Yen

TruF, that's how I'm feeling now. I am so afraid of making the wrong choice, and the different opinions at different bike shops makes my head spin. On the other hand, I don't think I can go wrong with either of these choices with the help of a fitter.

BTW, I think you said you'll look into MTB shoes to start before thinking of going clipless. That's the route I've chosen to go, and I bought these today... https://bicycleshop.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=417 at one of the shops while we were there.

Tom Bombadil

I can tell I don't like 175mm cranks just by pedaling on them. Every stroke feels like it forces my knees too high to get over the top of it.

Less obvious is that when riding, I can keep my cadence higher on a 170.

Haven't had a chance to try 165's yet. My old beater Panasonic that I picked up a few weeks ago has them, but I haven't had a chance to get out on it yet.

Yen

Thanks Tom.

stapfam

Good choice on the shoes. That strap over the top keeps the lace ends enclosed so you wont be shredding the laces in the cranks.

I did a memorable ride a long time ago in a pair of new shoes. Just like any other shoe-Cycling shoes need wearing in- so put the trainers at the back of the cupboard and go for a couple of 5 mile walks in them. And buy some plasters for the blisters as just like a pair of High heels- they hurt till they wear in.

And on the bike- Do find the WSD versions and a shop that is prepared to fit you to it.

Yen

Glad to know I made a good choice in shoes, esp. since they were the first and only ones I tried. But I knew the style I wanted, and they fit. Since they are compatible only with SPD pedals, the guy assured me there are SPDs that can be set for easy learning. I had no idea that a shoe might limit the type of pedal I could choose, so I hope I chose wisely in that regard. My foot doesn't fit well in the shoe with both my rigid orthotic and the thin pad that comes with the shoe, so I'm thinking of replacing the thin pad with one of those Specialized shoe inserts for different arch supports .... I have high arches and my orthotics have made a world of difference in relief of back and hip pain. I know I'll be doing more riding than walking in them, so maybe it won't make any difference.

jppe

Yen-if it helps any I went with the LBS that was the most flexibile with me. I wanted to "swap stuff" like the saddle, stem size etc. There was one LBS that was very accomodating and was the same price so I went with them.

BTW-be prepare to continue to tweak your bike even after you've ridden it for a while to fine tune the saddle placement, bars, etc. Your body will tell you what you need to do.

I'd agree with staying with a carbon frame. You can ride for a lot more miles with more comfort.

TruF 

Those look great, Yen! Thanks for telling me about them. I'll be sure to try on a pair. Price isn't bad, either! Hope you got a good rest last night and that your head has stopped spinning.

Yen

jppe: A few of the shops have been like that. There are 3 that (1) have a fitter who will fit me on a trainer, and (2) will work with me to adjust the bike in any way to make it feel good to me. I guess now it just comes down to price, and which shop which is a hard choice. My favorite by a short margin is also the furthest away (16 mi).

The part about this shopping I dislike is taking a lot of one person's time in a shop, riding the bikes, letting them make a lot of adjustments and change stems, liking what they say, thanking them for taking the time, getting their card.... then choosing another shop. We are friendly types and strike up conversations with the sellers... it feels like I'm leading them on, but that's not our intention.

TruF: My head is still spinning but not quite as much. I'm planning to call one shop who also carries Cannondales to get their price on the Synapse Feminine 5, but I think the Ruby has the edge with the Ultegra RD on the Comp Triple.

Yen

You might also want to try the Sonoma style as well (which is also Specialized). Similar styling and price. They didn't have my size though, and I believe he said the women's version is white... I wanted grey or black.

Road Fan

Yen, Georgina is worth checking out! Mrs Road Fan is slim and not hard to fit, but many other women we ride with have the usual large variation in sizing and shaping, and Terry clothing is popular and good-looking across the board.

I can't say which of her bikes fall into the "plush" (fast but comfy for 50 plussers) category you're looking in, but I'm sure the on-line or store staff can advise you. They also have a used bike listing on their website.

Road Fan

Road Fan

Technically a longer crank gives you more leverage, i.e. it applies more powre to the chain for any given cadence. This is more power, but that power (remember our high school science, energy's gotta come from somewhere!) is supplied by your body, and represents extra output for any given cadence. I just got 172.5's to replace several of my 170s, and on my one ride this winter I went up the hill a bit better.

You need to lower your saddle to get the same leg extension and re-check your knee position. Once you do the bars may want to be lowered a bit.

Then the effect is that your knees are rising higher to get your foot over the pedal circle. If you can tolerate a "high knee" (small closing angle), great. So far so good, for me! My central emergency fuel store is not affected significantly, i.e, my knees aren't hitting my belly too badly, nor is my breathing restricted.

