New bike recommendations part 1,000,000

[STT]

Hi

Having riden a Hybrid on and off all last summer I've decided to take the plunge and get myself a road bike. I have sat on a Giant defy 2.5 2009 (although it was way to big they are getting me a smaller one to try!) and tried a trek 1.2 at the weekend. I'm sure the question has been asked lots of times before but I'm too lazy to search! Has anybody got any experience of either of these and any other recommendations? I'm a complete novice when it comes to all this so I was blinded a little by technical talk!!

Also on riding the trek although it felt ok it was 54cm and im 5'8 i looked a bit big for it despite leg length wise it being close to perfect, i can't say I've seen many grown men looking like they are riding kids bikes so i was a little self conscious!!! Will it take time for me to get used to a different riding position it felt odd having ridden the hybrid for a while?

Thanks in advance

 

[ed_o_brain]

What size is the hybrid you ride?

I'm 5'9 3/4" and I tend to ride a 54cm bike. I'm near the upper threshold most manufacturers recommend for a 54cm and I've ridden (for short distance) a 56cm comfortably.

What makes you think you were too big for it? First time on a road bike, the bars should feel like a bit of a stretch when you are on the drops but nothing that makes you uncomfortable. The other thing people say, if the reach is right then the handle bar will obscure the hub. I think this is nearly true on all my bikes.

If when you get down on the drops your knees aren't coming up to your elbows and you feel comfortable, then the size is probably okay.

It really is hard to say without seeing you on the bike and really, you are the best judge.

After a few rides, the position should be comfortable, although sometimes it can take a lot longer than that to get it right with a lots of tweaking.

The bike shop should really be able to offer the best advice, bit if you are concerned, I've heard many positive things said about BikeFit. If you go to a dealer offering the BikeFit service they will have a jig they can set you up on and work to get your positioning just right before building up a bike to match it.

 

[Wigsie]

I have just bought my first road bike (spesh allez elite) and I ended up buying from a shop that offered the bikefit service free with every bike purchase (usually £50 ish for standard service), I tried many a bike and being 6ft 4 was aware of looking like a man on a 'kids bike' too. Whether it was the actual bike or the bikefit service but it felt much more comfortable and suited to me than the other bikes I have tried and that were set up by eye and trial and error/judgement by the other LBS.

Check out the Specialized Allez range but both the Giant and Trek are great bikes.

Good Luck!