Buying my first road bike! Opinions needed please!

[Murphy's Mom]

Hi everyone! My first actual post after snooping around on the boards for a few days. I am so excited I found this place! So I am looking to purchase my first road bike (actually my first bike at all since I was 12.) My husband is a roadie and mountain biker and is excited to get me involved.

So I have a rode a few different bikes, 2 were a while back and I can't remember much about them but my LBS has a 2011 Specialized Secteur Sport Compact on sale. It's a 49 and when I rode it I felt good (besides my butt of course) but I am barely 5'0". I would like to go ride other bikes to make sure I make the right decision, but I am reluctant because all the other bikes shops are 20-40 minutes away and anytime I wanted the free tune-up etc. I'd have to drive all the way up there. Plus I'd definitely love to help a local business.

Any thoughts on this?

TIA!

[Owlie]

Welcome to TE!

I would recommend at least trying other bikes at other shops. If you end up buying from the far-away shops, after your free tune-up, you can just bring the bike back to your local shop for service. It's okay. They understand.
I'd call around to see if they have built-up bikes on the small end for you to try first, because it may be hard for you to find something on the floor, given your height.
If you don't find anything that makes your heart sing, go for the Secteur. Or keep looking.

[Catrin]

I would check closely to make certain that 49cm frame fits you properly, I am close to 4 inches taller than you but, really a 48cm frame is generally as large as I can go. That being said, it is as much about proportions as it is height. Indeed it is more important. You don't want to rush and wind up with a bike that is too large for you, that never pays off in the long-term.

Owlie has good advice about going ahead and checking out the other places as well. If you find something in a different size in another store that sings to you perhaps your preferred LBS can get it for you.

[azfiddle]

Yes, I agree with the posts above. Also, if the dealer close to you carries Specialized, there are other models that might fit better that could be ordered. You will be much happier and more comfortable in the long run if you purchase a bike that fits you.

I am 5'1" and ride a 44 cm Specialized Ruby, which is WSD model (I think the Secteur is non-gender specific). There is a more affordable aluminum road bike with similar geometry as well, the Dolce.


Good luck and keep us posted

[Seajay]

2011 Specialized Secteur Sport Compact on sale. It's a 49 and when I rode it I felt good (besides my butt of course) but I am barely 5'0".
TIA!

I would need to have a really compelling reason to show a woman rider under 5'5" a Secteur in size 49. Red flags flew when I read this.
Don't they have a Specialized Dolce in a 44 (or maybe 48) for you?
I have had really good luck with the 44 Dolce and 5' 1" riders. Occasionally I need to put a bit longer stem on it, but that's OK because the stock stem is about 2cm long.

PS uncomfortable "of course" is not acceptable for your backside. There are so many good options for saddles. Don't feel like you need to be in pain or "get used to" a saddle. I like the Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow, but there are many many opinions and options out there.

[Murphy's Mom]

Thanks everyone for all the great responses! I am definitely going to try out some smaller bikes at the other shops this weekend. I did measure my inseam and it's 27.5 in/70 cm.

Seajay-thank you as well for your input! The LBS is smaller and my husband frequents the place-I believe the 49 cm was the smallest bike he had in stock and that's why I am not satisfied until I've road some others. And as for the comfort factor, I am definitely planning on getting some padded shorts! Are there any you would recommend?

[Owlie]

Thanks everyone for all the great responses! I am definitely going to try out some smaller bikes at the other shops this weekend. I did measure my inseam and it's 27.5 in/70 cm.

Seajay-thank you as well for your input! The LBS is smaller and my husband frequents the place-I believe the 49 cm was the smallest bike he had in stock and that's why I am not satisfied until I've road some others. And as for the comfort factor, I am definitely planning on getting some padded shorts! Are there any you would recommend?

Just FYI, I too think the 49cm is big for you. I didn't catch it because I'm tired today. I ride a 50cm road bike (at least, that's what Giant says it is...) and I'm quite a bit taller than you.

Personally, I think it's okay for your butt to be uncomfortable on a test ride. Stock saddles almost universally suck, regardless of the shorts. Give it a shot on whatever you buy, but you'll probably want to replace it. There are lots of threads on that on here...

Shorts too. Those are down to personal preference. Go for a good-quality pair of shorts. I cheaped out on my first pair (I think they were $35), and regretted it once my rides got beyond 10 miles or so. I really like the Sugoi Evolution shorts (the shorter inseam), but YMMV.

[Catrin]

Thanks everyone for all the great responses! I am definitely going to try out some smaller bikes at the other shops this weekend. I did measure my inseam and it's 27.5 in/70 cm.

I concur that the 49cm bike is much too large for you. I've a 76 cm inseam and I ride a 48cm frame. You also have to take your reach into consideration, and keep in mind that most bikes feel fine in the parking lot. I've a short reach or I would take a slightly larger size.

Test ride, test ride, test ride. Then test ride some more. You shouldn't have any saddle related pain, and it isn't just about having shorts. Padded shorts are awesome and I won't ride without them, but the bike also has to fit you properly and fit to you. The better the bike fit, the more enjoyment you will have and the more you will ride it Check with the stores you are visiting to see if they have an experienced fitter on staff.

