General Cycling Discussion - right bike for me?

Hi all-
I'm looking for my first road bike and want some advise from a non-salesperson point of view. I'm short (5'1"), so my bike choices are limited, and I"m trying to keep it at $1000 or less. My planned usage is medium-longish road rides, centuries, possibly some multi-day tours in the future. I've been able to test ride a Trek 2000WSD, a Cannondale (bottom of the line, don't remember model) and a Trek 520 touring bike (all 43 cm). Out of the 3, the 520 was the most comfortable ride, and I think I'd be happy with it.
My questions are these:
-Should I try finding other brands/models to ride before buying? Lemond is coming out with a "women-specific" Tourmalet model this year, and a local shop said they'd order one for me to try.
-I'm not really planning on doing any "loaded" touring, would I be better off with a straight road bike over a touring model? Is bike weight really a factor for me?
-What is the general consensus on bar-end shifters? The Trek 520 had them, and they worked well enough on my test ride. Or is STI the way to go?
-The 520 comes with 35 tires, could I use slightly skinnier tires on the same rims, or would I need a different wheelset?
Basically, it comes down to whether I should get the Trek 520 (which felt pretty good) or keep looking a bit more.
I really appreciate any advise, knowledge, & help anyone can offer!

I could be wrong, but even at 5'1" short, a 43cm seems a bit small. I wasn't even aware a frame that small was made, unless it was a custom. Measure your inseam in cm, or multiply inches by 2.54 to convert. Then multiply that number by .667 that should give you your approximate frame size. www.coloradocyclist.com has a good frame fit guideline.

As far as bike choice, I'd ride as many as possible and buy the one you're most comfortable on. Even if it cost more. There is nothing worse than having to continue to ride a mistake for the sake of saving a few bucks. If your proper size is a 43cm, I assuming it'll have 650 size wheels. Most manufacturers switch to the 650 (as apposed to 700) wheels on feminine or compact frames. This helps keep the geometries in proper relation to one another.

I would suggest sticking with a women's specific design, it'll probably be better for you on longer rides. As far as a touring bike goes, it'll have slightly more relaxed geometries and would be good as a recreational bike. (read - not a race bike), but from what you've said, may be a good choice for you. I suggest test riding more than just one touring bike. It'll definately be more comfy than a regular road bike.

Try as many brands as possible, and test ride them all!
Weight is of course an issue, the lighter the bike, the easier it is to handle, and the faster you'll "feel"(not necessarily go). How much weight, a pound +/- will make a noticable difference.

Bar end shifters vs. STI levers, matter of choice. Either will work fine, STI levers give you more control b/c you don't have to move your hands to shift and you can do so from a couple different hand positions. Bar end shifters require you to have your hands in the drops. Less of an issue is that bar end shifters can be more easily damaged if the bike falls over, but so can STI levers, but just not as easily.

You should be able to switch to thinner tires, most likely even down to 23's, but check with the shop. Heck, they'll probably even swap tires, no charge(or minimal charge), if that'll sell the bike.

To summarize, shop around more. If the shop will order you a LeMond to try out. (Verify it's only a try-out, don't commit yourself.) Go for it! Continue to shop, try out more "touring" bikes to compare apples to apples.

Good Luck

While the Trek 520 is a nice enuf bike, it is a touring bike, not a road bike. Touring bikes are usually heavier than road bikes, and are geared more for load hauling and hill climbing. They also make good long-ride commuters.
If you really want a road bike, I wouldn't be looking at touring bikes.
On the other hand, if you want to put racks and panniers, and go off on a week-long tour, then the 520 is for you.

Originally posted by D*Alex
While the Trek 520 is a nice enuf bike, it is a touring bike, not a road bike. Touring bikes are usually heavier than road bikes, and are geared more for load hauling and hill climbing. They also make good long-ride commuters.
If you really want a road bike, I wouldn't be looking at touring bikes.
On the other hand, if you want to put racks and panniers, and go off on a week-long tour, then the 520 is for you.

I second D*Alex on that. I have both a road bike (an old Italian model) and a touring bike (Bianchi Volpe). While I do use my touring bike a lot on bad roads and for handling load (which it manages quite well), I actually enjoy riding my road bike better (lighter, faster, better hill climber, more comfortable). Bottom line it depends on your needs and what you intend to do with it.

