Thinking about buying a Specialized Ruby Comp

[li10up]

I currently have a Specialized Allez (triple) and think I want to move up to the Ruby Comp. Those of you who have that bike, what do you think? Is it a good bike for the price? Any input is appreciated.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Are you shorter than 5'5" with shorter than 30" standover height?

[li10up]

I'm 5' 5.5" with a 30 in. inseam. I recently test road, briefly, a Specialized Ruby Pro and it was really nice. The Specialized rep recommended a Ruby Comp since it was more inline with my price range. My LBS is a Specialized dealer. When I bought my Allez all they did for fit was check standover height. They only tried one bike on me. So, I'm a little leary of going back to them - at least until I know which bike to get. I do like to support the shop since they are the only one we have. So I'm trying to find out as much as I can before I buy. Plus they give free tune-ups for a year if you buy from them. I guess it really showed that I was a newb the first time so they just stuck me on a bike. It works pretty well but I have some minor pains that I'm starting to think are due to fit. Anyhow...just looking for some input.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The only reason I mention this is because i was at a bike shop last week that happened to have a Ruby Comp on the floor and I tried it out of curiousity.
I am 5'5" with a 30" pbh (pubic bone height).
The bike was marked "Women's L" (with a Specialized sticker on the frame) for Large and under that it was marked 54cm.
The top tube was several inches below my crotch when standing over it, and when sitting on the bike my knees were WAY bent too much- too much even for higher saddle height to fix I'd say. The reach to the bars seemed fine, but the bike felt overall substancially too small for me. I asked about the size, and the LBS guy said it was women's Large and if I wanted anything larger I would have to go to a Specialized "Roubaix" bike instead of the Ruby Comp (not sure of spelling there). Now I don't know if he was telling me some bs line or not, maybe they DO make Ruby comps larger than that. But I thought i'd just pass this experience along, and especially since you and I seem to be EXACTLY the same size. Don't let anyone sell you a bike frame that doesn't fit to begin with. Other stuff and details can be tweaked, but frame size cannot.
I ride a 54cm Rivendell by the way, which feels like a much bigger bike to me than this 54 RubyC. All bike brands have different geometrys and need to be actually tested by yourself in person.

[Aggie_Ama]

Where do you live? I would be a bit hesistant if they put you on a bike that didn't fit. Does your Allez fit?

How much does a Ruby Comp run? It is comparable to my bike, I just haven't priced one.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Looking at the Specialized site, I see that they do offer the ruby comp in both 54 and 56cm sizes. The 54 seemed a bit small for me, and I am your exact height and pubic bone height. You should at least try a 56cm as well if you are going to shell out that kind of money. Get the LBS to check out your leg/knee positions in particular. You do NOT want knee pain and problems due to not being able to straighten your leg enough while riding.
Another note- the Specialized "Roubaix" is a man's bike and I notice that the top tube length is substancially longer for the very same size bike compared to the Ruby comp women's bike they make. So if you are also proportioned like me you might want to consider avoiding that longer reach on their man's Roubaix bike. I have a non women's specific Rivendell and I've had to do some tweaking to make the reach more comfortable, and it may well be impossible to get it perfect.

[xeney]

I thought PBH and standover were not exactly the same, except for Rivendell's method of measuring?

My inseam (not the same as PBH, obviously) is about 30", I'm 5'6, and when I tried out a Ruby, I needed a 51 cm. A lot of this is just fit preference.

[songlady]

My inseam (not the same as PBH, obviously) is about 30", I'm 5'6, and when I tried out a Ruby, I needed a 51 cm. A lot of this is just fit preference.

I am also 5.5 1/2 and just got a new (used) Ruby in a 51. I have a very short upper torso and this bike fits great now that I've changed the stem to a 75.

[midlife]

I'm interested in this topic as being a shortie 5'2" I find my Giant compact frame (a medium) too big, even with the shortest stem possible (can't recall, maybe a 75/70?) Trouble with a small frame is the wheels need to be 650's as they just look stupid with a 700's on a small frame and the think I like about the Ruby is the narrower bars and the shorter reach to the brakes. I have upper back issues if I ride too long, too often.

It might be a pipe dream at the moment but just considering it. Moving overseas soon, so not sure what to do!!

[Aggie_Ama]

Midlife- I have a Cannondale Synapse and it fits great for me, I am also 5'2". The frame is 47 cm and I have long legs and a short torso. Unlike my last bike, I can actually shift and brake easily from the drops. My bike has the 700 wheels and it took me a while not to look at it as out of proportion. I do love that I can now steal my husband's tubes instead of having my own. My guess is the manufacturers use 700 wheels on the higher end bikes because there is more variety of quality rims? I haven't done the research on that though.

