Quote Originally Posted by Owlie View Post
Different bikes for different things. I don't want to use an aggressive road bike for touring! I think you learn a lot, though, by riding the wrong bike.

I'm still riding my first road bike (the 2009 Giant Avail 3 in my signature). VERY entry-level components (Sora rear derailleur, 2200 everything else). Also the frame is slightly too big. I've had it fitted, and while it fits beautifully vertically (with a ton of seat post showing), the top tube is too long. Or so I thought. I had it fitted in March, and the fitter put a very short stem on it. I did a 50-mile hilly ride on the 26th and found that I was pulling my shoulder blades toward my spine to shorten my arms. Over 50 miles, that hurt. The fitter did say he put a shorter stem on it than he would have liked to save me from buying new handlebars, because my bars are a weird diameter.

My next road bike will be carbon. Chip-seal is painful on aluminum, more so on the relaxed aluminum frames. And I want Ultegra--more money up-front, but saves me from buying the expensive group when I want to upgrade. (I'll just be buying 105 one day to put on my Giant.) I also learned that I feel more comfortable on an aggressive frame. According to my fitter, I'm quite flexible. So shorter top tube, slacker seat tube angle, possibly longer reach. I'm still working out some of my other fit issues and trying to find the bikes I'm looking at so I can ride them, though. I would one day like a "comfortable" road bike, but I'm probably going with steel for that. (Just tried out a Jamis Satellite Femme--felt good.)

I'm also looking at a mountain bike and potentially a cyclocross bike, and I'll be looking at nice-ish components off the bat for those. (Perhaps Tiagra/105 mix for the CX, since Tiagra's gotten nicer over the years. no clue for the MTB.)
Isn't it fun considering all the options for different bikes!

Fitting is so overwhelming for me to comprehend. Will you be switching out your handlebars? The good thing about having to squeeze your shoulder blades together is that so many people need to strengthen that area to correct poor posture/slouching... not for 50 miles though. So, I can understand the need to change that!

I hate chipped and sealed roads! A lot of good roads I ride were chipped and sealed this summer. On Wednesday, my friend and I actually turned around and changed course when we saw a crew doing that to an awesome downhill road. There was one road on a route that I love that wasn't finished properly. Made it an obstacle course of avoiding huge rumble bumps made up of loose gravel. It gets worse closer to the berm where I have to ride when there are cars coming from behind.

The lbs owner told me that a carbon frame would not help much for me because I'm small. He said that the smaller the frame, the more stiff it would be. Has that been your experience? That was another reason I went for the titanium frame. I haven't tried riding a carbon bike. So, I wouldn't know.

I have thought about upgrading my Lexa. I think in the end I will sell it as it is, a good entry level bike, and use that money towards another bike. I would love to get a cyclocross for winter rides.