Specialized Ruby vs. BMC Road Racer?

[TigerMom]

A 44cm Ruby would definitely be too small for you. I am 5ft 1in short legs with long torso and I totally felt scrunched on the 44cm Ruby. I am currently on a 48cm Amira....which you might want to try out also while you are in the Specialized shop.

For me, the Ruby seemed to have a more awkward handling than the Amira....but everyone rides differently. As for the "uprightness" of the Ruby, you can always lower the stem and flip the stem also if you want a more race position. The Ruby is better than the Amira for someone with a short torso because the top tube is a little shorter.

As for the "twitchiness" factor of the BMC road bike. I road my friend's BMC bike (which is a 52 cm and was way too big for me) while standing up so I can't give a fair comparison.... but, the BMC seemed twitchier because the stiffness of the bike translated into more of my power into the bike speed.

So, maybe you've heard that the BMC racers are more twitchy because they are stiff and responsive, which translates more pedal power into speed??

As always, choosing a bike is a personal preference/personal budget. If you have back pain issues, maybe the Ruby would be best for you?

Oops, I misread your post about the Ruby rather than the BMC being twitchy. The Ruby did not seem twitchy to me but did seem to have a more ackward handling for me than the Amira. Maybe because of my long torso, the Amira had better handling for my body type than the Ruby.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle
2010 Santa Cruz Juliana with R kit and Crampon pedals
2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle (sold)

[ehirsch83]

BMC for sure. I loved mine that I had previously(it was just a size too small- would of been perfect for you but I sold it last year!).

IMHO a much better bike then the Specialized..

[smittykitty]

I love my Ruby. Not a bit twitchy, very comfortable. I think it would be faster if it had a bigger engine!

[Ered_Lithui]

Thanks for all the input! Guess I need to read signatures more carefully, too. :P TigerMom, I did try the Amira and was indeed a little too stretched out on it. (Which was a bummer, because it was on my short list prior to the test ride.) The Ruby and Amira rode like completely different animals.

Emily, I would really love to hear anything you can tell me about your BMC and how it handled, and why you think it's better than the Specialized. (Not trying to start a fight here, I promise!)