Does this bike exist?

[Crankin]

Emily, I did not get the Di2, but DH did get it on his new Time, which he got after the settlement from his crash. I used it on my tour in France last year. Fun, but I don't see as necessary. DH loves it.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks for the replies!

NWG, I will definitely look into what could be done to lower the gears on my Trek. I have a triple crank, not a compact, btw. It seems like the last time I researched it, it would require changing the rear derailleur for a long-cage and some other mods as well. But it certainly might be doable, and I'd like to see what it would cost vs. a new bike. Since it's a 10-year old bike, even though it fits me, I'll have to decide how much more to put into it vs. buying new. I do like steel (and that is what my Bike Friday is made out of), but I don't want a touring bike or a cross bike or a utilitarian bike (I consider my Bike Friday to be all of those things and will always keep it for those reasons), I want a performance road bike (with a more comfort geometry, tho) that is as lightweight as I can afford. I am petite and weigh < 105 lbs myself, so the lower I can get my bike as a % of my body weight the easier I can climb and attempt to stay with my DH, who still climbs like a mountain goat at 62, darn it!

Sheila, I looked at the Pinarellos briefly, but the gearing isn't low enough. One really nice women's model I was looking at was a 36/50 (or 52) compact in front and only a 25-tooth large cog in back...eeek. I know that can be switched, but often at an additional cost, especially since I'd want both front and rear to offer lower gears. I found their website fairly hard to navigate, though, so I might have missed a bike with lower gearing.

Crankin, I agree that the Di2 is not necessary, and it will probably be out of my price range too, but it does sound pretty sweet!

[Crankin]

Yeah, at a certain point, it is probably better to invest in a new bike. I lowered the rear gearing on my triple Kuota twice, but I after I got the Guru, with the 34-34, I wanted lower on my other bike, too! Plus, as you do, I wanted more endurance geometry. My bike is smooth as silk, which is why, I am sure, it's called a Silque! I also love the feel of steel and my Guru, which is titanium is smooth, but even though it is custom, I don't like the geometry as much.

[north woods gal]

For sure, it is always more cost effective to get the gearing/group set you want, up front, rather than adding, later. I would like to see the bike manufacturers offer more lower geared performance/endurance class bikes like Emily wants. Seems like they just assume that if someone wants a high end road bike, they must be Tour de France competitors. Or maybe they think we're all young males.

I do okay with a standard compact double 50/34 up front and 11-30 on the back on my Domane WSD for the country we have here, on the roads I bike, but I still find myself bottomed out on some of our steeper hills, even now after getting back into prime bike shape. Be nice to have an extra gear or two in reserve. If heading out into new, unknown territory, though, I opt for my Fargo with its more MTB like gearing. Out in real mountain country, though, I'd only go a triple up front and I'd still be looking hard at the gearing on any particular model.

Best of luck, Emily. I may be doing the same kind of shopping at some point. Be very interested in what you find.

[Eden]

I can't imagine having to recharge my bike… I can't remember to recharge my phone or my lights (which is why I have at least one that uses AA batteries at all times..) on particularly consistent basis… I'd be stuck with no shifting or not being able to ride too often. I think I'll stick with cables.

[Crankin]

Eden, it's not a big deal according to DH. I think he only recharges it a few times a year, and he rides about 3k a year. If you don't keep tabs on it, there's a yellow warning light and it puts the bike into a low gear, so you can get up hills without having to shift. I didn't get it because I thought the extra money was frivolous, but he says it eliminates any having to mess around with fixing temperamental shifting. My Ultegra is perfect, so it's just not an issue.

[emily_in_nc]

Yes, from what I read about Di2, there is plenty of warning, and even once the low battery warning comes on, you have 500 miles in reserve! I'm pretty fastidious about charging my electronics, so for me, I don't think that would be an issue. As Crankin says, and as I read, the battery life is crazy long. Still, not a bad idea to take a backup battery on every ride, just in case.

After breaking a shifter cable on one of our long rides and having to limp back to the hotel for 40 some miles in a single-speed mode, I can see the virtues of Di2. Among others, this article by a female triathlete made me lust after it:

http://angelanaeth.com/once-you-go-di2/

[north woods gal]

I'm iffy on gearing, at best. I live at sea-level, and not much applies. That's why I thought a frameset would be better, but that can be a pain.

FWIW, Trek has great women's bikes. Dialed in, backed by a lot of research.

Very true. My Domane 4.3 WSD is one of the very few bikes I've owned that fit me right, no mods or ad ons needed. All I had to do was adjust the seat height and start riding.

