Hi ladies...I could really use some help here. I'm in the midst of having a major cycling "meltdown". First some background info - this is my 3rd solid year of cycling. Bought my first "real" road bike in the spring of 2008 in preparation for my first triathlon (actually ended up doing 2 tris that year). I ended up with a 2007 Trek 2100 WSD (54cm) that a LBS had on "closeout". It was a great bike, and I rode it for a full year...but never really felt 100% comfortable on it. Turns out that it was too big for me (but I still have the bike).

In the meantime, I had (foolishly) signed myself up for a Half Ironman tri to be held in July of 2009. Since my Trek was too big and uncomfortable, I had decided it was time to buy something that fit me better and was better suited for triathlon. But I didn't want a tri-specific bike...since most of the riding I do is in suburban stop-n-go traffic. I settled on a Cervelo Soloist Carbon, a dual-purpose aero road bike. I was professionally fitted onto a 51cm frame and had it built up with full Ultegra SL components. It's a gorgeous bike...sleek, fast, aggressive and VERY expensive (more than I really wanted to spend). But my (rather hasty) decision to buy it, was jaded by sheer excitement of something "new and shiny".

So, over the next few months, I happily rode my Cervelo...afterall, this WAS the bike I had chosen for myself, so I had better be happy with it...right? Ummm...wrong. Firstly, I never did do that Half Ironman race that I had signed up (and paid) for, due to ongoing running injuries. Infact, I haven't done ANY triathlons since the 2 races that I did back in 2008...and to be honest, I don't really have the desire to do any more of them at this time. What I really want to do, is focus more on riding longer distances. And sadly, my Cervelo is no longer the bike that suits my needs and wants right now. It has taken me over a year to admit it, but I bought the wrong bike for myself. It's way too aggressive and racy for my 44-year old body. It's twitchy and stiff, and although it is full carbon...it's an extremely harsh and bone-jarring ride. I feel so beat up and exhausted when I get off that thing...that I sometimes feel like just collapsing to the ground. Riding this bike makes me LOATHE cycling on some days...and it shouldn't have to be like that. I shouldn't have to ride in agony, yet I force myself to do it (I've put on about 5,200 miles on this bike since I bought it a little less than a year ago) because I spent SO much money on this damn bike.

So...the bottom line is...I NEED to find myself a new bike. I've been concentrating on "plush" geometry bikes. My only requirement at this time, is that I would like full Ultegra 6700 or SRAM Force components. So far, my list consists of Giant Avail Advanced 1, Scott Contessa CR1 Pro, and the BH Cristal (droooool!!!). Of course, I've also looked at Trek and Specialized...but those 2 options are more of a last resort since I'm not too keen on the dealers in my area (past history with both). Are there any other bikes I should consider that I might be missing? Thanks for your help...and thanks for reading.

Linda