Am I ready for a road bike?

[jyyanks]

Thanks All! You're right, there are other options but I am leaning towards the road since I have the used hybrid already. Perhaps an entry level road bike or a cyclo would work. $2k is a scary number but $1k is more manageable. I did not try any aluminum road bikes but perhaps I will try those out next. I'll see if the Jamis dealer is open today, I know they have some nice bikes that are less expensive than the Ruby. I have to admit that I like the look and feel of the Ruby but the price was a little hard to swallow.

[goldfinch]

What is your beater bike and what do you like and not like about it?

[azfiddle]

I love my Ruby- but that said, I started with an aluminum Fuji that costs $600 on sale at Performance Bikes. I used it for nearly 2 years, and put 6000 miles on it. I really appreciated the Ruby much more because of that.

If you want to do a lot of recreational riding go for the road bike. You will be more limited with the hybrid.

FYI- I am 5'1" and the Ruby 44 cm fits me much better than the Fuji 44 cm did, but the Dolce might be a good option. For gals our size, finding a bike that fits is more challenging but really important for your long term comfort and enjoyment on the bike.

[Trek420]

Excellent thread here where many short and savvy riders pitch in with excellent ideas about a variety of great, affordable bikes for short riders. There are lots of choices out there. Get out there and ride lots of bikes, try different shops.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=44652

[jyyanks]

Thanks All.
Goldfinch - my beater bike is a Giant Cypress. I feel like I'm riding a sofa - it's very comfortable but certainly doesn't go fast. My folder is a Dahon Speed P8 - great and fun bike to ride with nice fat tires but again not a fast bike. I also had an older Specialized Crossroad (bought on CL and never rode) but gave it my mom so she could ride with me. When i first started riding, I originally wanted comfort but am now thinking I want something more nimble.

azfiddle - what is the main difference between your fuji and the ruby? Is the Ruby a smoother ride? Funny, I'm 5'0 and he put me on a 48 inch Ruby. I also tried an Amira which was really aggressive in my opinion.

Trek - great thread! I do remember reading it back when I wasn't looking for a road bike! I'm going to reread it to see if I can get ideas.

I do appreciate the advice. It's funny because I really was looking just for a hybrid but am now thinking that a road may be better. I haven't tried any aluminum road bikes but will give those a shot as they seem to be less $ than the carbon.

[azfiddle]

Maybe it was because I changed some things on the set up after a while, but I was more stretched out on the Fuji. I could never ride comfortably in the hoods and use the brakes from that position. I used the extra "cheater brakes" most of the time. The Ruby is definitely more comfortable and performs better. The components are all better quality and it is carbon instead of aluminum, so all that helps.

I didn't even consider trying an Amira!

Your proportions may be a lot different from mine- I have a very short torso and a 48 is just too big for me.

[goldfinch]

Thanks All.
Goldfinch - my beater bike is a Giant Cypress. I feel like I'm riding a sofa - it's very comfortable but certainly doesn't go fast. My folder is a Dahon Speed P8 - great and fun bike to ride with nice fat tires but again not a fast bike. I also had a Specialized Crosstail (bought on CL and never rode) but gave it my mom so she could ride with me. When i first started riding, I originally wanted comfort but am now thinking I want something more nimble.

azfiddle - what is the main difference between your fuji and the ruby? Is the Ruby a smoother ride? Funny, I'm 5'0 and he put me on a 48 inch Ruby. I also tried an Amira which was really aggressive in my opinion.

Trek - great thread! I do remember reading it back when I wasn't looking for a road bike! I'm going to reread it to see if I can get ideas.

I do appreciate the advice. It's funny because I really was looking just for a hybrid but am now thinking that a road may be better. I haven't tried any aluminum road bikes but will give those a shot as they seem to be less $ than the carbon.

It sounds like a road bike or a cross bike may be in your future! You like fast. You like nimble.

Be careful about size. I have had a number of bike shops try to put me on bikes that are way too big just because that happened to be their smallest size. It is hard to tell if something fits for the long haul on a test ride.

It is possible that a 44cm Specialized Ruby or a Dolce will fit you. The 48 sounds too big for your height but it depends on your own build. These are all too big for me but I have very short arms and am an inch and a half shorter than you are. Do you have an idea if you are long in the torso or long in the legs, comparatively? Do you know your inseam from crotch to floor?

Jamis has a number of 44cm, smaller bikes but again they were all too big for me. They have some that are very reasonably priced. Felt is another option. Heck, most of these options are discussed in the thread Trek linked to.

The Surly Crosscheck is really cool but too big for me. It might be hard to find one to try, depends on where you live. I didn't look at cross bikes because none would fit.

[Crankin]

Putting in my 2 cents worth.
I rode a mountain bike with slicks for a year and a half and then I bought my first road bike, an alu Cannondale. It fit me, but the components were crappy, and I kept dropping the chain, and never was able to shift well into the big ring. I also felt every bump on the road. A year later I bought a Trek 5200 (carbon) and the upgrade in components made a huge difference, as well as the comfort. I am not saying absolutely don't buy aluminum, but I ended up spending about $1300 and a year later, spending $2500. I still wonder if I should have kept my Trek, which I sold for the bike I have now.
I also had a Jamis Coda for 4 years, which I used as an errand/fun bike. It's a great bike for the money, and I would go for steel over alu. any day. However, it has flat bars, it's heavy, and the components are lower end (although I never had any issues with them).
A good friend started with the Vita and now has a Ruby Elite. She kept the Vita for a second bike. At first she said she would never buy a road bike, but she was wanting that Ruby pretty badly after the test ride! The bike is sweet and sexy. My friend is not a fast rider, but she is a committed rider.
Of course, I am an enabler and I say go for it.

[jyyanks]

Muirenn - Thanks for the suggestion - I actually have a Surly dealer near me so I will go check it out

azfiddle- good to know. I'm going to try a bunch of different bikes and if I go the Ruby route, I'll have to PM you with questions. Either way,now that I'm interested in a road, I have to save a little more. I do get a bonus in Feb which is probably when I can make my big purchase

Goldfinch - I thought it was odd that he put me on a 48 though he did make a bunch of adjustments. If I go down this route, I will insist on trying out a 44 as well. I have to check my measurements - I have no idea what my inseam is but I should have them on hand. Going to see the Jamis dealer tomorrow. There is another Felt dealer nearby.

Crankin - Your post really cleared things up. I never thought I would buy a road bike because I'm not the best rider. Furthermore, I always "cheap out" and regret it later. What you said about your friend hit home, I'm not fast and I don't ride as much as others but I am committed and see myself riding for a long time.

[happysurfer]

This is more of a personal decision as finances, commitment, time, etc all fall into play. I bit the bullet a couple months ago and invested in a Ruby with 105's as my first bike since high school. I went in looking for a $700 hybrid thinking THAT would be an investment and left with a $2500 bike (on sale)! My reasoning was, the more comfortable the bike, the more I'd want to ride it. I also wanted a very light bike so I could easily take it in and out of my car. As far as the gears, I didn't really like how the Sram gears felt in the test run, so 105's was the only other option. I, too, didn't know how to use the gears until the test ride at the LBS. 2 months later: I love my bike...I ride it every chance , I get lots of compliments, and my performance has seriously improved. No buyer's remorse for this newbie