So, two more bikes.

[nwhiker]

After our bike ride yesterday, I rode two more bikes that I wanted to try out. Both Fujis, one under my price limit, the other just above.

Both were very nice. The lower priced one was white with pink and orange: think sherbet! It was good ride, climbed nicely, and I'd take it over the Trek with the ugly flowers, so that removed any residual "there is a sale! Just this weekend!" pressure.

The other was last year's model, a full carbon frame, like the covetted Ruby. They didn't have my size easily accessible, so it was hard to tell, but it was a good bike, and it would be my top pick so far if I decide not to go with the ridiculously expensive one and IF the one is my size sits as well as the same-brand sherbet one did. It's also very ugly, white with red and purple.

I still want to try the Specialized Dolce that got me into the damned tempting bike shop in the first place, and also a more modern flat bar, also a Specialized.

I don't mind the ride of drop bars, but I'm not sure I like the braking position. It's hard for my hands, and I don't have small hands, I wonder how more petite women manage. OTOH, I could get mini brakes put on as well, they're easy to add.

So still in decision mode.

A note on esthetics. Why oh why are so many bikes butt ugly? I know I'm in minority for really not liking the red-and-black combo, but so many are red and black. And the whole pale grey-ish blue? Pretty for an eye colour, so totally not good for a bike! Let's not mention the burnt orange and white that was last year's colours for the sherbet model! It isn't a major stumbling block, of course, but when rides/components/prices are all within ballpark, damn straight I'm getting the bike that I think looks best.

I don't like shopping much. Bike shopping isn't as bad, as say, clothes shopping, but really, I just flat out don't like shopping.

I think dh is just waiting for me to go ahead and decide to get the expensive one. I just hate spending that much money on a toy. That I don't really need, because, hey, I have a perfectly good, if heavy, bike, and could buy a perfectly good new bike for a lot less than the Ruby. Le sigh.

Links:

Orange sherbet bike

Red and purple full carbon

Comments

[mariettashirk.livejournal.com]

If you end up going with a cheaper bike (not the Ruby), I highly recommend getting a custom paint job. I agree, most bikes are hideous. White bikes are my pet peeve, and that greyish blue nothing color you talked about.

[camelsamba.livejournal.com]

The pink and orange one matches my current running shoes! (asics, btw, not that you would wear running shoes to bike on such a machine...) I definitely would not have picked that color combo on my own, but they met my needs.

My previous bike was labelled as "root beer float" colored - a brown and cream combo. Not what I would have chosen, but I grew to like it and was sad when it was stolen from our garage. :^( When I went to get a replacement, I ended up with white as pretty much my only option - bleh. Do they think nobody rides through mud on these city bikes? [or whatever it was called - not racing, not mountain]

By the way, I rationalize my "i could get a cheaper bike at Target, or a thrift shop" purchases with the knowledge that it still costs less than an annual parking pass at UM! And were it not for low-life scum that steal bikes from garages, it would cost much less when amortized over many years...

[divsca.livejournal.com]

I've never shopped for road bikes, but I generally liked the color options on mountain bikes back when I was in the market for them. Lots of beautiful, deep colors, or simple gray/black combos. The "women's" bikes tended more to lame pastels, but not always.

[nwhiker.livejournal.com]

I'll have to pay more attention to the mountain bikes.

For men's roadbikes, btw, you can have any combination of black and red that you'd like. OK, not totally, but that's the tendency. For women's, it tends towards paler shades, or weird ugliness.

[mariettashirk.livejournal.com]

J was lucky when his perfect roadbike came in his fav. color: orange. This was BEFORE burnt orange was the trendy color. For about 2 years everyone was asking him about his bike because of the color. Now it seems a lot of men's bikes are orange (or the black / red combo).

[siamese1.livejournal.com]

Get the Ruby. You know you want it. ;)