New Rider- 2011 Specialized Secteur Triple OR 2011 Trek 1.2

[MEH2011]

Hello all,

I am a very new rider looking to buy my first road bike. I know it comes down to personal fit, but I wanted to get opinions on the 2 bikes I am looking at right now (I have 1 more bike shop to visit before making my final choice). Right now, I am looking at these two bikes:

2011 Specialized Secteur Triple: http://www.mybiketinley.com/2011-Spe...e_p_24285.html
OR

2011 Trek 1.2 Road Bike: http://www.thecrazyloon.com/products...1-2-road-bike/

Any advice- pros/cons, etc. would be appreciated.

Just a little background info- 6'0 ft. female, with very long legs & short torso

, I'm wanting to eventually get into longer charity rides & a century ride down the line. I've been doing spinning regularly for 3 years, and just looking to do something different.

Thanks!

 

[ccallana]

Technically, the Trek has slightly better components - Sora is 1 notch above the 2300 on the Specialized - but I think you wouldn't really notice that difference...

Ride them both - see how they feel - this is much more important than a few minor component differences I think. Try and get them to let you take a longer ride than just around the parking lot. Make sure they give you a proper fitting as well

 

[Scotty_Dog]

Originally Posted by MEH2011 .

6'0 ft. female, with very long legs & short torso

How you doin?

On a more serious note, the Trek is better equipped with the Sora/Tiagra 9-speed components. I see the Trek comes with either a double (compact) or triple crankset - which one are you looking at? The triple will give you lower gearing if you plan on tackling steep/long climbs.

 

[MEH2011]

Thank you both for the advice! Yeah, I do need to see if it's possible for me to take them both for a longer ride. I'm going to check out one more LBS this weekend, and then make a decision.

The only thing that has me leaning towards the Specialized is that the shop will throw in a stem and a female seat for no additional cost, whereas with the Trek, I will have to pay for those, and I feel as if the worker at the shop with the Specialized was able to fit me better than the shop where the Trek is.

Scotty, I'm not sure if the Trek I looked at comes with a double or triple crankset? But thanks for noticing that, I will be sure to find out.

Thanks again!

 

[kdelong]

Test ride both bikes if you can and buy the one that you like best. Telling someone what bicycle they should buy is like telling them what color they should dye their hair. Everybody has their own favorite, but just because someone likes something doesn't mean that you will. There is no one size fits all. If there was, there would only be one bicycle manufacturer making one model of bicycle.

If you have long legs and a short torso, then you are in luck because you will not be stuck with a woman's specific bicycle. Most men have longer legs than torso so a men's geometry bike might fit you best.

Oh, and if you can't test ride either one of these bikes but you are adamant about getting one of them, then get the Trek for the better components. Your best bet though would be to go to your local bike shop and let them help you through the bike buying process. In another month bikes in shops will get much more affordable as they try to clear out their inventory to make room for the 2012 models and also for tax purposes. And when you buy from your local bike shop, you normally get a free first tune-up and often you get free lifetime adjustments. You also get a very knowledgeable group of people to help you with any bicycle related matters such as the fit of the bicycle and getting you a seat that is comfortable for you. They can often take care of warranty issues with components in the shop rather than having to ship the bike off somewhere and wait for it to be evaluated. There are many other reasons to patronize your LBS.