DebW in the 21st century?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You are lucky 700c wheels work well for you body, makes life much easier!

Well, I wouldn't say my bike is a perfect fit though- I do have reach issues, becuase it's a man's bike and i have a typical woman's measurements. I had to put a REALLY short stem- shorter than I'd have wanted- to make the reach comfortable. Now the steering is less steady than I'd like.
That's one reason I am reading this thread with interest- I want to understand all this women's custom fit stuff better. Thanks for expalining some of those things to me- lots of good info!

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, I wouldn't say my bike is a perfect fit though- I do have reach issues, becuase it's a man's bike and i have a typical woman's measurements. I had to put a REALLY short stem- shorter than I'd have wanted- to make the reach comfortable. Now the steering is less steady than I'd like.
That's one reason I am reading this thread with interest- I want to understand all this women's custom fit stuff better. Thanks for expalining some of those things to me- lots of good info!

Yeh, I remembered that but didn't want to say anything since there isn't much you can do about it now. That is the *other* solution, use a short stem, but as you can see that can create handling issues. BUT, you seemed to be really happy with it until we brought it up. I had a short stem on a bike once and it was OK but I had trouble climbing out of the saddle. It was only when I went to a longer stem that I found out how much better that is. But too long can also have problems. Its all about balance on the bike. That is why I think Deb is so smart to be going custom. Often it doesn't cost anymore than buying a high end bike, and if you have confidence in your builder's ability to fit women, it can really be the best option. The trick is finding the right builder! The main reason I didn't go custom was that I didn't have anyone local that I trusted to do it right. Just the fact that Deb's builder suggested 650c wheels makes me trust that he gets it.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My first 3 months were with the way long 9cm stem and I could not get comfortable with the long reach. Switched to a 5cm stem which felt instantly WAY better and seemed just fine. It certainly solved the problem at the time.

However, after another 5 months of riding on this short stem, I think my core muscles have strengthened and I've become a better and stronger rider. So now I'm starting to bump up against the limitations of the shorter stem whereas before it was simply a matter of being far more comfortable and I wasn't pushing myself or the bike so much.
My next step is to try a compromise- switch to a 7cm stem and perhaps my stronger core muscles now will help me feel ok with the reach increase. I feel almost now like I could USE an extra cm or two in the "cockpit"- odd how our needs might change as we get stronger. It's a subtle thing though, and my bike is still quite comfortable for me as it is now, so I'll swap the stem for a 7 the next time I might bring it in for some work or a tuneup.
Nothing like first hand experience to help one figure all this stuff out!

[Triskeliongirl]

My first 3 months were with the way long 9cm stem and I could not get comfortable with the long reach. Switched to a 5cm stem which felt instantly WAY better and seemed just fine. It certainly solved the problem at the time......My next step is to try a compromise- switch to a 7cm stem and perhaps my stronger core muscles now will help me feel ok with the reach increase.

Lisa, a 9 cm stem is not way long, it is an ideal size from a handling perspective. If I were you, rather than buying a 7 cm stem, I would buy a short reach bar (same cost as new stem). The Rivendell iyou have is spec'd with a nitto noodle, which is a great bar (I have it on my bikes) but a long reach bar (I can only get away with it cuz I have a short top tube and 24" front wheel). If you do indeed have the noodle it has a 9 cm reach. SO, if you pair a 9 cm stem with a short reach bar (both the eva bar mimi likes and the salsa poco have a 7 cm reach), the total reach will be the same as pairing your 9 cm reach bar with a 7 cm stem, but the bike will handle better with the longer stem. Of course if you just love the noodle bar you may not like it though. What you'll lose is that extra hand position behind the hoods, but then you may find you can use the tops more instead. While I love my nitto noodle bar, if I bought a bike with the geometry you did I would switch bars.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Triskelion, these are excellent points and I will think about them!
Right now, off early tomorrow morning for a weeklong trip and no TE....see you all in a week or so!

[anakiwa]

Hi Deb-

Just thought I'd mention that I used some the suggestions you made (I posted a couple of months ago) when I ordered my custom road bike (won't be here for a few more months but there's snow outside so I don't care).

I was wanting a compact, but eventually came to realize that I'm just more comfortable having the gearing options of a triple. You suggested dumping the STI shifter for the front derailler and doing a downtube shifter. Ultimately I wound up ordering a STI short reach shifter for the rear brake/derailler and a bar end shifter & standard brake lever for the front brake/derailler. It sounds like this might be an option worth considering for you as well. The STI shifter really is fast and easy for the rear (I have one on my current road bike)- it's the triple where it really seems to make sense to keep the friction shifting option.

Have fun and good luck!

[DebW]

anakiwa, that does seem like a nice option, and I hope it works well for you.
If we get some warm weather in the next month or two, I might go test ride bikes with different shifters before I make my final decision. Barcons are the closest thing currently on the market to the friction downtube shifters I'm used to. I did ride a bike with STI recently for a couple miles, and while the rear did shift nicely, I didn't like the way the lever wobbled back and forth while braking. Besides, I think STI shifters look big and bulbous and ugly. The barcon rear shifter can run in friction or indexed mode, so I won't be locked into only 9 speed cassettes, and the system is field-repairable.