Some have reported hip joint discomfort due to the greater range of motion. Several dozen hours on the trainer this winter, and no such complaints here.

But I don't know how you can assess your own responses correctly in a pre-purchase situation.

Road Fan

Tom Bombadil

Some recent studies have shown that many people cannot maintain the higher cadence on a longer crank, and that many of them produce more total power using a shorter crank arm. In fact, some hit maximum power output down around 150-155mm - to their own great surprise.

Tom Bombadil

Has your husband decided on a bike?

The Smokester

Possibly true. But you know that is only one metric. Peak power and peak torque are some other metrics which may be traded off with crank length

CB HI

This is the right approach. Ride as many bikes as possible and then narrow the choices down to 2 or 3. That is when things get hard.

buyer

Talking about crank length, it is up to individual to feel comfortable whether you like to spin fast or ride hard with big gear. I am the type who prefer spinning fast than riding bigger gear with longer crank arm.
For years (6) I rode my mountainbike with 175. Then it came time to change crank due to wear and tear, I tried 170 as I liked spinning. It did me a world of good.
However, my roadbike (second hand) with Dura Ace component came with 172.5 crank arm. I found that it did restrict me when I gripped the drop (lower part) as my knees felt rising a bit high. After riding for a few weeks I could adjust riding 172.5 comfortably. But if the roadbike's crank wears out, I will certainly swap to 170 crank arm.

divingbiker

Yen, I've been wearing Specialized Taho MTB shoes for a couple of years now, and I like them a lot--they're extremely comfortable! But they're not as stiff as road bike shoes, and you may notice that when you do decide to go clipless. Last summer I got these and I like them better for road riding, even though they're still an MTB shoe (I like recessed cleats so I'm able to walk around easily). I still use my Tahos for mountain biking (clipless) and commuting (toe clips), but I like the stiffer shoe for road riding (clipless).

Just one more thing to throw into the mix...

Beverly

I have the same Specialized shoes and love them! They were recommended when I took my bike in for a fit check due to some knee pain.

Yen

Beverly: Which ones... the ones that I bought, or the ones that divingbiker bought?

Beverly

The one's divingbiker bought

Yen

I had trouble getting to the shoe... the link takes me directly to the Specialized home page (the Specialized site has a way of doing that even when you are already there viewing bikes).

The Specialized catalog says they are fully compatible with MTB SPD pedals. But are they also compatible with non-MTB SPDs? (Based on your comments, it sounds like they are -- I just want to be sure.) I don't know much (yet) about pedals for clipless and how any of them differ from one another. I would like to try them one day so that's why I chose shoes that can go either way -- clipless or platform.

Yen

Thanks.

conurejade

+1
I also got the Motodivas and I like them alot - I'm using them right now for my road bike since I'm too paranoid about doing the slip-slide-fall in regular road shoes. If you check the specialized website when the new models come out (usually around Sept. I think?), you can get some great deals on last year's model shoes if they still have your size; that's how I got my Motodivas

That being said, the Tahos should do great for you also - I have liked all the Specialized shoes I have tried - and I have problem feet. If you need more support, Specialized makes Body Geometry insoles based on foot anatomy/arches that are absolutely wonderful. I used them in my non-Specialized shoes and they made a world of difference in support and eliminating 'hot spots'.

Just to throw something else into the mix - if you need gloves, the Specialized Body Geometry Gloves for women are superb. The Women's BG Comp glove is my favorite.

https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=33348

Good luck on the new ride!!!!

conurejade

Do whatever it takes to get the right bike with the right fit for you - and don't let anyone tell you any different. I just got my first road bike in January and drove my LBS nuts during the decision process (It's ok - they love me anyway ). I too rode bikes, had them make adjustments and rode again - several different sizes, etc. I was so anal I had a spreadsheet comparing the different geometries of the bikes I had narrowed my choice down to. I love my new bike but we are still tweaking some things - mainly the handlebars and stem length since I need short reach bars to make sure my little 'girly hands' can reach the levers from the drops. Some of these final decisions I couldn't make until putting some miles on the bike and I am lucky enough to have a LBS that will work with me to make everything right.

Hang in there - good things definitely come to those who wait - and that do their homework.

JetWave

Yen, I don't know where you live, but check out the website for Pasadena cyclery in Pasadena. They have a sale this weekend, I don't know if this will help your husband's search or not?

https://pasadenacyclery.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=5197
I don't know much about the Madones, but just a headsup.