What am I missing?

[makbike]

Have you given any thought to a recumbent?

[dex]

'm 5'4", with legs proportionately small and a torso proportionately long for my size, which renders my body a bit less aerodynamic than those long, lean, sinewy types who climb hills like mountain goats—and also makes me wonder whether women's-specific makes would work for me.

I'm about the same height as you, also with proportionately shorter legs and long toso. My own experience with bike shopping and trying out WSD bikes was that none of them worked for me. So definitely give them a try, but I'd say be open to the reality that the fit may not work out.

Coincidentally, I ended up with a LeMond. A Reno for me, but I'm now regularly eyeing Zurich frames on eBay. I loved every LeMond I test rode, the Reno was just the one that fit best into my budget at the time (also I didn't want to drop loads on a road bike when I hadn't even been on one at all in fifteen years or so).

Good luck!

[sklarewc]

You could get a custom-fitted titanium Serotta for a little under $3,000. I've never ridden one--I have the Litespeed Bella (and love it)--but I see a lot of them in my club and think the custom-build route might work best for you. Also, although the ones they have on their website don't look all that exciting, you can choose the paint scheme & colors, w/in certain parameters.

[rapid cycler]

You could get a custom-fitted titanium Serotta for a little under $3,000. I've never ridden one--I have the Litespeed Bella (and love it)--but I see a lot of them in my club and think the custom-build route might work best for you. Also, although the ones they have on their website don't look all that exciting, you can choose the paint scheme & colors, w/in certain parameters.

Mmmm, Serotta. I like me some of that. I thought it would probably run me more like 5K to get there, but I'll definitely investigate.

[bike4ever]

I'm currently on a 49cm Lemond Buenos Aires. This is a men's frame since my torso is longer, and I feel like I am falling off of the front of Lemond's WSD bikes. My bike is the steel/carbon spine model; however, if I were purchasing this year I would definitely go with their Triumphe carbon. I rode those last August at Trek World and absolutely loved the ride.

Since you have some back issues, I would stick with carbon, steel or titanium. Aluminum would probably be way too uncomfortable.

Good luck - have fun test riding.

[Kathi]

I have a custom Serotta and it is so beautiful and such a joy to ride. Besides fit Serotta did a great job of building it proportionally. I'm 5'1" and have short arms so I needed a very long headtube. Because the headtube needed to be long compared to my Standover height I thought my bike would turn out to be a sloper, like a lot of the WSD frames. However, Serotta was able to build the bike to my needs without an extreme slope of the top tube. The slope is only 1 degree!

Btw, the fun of building your own bike is that you chose the level of components that you want, not what some company thinks you need.

A good custom fitter can work with your physical needs to build a frame for you.

Here's pics of my Serotta

[sklarewc]

Wow, I woulda said I don't like pink and I already said I don't think Serottas look all that great on the Serotta website, but that bike is just gorgeous--a real beauty. And nothing beats a great fit.

[rapid cycler]

I have a custom Serotta and it is so beautiful and such a joy to ride. Besides fit Serotta did a great job of building it proportionally. I'm 5'1" and have short arms so I needed a very long headtube. Because the headtube needed to be long compared to my Standover height I thought my bike would turn out to be a sloper, like a lot of the WSD frames. However, Serotta was able to build the bike to my needs without an extreme slope of the top tube. The slope is only 1 degree!

Btw, the fun of building your own bike is that you chose the level of components that you want, not what some company thinks you need.

A good custom fitter can work with your physical needs to build a frame for you.

Here's pics of my Serotta

Wow, Kathi, I have to agree with sklarewc: That's one pink bike I could sink my teeth into! What a beautiful ride!

[rapid cycler]

Coincidentally, I ended up with a LeMond. A Reno for me, but I'm now regularly eyeing Zurich frames on eBay. I loved every LeMond I test rode, the Reno was just the one that fit best into my budget at the time (also I didn't want to drop loads on a road bike when I hadn't even been on one at all in fifteen years or so).

Good luck!

My partner got a great deal on the steel/carbon 2005 Zurich in a bike store, about $700 off if I remember right. This was about a year back, but I still see them pop up here and there on clearance. Keep those dreamy eyes peeled.

[rapid cycler]

Have you given any thought to a recumbent?

I have, actually, especially after I saw that Calfee makes a carbon fiber model available in a generous sampling of sizes, but I have one significant barrier between me and such a steed: I live in Los Angeles, where even high-profile cyclists take their lives in hand when pedaling the crazy roads.

Interestingly, I had mentioned the idea of getting a recumbent bike during a chatty moment in therapy several weeks back. At the time, my therapist had trouble visualizing what I was talking about, but this week when she saw me she immediately forbade me to buy one, saying that she had nearly hit one on her way into work that very morning.

I'd love to try a 'bent someday, and I'd like to do so on sleepy country roads, pedaling past nothing but idyllic cow pastures and vineyards.