Bike Shopping- day 3- the freak out (long)

[ace]

Hi all,


I need some reassurance here (or a reality check). I'm someone who's gotten really into biking in the past year on my hybrid, never had been on a road bike until a few weeks ago. I go out at least a couple times a week and ride 30-40 miles, mostly with clubs. I love it, wanna improve my speed and endurance.....and I finally quit smoking, which will help in that dept. So I am ready to move to a road bike.

Last week's bike shopping/fitting left me excited, this week left me freaked out. This is the deal- I have all kinds of physical issues (back problems, carpal tunnel, knee issues, and very overweight), and already have a relationship with my lbs where they know about all this (they have put in lots of hours adjusting my clipless pedals so my knees and feet don't hurt, and did a great job, seem very precise, so I want to buy my bike from them).

So lbs took lots of measurements, talked to me for a couple of hours, but as I started to test road bikes, nothing felt comfortable, even with many adjustments. Contributing to this is that I have really long legs for my height (5'4, 32 1/2 inseam). So I had accepted that I was probably going to need a custom frame. Anyway, after more road testing yesterday on bikes that lbs got to be as close to my req'd geometry as possible, we settled on a custom steel Serrotta. I knew I was headed toward sticker shock....the total for everything (frame, gruppo, saddle, pedals, etc.) is going to be $4000. A lot of the specs meant nothing to me (should I care that my top tube is going to slant?), but I do know that I'm getting a triple crank with the Campy Centaur gruppo. I definitely can't do Shimano- it hurts my hands too much. I do know that the difference between a custom Serrotta frame and a stock is about $500, so it isn't really that much (I am in super-rationalization mode).

Now I can afford it (I work hard and make good money, have no dependents) but I feel like maybe that's just too much for a relative biking newbie. I didn't want to get an entry level bike (based partially on advice from this board that I should buy what I could afford and grow into it) I feel like my bike love is an obsession that is just growing.

Anyway, I put $1000 down to get a draft of the frame from Serrotta. Is this crazy??? Do you guys do stuff like this, and then feel wracked with guilt??? None of my non-biking friends will even begin to understand spending this much on a bike....but I guess I shouldn't care.

One cool thing was that I did get to ride LOTS of bikes, and learned how to use integrated shifting, which was easier than I thought. I don't know how the hell Susie learned how to use it at the same time as going clipless, though!

I also found the road bike really scary/unstable after years of riding a hybrid, but I'm told that's normal. My hybrid weighs almost 30 lbs and has wide tires. Babble, babble....

eek!
Amy

[Grog]

I say GO FOR IT!

It's scary, I know... But I'm sure you won't regret it. It is a learning curve from the hybrid to the road bike, but with the right bike - which it seems like you're getting closer to - you'll be fine, fast, and have tons of fun.

[mimitabby]

Amy, yes I can really relate to what you are going through. I spent a lot of money getting my Bianchi to fit me. I finally went to a Physical Therapist who specializes in bikes and he gave me a prescription; which was: the measurements for the right size of bike for me. So like any other obsessive bike geek, I started looking for bikes with that magic number; and before you could say rear derailleur, I had purchased sight unseen, an expensive italian frame and forks.

It has been more than a month and i have not seen this frame. It's somewhere in transit between being painted and the shop where I bought it from. In the meantime, I have offended my LBS for shopping for and buying wheels out of state (PEter White), offended my Dh for seeking advice from people on TE who clearly know gobs more than he does about some bike stuff, and yes, I have remorse; what if this bike comes, we put all this stuff together and it doesn't fit me?? what if another body part starts to hurt?

I am scared to death that I have made a big mistake too. And then I have the other fears; will I ride enough to DESERVE this bike? What if I fall down and never ride again? yep, I can really appreciate what you are going through.
I was going to get Centaur too, but at the bike swap, I fell into a RECORD gruppo for 500 dollars with 300 miles on it.

So to answer your question, yes, some of us guys do this, while others of us are on shoestring budgets and are riding used junker bikes. You will find every type here on TE, well, except for those who don't like to get on computer forums. I Hope this commiseration helps you a little.

Ps It's been about a year now for me on a road bike . I used to have a hybrid too.

[ace]

Thank you. That does help a lot. I know you're a bit ahead of me on the trajectory, Mimi, but it does sound like you have similar issues.

