Recommendations, please

[rivergal]

My first road bike after picking cycling back up a in 2009 was a Felt ZW100. She was a good entry level bike with a decent set of components. Did lots of research and she was in my top 3. Just sold it a few months ago, as I upgraded to a carbon Synapse.

My sister also picked up cycling again in 2010, and purchased a Felt as well, without knowing that was the brand I chose, too. She did go one level up to the ZW95 which had a carbon seat stays as well as fork in the 2010 version.

Felt gives you a lot for the money. I'd suggest riding all the contenders and seeing how they feel. I agree about finding a small frame - it's hard finding one second hand. Sometimes toward the end of summer you can find a good deal on a year-end closeout, but the small frames again are the first to go.

If you're doing a lot of hills, consider a triple crank or a compact double. I think all of the Felts now are compact double standard, while mine was a triple.

[MGM]

I'm a big fan of Specialized Bikes, though I also love my Cannondale and Trek. So I would recommend trying that Specialized Dolce. Giant makes a great entry level bike too, and Felts are fantastic and usually a couple hundred dollars cheaper.