Shortie Newbie ISO Cool Bike

[spazzdog]

What city are you in/near? The girls on TE are from all over and they may be able to direct you to a good LBS.

I think that finding a shop with an experienced fitter would be very very important for a woman as petite as you infer you are. There are too many shops that might try to sell you what they want to sell rather than what you should be on.

I'm kinda long and lanky, ride a mens 52 or 53 frame depending on make and have learned over the years what 'feels' right. Womens frames make me feel a little cramped, but then I'm kinda shaped like a 15 yr old boy.

If I was little I'd definitely find a fitter, especially with all the womens specific stuff thats out now.

[robyn_jl]

Oh no, on the clips! I remember falling over with my ole Bianchi because I couldn't reach down to loosen the old-style cage clips. The so-called "clipless" shoes look equally error-prone, if a lot more efficient. I'll be joining you in the road rash club soon I'm sure!

As for where I am . . . in LA. It's pretty much dominated by Helen's Bike Shop, which I haven't had a good experience with. Supergo put me on the Dolce, which I appreciated (I only hesistated because I didn't feel "in love" and wondered if spending $200 more for Tiagra/105 is worth it?) and Beverly Hills Bike Shop is the very friendly Lemond dealer, but they weren't too savvy about WSD, although happy to order me anything. If anyone can steer me to a good salesperson or even a woman (I havent seen one yet working at a bike shop, unfortunately)in the area, I would be most grateful.

Thanks for the quick replies!

Robyn

[spazzdog]

Just watch the help flow in Robyn!

Good luck.

spazz

[cyclingnewbie]

I just went through the bike-hunt process, and I found that all the advice you read about finding a bike shop that will do a professional fit is completely lost on the bike shops! I have the opposite problem that you have; I need a big frame for long legs, but then the top tube gets too long. (I ended up with the saddle up higher and forward on a 58 cm frame and a shorter stem). Anyway, most bike shops gave me the "how-does-it-feel?" fit advice, thank you very much. Or, they blew me off as obviously not a "serious" rider. So do your research and learn some of the basic fit rules and then get as close as you can to those parameters. From there you can use the what-feels-best criteria. Even with the help of a bike shop, you still need to make the final decision and you will feel more confident if you know what you are doing. And, if you can afford it, try to get at least the 105 components; don't even consider Sora. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.

[Shimpie]

Well....LA is a big town. If you're dealing with Helen's Cycles, you must be on the West side. I've only had experience with a couple bike shops in the San Fernando Valley. I'll throw in my recommendation for Valley Bicycles. http://valleybicycles.com/site/intro.cfm They were very nice to me regarding some repairs and new pedals. They deal in Treks and Lemonds. I don't remember seing Specialized or Cannondales in the shop though.

Hey let me know what bike you finally decide upon. I'm a hair above 5 feet tall on a good day. I currently ride a 47 cm Trek 2000 WSD. It's aways good to know what works for others just as short as me. Any reason you ruled out Treks?

-Shimpie

[robyn_jl]

Shimpie wrote: "Any reason you ruled out Trek?"

I definitely didn't rule it out, but so far I haven't had much luck with it. The only Trek I actually tried was a Pilot 2.1 and I thought it felt too big for me and wasn't crazy about the higher-up position -- but the guy in the bike shop gave me the super hard sell, and that put a bad taste in my mouth ("Listen, this is probably the only bike in the world that is going to fit you with your short inseam, so I would just buy it now." Ugh). I did SEE a 1500WSD but the shop didn't have one in my size to try.

Mostly, since it's hard to find the small sizes in stock I've been going by the "tha-thump" looks factor -- and I just really like the looks of the Cannondales, Lemonds and Bianchis, but if I got on a Trek and loved the way it felt, I wouldn't say no!

Many thanks also for the shop recommendation. I wouldn't hesitate to drive over the hill to buy a bike, but it wouldn't make sense to have it serviced there. Since Beverly Hills Bike Shop offers lifetime tune-ups if you buy a bike there -- and they're close to me -- if I'm going to get a Lemond it probably would make sense to buy from them. But I will call Valley Cycles to see what they have in my size!

Happy riding,
Robyn

[annerol]

HI Robin,
How about Ted Ernst / Triathelete (spelling?) Zombies in Manhattan Beach? I am a newbie, and wanted to rent a road bike to see how it compared to my mb. Raul spent an hour fitting the bike, for a $100 one week rental. I purchased a new bike Friday night, and again was fitted carefully. Raul expects me to come in several times, as he says "we're not done yet". For him, it is all about the joy of riding, not sales. I don't see any financial gain for all the extra time he's giving me, he switches gears, stems, etc., until I'm comfortable. I am convinced his mission in life is to create bike-loving converts.
Their phone: (310) 318-5553 , I think ????
Anne