It is very tough giving myself permission to do this. It is bringing up a lot of issues for me about what I "deserve," whether if people see me, a crappy beginner out there on this beautiful high-end bike they're going to think I'm ridiculous....that in itself is ridiculous. I'm 45 years old, I can do what I like!

And I also know that it's not really about deserving or not. Lots of very "deserving" people ride junkers because that's what they can afford. I am lucky enough to be able to afford an expensive bike, that's all. And I feel it really supports what I'm trying to do with my life- move towards taking better care of myself and doing things that make me happy, as opposed to my tendency, which is to work all the time.

Did I mention it's going to be a sort of irridescent purple-blue color?

[mimitabby]

Oh, Ace, that sounds beautiful. and I wanted to congratulate you on quitting smoking. That is just fantastic. As soon as you have photos of your machine,
share them with us.
And yes, there will be people who will sneer at you because you aren't whatever THEY think should be riding that bike, but TS, it's your money and your bike.
And like I have, you'll learn.
I am getting more and more confident on my Bianchi, standing for fun,
going faster, making turns that i couldn't before. THere is a definite learning curve, and as long as you keep riding you will keep improving.

[Kallisti]

I've been riding for, well, decades. I can tell you that it's never an easy time period between before the bike arrives, and after you've ridden it for the first month (it usually takes that long to tweak the bike to fit you perfectly). We all go through doubts until... that perfect ride. That's the ride that comes once your body becomes adjusted to the new riding position, and any other little adjustments needed. That's the ride where you find that you CAN make it up that hill easily with the new bike, or that riding can be totally pain-free.

Recently, I decided to get a new geared road bike. After doing research and testing many bikes, I went for a bike that I found to be very comfortable and fast; a Blue Competition RC6. I'm in love with this bike, but that's what worked for me, and everyone is very different. Did I have doubts? You betcha. I rode the Blue for the first few weeks with a "too-long" stem and "too-wide" handlebars. I knew that theoretically, once I switched these components out to the ones that fit, that my shoulder pain "should" go away. However it wasn't until I actually switched the handlebars and stem, and the pain ACTUALLY went away that I was sure I'd made the right decision. Until then, yeah, I was nervous. And I'd been through this many times before. I just did my first century on it, and I can honestly say that it was the most comfortable century I've ever had.

Also, going from hybrid to road position takes time; time for your muscles (and mind) to adjust to riding in a different position, and different style of riding. Depending on how often you ride, that will take a month or two, but afterwards, you might actually find the road bike more stable a high speeds than the hybrid.
Congratulations, and don't worry. You've been very smart about the way gone about picking out your new bike. I'm sure you'll love it.

[mimitabby]

Also, going from hybrid to road position takes time; time for your muscles (and mind) to adjust to riding in a different position, and different style of riding. Depending on how often you ride, that will take a month or two,.

And if you're timid and a slow learner like me it could take a year!

[IFjane]

Amy & Mimi - I am ahead of both of you but have gone through exactly what you are going through now. I started the process about a year ago when the physical pains I was having got too much to deal with any more. I had a bike fit & tried to make-do with my old beloved Lemond. By June I knew I needed to do something different so I, too, opted for a custom frame. Mine is from Independent Fabrication. I ordered it somewhere around July 1 and took delivery of it at the end of October....long wait but definitely worth it.

For those non-cycling friends who just don't understand - tell them this bike is your "little red sports car" or better yet, find something they are obscessed with and use that as an analogy. And ride and enjoy those new bikes!

[ace]

Thanks so much for the input and support. This whole biking thing is a secret life in some ways for me. I don't really have friends who ride, so I am so incredibly grateful that I found this board.

It's funny, I thought the hard part of riding a road bike initially for me would be the integrated shifting, because I'm a total clod and my hands are messed up. But after 15 minutes on a trainer getting instruction from my lbs guy, both the Shimano and Campy shifting made sense and was easy (though the Shimano levers hurt my hands).

What REALLY was hard was going downhill! It felt soooo scary being on a light bike, so close to the road, not having the 30 lb stability of my hybrid. I deserved the scare, though. Just Saturday I was out on a ride with 20 other women, and I got really mad at them because they kept coasting and riding to the left on a narrow downhill section. I'm awful at climbing, but as you'd expect, like a bat out of hell on downhills and I take full advantage of it. But all these other women were on road bikes, so now I get maybe it's just harder to get used to downhill speed on a road bike.

