Do I need this bike in my life?

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  • June 8, 2015 at 3:37 pm #1031579
    jrenaut
    Participant

    Unless this bike will prevent the wedding from happening, of course you need to buy it.

    June 8, 2015 at 4:02 pm #1031583
    Phatboing
    Participant

    @Emm 117522 wrote:

    somewhat expensive wedding coming up

    Buy bike. Elope.

    Seriously – that’s pretty great value.

    June 8, 2015 at 4:13 pm #1031585
    Dickie
    Participant

    A wedding day lasts 24hrs, your relationship to your bike, riding and thus happiness lasts a lifetime… as too will your marriage. In simpler terms; fire the DJ, buy the bike and live happily ever after. Congrats BTW.

    June 8, 2015 at 4:13 pm #1031586
    DismalScientist
    Participant

    The geometry of the women’s medium and tall bikes are exactly the same as for the men’s 51 and 54 cm frames. Of course the accents on the women’s bike are red, rather than white. They should be pink.

    Apparently there are 7 frames sizes in this model and they call the bottom 4 sizes women specific and the top 5 sizes “men’s” frames.
    I find bicycle marketing amusing.
    I assume the bike comes with narrower bars, woman’s seat, and perhaps smaller levers.

    All said, $1200 about the price you would spend for a new generic cheap Chinese carbon bike with those components. I don’t know about the wheels.

    June 8, 2015 at 5:33 pm #1031595
    MFC
    Participant

    I have no idea on the value, but unless you are a good judge of carbon fiber frames or have reason to trust the seller, I would try to have a independent bike shop check it out. I wouldn’t rely on her team mechanic. My limited experience is that a shop will give a bike a quick check for no charge.

    June 8, 2015 at 5:51 pm #1031604
    Powerful Pete
    Participant

    Sounds like a nice bike, assuming it is a good fit for you. As Dismal has pointed out (and as per another thread) don’t automatically assume that you require a “woman’s specific frame”.

    Fulcrum wheels are differentiated by different numbers, the lower the number the higher on the food chain the wheels are. Fulcrum zeros are their high-zoot super-duper CF model. For the record, I have ridden a set of Fulcrum 7s very hard in the old world and they held up very well.

    If it fits and is in good condition, seriously consider adding it to the stable.

    Also, not certain on the utility of having a shop check it – I would think there is some liability there, and there is damage that would be difficult to detect without a very in-depth inspection. Happy to be corrected on this, but not certain how much value this would be. A test spirited test ride should tell you more, no?

    June 8, 2015 at 7:33 pm #1031624
    Emm
    Participant

    Thanks for the advice everyone. My assumption about needing a womens frame was thanks to Clovis at Fresh Bikes, who told me I should get one during the fitting of my last “unisex” road bike. He changed out the handlebars, saddle, and a few other parts of my current bike to be the women’s/”smaller” versions since that’s what fit me.

    If the bike fits and performs well during a test ride, and I see no obvious damage, I’ll plan buy it and take it right to the shop. It sounds like from what I see here people agree it’s worth the asking price. I always assume a used bike needs some work done at the shop, so that’ll also be a good way to have the frame checked over again.

    And my fiance is on board. He rolled his eyes when I walked in with my $1,000 commuter earlier this year (which was a steal at almost 1/2 off), but I heard him tell our neighbor “I’ll give it to her, she rides her bikes all the time.” once he thought I was out of earshot. He seems to think this bike is a good deal too. He’s just like me though–loves bikes, but not super knowledgeable about some of the things to look out for when buying a bike, especially a used one.

    June 8, 2015 at 8:03 pm #1031629
    TwoWheelsDC
    Participant

    @Emm 117522 wrote:

    I’ve been riding my perfectly good but not aggressive aluminum road bike 65-75 miles each weekend, so if I throw this into the mix, it’ll get used ALOT.

    This is subjective, but I found moving from aluminum to CF to be a revelation…granted, I have several aluminum bikes that I love for specific reasons, but all-day comfort is not one of them.

