New rider question about bike choice and frame size

[Eden]

I am gun shy about road bikes, having flown over the handlebars of one when I was in my 20's.

FYI - I don't want to scare you, it's relatively hard to do if you learn to brake properly, but you can certainly go over the handlebars of an upright/hybrid.... in fact I think it is probably easier to do, as you have a higher center of gravity and generally stronger/grabbier brakes.

Just saying, don't let that fear scare you off drop bars.

[gbunker]

Wow, you all have given me a lot to think about! This is really interesting.

Can you tell me more about what's preferable about riding a drop-bar road bike? Part of my commute involves riding downtown amongst lots of cars. Doesn't having your head down lower make it harder to see and be seen? I know that there are lots of hand positions avaliable on a drop bar bike, and some of them position you up higher. But how do you brake quickly if your hands are on the upper part of the bars and the brakes are down below? Is this a challenge for the less-coordinated, like me?

Thanks!
Gillian

[Velocivixen]

Hi Gillian,
Just sent you two big emails answering some of your questions.
Seriously, go to CityBikes on SE Ankeny and check out either the Surly Long Haul Trucker or the Cross Check - both steel, tough as nails, able to add on fenders, racks, etc., can put on a huge variety of tire sizes. They have drop bars but do NOT cut the fork, so the handlebars are way up high (unless you want them to cut them down). I left mine the way they were and am happy for now. They specialize in commuter bikes and are an employee owned coop. No high pressure at all.
Good luck.
Regarding braking know this: the front brake is stronger than the back brake. Don't slam on the front brake alone or you will likely go flying - on any bike. Use the front and the back. The Bike Gallery has free clinics throughout Spring to late Autumn, usually from 6-7 (see the website: flat repairs, commuting 101, basic maintenance, and gear shifting that rotate over & over).

[gbunker]

This is all so much fun! I rode some bikes yesterday: a Jamis Coda, a KHS Urban Expedition, a Surly Cross Check, and a Trek FX 7.3. I really liked both the Jamis Coda and the Trek FX 7.3. The Surly was awesome, but was a bit too much bike for me- I was a little disoriented by the bar-end shifters and the different hand positions. I think it was a little big for me, too. But I was really surprised at how comfortable the ride was. The forward position was not as weird as I had expected.

Last night I spotted a CL ad for a Surly Pacer that looks like it might be my size, and the asking price is low. It's got the Shimano Tiagra combination brake/shifter levers, so I think I might be more comfortable with those than the ones on the Cross Check. I think I'm going to go give it a look tonight. I can't believe that in the span of about a week I've gone from "maybe I could get something lighter than my Amsterdam" to "I want a zippy hybrid, but definitely not a road bike!" to "those road bikes are kinda cool, actually..."

I'm sure you all see this happen pretty frequently, LOL.

Any thoughts on the Surly Pacer? It looks pretty similar to the Cross Check and I know a lot of people love those. This bike would be primarily for commuting, at least at first. Would the Jamis Coda or Trek FX 7.3 be better suited for that?

Thanks!
Gillian

[Owlie]

I looked at the Pacer in my search for a second road bike. It's a nice bike, though I think you could do better on the components if you find yourself wanting to do longer recreational rides. I'm sufficiently short-torso-ed that the geometry probably wouldn't work without a signficantly shorter stem, but if you're not a freak like me, go ahead and test it. You have nothing to lose.

(It's steel and British racing green, though, which is a big plus in my book. )

[khosch]

Wow, you all have given me a lot to think about! This is really interesting.

Can you tell me more about what's preferable about riding a drop-bar road bike? Part of my commute involves riding downtown amongst lots of cars. Doesn't having your head down lower make it harder to see and be seen? I know that there are lots of hand positions avaliable on a drop bar bike, and some of them position you up higher. But how do you brake quickly if your hands are on the upper part of the bars and the brakes are down below? Is this a challenge for the less-coordinated, like me?

Gillian, I have been riding an Electra Townie since last October, and just bought a beautiful road bike. Like you I wanted to sit upright and not put any weight on my hands, since they did seem to fall asleep on an earlier hybrid that I owned. But recently I decided to go faster and farther - and the best way to do that is with a road bike.

You can get your LBS to install brake cross levers on the top of the handllebars, & I had mine do that because I was nervous about getting to the brakes. Also, the drop handlebars give more hand positions than straight bars, and this was important to me. When riding on the flat top part of the bars you can look around, but you won't be sitting as straight as you were on your Electra. This does require you to hold your body up and so can be tiring. I had my LBS put on a stem extender, which detracts from the beauty of my road bike, but makes it easier for me to not put weight on my hands.

Good luck!