Transitioning from hybrid to road/cyclocross

[Trek420]

I’m your height, 5’0” though heavier. That’ll be another thread. I’m still 175 lbs though since retiring the pants sizes are dropping. I was rocking size 16, now down to 12’s. The goal size is either 10 - maybe 8. It’s what tends to happen with me, weight stays the same and everything turns to muscle when I get fit. Anyway back to the bike;

My commute may be similar to yours; pavement and bike lanes with some gravel. My favorite commuters are my Salsa Vaya and the Soma Buena Vista the latter of which is a Mixte. Since you want to to cross the Salsa May be a better choice. Equipped with a rack and front and rear fenders it’s heavier than some. Test ride without and with lighter wheels.

I normally ride a 47cm, my Salsa is a 50cm. I’ve had I professionally fit and was surprised by that.

Here’s another thread for comparison and info:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=51616

[Lady Hamilton]

I’m your height, 5’0” though heavier. That’ll be another thread. I’m still 175 lbs though since retiring the pants sizes are dropping. I was rocking size 16, now down to 12’s. The goal size is either 10 - maybe 8. It’s what tends to happen with me, weight stays the same and everything turns to muscle when I get fit. Anyway back to the bike;

My commute may be similar to yours; pavement and bike lanes with some gravel. My favorite commuters are my Salsa Vaya and the Soma Buena Vista the latter of which is a Mixte. Since you want to to cross the Salsa May be a better choice. Equipped with a rack and front and rear fenders it’s heavier than some. Test ride without and with lighter wheels.

I normally ride a 47cm, my Salsa is a 50cm. I’ve had I professionally fit and was surprised by that.

Here’s another thread for comparison and info:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=51616

Thank you.

Well, sometimes height is not everything. I know women who are 5'3 with shorter legs than mine. So, I am not suprized at all that Vaya 50 fit you. I have looked up the specs, and they're are tiny at their smallest size. Specialized Ruby at 44 is also a very-very tiny bike, that is more for someone who is 5 foot and under. I haven't tried this year's one, but I remember being very cramped on last year's one.

I have tried just for the heck of it Cannondale CAADX 2016 with 105, priced very comfortably. It's unisex, size 44. Because it is cross bike, and sits very high from the ground, I did not clear the standover, but I was very comfortable in the reach. Basically, while I was on the bike, it was ok. It is a very nice bike and feels like very high quality. Actually, in terms of looks and feel I've liked it more than Diverge...

Muirenn, I see one in your signiture. Do you love yours?
Would it be comfortable on a 50-70 mile ride?

[Lady Hamilton]

The closest Advocate Cycles store is like an 9 hour drive one way. Unfortunately...
Of, course, there is always an option to send it to a mailbox storage place in Niagara Falls (has been done with many, many things with lots of items), but I would really hate to buy something without trying it first. I think that the whole fitting and adjusting experience is very important, so I would only go with something shipped if I knew exactly what I am getting.
Also, one of the Salsa's dealers around offers 0% financing over 12 or 24 months, which really helps to get the bike you want, as opposed to the one you can afford out of pocket.
I will definitely be checking it out as soon as I can, schedule permitting.

[Lady Hamilton]

But I know in the past, it seemed they would not fit someone less than 5'4" or so.
No, the bike is too high off the ground. Even in size 44, which they no longer make. Now the smallest is what they call 46.

[Lady Hamilton]

There is one model this year. With APEX 1 HDR group set. And very pricey. Smallest size is 46 and standover is very tall too, at 75 cm.

The one I have tried is men's/unisex.

[north woods gal]

There is one model this year. With APEX 1 HDR group set. And very pricey. Smallest size is 46 and standover is very tall too, at 75 cm.

The one I have tried is men's/unisex.

Are you familiar with SRAM road shifters? They are different than Shimano in the way the work. Not everyone likes them. APEX is low end in the SRAM line, quality wise. Definitely not 105 level. I rode with Apex for two years on a Salsa Fargo. I sold the Fargo because it was just too expensive to switch everything over to 105. I get along great with SRAM MTB stuff, but not their road stuff. Just me, though. Some folks love the SRAM road stuff. Not knocking it. Just saying you might want to try before you buy if you haven't ridden with the SRAM double tap road stuff.

