Newbie with questions on WSD entry level bikes..

Hi Shannon and welcome to BT!

My wife owns two different WSD bikes.  Both are Specialized.  One is a Dolce and the other is a higher end Ruby.   She likes them a lot and they fit her well (5'4".  We went with Specialized because their a little more compact (or female friendly) than some of the other competitors.  But what's right for her may not be right for you.  We're all designed different.  That being said, go to a reputable bike shop that have people specially trained to do Fitting.  Not the "stand over the bike" style of fit process, but the 1 to 2 hour process where skeletal measurements and angles are measured. 

As far as brands, or bike manufacturers go...they're all abut equal in quality.  Disregarding Target and WalMart bikes.  Ask your bike shop about frame warranties and in-store warranty. 

As you'll see from other's responses....FIT is everything.  Brand means nothing.  Find the bike that fits the best and go with that one.

Good luck!

Edited by oipolloi 2008-10-21 7:07 PM

I agree - fit is everything.

That being said, I'm 5'4" and I tested a lot of those bikes and ended up on a Specialized Dolce - it just fit me better. Try 'em all out - it's fun to test bikes!

Thanks for your responses!  I have been leaning towards the Dolce myself.  I have been up to the LBS and rode that one..the others I haven't rode yet.  They are all comparably priced, so now it is just down to which one I like better I guess!  Now on to getting used to riding a road bike rather than a hybrid..boy what a different feel!!

My wife rides a dolce and likes it.  I know quite a few others around here ride them as well.

you might want to consider trying to find a 2008 bike rather than a new 2009. the retail prices of all quality bikes has gone up around 20%. so you would be able to get more bang for your buck with a 2008 bike. just my $.02, good luck with your new bike.

Thanks Lucky.  I actually have been calling around trying to find an 08..mostly because I like the colors of the 08s better..for some reason the 09s in most brands this year have white seats and white tape on the handle bars..not really ideal for dirt in my opinion.  Problem is, noone has the 08s in a 51..they only have the really small or big sizes..apparently 51 is a popular size!  I did find a few online, but of course the shops are hours away and they don't ship.  So its going to be buy an 09 or find a friend somewhere around the area where I can find an 08 and have them pick it up and ship it to me.