Fitting recommendations in the Bay Area for newbie

[fuzzysparkles]

Hi there!

Warning...long-ish post.

So, I've decided to join the masses in the Bay Area in California and get a bike...woohoo! I'm looking at a hybrid because I don't want a road bike due to the bent over position, but I don't want a mountain bike either since I won't be riding it downhill. I plan to use it mostly for commuting, riding around town, exercise/recreation. I would be open to a road bike with the flat bars.

I visited several LBS and test rode the following bikes, all non-WSD:

Trek 7.2 - 17.5"
Trek 7.5 - 17.5"
Cannondale Adventure 400 - Small
Cannondale Adventure 800 - Medium
Cannondale Street - Small

Overall, I liked the Cannondale Street the best due to it's "road" feel and the extras (fenders, rack). Surprisingly, I thought I'd like The Adventure more because of it's comfort features, but I felt like it was too "squishy" for me and lumbering. So, I realized that I like the bike to be a little more zippy, even if I can feel the bumps more. The Treks were nice, and I liked how they felt...but to be honest, I like the Cannondales more due to the fact that their frames are built in the USA. BUT, I'm not completely sold on Cannondales. If someone can recommend other manufacturers I am totally open to that. My budget is about $800-$1200.

So, at one major LBS where I test rode the Cannondales, I asked the salesperson (also the GM) about the fit for my frame - 5'5" and approx 145lbs. I think I have very long arms, and a shorter torso. I asked about the difference between the Small and Medium frames, why he thought I was a Small over the Medium (I test rode the Medium just to see how the 800 felt since he didn't have a Small in stock). Both the Small and Mediums were comfortable but it was a short ride so I can't tell if one was better fit than the other for my frame. His assessment was based on his experience (my assumption) and seeing my body...no measurements of my body were taken, but I did the "stand over the bike" to see where the top tube hit me between my legs. And also checked to see how much bend I had in my leg when the pedal was at the bottom.

Before I shell out a lot of money for a bike, I want to make sure that it fits me as perfectly as possible so that I'll want to continue to ride it. I don't want to get "stuck" with something that'll cause me neck and shoulder pains because it's too big or too small.

So, I wondered if anyone can recommend a shop that has a good bike fitter who will actually measure me and compare that against the bike frame sizes? I've read about certain fit kits and systems. Do I have to pay to get measured? Should I rely on someone "eyeballing" me since it's not really a high-end bike? Does it matter if my LBS isn't near where I live? Am I being too anal about this, which I'm known to be?

Thanks for your help! I'm really excited about getting a new bike so I want to make sure it's a good shopping experience.

Cheers,
V

[spokewench]

Where do you live in the Bay Area? That might help pinpoint the best shop and/or fit for you.

[KnottedYet]

Are you anywhere near San Leandro?

There is a shop there, Robinson Wheel Works. Small, independent, and the guy who owns it (Chris) is VERY good to women cyclists whether they bought their bike from him or not.

Several TE'ers go to Chris. I live in Seattle, but I've visited his shop several times. (I also went to a couple shops in Berkeley, and had a very hard time being taken seriously. Hellooo!) I've watched Chris treat a department store bike and its rider with just as much respect as he treats a Seven and its rider.

If you are open to suggestions and not too far from Chris, maybe go in sometime when it's not busy (and it gets pretty busy in there, he's popular, so maybe call and ask when is a good time) and talk to him about Rivendell and Surly and Salsa bikes.

I don't know if he carries Cannondale.

Edit: here's his address and such http://www.robinsonww.com/ Off the top of my head I can think of 4 TE'ers who go there, Trek420, Roguedog, Spazzdog, BikerZ

[Trek420]

Are you anywhere near San Leandro?

There is a shop there, Robinson Wheel Works. Small, independent, and the talk to him about Rivendell and Surly and Salsa bikes.

I don't know if he carries Cannondale.

He doesn't, in road bikes he has Surly, Salsa, Mondonico , Torelli, Habanero. I don't know what MTB's he has, Santa Cruz for one.

I see him there on his day off doing fittings. I think you can arrange that.

Nobody goes to a shop they don't like (I hope ) everyone likes their shop so everyone will chime in with their Bay Area favorites.

Other shops in the East Bay I think are worth taking a look are Eden Cycles in Castro Valley, and Left Coast Cycles in Oakland (near the Claremont hotel).

Where else do we like? 8-)

I don't know shops in the rest of the bay area well; South, Peninsula, even San Francisco.

I avoid the chains; REI. Performance etc for this kind of thing. They might be good for a glove liner or when you need a new spoke, or you know exactly what bike you need but not for a fitting.

Welcome to TE and when you get a chance, surf on over to the "getting to know you" thread 8-)

[fuzzysparkles]

I'm over in Oakland so I don't mind going to San Leandro or Castro Valley. But in looking at these places, none of them carry Cannondale...are they too "high-end" for the mainstream brands? I'm not looking to spend more than $1200 and some of these bikes are 5X that price! Yikes.

Except I saw that Left Coast carries Trek and Bianchi. And I guess Eden also does Bianchi and Giant. I hadn't considered Bianchi. How is Bianchi? I looked at their Castro Valley and Volpe model which seems to get good reviews from owners. I could always swap out low bars for the flat bars.

A friend of mine who is very knowledgable about bikes also recommended the Kona line, with the Dr. Dew or Dew Deluxe as an option. What do you think of Kona? Unfortunately, they don't have many distributors in the Bay Area near me. There is one in Oakland on College called Hank & Frank...any news on them?

Thanks again for your help!
V

[rapid cycler]

I don't live in the Bay Area, so I certainly make no claims on expertise. That being said, Chain Reaction, in Redwood City and Los Altos, maintains an informative Web site with articles to help first-time riders buy bikes. Here's their test-ride FAQ page, with links to more detailed articles:

http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com...etestrides.htm

I've been to both stores and found the staff in each knowledgeable and friendly. And the "Mike" who authored most of the articles on the site can be found in the flesh at the Redwood City shop—super nice guy! They also have deeper stock of built-up bikes than most independent shops. Good luck!

Edit: I just reread your original post and realized that you probably aren't in the market for a road bike. The FAQ I cited is specifically about testing road bikes, so you might not find it totally useful, though I think excellent points are made about buying bikes in general. CR does carry hybrids as well.

[KnottedYet]

I had a Kona Dew, which I really loved. Did a triathlon with it, too. Last month I traded it in for a Surly Cross Check. (the price tag on the Cross Check was $930)



I have it set up as my commuter, with flat pedals, fenders, rack, pannier, and my beloved Brooks saddle. I have drop bars because with a taller stem I find them easier on my hands/neck/shoulders than flat bars. Love the steel frame, and my 32mm tires smooth out the bumps a treat!

Earlier this week I saw a Surly Cross Check someone had put flat bars on.

[Trek420]

I've been to both stores and found the staff in each knowledgeable and friendly. And the "Mike" who authored most of the articles on the site can be found in the flesh at the Redwood City shop—super nice guy! They also have deeper stock of built-up bikes than most independent shops. Good luck!

I got my first road bike at CR, it was years ago but I think they did a good job. Even then when nobody did this, they had a good stock of womens clothes.

You mentioned Hank and Frank, not one of my faves.