Womanized my bike

[yellowrose93]

So, this might seem silly, but I am so excited about the recent changes dh and I made to my bike. We got my bike off of Craigslist at the end of June. It was in perfect condition and even came with the shoes in my size! Talk about luck! Only problem was it was set up for a man. I am tall with long legs, but my arms aren't overly long. So, the first few times I rode, I kind of suffered. Also, they had put a big gel seat on which was comfy, but not for long periods of time. So, first we got a new seat made for women. Still trying to decide if I like it, but I think it is going to work for me. Then, yesterday we got new handlebars and a new stem, both designed for women. I went from a 46cm bar to a 40cm and from a "normal" stem (not sure how long) to a 75mm. Wow! What a difference this makes to my bike! I can't wait to ride now that I won't have to lean over as far, reach as far, or have as wide of a reach. Maybe my elbow will even stop hurting. And with the handlebar issues taken care of, I can better assess my saddle. Only reason I didn't ride today is because we need more spacers for the new stem where it fits on the bike. Getting those today.

[Tri Girl]

Yay!!!
Now we're going to need to see some pictures!

[yellowrose93]

I need to get some pics. Maybe dh can even take one or two of me on the bike. The only pics I have right now aren't great quality and it has the old stuff. Hmmmm . . . maybe a before and after!

[yellowrose93]

I got my butt measured on the Bontrager thingy. My saddle is a Bontrager inform R, 150mm. I've read so many things on this site and know that saddles are a tough one. What I mean by that is, 1 person might love a saddle and the next 25 people will hate it. Since I am so new to cycling, I don't know if I want/need a hard saddle or a squishy one. Do I need a cutout or is the indent on this saddle good enough? How long do you test a saddle before giving up? Since I have 90 days with this one to try it, I am giving it time. Also, I didn't want to make an opinion before fixing the handlebar issue.

My husband is the one who said he had womanized my bike. LOL That means he can't ride it now. We ride the same size bike, but I think this will make the reach too short for him.

[oxysback]

Gel seats are of the devil! (no offence to those of you who happen to like gel seats...)

Pictures, please!

[yellowrose93]

Ok, I took a break from working on my homework so I could take a couple pictures.

Not sure why the before pic isn't showing up unless you click the link. Hard to see the difference in handlebars, but you can see the seats!

[sgtiger]

Very nice! I like the yellow handlebar tape. Pulls all the other accents together beautifully and makes the bike stand out more.

[Tri Girl]

Beautiful bike!!! Love it with the yellow and red. Very nice!

[tctrek]

Looks GREAT! Happy trails!

[marni]

wow- that's nice although I must admit I was expecting pink twirly pompoms, pink seat, and princess decals. This is soo much better. Congrats and a perfect new customized bike.

marni

[tzvia]

Oh, you should feel a big difference in the handlebars- your elbows should love you again! A narrower handlebar will effectively shorten the reach, and adding the shorter stem will of course do the same so you won't be reaching waaayyy out there. Beautiful bike, I like the yellow tape! No reason to suffer, womanize away in style on that bike!

Let us know how it goes. And give the saddle some time now that the bike fits differently. If Bontrager still has a 90 day love it or return it policy, use that time to determine if gel is for you. Can't stand the stuff, personally, I prefer something firm that holds me up but everyone is different and it might be your cup of tea. I ride the mens RXL and love it, but it's a way different beast than the WSD saddle.