Also, I'm glad I'd read on this board about the toe overlap thing, because one of the bikes I tested had it, and it didn't freak me out because I anticipated it. My fitter is going to try to get my new bike without the toe overlap, but it may be unavoidable if I'm going to get the proper fit on the rest of the bike.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I long ago abandoned the go-nowhere guilt of thinking I didn't "deserve" a really fine bike, a fine banjo, great pair of boots, etc....the hell I don't!!!! Everyone deserves something nice.

Going into debt is perhaps not wise but if the price of something is not going to make you go without rent or food, etc, then why shouldn't you buy something nice? I assume you don't buy a new bike all the time and don't have a garage full of unused expensive bikes.

Think of your bike as just one of various bikes you may ride during your lifetime. The bike itself is not your riding- it's only a tool that enables you to ride a bicycle. You riding "a" bicycle is the important thing here. So, you can either buy a cheap bike and then sell it for next to nothing years later when you get a different bike....OR, you can buy a really great bike and sell it for some reasonable amount years later when you want to get a different bike. Meanwhile, you'll either be riding a cheap bike for those intervening years, or a great bike. Your choice. Just how expensive the "good" bike is depends on your budget of course. Some might consider an expensive bike to be anything over $500, others might think any bike over $2000....etc.

Congratulations on quitting smoking!!! That fact proves you can stick to something healthy with some determination. That might help indicate that you would stick with the healthy habit of bike riding too- that it's not just a whim- it's a whole lifestyle change that you are showing you are committed to.

[ace]

Thanks, Lisa. The last few years have indeed been about transformation for me. I've lost 75 lbs (got another 60 lbs to go to my goal), and then the recent end to smoking. So much of my motivation is about how much easier it is to ride when I'm lighter and have lungs that actually work. I used to ride 30 miles, then go home and immediately chain smoke about 5 cigarettes....

I've really found that the ONLY motivation that works for me to control my self-destructive habits of many years duration is how much I love riding my bike, and I can't even put a price tag on that, when I think about it.

[Grog]

I'm awful at climbing, but as you'd expect, like a bat out of hell on downhills and I take full advantage of it. But all these other women were on road bikes, so now I get maybe it's just harder to get used to downhill speed on a road bike.

I'm glad you're finding some comfort in our writings.

I actually find it less scary to descend on a road bike than a hybrid. By going down in the drops (the curved part of the handlebars), I get a good grip at the brakes and it makes me very stable... plus, I can go faster that way. Cornering on a road bike is also easier/more controlled on the road bike for me. This being said, I don't have a very good hybrid right now. But I hate going down a significant hill on it.

Surely once you're used to the lesser weight of the road bike and to the new wheels, you'll take even more pleasure in descending!!

[SouthernBelle]

When I bought my road bike the first time or 2 I went out on it, I feared I had made a mistake. It wasn't a mistake. But there is a little learning curve. & you've been riding enough that it will be a short little curve.


& Mimi, are you serious about your LBS being ticked about your choice of wheels? I've been talking bars with my mechanic and he told me that even if I didn't buy them there, bring them to him cause he wants to set them up for me.

[mimitabby]

& Mimi, are you serious about your LBS being ticked about your choice of wheels? I've been talking bars with my mechanic and he told me that even if I didn't buy them there, bring them to him cause he wants to set them up for me.

yep. There's a lot of ego involved here. I had to tell the guy "I had no idea you built wheels" then he showed me a WOODEN WHEEL that he built!
It was VERY cool. He actually located some antique wooden rims never been used and put spokes and stuff on them and put them on an old (beautiful) bike.

[li10up]

I actually find it less scary to descend on a road bike than a hybrid. By going down in the drops (the curved part of the handlebars), I get a good grip at the brakes and it makes me very stable... plus, I can go faster that way.

Ok, this is another clue that my bike in some ways is too big for me. When I'm in the drops I can't reach the break levers very well. Not that I mind...I haven't found a hill big enough to want me to break on the way down...but then again I live in a fairly flat area. Slowly but surely I'm talking myself into buying a new bike.