Bike shopping

[ithacagirl]

So I just went to try the Absolute 2.0 and Terry Symmetry again. A correction- both of the Terry Symmetry's tires are smaller not just the front (oops!), they're 650c x 28.

The 2011 Absolute 2.0 by the way is a wonderful ride. My LBS provided me only the 2010 a couple days ago because of my size, I fit the 15". The 2010 has a step-through model for the 2.0 and only a step-over model for 2011. I found this wasn't much of a problem however. The up-right position was very comfortable for this flat-bar bike, no straining.

I did however go with the Terry because I found it came with more components I would probably would've upgraded on the Fuji such as its tires, saddle, and clipless pedals.

Hope you have as much testing them out as I did!

[ithacagirl]

I just noticed my first reply was never posted. So to summarize I'm 5'0" tall with a 27" inseam, meaning I'm pretty short in the legs and torso. I had good luck getting comfortable with Trek's WSD lines Lexa and 7.2, Fuji's WSD Finest and Absolute were also great. Since you're worried about the weight going up the stairs, these two are wonderfully light.

Jamis is a great, durable brand, but most of their lower level bikes are made with steel forks so they are considerably heavier. They also tend to make the stand-over heights taller- I couldn't clear the bar on most of their models!

Which did you find fit you best?