    June 8, 2015 at 8:52 pm #1031634
    vvill
    Participant

    It’s a decent price if it’s in excellent condition. Otherwise I pretty much agree with the other n+1 enabling posts. Also, Felt bikes look pretty sweeet.

    It’ll be 10 speed I assume, so 11 speed would be the only upgrade path that you won’t be able to follow in the future if that’s a concern.

    June 8, 2015 at 9:22 pm #1031636
    PotomacCyclist
    Participant

    FYI – Felt issued recalls for some of their 2008, 2009 and 2010 models because of a problem with the steerer tubes. I don’t think this model was included, but you may want to double-check. I looked up the model but didn’t find any recall announcements.

    http://www.bicycleretailer.com/recalls/2014/04/28/felt-expands-recall-road-and-tri-bikes#.VXYGFc9VhBc

    June 9, 2015 at 2:43 pm #1031676
    Emm
    Participant

    @PotomacCyclist 117585 wrote:

    FYI – Felt issued recalls for some of their 2008, 2009 and 2010 models because of a problem with the steerer tubes. I don’t think this model was included, but you may want to double-check. I looked up the model but didn’t find any recall announcements.

    http://www.bicycleretailer.com/recalls/2014/04/28/felt-expands-recall-road-and-tri-bikes#.VXYGFc9VhBc

    Thanks for the heads up! I checked the cpsc website and felt’s website and found all the recall notices. Luckily this one wasn’t included.

    June 15, 2015 at 2:18 pm #1032082
    Emm
    Participant

    Update–bike is mine! I checked it out on Friday, and took it to the shop on Saturday to confirm it was in good shape. There was one small cosmetic scratch on the frame which the shop confirmed was not an issue, and otherwise the bike is great (it didn’t even need a tune up). It’s also REALLY pretty…

    I ordered a saddle which comes in (hopefully) Wednesday, since the one the bike came with isn’t going to work for me. I also bought Look pedals for the bike, but after speaking to my fiance, neighbor, and neighbors girlfriend, I may exchange them for speed play pedals. They all seriously disliked the Look pedals.

    Will post happy pictures in the appropriate thread once the bike is fully together :)

    June 15, 2015 at 3:26 pm #1032093
    Powerful Pete
    Participant

    1. Congratulations on the new addition to the family. Always exciting to have a new ride! Please do post some pictures when you get a chance.

    2. Gratuitous pedal comment (this is the intarwebz, after all): Look system pedal user since forever. Tried Speedplays, did not enjoy pedaling on ice feeling (but I am weird). Also, if you go the Speedplay route, do make sure that you never walk off road or on anything but asphalt, they do not do well with crud in the cleats…

    And yes, I know that Look pedals tend to squeak.

    June 15, 2015 at 3:55 pm #1032099
    hozn
    Participant

    +1 for Look pedal system. To be fair I have only used the Performance brand “Forte Pro” carbon models (since they were light and cheap), but mine have 6-7k miles on them and no issues. That’s longer than Crank Bros last me w/ regular servicing, so they are winners from a longevity perspective. If you plan to walk around on the cleats, do get some cleat covers. If you don’t walk on them [directly] the cleats seem to last a long time. I haven’t replaced mine in over a year and they haven’t worn past wear indicators.

    Look pedal system is also the standard being used by the pedal-based power meters — Garmin, PowerTap, — if that is relevant.

    I have a very negative impression of Speed Play pedals — maintenance/durability-wise. Maybe if the more generous float is really important to you, but I prefer less float in the pedals anyway on the road bike.

    June 15, 2015 at 4:02 pm #1032103
    TwoWheelsDC
    Participant

    I’ve never used Look, but I used SPD-SLs, which are very similar…I’m very happy with the system. My main reason for not going with the Speedplays is the cleat system, which seemed a bit clunkier off the bike. It’s also my (possibly mistaken) understanding that Speedplays tend to require preventative maintenance, which other systems do not. The double-sided nature of Speedplays was attractive, since they appear easier to clip into than Look/Shimano, but off-bike ease was more important for me. FWIW, I used SPD-SLs on my fixed gear and don’t have problems getting clipped in.

    That’s not to advocate for one system or the other, but just to present an alternative view to what others have told you already.

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