Well, the Deal is Done...

[punkypossum]

As planned, I went out testriding today (thank you weather for staying dry) and ended up buying a bike that wasn't even on my shortlist and has smashed my budget...

I tried the Giant Defy in the M/L .... far too large, no medium in stock and also very disappointed by what it looked like in the flesh and how heavy it was. Tried the Cannondale Synapse in a 56, georgeous looking bike, although rather overpriced for the spec (at least I thought it was)...had a cramp in my neck after 2 minutes of riding down the pavement...not happy, felt overstretched and just wrong although in theory it was the right size.

The Allez got knocked out of the competition as the only triple had sora shifters, things were looking bleak....

However, then found this:

http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/road/1_series/17e/


Got it for £800 instead of the SRP of £925 (still £100 over my maximum budget, but hey, I can always wear earplugs when the pained screams from the credit card get too loud...). Didn't really want a red bike, but I tried it and I just felt happy on it, it was fun to ride whereas the others felt like a chore, like the bike was some alien between my legs. Feels much lighter than any of the other contenders as well, got the triple I wanted and it's got 10-speed 105, so should be future proof. Can pick it up next weekend!!!!

At least my Trek mtb will be happy to have a family member to keep him company....

What do you think???????????????????

Was hopping around like tigger for the first few hours, but me being me I'm now having panic moments that I've got the wrong frame size... Got the 56, but the toptube is about a centimetre shorther than the PH recommendation, then again, the next size up would be longer, and I didn't actually like the position he put me in for a roadbike...). So now I'm stressing that it only felt right because I'm not used to roadbikes and once I do get used to it I might want to be more stretched out and it might feel too short - panic even worse, cause obviously I haven't got the bike yet, so I can't jump on it every 5 minutes to make sure everything is ok... Guy in Harry Halls said it looked fine, friend said it looked fine, handlebars were obscuring spindle while on hoods, but I'm still stressed.... (I testrode it twice, with a couple of hours thinking time in between and liked it even better the 2nd time!)

ARGH!!!! Why can I not just be happy? Why do I have to have constant sizing nightmares and stress about a bike I haven't even got yet??? I think I have just read too much (and usually conflicting info about sizing)

Someone tell me to switch my head off and just enjoy the little beauty, please!!!!!

 

[marinyork]

Were you test riding all day till 3am in the morning? Glad you found something!

 

[Kestevan]

Congrats on the new steed.
I've got a Trek 1200 and It's been a cracking bike for the last 3 years

Don't panic on the size, when you do get used to the "knees in the stomach" position of a road bike, you can always fit a slightly longer stem to stretch things out further if you think you need to.

 

[BentMikey]

Wow, that looks like a lovely bike! I think you'll be fine on sizing, better to get something slightly too small.

 

[badkitty]

Oh, thats lovely...
You lucky soul.
I'm still at the researching/saving/begging/borrowing/stealing stage in my search for my first "proper" road bike so am deeply impressed with your new toy.

From reading your post, it strikes me that you found the bike for you - it made you happy to ride it, and it was fun, not a chore like the others.

So here goes - switch your head off and just enjoy the little beauty!


Hope that helps..

 

[Crackle]

Punky that 39 middle is absolutely perfect for your gearing, you could not have picked better and what a lovely bike. Just forget the PH fitting for a minute, you've got scope to adjust things later, the key is - IT FELT RIGHT. You've enough experience to know how a bike should feel and what makes you comfortable. You rode it twice, you compard it to others, you WON'T have made a bad decision.

 

[Cranky]

Lovely bike! It sounds to me as if you've found the right size and, as Kestevan has said, a centimetre in the top tube can easily be made up by a longer stem if you need it later. Enjoy!

 

[ASC1951]

ARGH!!!! Why can I not just be happy?

Someone tell me to switch my head off and just enjoy the little beauty, please!!!!!

This is all perfectly normal, especially the spending 15% more than the figure you had tattooed on the back of both hands when you went into the shop.

