tahoe_girl

Hi everyone,

It has been a few months since I last posted. Since my last post, I did complete my first century ride in Lake Tahoe this past September. It was an amazing experience and only restored my love for being on my bike.

However, I did the century ride and the ride around Lake Tahoe on a Trek FX hyrbrid bike. I am definitely wanting to upgrade to a road bike now that I have my confidence. I have been looking at 2012 Scott Contessa Speedster 15 (women's bike). Does anyone know much about this bike? I was also considering some sort of Trek, Cannondale and/or Specialized series. I know this is kind of a broad subject, but does anyone have any suggestions on a decent road bike? I have lost 97 pounds since I started riding my bike and mainly use my bike for commuting 5 days a week (roundtrip 25 - 30 miles) wtih a charity ride and weekend longer ride here and there. I don't do any racing, mainly just looking to maintain my newfound healthy life style. I just have no idea where to start for a good road bike in the price rage of $1500-$2000.

Thanks so much everyone!

valygrl

Congratulations on the impressive weight loss!

Any of those brands will be fine, as long as the specific bike fits you. You don't have to limit yourself to women's bikes, either. Be patient, get help with fit from the best road bike shop you can find, and don't settle for something that you aren't sure about the fit just to get a good price. Be willing to swap out things like the saddle and stem to make it comfortable.

Keep the hybrid for commuting and then you won't have to compromise on the road bike, keep the road bike light (no bags, racks, baskets, fenders, etc). Since you live in Tahoe, make sure you get low enough gearing (Compact Double with a 28 tooth cassette, or a triple).

sced

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...hamp_ti_10.htm

a1penguin

Whoa! Congrats, tahoe_girl. I remember when you asked for advice purchasing the hybrid! I'm impressed!

That Scott is not a bad looking bike for the price ($1k). It's mostly 105 and is pretty light at 19 lbs.

In the $1k-$1500 price range you should be able to find bikes that have 105 level components; these will offer smooth shifting and years of service. I like the Felt Z85 which is an all 105 equipped bike and is also in the same weight range. If you want a less aggressive riding position, look at the "plush" or "endurance" models. At the $1500 price range, you are looking at the Trek 2.1/Domane 2.0 or Lexa SLX, Cannondale Synapse 105, Specialized Dolce Comp. Looks like the Specialized Secteur has a good offering of bikes with disc breaks if you are interested.

You can't easily swap from double to triple because it requires a lot of parts to be changed, not just the chain ring on the front. Trek has good offerings in triples as does Specialized. I have both triple and double geared bikes and don't find them that different. The triple is 52/42/30 + 12-25 and the double is 50/34 11-28. I recommend you figure out what gearing you want. I suck at hills and ride mostly flat roads so this gearing is OK for that.

At the $2000 price range, you start getting into low end carbon bikes with low end frames and low end groups (tiagra or lower). I personally would stay away from that combination. If you can find 2012 or 2011 bikes on sale, you might be able to find a nice carbon bike in the $2k price range.

Go kick some tires and take some test rides.

unionmade

Congrats Tahoe girl,
for what you describe, I'd recommend a steel bike that will take fenders and maybe a rear rack. Plus, a steel frame will give you a ride like butter. In your price range, check out the Jamis Aurora Elite. If you don't need the rack, check out the Jamis Quest. I commute in Boston on a SS steel Jamis Sputnik (Reynolds 631 like these two) and its a joy to ride.
Bryan

Psimet2001 

Congrats. You're the kind of rider that makes cycling awesome.


1. Don't hand wring too much. It's a bike. Even if its a big expenditure for your budget...life is short (but a bit longer for you now I'd wager)
2. Get comfortable. Find a good fitter. Ask other riders....not the fitters themselves. Let them help you.
3. Reason for "2" is that they can help you find the frame that will work best. After that the rest are details.
4. Like everything else in life, pick the one that makes you want to ride it every day.

spivey44

97 pounds !! Great. I am new to road biking always have been a mountain man.

Just bought my first road bike, Scott CR 1.

Personally I think you would be best served by using a LBS. Yes you may spend a couple of hundred more but the fitting process is key. I got my bike this past weekend and they took measurements etc. Even chnging out the stem from 100 to 80 mm ( app. 1 inch) made a HUGH difference in the feel of the bike.

I don't believe fit is as crucial on a mountain bike so I went the Jenson route but for a road bike stick with a good LBS who has a reputation of proper fitting not rushing you out the door with your check in the register.

Just my opinion. Now if you or a friend know how to fit the bike go on line route and make the changes yourself. Having no knowledge of proper road fit I bought locally and am glad I did.

