Performance Bicycle and women specific bikes

[OakLeaf]

WSD doesn't have to do with your height per se, it has to do with your torso and arm length as a proportion of your height. For women that tends to be shorter than for men. Some women can ride men's bikes quite comfortably, others can't.

What's the top tube length of the bikes you're thinking about? Is 54 cm the sloping top tube length or the effective (horizontal) top tube length, and how does that compare to the bikes you're looking at? Can you test ride the bike you're thinking about? What's the frame size of the bike you're on - is it possible it's too big all around? How long is the stem you have on now, and what's the rise - are you at the point where the bike will be too twitchy if you go any shorter?

No answers, just things to think about... it's hard enough to get a fit exactly right in the shop, it can't be done on the Internet...

[echidna]

Hi -

Weighing in as a former PBS employee - we would take the bike back, but we'd do everything we could imagine to make the Scattante work for you, first. The Scattante line is a "house" brand - which means that the overhead of purchasing and marketing it is low, but the profit margin is pretty good even when we sell at a great price (translation: the store can afford to invest time and effort to make you delighted with this bike if that will help).

Caveat on the Fujis - the frame geometry on the Fuji WSD is EXACTLY the same as their "unisex" counterparts. The ONLY differences are in the build (narrower bars, shorter stem, short-throw levers, different saddle...) and the paint scheme. They don't exactly tell you this, but if you read the frame geometries closely, that's the way it is. So - you'd be trading for a "Womens Specific" bike that's not all that...women specific.

Assuming you did well on the deal, the Scattante was probably a screaming bargain, so it may be worth fiddling with to dial the fit, especially since the option that you see in front of you would be to trade for a bike that's essentially similar, just pre-built with more friendly components

On the other hand, your bike should rock your world. And if it doesn't, it doesn't. Whether that's a customer satisfaction issue for you, or not, is totally up to you.