Ruby Versus Madone (again?)

[DrBadger]

Kelownagirl-
I was also in the same place you are now. My bike shop is actually both a Trek and Specialized dealer, so I was able to test ride both bikes at the same place, and my fitter know both bikes really well. I rode the Madone first. Very smooth ride, but to me it almost felt dead....like it damped out the road almost too much. Tad (my bike guy) described the Madone like a Cadillac...nice smooth ride, very safe. I had a bit of a hard time finding a Madone that would fit me really well because of the new seat clamp. I am 5'3" and wear a 30" inseam pants (don't remember my cycling inseam).

I then rode the Ruby... rode the Comp since that was the only one they had in the shop. Let's just say, it was the first bike (in my price range) that I came back in with a HUGE smile on my face! I felt like it smoothed out the road, but felt more like a race car....very responsive, when I moved and got out of the saddle it just responded to me. I went on to ride a number of other bikes (Felt, Cervelo, Lightspeed, Orbea) and just kept thinking about the Ruby. Went back to re-ride it, and it was just like I remembered...I was in love! I knew even before I went back that if I ordered the Ruby I was going to get the pro model, so Tad was a bit hesitant to send me back out on the Comp after I had ridden a bunch of other bikes (said it was like taking a knife to a gun fight). But it didn't matter.. it was the fit and the feel of the bike that I loved. I knew that if I loved the Comp that much the Pro was only going to be better. Did a bunch of fitting on the Comp to decide which size to order and get all my measurements. I am riding a 51, and it fits like a dream.

It was interesting since the shop sells both Specialized and Trek to hear what Tad thought of the two. In fact, the owner had been riding a Specialized Ruby Pro, and she had just upgraded to a new Madone (it was actually sitting next to my bike when I went to pick it up). He felt that the Ruby is a better deal for the money given the level of components and carbon that Specialized uses vs Trek, especially on their Women's bikes. Specialized is known for taking Women's specific design pretty seriously, and at least to me, I felt that this bike really responded to me better than any other bike I rode, women's specific or not.

Then again, everyone is different, and you may just LOVE the Madone. Is there anyway you can at least ride one that might be somewhat close to your size? Even if it isn't perfect or is the men's design you will at least get an idea of the ride and see if it is for you. Good luck!

E.
PS: The Ruby Pro is REALLY purdy too You can see photos of mine here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ellen.mallman/NewBike

[kelownagirl]

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me this much-needed feedback. It helps a LOT to hear the various opinions.

Dr. Badger - what made you decide to go with the Pro over the Expert? I can afford either one but I am thinking that I probably will not notice the improvement between the two, considering the extra $1000 cost. That being said, I don't expect I will ever buy another road bike of this caliber so I don't want to underbuy either - maybe I'll deserve the higher end components eventually? It's a tough call.

I will definitely go in and check out the Madones but I hate to wait until April. I want a new bike by the time the gravel is cleaned off the road.

[Zen]

Get the Ruby. It has a nice name.

[kelownagirl]

Get the Ruby. It has a nice name.

True. But that would also be like getting the Madone because I really like the colour... Actually, I lust after the 5.2 more, as dh and i call it.

[DrBadger]

Dr. Badger - what made you decide to go with the Pro over the Expert? I can afford either one but I am thinking that I probably will not notice the improvement between the two, considering the extra $1000 cost. That being said, I don't expect I will ever buy another road bike of this caliber so I don't want to underbuy either - maybe I'll deserve the higher end components eventually? It's a tough call.

Kelownagirl-
I could notice the difference between the Ultegra and Dura Ace components...the Dura Ace is really smooth and shifts faster. The Pro also comes with much nicer wheels, carbon handlebars, better brakes and shifters, and a carbon crankset. From what I read the wheels are really a lot better, and that can make a huge difference in a bike.

Like you, I had the $$ to spend, it wasn't at the top of my price limit that I had given myself, and I figured I would buy the best bike I could get. I too figured this was the big bike buy for many years (I say that now, we will see )

Good luck! It is always a hard decision!

[kelownagirl]

Hey DrB, at your age, you will probably buy many more bikes. However, I'll be 48 in another month and this will likely be my last road bike.

Good to know you notice a difference with the dura-ace. I wish I could actually ride the pro and expert. They only have a comp close to my size.