new bike panic/remorse (mainly panic)

[indysteel]

I 2nd the vote for Pocos. Love mine.

Good to know--for when I eventually build my dream bike!

[Mr. SR500]

Sorry about the bike, buying a new bike should be a fun experience. That said, I think a 60 mm stem will be too short. So if that is what it takes to fit the bike, get a different bike.

If you are unhappy, the shop should do whatever they can to make you happy, either fit you correctly on the bike you have, order the smaller size, or accept the bike as a return. If you return the bike they might screw you over with a store credit, but you could call your credit card company and I'm sure you would prevail.

I'm a Trek fan, and the new Madones are wonderful. It's no surprise you liked the ride. Frame technology and the best warranty in the business make Trek a great value. I'm not sure which Trek you were looking at (4.5, 4.7, 5.1), but you should be able to buy a 5.1 WSD for under $2700, with basically full Ultegra, US built frame and all the new tech.

Best of luck, and do what feels best!

[lph]

Oh my, that Dama is one beautiful bike. I'm not a huge fan of pink ordinarily, but that bike needs pink handlebar tape!

[conurejade]

I'm not a huge fan of pink ordinarily, but that bike needs pink handlebar tape!

Me either. BTW, the pink on the bike is a really pale shade and none of the pink bar tape I tried looked good with it.

[RoadBunner]

Kano, thanks for all of the suggestions. Originally I gave the stock Onix and the Trek on the same day about 30 min each and definitely had a preference then. I remember I had pain in my hands/arms and felt less "safe" with the Onix but no pain and felt very secure on the Trek (plus I rode the Trek after the Onix so the pain was not endurance related). I'm going to give my bike about a 30 min ride on Sunday and see if this is still the same or not since the handlebars were changed.

Talking to some people, I'm beginning to think the difference between the two is that the Dama has a lower front than the Trek. Being a newbie I'm naturally more comfortable a little more upright. I have a feeling that with shims and maybe a slight stem change, the Dama is probably okay for me just I'm not used to that position.

I guess it comes down to whether I'd rather have a better bike for the $ that I'd probably get used to (but maybe not) or if I'd rather go with something straight off the bat which is comfortable.

[Kano]

I understand your feeling -- it's hard to know you can count on the bike working for you in the long term! I do think it's not a bad idea to see what the guy can do for you on Monday. Maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Enjoy your ride tomorrow!

Karen in Boise

[xeney]

I don't have an opinion on these two bikes but I wanted to second this:

Sorry about the bike, buying a new bike should be a fun experience. That said, I think a 60 mm stem will be too short. So if that is what it takes to fit the bike, get a different bike.

I have a 50 mm stem on my road bike to make it fit me and it sucks. I mean, it's rideable, I've gotten used to it, I don't hate it, and it's a whole lot better than not quite being able to reach the brakes. (Or feeling like I can't quite reach the brakes.) But it is far from ideal and I would not buy a new bike if that was what it took to make it fit me.

Some people don't mind very short stems, and some of them will tell you that it doesn't matter, that fit is all that matters, so go with the short stem if you need to. But you're buying a new bike so you shouldn't need to. And if you do need to go shorter than about 80 mm, I would do an awful lot of riding on the bike with that stem before deciding not to return the new bike.

Good luck. They both sound like great bikes. I test rode an Orbea year before last and loved it, but it just doesn't fit my needs right now.

[conurejade]

I guess it comes down to whether I'd rather have a better bike for the $ that I'd probably get used to (but maybe not) or if I'd rather go with something straight off the bat which is comfortable.

I absolutely love my Onix Dama. But with that being said, just because it's the bike for me does not mean it's the bike for you. Fit and comfort will make the difference between pure riding enjoyment and...well...maybe not riding at all. Don't settle for something that's not right for you. Talk to your LBS, but don't let them 'convince' you of something that just doesn't feel right.

I really hope you get this resolved - as a poster said earlier, this should be a totally fun, exciting experience - not a panic situation.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!

[Triskeliongirl]

DO NOT KEEP A BIKE THAT YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE ON. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. DO NOT RIDE A STEM SHORTER THAN 7CM. Yes, shorter bars, stem, etc. can make it kinda sorta work, but they compromise the handling. If you wanna get more aero later on the trek you can always lower or lengthen the stem.

I think you have two options, try the smaller orbea (at 5 foot 2 I can't imagine you NOT on a bike with 650c wheels, I am 5 foot 4 and require either a 24" front or 650 wheels), or return it for the trek. It seems to me that you would have better luck with a return by bringing it in sooner (while is still 'new') rather than later, so if it were me I would return it today and buy the trek. Fit is more important than componentry.