We are looking forward to a stream of posts telling us how wonderful it is and how the the 75 miles in the afternoon is worse than the 80 miles in the morning, when you have already been over Hard Knott twice.

 

[punkypossum]

But, but, but...on the website the 56 is classified as a small, surely being 5"11 and a bit I should be a medium at least? I know I have long legs and a short body (about 87cm inside leg), but still...

Then again, when the bike is set up, it looks pretty similar to the pic on the website, slightly more seatpost, so bearing in mind that my body is quite short, in theory I should have enough reach...

The other thing that worries me is that the guy said I rode it like a mountain bike with my shoulders up, and I needed to learn to drop my shoulders - so, surely, once I learn to drop my shoulders, that will make my body longer, i.e. the reach shorter? And from what I remember, my back was at an about 45 degree angle, when riding it on the hoods, shoud it not be 45 when on the tops???

Wish I had tested a 58 as well, just to put my mind at rest, but at the time it just never occured to me - not even sure if they had one in...

Argh, sorry to be a pain and thanks for trying to put my mind at rest!!!!!

 

[puddleglum]

Might I just add that I was with PP all day yesterday on her shopping trip and saw her little test runs. She looked EXACTLY right on the Trek, whereas the Cannondale, despite being a beautiful bike, just didn't fit her. She looked unhappy on it. The Trek, in comparison caused her little face to light up in exhiliration, everything seemed to fall into place the moment she pedalled off on it.
Ok, it might have been a bit over budget, but in my opinion, it's money well spent. The £200 she might have 'saved' on a cheaper bike would have been gone in no time at all, spent on random fripperies, whilst a mistake of a bike lives with you for a long time.....
So now I can looked forward to being dropped in 5 seconds, instead of the usual 10.

 

[ColinJ]

Was hopping around like tigger for the first few hours, but me being me I'm now having panic moments that I've got the wrong frame size... Got the 56, but the toptube is about a centimetre shorther than the PH recommendation, then again, the next size up would be longer, and I didn't actually like the position he put me in for a roadbike...). So now I'm stressing that it only felt right because I'm not used to roadbikes and once I do get used to it I might want to be more stretched out and it might feel too short

Hey PP, I'm 6' 1" tall and I don't have long legs (33" inside leg), so most of my above average height comes from my torso, whereas for women it tends to be the other way round. Typically a woman would need a shorter top tube than a man of the same height.

Both my road bikes have 58 cm frames and I definitely don't feel cramped on those bikes.

I've done a bit of searching and I see that you are tall for a woman (6 ft) but unless you have incredibly short legs for your height, I can't see how a 56 cm frame could possibly be too small for you! Relax, it's a lovely bike and I'm sure that you'll have a great time riding it!

PS I'll organise another CC forum ride round the Forest of Bowland in the summer and it would be great if you would come along and show it off to us!

 

[roadiewill]

Post a picture of you on the bike when you get it.
I had the same trouble as you when buying my spesh tarmac. Im in between two sizes, a 56 and a 58. I felt like I had a comfy reach to the hoods on the 56, whereas the 58 seemed to stretch me out way too much. I went to the 56 and contemplating on getting a slightly longer stem for the summer. Its better to have the frame slightly smaller and fit a longer stem, as a bigger frame size would increase trhe reach much more than just adding a new stem.

 

[punkypossum]

Right, have made up my mind...not going to spend the whole week stressing, so going back to test the 58 and the 56 side by side - just rang them, they have one in stock. Peace of mind is worth the cost of the train ticket!!!

Should have done this yesterday, but hey....

Not quite sure if the 58 would be that much longer, because surely with the front being higher, the drop to the bar gets lower and I would lose some reach on that?

 

[a_n_t]

if it feels right, its right!

 

[Crackle]

:?: PanicPunky re-appears

Nah, not really. It's a good idea but I reckon with your shorter body the 56cm will be the one and if you do relax your shoulders down, the stem can be changed. Position for now with an eye to the future but bear in mind you may never achieve a better position than you currently take.