My wife got her first road bike a few weeks ago, a 2007 Fuji Roubaix which she loves. She has been back to the LBS twice since the intial visit, each time getting a bit more comfortable after various adjustments, but she is clearly still not enjoying riding very much: her arms have to be completely straight for her to get to the handlebars, and she says her shoulders seem tight.

The guys at the LBS say that it simply takes time to get used to the new position on a roadbike. This seems sensible enough, but of course the more she practices on the bike the further it is from a new one that she might be able to return (we're not quite sure what the store's policy is on that).

I've urged her to go test ride some other kinds of bikes. But I wonder whether it's possible that the Fuji has a more "aggressive" geometry than some others (she's not looking to race, so doesn't need the speed), and whether that would account for her difficulties. Alternatively, is the LBS guy right: is a road bike an acquired taste?

My first since the summer of 1971 is coming next week ...