As for the back issues, that seems like a fit problem. Although my shoulder blades ache on long rides too. I think it is more the way I ride, I tend to really grip the hoods and the kiss of death- lock my elbows. I have to be aware of my own position on the bike, I am my own worst enemy.

The Ruby has 700 wheels, so it wouldn't fit your criteria if you cannot stand the 700's.

[li10up]

Aggie_Ama, I don't think my Allez fits me as well as it could. I feel I am too stretched out. But I am having slight knee pain in the front which means my seat needs to be moved back a bit. That would stretch me out even more. I test rode a Ruby Pro at a Specialized Bike Demo and it felt good without even being fit to me...other than saddle height. It's more than I want to spend $3900 whereas the Ruby Comp is $2200.

I want better components than are on my entry level Allez and a lighter bike. I feel like the Ruby would fit my needs and that I wouldn't want to go out and buy a better bike in a couple of years. Plus I want to go from a triple to a compact double. I've checked the gearing and they are almost the same at the high and low ends plus they are better spaced in between with no big gaps. Plus I would have to do less double shifting. I just want to get a great fit.

That's what worries me though. My LBS didn't do a fit other than standover height on the first bike (actually 2 bikes) a mtn bike and a road bike. This would be my 3rd bike from them and with this kind of money I'm not sure if they will fit me correctly. But I do want to support the local shop.

[Aggie_Ama]

My carbon Cannondale bike is in the same price range as the Ruby Comp, so IMHO the Ruby is a good bike for the $$. Come to Austin, you can get a Ruby Comp for less than you are saying and a good fitting. Maybe even a 2006 Ruby Expert for only $2499 if you are the right size.

On the fit, I would walk in and be very blunt. Tell them you want to support them, but you will not buy a bike with out a quality fit. A $2000+ bike is not something you should have to settle on, if they can't do a quality fit I would drive to another shop. Maybe they don't know how to do a good fitting? Mine measured standover height before putting me on the trainer but then he spent 45 minutes watching me pedal, tweaking the seat height and then replacing we saddle and redid the whole thing.

I bet you can get a recommendation for Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and I could give you two for Austin. Of course you might be in El Paso or Lubbock- I just saw Texas!

[li10up]

Aggie_Ama, Austin is about an hour away from me. Can you give me the names and addresses of two good shops? Hopefully close to I35 since I don't know my way around Austin. Although I can follow a map...

I'm going to my LBS shop today to see what they have. I do want to check out some other shops and see how they approach me. My only experience is at my LBS. I don't want to rush into this like I did on my first two bikes.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Aggie_Ama, I don't think my Allez fits me as well as it could. I feel I am too stretched out. But I am having slight knee pain in the front which means my seat needs to be moved back a bit. That would stretch me out even more.

I think it means you need to raise the seat UP more, not move it back.

You can't have 700c wheels on a really small frame because then your toes hit the front wheel too often when you're turning or cranking up steep hills...the dreaded "toe clip" syndrome. 26" or 650B wheels will not make you slower- they'll just be better proportioned for your frame's size and your body size. Better fit will result in more efficient riding. I suspect that any women who is 5'3" or less might be better off on a bike with wheels smaller than 700's.

[Aggie_Ama]

li10up- I will pm you the two that I think have service that is good. I bought a bike from one, but not the one that carries Specialized.

I think it means you need to raise the seat UP more, not move it back.

You can't have 700c wheels on a really small frame because then your toes hit the front wheel too often when you're turning or cranking up steep hills...the dreaded "toe clip" syndrome. 26" or 650B wheels will not make you slower- they'll just be better proportioned for your frame's size and your body size. Better fit will result in more efficient riding. I suspect that any women who is 5'3" or less might be better off on a bike with wheels smaller than 700's.

I have 700 wheels on my new 47 cm bike and after almost 400 miles have not managed toe overlap once. I do not race and therefore am not cornering super tight, but I do climb a lot of pesky steep hills.

Specialized and now Cannondale have worked very hard to eliminate this problem. The owner of the shop I bought my bike at was impressed when I asked him about the toe overlap and we couldn't create it in the shop. The other problem is if you can't go custom you may have to take the 700 wheels. I didn't want 700 wheels, but I wanted carbon and custom was not in the budget.