Buying my first Bike...needing a little help

[Cataboo]

I've bought a lot of bikes off ebay/craigslist used without problems - I have never had to do a ton of repairs on them... But then, I know what fits me and in the beginning had friends that could help with fitting - and I do most of my own bike work or make R do it...

so it is possible to get great deals used, but it usually helps to have a lot of knowledge for that to work.

[Bike Chick]

First I want to say welcome to TE and to the wonderful world of cycling. You are indeed a lucky woman to live in such a bike friendly city. You are fortunate because you have a lot of options right at your fingertips.

IMO there are many great bikes that are women specific and I would suggest that you shop around and ride a lot of bikes. You say that you need a 48 cm bike but a 48 cm in one brand may have a completely different geometry than another brand. That's the reason you need to test ride them and deal with a bike shop that treats you with respect and gives you a proper fitting. I would also suggest that you compare components instead of price and not get anything less than Shimano 105. I also would stay away from Craig's List if this is your first bike. Of course, this is JMO. Good luck!

[sarahspins]

I've bought a lot of bikes off ebay/craigslist used without problems - I have never had to do a ton of repairs on them... But then, I know what fits me and in the beginning had friends that could help with fitting - and I do most of my own bike work or make R do it...

so it is possible to get great deals used, but it usually helps to have a lot of knowledge for that to work.

I agree, I was going to post last night that CL can be perfectly fine - a lot of people list their bikes that way when they upgrade, and there's not usually anything wrong with those -, but you have to know what you are looking for (in terms of size, and components) and you have to be able to sort through the typical BS normally found on CL to spot the good deals. I just bought a '06 Trek 1000 off CL for my sister... it is in perfect shape, and we're both happy with what we paid for it, but I've seen a lot of bikes listed for WAY more than they should be (including an identical bike to the one I just bought, currently listed on my local CL for MORE than the original retail price.. by a LBS no less!). Bikepedia is your friend when figuring out model year a bike is, what it's original retail cost was, and what components are on a bike (if listings are not super detailed).

I would definitely suggest trying a few brands - don't limit yourself to Scott simply because it's what you can get the best deal on before you actually test ride some others.. if you test ride a bunch and keep coming back to the Scott, then by all means, buy one, but don't limit yourself right off. I ultimately didn't end up with the road bike I thought I would buy - because after riding it, it was clear that it wasn't "the" bike for me, and I didn't want to commit to making it fit me when it felt more like I was settling for something that wasn't as good as it should be, especially for the money. When finally I rode the right one, I had an "aha" moment, and I knew that was my bike.. and it was a brand that hadn't really been on my radar, in a size that I didn't think would work, but it was magic

[tiva]

Welcome! This spring when I was looking for a road bike with fairly upright geometry and a short top tube, bike shops recommended the Scott Contessa, the Cannondale Synapse Feminine, and the Trek Pilot WSD 2.1. I tried them all and chose the Cannondale Synapese Feminine 5, which I love. Each of these models comes in different price ranges, depending on the quality of the derailleurs, brakes, etc. I tried 3 different price ranges in each model, and ended up spending about $400 more than I had budgeted (well, that's the problem with trying a step up from what you had expected to spend! The Scott Contessa in the $600-$700 range felt very sluggish; the one in the $900 range felt fine; the one in the $1300 range felt great. Same for the Cannondale Synapse)

Bikes last a long time, so it's worth paying a bit more for a better bike. But seriously, try out a number of different bikes with the geometry that works for you. Good luck!