Do female-specific bikes really make the difference?

[brigada]

I, too, hope your bike shop will be willing to cooperate! This won't set them back by much, but they would help you heaps by doing this. It is great that you are still riding, I hope you will continue to do so for times to come

[estronat]

Popped in to a different LBS right by my home. They actually carry Trek and I had visited them when I was looking to purchase a bike but then ended up buying my Specialized. They will work on just about any make bike. They tried a 3in taller stem tube on my bike and had me try it out in a trainer and it made a big difference. Turns out my original stem is the right length after raising up handlebars, and that new longer stem had me too far stretched out, when the issue is really one of needing more height to the bars. So the new stem the Specialized LBS put on is going back and the original stem is back on the bike.

I'm having this local Trek shop replace all the cables as all of them are too short with the higher stem. They will add additional slack in the cables in case I need to increase the height of the stem more or in case I opt for a different handlebar with some additional height and sweep. The guy said he could see I was sitting much better on the bike with the higher stem, with appropriate bend in my arms and not the forward pulling on my back, and shoulders not hiked up. Since my neck & back problems predate the bike purchase (by about 15 yrs or more), I will always need to take my physical limitations into consideration. No aggressive position for me, even the standard hybrid riding position is too bent over and aggressive. I need a level that is far more towards the comfort position on a bike. Bike is in the shop and will be there for the next week. Fine with me as I couldn't ride it lately anyway with the pulling of those back muscles and the constant pain I was having even off the bike.

[orlampagal]

My experience is different. I started out on a Trek 830 from 1995. I was so slow on it and had no strength to get up hills. I went to a bike shop and they tried to steer me to a Trek Lexa - was not at all comfortable on it. Reminded me of a broomstick (lol). I am very very stocky and have very short legs and a long torso - WS Bikes are not made for a woman built like me. What I needed was a Man's bike - just a small one. I did end up with the Specialized Vita (53 cm or Large) and used that for 6 months with some alterations (bar ends etc). I finally bought my Specialized Roubaix Expert 52cm in June - LOVE is all I can say. It was built specifically for my body. It's sturdy and it feels great on a long ride (50+miles). My advice is - if you have a long torso - go with a man's bike in a smaller size.