Good luck. BTW 97 pounds, how longdid that take?

tahoe_girl

Wow, thanks everyone! I really appreciate the advice you all have given me and taking the time to help me. I've done some research all day today, and may be leaning towards the 2013Trek Lexa SLX. The only thing that I am confused with on this bike is it is labeled as an endurance fit. I'm not quite sure what that means and what makes this fit different than other fits. Any thoughts? Does anyone have any experience with this kind of fit?

tahoe_girl

Trust me! My 97 pound journey took forever. I started riding my bike about 4 years ago. It has taken a hell of a long time to get this weight off, but I hear this is a good way to approach weight loss

spivey44

Endurance fit has a more relaxed geometry. In other words your fit on the bike is not as "aerodynamic" a bit more upright if you will. Allows for more time in the saddle as in hours. Not to say the relaxed fit is not aerodynamic just not as radical.

https://thebikelane.wordpress.com/201...nches-new-fit/

H1 least relaxed, H2 middle of the road and H3 is so called endurance geometry , I suppose along the lines of the Lexa.

thegnome

I'm unfamiliar with that particular model, but likely they just mean it has a taller headtube than a so-called "race geometry" bike. A slightly taller headtube keeps you a little more upright naturally (a slammed stem is higher than it would be on a bike with a shorter headtube) and is a little more comfortable for most over an extended period. Overall, if you like the bike that's what matters. I don't think any frame from a major manufacturer is awful and if your plan isn't to race crits on the weekends, an "endurance" or "comfort" frame will likely be a little more pleasurable.

mprelaw

The Lexa is Trek's WSD ("Women's Specific Design) aluminum frame road bike. It has what Trek calls their H3 fit. Higher head tube which puts the bars a few cm higher even with a down-angled stem. I think their WSD models also have a shorter top tube than their men's frames in the same size, which reduces the reach to the bars. Women tend to have shorter torsos than men. Endurance bikes tend to have geometries that allow for a more upright riding position.

All of the "Big 4", Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, and Giant, now offer WSD models. But that doesn't mean that a WSD bike is right for every woman. Try as many different bikes as you can. For $2000 you can get a lot of bike, but it has to be comfortable to ride. I think Trek's top of the line Lexa has their better grade of aluminum frame (their 200 series) and mostly 105 components. But if you want to go to your $2000 end, you could also look at the WSD 3.1 Madone, with a carbon fiber frame and full carbon fork. It uses a mix of 105 and Tiagra components, IIRC. That's also a H3 fit, although Trek doesn't label it as an "endurance" bike.

And that's just Trek. The others will have similar offerings. Specialized, for example, calls their WSD road bikes the Ruby (carbon) and Dolce (aluminum).

ZippyThePinhead

I will second the BD Le Champ recommendation, as I have about 5300 miles on mine and it is a great bike. The combination of the compact (34/50) crank and 11-28 cassette is very, very helpful for me. It is a great value, even at the current BD MSRP of $1800.

You'll probably end up upgrading a few things on that bike if you get it. I did... I have Speedplays ($125), a Selle An-Atomica saddle (around $125 if you shop around), better wheels, and carbon bars. That's what is good about the price; you get the bike, plus you have some room in the budget for upgrades.

I have a friend who rides a Trek Domane WSD, and loves it. That model is a bit out of your budget range, but in light of your accomplishment, perhaps you should consider celebrating a bit.

CenturionIM

I will third the BD Le Champ Ti rec. I have yet to see any owner not rave about it. The SRAM rival version is still on sale for 1495.

That said, not sure how comfortable you are at buying off the internet/wrench a tiny little bit. If you do go this route, make sure to use the competitive cyclist fit calculator to obtain a rough fit.

ZippyThePinhead

Very wise. Or you can talk to the folks at BD. But the sloping top tube is deceptive. I ride a 53 cm Moto le Champ titanium, but my 1983 Japanese road bike is a 57.

fez_

You should check out the Giant Avail as well.

tahoe_girl

Wow, thanks everyone! You all have given me so much to think about, and now I have some homework ahead of me. I'm going to start researching and doing some test rides. Most of the LBS around me will be rolling out their 2013 bikes in the comng weeks. Thanks again everyone!

Latif

Congrats on the hard work you've done so far and I'm sure the rewards are phenominal. With the budget you have plus having a good bike to ride already I'd say take your time and ride as many as you can. I'm thinking you've got Reno and the Sacto metro areas if Tahoe's choices are limited. Make sure to leave some of your budget for perhaps clipless and related accessories.
Would love to ride around Tahoe someday.
Good luck in your quest!

caloso

Nice job, tahoe_girl!

I won't recommend any specific bike, just suggest you take a look at the local shops. Might be worth a trip over the hill to Reno, as well. With your first good road bike, it's well worth it to establish a relationship with a good shop.

We spend a fair amount of time up at the lake, especially during the summer, so I'll look to wave at you on the road. :-)