[emily_in_nc]

For sure, it is always more cost effective to get the gearing/group set you want, up front, rather than adding, later. I would like to see the bike manufacturers offer more lower geared performance/endurance class bikes like Emily wants. Seems like they just assume that if someone wants a high end road bike, they must be Tour de France competitors. Or maybe they think we're all young males.

I do okay with a standard compact double 50/34 up front and 11-30 on the back on my Domane WSD for the country we have here, on the roads I bike, but I still find myself bottomed out on some of our steeper hills, even now after getting back into prime bike shape. Be nice to have an extra gear or two in reserve. If heading out into new, unknown territory, though, I opt for my Fargo with its more MTB like gearing. Out in real mountain country, though, I'd only go a triple up front and I'd still be looking hard at the gearing on any particular model.

Best of luck, Emily. I may be doing the same kind of shopping at some point. Be very interested in what you find.

Thanks! Like I said originally, this is a next year thing for me, but I will certainly be posting about it when/if I decide to pull the trigger either way.

I do get what you're saying. A 34 front, 30 rear is still not the lowest gear around. I am hoping for at least a 32 in back, and I'd love a 30 in front, but I am not sure how many performance road bikes even offer triple cranks any longer -- probably not many. And we don't ride monster hills all that often, but when we do....

This one we've been riding daily here to get back to the campground after visiting town looks like this in Google maps:

Attachment 18066

Even in my lowest gear on my Bike Friday (30t front, 32t or 34t, can't recall which, in rear), I am in my easiest gear and tacking like crazy (plus panting) to get up it. Today we rode our MTBs, and it was a leetle easier with a 22t front ring. My legs are fine, it's more the cardio that is so tough. I did determine that I can go 3.9 mph without falling over, however!

Fortunately, these kinds of hills are few and far between in our riding. Normally they're either steep and short or long and gradual. Those I can handle. It's the steep and long ones that kill me, and since we're traveling all over the country, we never know where we may encounter them. My DH thinks I just need to train more and harder, and I am sure he's right, BUT sometimes we go from very flat areas (say Florida, or parts of the midwest) to very hilly areas in just a couple weeks of traveling. That makes it hard to train for the hillier areas.

[north woods gal]

That looks like a ... yummy, hill.

I have several hills on each my daily bike routes that bottom me out on the gears, but, fortunately, none of them are all that long, quarter mile or so. I've actually given my hills names. I know exactly what gears I need on each bike for each hill, too, and the exact spot on the hill where I'll need to shift. That kind of familiarity really helps to tame the hill in my head. I don't go out of my way to find them, but I don't avoid them or fear them, either. Just a part of the ride. It's those new hills I've never done that make me a bit nervous. I do admire you for all that exploring the both of you are doing.

Mostly I sit and spin to get up hills, but now and then, I just say the heck with it and stand and pedal, kind of a throwback to my younger days and also something I've always done in my MTB biking. Standing to pedal is probably a big no no in the roadie world, but I get lazy, sometime, and just don't want to shift. Now that I'm back in shape, I can handle it, physically.

[north woods gal]

Speaking of the Di2, I was in my local shop last week and one of the guys was working on a Di2 equipped bike. Since all the guys in the shop know me for the bike nut I am, he invited me back to show me how the Di2 worked. Well, wow! Basically push button shifting far as ease of use. That setup would spoil me, big time.

[emily_in_nc]

It's those new hills I've never done that make me a bit nervous. I do admire you for all that exploring the both of you are doing.

Mostly I sit and spin to get up hills, but now and then, I just say the heck with it and stand and pedal, kind of a throwback to my younger days and also something I've always done in my MTB biking. Standing to pedal is probably a big no no in the roadie world, but I get lazy, sometime, and just don't want to shift. Now that I'm back in shape, I can handle it, physically.

Thanks...you're right that what you don't know CAN hurt you. However, sometimes it's just as well not to know, so you don't build up any anticipatory stress over having a massive hill to climb. I know after I climbed the one here I've been talking about the first time, I was really dreading it the second and third times, since I knew how tough it was.

You're wrong, though: in the roadie world, it is actually very much encouraged to stand some while climbing. Helps pull in different muscle groups so you don't get as fatigued. The usual advice on a long hill is to alternate sitting in a lower gear, then shifting up a gear or two and standing for a bit. Definitely helps keep you strong. I do stand from time to time, especially to get over short hills, and on longer ones I'll sometimes stand for a certain number of pedal strokes, then sit when I get too exhausted. Nuttin' wrong with that!