Pinarello FP3 vs...uh....vs?

[roguedog]

the frustration i have had with Italian bikes is that they don't make bikes that fit smaller women very well. This is totally crazy since Italians ARE shorter than average than americans and of course Italian women are shorter than average too.

I agree. I don't get it. But then, I don't get that Shimano's hoods are so freaking bulky. Italians and Japanese are smaller folks.. you'd think their stuff it'd be more comfy for women.

Alas, I think it is the racing element of the design process that gets us.

KenyonChris, do like Maillotpois (sp?) did and get a Pegoretti love. I'm not sure how it is for all day comfort but I've heard it's a rocket! I'm kind of a Pegoretti groupie now...

[MartianDestiny]

I agree. I don't get it. But then, I don't get that Shimano's hoods are so freaking bulky. Italians and Japanese are smaller folks.. you'd think their stuff it'd be more comfy for women.

Alas, I think it is the racing element of the design process that gets us.

KenyonChris, do like Maillotpois (sp?) did and get a Pegoretti love. I'm not sure how it is for all day comfort but I've heard it's a rocket! I'm kind of a Pegoretti groupie now...

The new Ultegra stuff is the bomb. Slimmer hoods, much better lever design, etc (NO NEED FOR SHIMS, YAY!!!).

O, and I'm 4'11" and ride an Italian frame...
I don't think it has anything to do with point of origin. Lots of smaller bike companies (italian, us, etc) just choose not to make smaller frames for any of a lot of reasons. With carbon it's pretty simply that they can't justify the cost of the mold against the (relatively smaller) potential for sales when competing against "the big 3" in the US market. Doesn't mean they aren't marketing something completely different in their home country where they have more market share.

[maillotpois]

I do notice that the Italian made bikes are bigger than you think they will be, if you just go by size number. Maybe that's true of all bikes, but My Merckx was 2 cm bigger than its TT size, center to center and so are the Pegorettis. I am getting a 52 Pegoretti frame and I'm 5'8" and my Merckx was a 54. My Colnago is a 52 and it fits fine. Not sure what we were thinking about with the Merckx size, but we made it work great so it sure wasn't off nearly as bad as your Colnago.

On your original question, DH has the Pinarello F 4:13 and loves it. I think that may have been the earlier version of the FP3 but not sure.

[Crankin]

Kenyon, I have a Kuota, which is also Italian. They are known for their tri bikes, but they also make quite a few roadie models. I have an x-small Kebel. It's about 48 cm, with a slightly sloping top tube. I am 5' 1" (barely) and it's a pretty good fit. I have some stand over clearance and the bike comes with 700 wheels (I had 650s on my Trek). I really can't comment on the Campy stuff. I've always had Ultegra on my bikes. When I got this bike, I bought 38 cm shallow drop bars and got the Ultegra R 700 short reach brifters. This has made a world of difference. I had shims in my previous brifters, which I felt compromised my braking ability and didn't really help with the reach issues.
The shop I bought my bike at also sells Willier and I know a couple of women that bought them. They are both taller, though. Nice looking bikes, too.

[Norse]

If you don't like Trek or Specialized, the Cervelo RS Ultegra is getting rave reviews, but it has Ultegra, of course. Personally, I like Ultegra and the new version is supposed to be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Must stop dreaming of a new bike, must stop, must stop.......