to you and your concerns! Best of luck with the search.

[FreshNewbie]

Cheri, I didn't think you pained a bad picture about your SO and I didn't take it that way either. All i am saying is that some guys don't feel any discomfort on their bikes and they unintentionally tend to assume that women' should not either. My bf is also supportive and he was the one to get me into cycling, however when I tell him i need a 4th saddle he doesn't really understand my problem with the other three

[pikato]

BTW - I have to say that it is because of my boyfriend's support that I even had the guts to get back on a bicycle after 15 years, so I probably didn't paint such a great picture of him. He is very loving and generous, but he comes from the old school of "no pain-no gain", so when I say something hurts, he's probably thinking it's just because I am not used to it.
Anyway, it's hard to not get frustrated, I just have to remember that he is fully supporting me in my cycling endeavors - in his own special way.
Just wanted to clear my conscience

LOL, no problem. After I completed my first group ride this weekend, I came home & Kirk(my SO) told me "I like you as a cyclist, you're not a wimp anymore". It's those weird offhanded comments that make you proud, lol.

And I don't think anyone's bashing your boyfriend, as much as, annoyed the bike shop didn't give you better service.