Women specific tri bike
Howdy ladies,
I am starting to do some homework into a women specific tri bike. I am 5'6 at 170 pounds. I have long legs and a short torso. In a road bike i ride a 51 cm bike. I am currently riding a Specialized Alias Comp. I want a more aggressive body position. I am fairly upright currently.
What are you ladies riding? I have looked at Cervelo, Specialized and Felt. The bad part is I have no where to go and ride these super bikes.
Thanks for your input. Jacklyn
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Comments
I have a Trek speed concept and love it. I had a Quintana Roo previously and this so much more comfortable for me. The fit is everything of course but I love the make up of the bike, the weight and the aero dynamics.
Women specific is more marketing than anything. Usually small frame with a girly color, like pink. For someone with long legs and short torso, I believe Specialized is recommended whereas Cervelo fits short legs long torso better. All this said, ST can help you here:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Bike_Fit/Choosing_a_Tri_Bike_via_Stack_and_Reach/ as well a a great bike fitter!
1) Fit is crucial! Once again: FIT IS CRUCIAL! Many here would agree - the first step is finding a quality local bike shop (LBS) or local bike fitter (LBF) before you do anything!
2) While always nice to check in w/ the team for feedback - you are likely to get a gazillion "I have a Trek and love it..." statements. The support is great, but said recommendations may NOT work for you becasue they work for 15 other women. Please don't misinterpret the gender component - I would say the same if this was a male generated post.
3) Once you have the measurements - do your homework! Not all manufacturers measure a bike the same way. Translation: a 51 cm frame Trek may not be the same as a 51 cm Cervelo which may not be the same as a 51 cm Cannondale... and so on! Most use the seat tube as the starting point and as a benchmark for determining the size of the bike. That said, some manufacturers measure a bike from the center of the bottom bracket spindle to the center of the top tube (commonly referred to as center-to-center or C-C). Other manufacturers measure center of bottom bracket spindle to the top of the top tube (commonly referred to as center-to-top or C-T). Other measure to the top of the seat post collar... With different measuring spots, a 51 cm seat tube can vary by 2-6 cms.
4) Also note - you may find (for the sake of this post) three manufacturers who measure the seat tube the same (again, for the sake of this post - let's say 51 cm). The three bikes your looking at may have different length top tubes - 1 may be 50 cm, 1 may be 51 cm and the third may be 52 cm - again, all part of the fit process. Some of these numbers are easily tweaked with fore/aft saddle positioning and/or swapping stems - just know it is part of the process.
5) If you are of short stature - you are entering a great period to buy a leftover (think 2015) bike. In some cases, you may even find a 2014 really leftover. Think of buying a bike on a smaller scale and along the same lines as a car. When the 2016 models are ready to ship, dealers want to get rid of old stock - and you get good deals. The Treks and Cervelos and Cannondales (and all other manufacturers) will now begin making 2015 inventory available on "close out" prices to their dealers. A reputable LBS will pass along that savings. Geerally speaking - the only place you are not likely to save money is if you go the total custom build route. If PARLEE or SEVEN or IF or... are building you a pure custom bike, the time of the year rarely matter.
6) Close out bikes are often on the far ends of the proverbial bike size bell curve. 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52 cm frames are mre likely to be leftover - as are 60, 61 and 62 cm frames - as these are the shortest and the tallest. The average individual rides a 54 - 59 cm frame and fewer of these will be "leftover" in warehouses and on LBS showroom floors.
7) I recommend establishing a GREAT (not just good!) relationship with your LBS - so that when you walk thru the door and need a last minute adjustment the night before your "A" race, they drop all tools and come running to you. There are many folks here who are experts at buying on-line - and can save good coin. That said, if you do not know what to look for and/or do not know how to do your own work, it may cost you big bucks when you show up at your LBS with a eBay purchase that is in "mint condition" or "gently used" and the LBS determines you need a new stem and seat post (for correct fit), as well as a new chain, cassette, tires and tubes. All of a sudden, the bike that was of significant savings on-line can cost you much much more.
8) Because this is a great time to buy leftovers, again, I recommend that you map out what you want in the bike: what materials in the frame - carbon? titanium? aluminum? What components? Some swear by SRAM, while other swear at SRAM... Some swear by Shimano while others swear at Shimano! Do you need a less expensive bike so you can include race wheels? Do you need/want to upgrade your power source? What kind of saddle? Again - You will get tons of great recommendations from people re: what has worked well for them - and what has not worked well for the - but you are not "them" and need to figure what works best for you :-)
You will get many ideas/thoughts from the many wonderful and experienced athletes on the team - I hope this info helps a bit.
Happy to try and answer any questions you may have :-)
Beyond the great post by Woody.
I utilized Todd at ttbikefit.com as I did not have access to size where I live. This was done through video and online but you can go in person as well. I went to the two local bike shops and they did carry different 4 different tri bikes. Out of those 4 Todd listed a them 1-4 with the first 2 being very good fit's the third workable and the 4th place. I walked in to my bike shop and order my specialize comp without even trying one. I've been riding it ever since with no issues.
Not saying you want to do the latter and buy a bike without riding it, but utilizing this service can narrow down your search. As Woody mentioned you can do this on your own or with a bike show getting your measurements but I was pretty new to the sport, didn't know my local shops and just wanted to get that other trusted opinion.
Wow guys! Good idea's. I am very remote. I have visited every large bike store in Oregon and Southern Washington. They usually don't carry TT bikes and especially in a variety of sizes. I'm not much for wiz bang tech. So anything to make this easier with less driving is great. I will look into the pre bike fit this fall. Thank you all!
Thanks everyone. As for cost. That is in negotiations with the significant other.