[goldfinch]

Thanks everyone for all the great responses! I am definitely going to try out some smaller bikes at the other shops this weekend. I did measure my inseam and it's 27.5 in/70 cm.

Seajay-thank you as well for your input! The LBS is smaller and my husband frequents the place-I believe the 49 cm was the smallest bike he had in stock and that's why I am not satisfied until I've road some others. And as for the comfort factor, I am definitely planning on getting some padded shorts! Are there any you would recommend?

Too big is my bet too.

I am 4'11" and ride a Trek Madone 43cm. My inseam is about what yours is. But inseam isn't everything, even as important is the reach, as Catrin mentioned. I agree with those who say look at a 44cm Specialized.

When I was shopping for a small road bike I posted here. There was quite a long thread discussing the options. You might find some valuable info there too: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=44652

[Koronin]

I'm also 5'0. I have two road bikes. One is an older Trek that is a 47cm and my new one is a Felt F 5 which is a 48cm. I love the Felt and it fits so very well. I also agree that the Specialized 49 is too large. Remember different companies measure their bikes differently so the 44cm Specialized is close to the 47cm Trek and the 48cm Felt. (Those are the three I looked most closely at). My Trek I bought used and although not a perfect fit (just slightly too big) it got me back on a bike and also showed me what I needed to look for in a new bike.

[Owlie]

+1 on reach, reach, reach! This is especially true if you have a relatively short torso. By numbers, I should be riding a 53-54cm bike, possibly even a 56 based solely on inseam. However, since my torso is quite short, I need a size smaller if I want a bike from certain companies. And some are right out.

[Sky King]

I am lucky enough to be married to the bike hermit but even with that, sizing and fit are never ending. I am inviting you to spend a few minutes,do some homework and read this article about saddle height and bike size, The entire series is geared to touring bikes HOWEVER, saddle height and determining bike size are not that different on a non touring bike. This should help put you in the drivers seat when you go bike shopping!

[Wahine]

Just another opinion that the 50 cm is likely too large for you.

Any contemporary road bike will feel good the first time you ride it, until you have ridden some other bikes to compare it to and have some experience to draw from. Sometimes you won't know there's a problem unless you take it out for a long test ride. If it is possible to rent or demo the bike for a 30 to 45 min ride, take advantage of that.

Generally speaking, I find reach to be the most important fit component on the bike. Usually, if you find a bike that fits your reach, you can adjust the saddle height to the appropriate position.

The rule of thumb given in the above article is very useful as a starting point, but don't feel like it's set in stone. People have different pedaling styles, not to mention little quirks in anatomy that will make it appropriate to deviate from the formula to some degree.

[Murphy's Mom]

Well you guys are all going to yell at me...but I ended up with the 49 cm Specialized Secteur!

I will say this-I went to 4 other stores in my area the weekend after I posted and rode at least 1 bike at every shop. Most of the stores didn't even carry below a 47 cm (I went to shops with Masi, Fuji, Giant, Specialized again, Scott and a Trek retailer.)

What was funny to me, was some stores would let me ride the 47 cm and it would feel great but then would say they still thought I needed the smallest one after asking my height, and they wouldn't make adjustments to the bike I had just rode. It was kind of funny. At another store that also sold Specialized the guy put me on a 48 cm Ruby (OMG it was beautiful) and he even had smaller bikes in the store. He put me on a trainer and made adjustments before I rode around for about 10 minutes. It was a great bike-but didn't want to spend that much. At the end of the day, I went back to my LBS and rode the 49 cm Secteur again. (Which is only 1 cm up from the Ruby.) At this point I felt like I had tested enough that I knew what to feel for. The owner was there this time and helped me adjust the bike and after a few seat adjustments etc., it felt great. So I got it-and I have rode a few times for at least 45 mins and don't feel any potential problems (no straining to reach etc.)

So overall very happy with my purchase although I do think I will take the advice of getting a woman's saddle.

Thanks again everyone! I'm sure as I get into this more I will have loads more questions. You were all so helpful, even though it probably seems like I didn't take your advice lol

[Caddy]

Congrats on your new bike!

I'm still worrying, though, especially after reading all the other posts. I looked up the geometry of the bike and the standover itself is longer than your inseam. I rode a bike previously where everything kinda fit and felt okay (for the first 30 minutes), but after that was pure torture to ride. I had loads of trouble mounting and dismounting when I was tired because it was definitely too tall for me.

I ride a 46 in Specialized with a longer inseam than you (5'2") and I'm guessing a longer reach, and it is just right for me.

I almost feel like the bike shop just wanted to clear out the bike in stock instead of ordering something that actually fits :/ It's also one of the reasons why test rides don't really work because you need a lengthier amount of time on the bike before you can feel the aches caused by an inappropriate size. So I guess... ride it for longer and see what you think then.

(Also, as a side note, the sizes that the bikes come in mean absolutely nothing - they are arbitrary and vary greatly from brand to brand. What you're interested in is effective top tube (reach), standover, and stack (distance from seat to the bottom bracket).)