43 does seem small for 5'1". I just got a 49 Lemond and I'm 5'2". While shopping I also tried a 52 Trek and a 54WSD. Different compainies measure differently. Maybe the bike shop could compare geometery and have something near the size you'd like to order.

My concern was the size of the wheel. The 52 came with 650's while the 54WSD and the LeMond both came with 700's.

Good Luck!!!

Thanks everyone!
I checked my inseam (29")which suggests a 49cm bike. I tried to stand over a 47cm Lemond, and there was NO clearance. I checked out a couple of 52cm Treks, and it was obvious those were too big. Believe me, there's not a bike shop in town with anything smaller than 52cm, except the 47cm Lemond & the 3 43cm bikes I've already ridden. The 43cm bikes were from 2 different shops, and no one at either thought they were too small for me. Like I mentioned, the road bikes didn't feel very comfortable, but the touring bike did. I'm not looking for a touring bike, but if its the only thing I can find to fit, short of custom, I'll probably go with it. I am trying to ride as many bikes as possible, but as you can see there's not much available. I'll see if the 45cm Lemond can be ordered tomorrow.
Thanks again for the suggestions.

How about getting a Fit Kit done? Are there any shops in your area that offer it? The results are still just recommendations, but it might be useful in helping to determine important things like top tube length, which in my experience is just as significant a factor in bike fit as standover height. Many shops will apply the Fit Kit charge to the cost of a bike, if you buy from them. Just a thought.

I second the "fit-kit" idea. I would be cautious about the 43 size frames. Since these are unusually small bikes, there isn't a big demand for them. They may be leftovers that the shops are trying to get out the door even if they aren't the "right" bike for you! No, no one would sell you the wrong bike just to make a sale. Right everyone! Yeah, believe that and I'll sell you beach-front property in Nevada.

When you mention, "no clearance" do you mean you're riding the top-tube when standing? I would be less concerned with this than I would with the "reach" of the bike. Do you feel cramped when riding the 43's? In otherwords, do you feel like your knees could hit your elbows? Or, does your foot when in the 3 o'clock position rub the front tire while turning? If so, I'd at lease wait till you try out the 45 LeMond.

BTW, I just got a LeMond Zurich(see attached), a little over a month ago, and I love it! Can you tell I'm proud of my new bike!!! :D What model are you investigating?

Nice bike - great wheels. What are those black hoody things on the top of the bars?

Stew

Stew, the larger one farther away appears to be a headlight. See the battery in the bottle cage? The smaller one just this side of the headlight looks like a computer.

a2psyklnut, sweet bike. What kind of light is that. I don't recognize the battery.

MollySol, are the bikes you have looked at designed for women? Women generally have longer leg to torso ration than men and benefit by a shorter top tube. Have you considered a Terry? A couple of the smaller ladies on the forums have them and love them. Look back at threads on the Women's Cycling forum, there have been some on bikes for smaller women.
Regards,
Raymond

Hi again-
Took the 47cm Lemond for a test ride tonight and it felt MUCH better than the 43's. Part of it could be the steel, but the overall fit felt better too. Was much more comfy in all positions on the handlebars.

a2psyklnut, the 47cm was the Nevada City, but it's the Tourmalet that comes in the 45cm women's. I can't go QUITE as nice as you for my first road bike, wish I could! We had the seat down about as low as it goes, and I think you're right- the standover height wasn't that big of a deal. There was some pedal/foot overlap though.

Looking at the catalog there isn't much difference between the 45cm womens & the 47cm N.C., I'd get a little standover height, slightly shorter cranks & toptube. Guess I'll have to think about it. The Tourmalet also has somewhat nicer components. Any opinions?
Thanks again for all the advise! You all are much more helpful than the average salespeople I've encountered! :D

Scubagirl-
Which Lemond model did you end up with? What did you like most/least about it? Could you explain why you were concerned about the wheel size? Is that something I should be looking for?
Thanks

Ask as many questions, and ride as many bikes, as you can!

I ended up with the Zuric. I love it. I took off the mens seat and put a flight gel (womens) seat on it and after my first 35 mi ride (10 mi longer than most rides) I had no complaints about the seat.

About the wheels I thought if I pedeled the same as everyone else, the samller wheel would cover less distance. Over 60-80 miles that may make a difference. I think all of the LeMonds come with 700's.

The shifters are sort of hard to use. My hands are so small. I feel like I have to be in the drops to use them and the brakes.

I have only been out on it twice. I'm nursing a torn calf right now. I may do an easy ride this weekend.

Good Luck