In search of a new bike

[MrsB]

Thanks for all the replys. I know I need to get out there and just ride as many bikes as I can find. Im 4'11" so im thinking that Im going to like a wsd. I have a giant mt bike thats womens specific and I like how it fits. My fuji road bike is not and I notice that the reach to brakes/shifting are all a little bit more of a reach. Not quite as comfortable.
I guess the worst thing for me about my current fuji is that I live on some really bad unpaved and paved roads and I will actually get a headache from my brains rattling around. Pretty strange huh? I start out feeling fine but as soon as I hit the really bad roads my head starts to hurt. It really does feel like my brains are rattling around! So Im really hoping to find something a little more comfortable. Friends of mine have told me that with the carbon fork/carbon seatstay that I will get a smoother ride. Is this really going to be noticable?

[luvmypwds]

It's hard to know whether that's going to make enough of a difference for you until you go out and test the bike on those road conditions you mentioned.

FWIW, I don't think it's always necessary that you test ride "lots" of bikes. If you found a bike that you like, did some research on it, read some reviews, and the bike has the components you like/want, is within your budget, then I'd get it fitted properly and then go for a test ride. If the ride is good, you WILL know I believe. Then you're done and don't necessarily have to test ride a ton of others. Sometimes having too many options is confusing. If the ride is not to your liking, then move on to another bike. That's the approach I'd take (and did take, lol).

Good luck - it's fun shopping for a bike!!

[Fujichants]

Friends of mine have told me that with the carbon fork/carbon seatstay that I will get a smoother ride. Is this really going to be noticable?

You are supposed to get a smoother ride, but with those road conditions you describe, you are more than likely to still feel all the little bumps with a newer Fuji, you'll just feel them a little less than with your current one. I remember certain paths I would ride on with BF, and it looked like he was smooth sailing, while I felt like I was hitting lots of bumps. And with my Fuji, when I hit bumps, it would actually hurt. With my new bike, I still feel those bumps, but it doesn't hurt, and the bike feels a lot stiffer going over those bumps. Also, it feels a lot smoother.

Although I must say...one of the paths I ride requires that I cross over two wooden bridges. And these are very bumpy and make a lot of noise when you cross over. It felt even bumpier when I crossed on my new bike...I actually got dizzy from my brain shaking around (at least if that is possible, that's how it felt like). I never felt this way on my Fuji. Weird.

See if you can test ride the bike on those roads you described.

[ilima]

Friends of mine have told me that with the carbon fork/carbon seatstay that I will get a smoother ride. Is this really going to be noticable?

It should help. You could also ride 25mm tires instead of 23, which will smooth out the ride a bit more.