Hi all,

I'm 5'4" and found Campy was too big for my hands, and I chose Shimano since I was more comfortable w/ them on the hoods and working the levers. But I've not looked at shifters in the last few years, so maybe they've changed...

As for geometry, it's not just the frame, but I also got a stem w/ a shorter extension and bars that kept the levers about 1" or so shorter overall than "standard" components, and made the overall geometry great for me. (And of course the type of seat post and range of adjustment w/ the saddle, too). I have a Mercian frame and front fork made w/ Reynolds 531 tubing and built w/ various components chosen for quality, fit, and weight. It's soooooo silky smooth, after riding it I hated getting on my first real road bike--Specialized Allez Pro--steel frame, but Al fork (much stiffer than steel). It was a good bike, but not in comparison to my baby--"vintage" Mercian.

Ergo, Don't assume all steel (or carbon) frames are created equal, or that the fork material is the same as the frame, either. But it's fun to try to find what you like and if it's not comfortable, there are options!

And as a racing friend always said, it's not the chassis that counts, but the engine! And the caveat, if you can't be fast, at least look good!

Deal of the decade--this summer I added the vibration dampening plugs for the bar ends--they really do help! A great deal for under $10 and I highly recommend them to everyone!!