[Crankin]

I think I would be one of those people, North Woods. I have a lot of trouble with muscle memory and mechanical/spatial things, and once I learn something, it is difficult for me to switch. Although I went from trigger shifters on a mountain bike to Ultegra with no issue, and shifting has always been intuitive to me, I had an embarrassing experiencing leading a ride a few years ago.I was sweeping the faster group and this younger woman, who was clearly very fit was lagging and as we neared the end of the ride, I realized she had no idea how to shift. She had bought the bike in the fall and this was one of her first rides the next spring. She could barely get up little rises. I only looked at her shifters and assumed they were Shimano... we stopped and I was trying to show her, when I saw the SRAM. I only remembered something about double tap, so I started playing around. I couldn't figure out if it was double tap to go up, down, or both, and having just one lever totally messed me up. Anyway, I apologized for being a bad leader and I was able to get the bike in a lower gear for her, by accident!

[north woods gal]

The SRAM double tap is different from Shimano in that you do both the down shift to an easier gear and up shift to a harder gear with the small lever under the large brake lever. Push the lever in half way and you go to a higher gear. Push it in all the way to drop down in gearing. With Shimano, of course, the two shiftings are done on separate levers.

My problem was SRAM road shifters was getting that lever pushed all the way in when I needed to drop down in gear, as when tacking a big hill. Had to reach in too far for me to do it, easily. Had to loosen my grip on the hoods (and I don't have petite hands) to get it done. Very awkward. Then, if I failed to push the lever in all the way or released it before the shift was complete (the Apex was very slow), I'd end up shifting up a gear, instead of dropping down a gear. ARRGGHH! That, of course, stopped my climb in its tracks. It also made my Salsa Fargo worthless for trail riding where shifting needs to be even faster and the timing more critical. Was a total disaster for techy trail work, even though Salsa advertises the Fargo as a drop bar mountain bike. Not for this gal!

Also, I wore out the Apex shifter on the right side in one season. My bike shop took care to it for me, but even repaired, they couldn't keep it shifting, right. Lots of trips back to the shop. This same shop now refuses to stock any bikes with Apex because other customers were having the same problems. When they do stock SRAM road group, now, their minimum is Rival.

I found down shifting on the Shimano by pushing the brake lever in to be much easier and much faster and much more comfortable, all with my hands firmly on the hoods. I have used 105 for some moderately techy trail work and while not as good as MTB trigger shifters, of course, it does work.

Again, I love SRAM MTB shifters - use them on several bikes - but SRAM road shifting doesn't work for me. Does work for other folks, just not for me. Hope I haven't offended any SRAM road fans. You'll have to try it and decide for yourself. You may like it, you may not. Not putting it down. I just couldn't manage it, well. Bad choice for me.

If anyone does go SRAM road, though, I'd highly recommend stepping up to Rival.

[Lady Hamilton]

Are you familiar with SRAM road shifters? They are different than Shimano in the way the work. Not everyone likes them. APEX is low end in the SRAM line, quality wise. Definitely not 105 level. I rode with Apex for two years on a Salsa Fargo. I sold the Fargo because it was just too expensive to switch everything over to 105. I get along great with SRAM MTB stuff, but not their road stuff. Just me, though. Some folks love the SRAM road stuff. Not knocking it. Just saying you might want to try before you buy if you haven't ridden with the SRAM double tap road stuff.

to be entirely honest with you, I was not even considering this particular bike. It is too large to start with and at this price point makes very little sense to me.

I went to a very large and reputable Trek and Cannondale dealer. I had a very long conversation with a gentleman there. They have quite a few bikes in my size from previous year and can get anything 2018 very quickly. After considering everything I had to say, they offered me a couple of very doable options with disks and Tiagra. One option is last year's Cannondale Synapse Disk. It basically ticks all the boxes, except the 105, and is priced very comfortably at $1300. Brand new 2018 is the same components, but $1600. There are a few differences, 2017 is 12-30 (2018 is 11-34 ), and 2017 uses 700X25 tires (2018's tires are 700X28). It looks like endurance bikes across the Trek, Cannondale, Specialized are really moving away from 700X25 tires, especially in their Disk models.
Or, altenatively, if I am willing to go up to $2000, there is Synapse Disk 105 (mechanical disks) or new Trek Domane Disk Tiagra (hydrolics). It's the basically the choice: better breaks or better gears.
I am still, obviously, undecided...