So I finally got a chance to stop at an LBS to look at some bikes today (fully recovered from my 2-week bout with chickenpox...yay!). The shop I went to is a Cannondale, Giant, Specialized dealer...so I already knew what I was looking for before we arrived - Cannondale Synapse Carbon Fem 3, Giant Avail Advanced 1, Specialized Ruby Expert. They had NONE of the bikes I wanted, but did have a lower-end Synapse and Giant Avail, that I was able to sit on for sizing. The Giant was a size small, which is supposedly where I fall based on the Giant Women's sizing chart...yet I felt stretched out (hubby said I looked stretched out). They had an extra small, but it felt like a little kid's bike when I straddled it...just not for me. So...not sure at this point, if a Giant will work for me. They didn't have any Specialized bikes in my size for me to even sit on, so no luck there. On to the Cannondales...they did have a lower-end aluminum Synapse in a 51cm. It felt great, and my hubby said I looked comfortable on it..not stretched, elbows weren't locked. The salesguy said it looked like a "perfect fit", so he went to his computer to check on availability of the Synapse Carbon Fem 3....NONE! With no chance of ordering one for 2010...Cannondale is done with production for the 2010 model year. ACK! I am SO bummed. Never did I think that production of high-end bikes would be finished before the riding season even starts!!! And I'm hearing the same story with many other manufacturers, too. It's so frustrating to go bike shopping only to find that every shop you go to has no bikes in stock, and can't even order the one you want! This dealer was even nice enough to call up a nearby competitor, to see if they had my bike in stock...still no luck.

The only "bright side" to all of this, is that according to the dealer...the 2011 Cannondales are due to start arriving at his shop sometime in June or July. So if I can wait, I'll have first dibs on a 2011 model. I figure, at this point...I might as well continue to ride my old too-big-for-me Trek for a few more months until the 2011's come in and I can get what I really want. So I suppose in the end, it will all work out...but I feel a little better now that I've had a chance to whine.

Linda