Bike Fit/LBS/and Regrets

[Catrin]

Secondly - have anyone here spent $1000+ or even $1500+ (i'm just pulling numbers out of my hat) on a bike from one LBS, and after several different fittings, and going to another LBS and being told that the bike is too big/too small and regret for buying that bike? What did you do to remedy problem? Did you wait a while before buying a new bike?

Yes, my very first ever bike was a 2010 Trek 7.6 F.X. I learned how to ride on that bike... While I had the smallest version Trek made, in the end it was simply too big for me. I could ride shorter distances on her (<20 miles), but it became sheer agony to ride further than that. I took it to another LBS with a fantastic fitter and he broke the bad news to me. I knew nothing about bikes, or riding so I did not know the right questions to ask. Did they sell me the wrong size deliberately? Of course not, but part of that was also my responsibility for not exploring different sizes in other bikes or stores. So I've chalked it up to experience, but won't return to that store for another bike. Other things, yes, but not bikes.

Thankfully by that time I already had a second bike that I had purchased from the same LBS. They weren't able to adjust it properly so I could actually ride it...but the second (and my current) LBS was able to do so. I must be fair and say the LHT was the proper size - but I had gone to another LBS first to get a second opinion on the proper size before ordering it. My fitting problems with the second bike had nothing to do with the size of the bike but certain physical limitations I have.

It isn't a given that WSD works for all women, and different bike manufacturers mean different things when they call something WSD, or Femme, or something similar. I've learned that I don't really benefit all that much from a WSD design, neither my LHT nor mountain bikes are WSD, and my Gunnar is a full custom design so it actually is a Catrin-Specific-Design

Steel doesn't have to be heavy, and steel frames are much lighter than they once were. The higher-end steel bikes with better quality steel are quite light. My Gunnar is nice and light and rides like a dream.