Trek Lexa

leilaphoenix

Hi cycle friends,

I'm looking to buy my first "proper" road bike. My budget is £1000 (absolute maximum). I cycle a lot on a sturdy commuting bike but I'd love to get a racier road bike to encourage me to go out on big rides on the weekends.

I just test rode a bike from the Trek Lexa range. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts to share on this range? They seem good quality and you can upgrade to better components (carbon forks etc). Also they have WSD like smaller stretch to the brakes with is very important for me. I'm 5ft2 with 'child hands' according to my friends.

So two questions
- do you have any thoughts on the range? Pros, cons? Ladies have you tried one or got one? What would be a good alternative?
- I tried the 50cm frame. While it was very comfortable, the guys in my LBS reckoned I should go for the 47cm frame so that I can raise the seat higher. On the 50cm I couldn't get the seat higher than the handlebars without overstretching. Being a newbie to proper road bikes this seemed not a big deal. I suppose they have a point? Unfortunetly there was no 47cm frame for me to try out.

Thanks for your help!

Leila
Bike Newbie

narak_lol

Hi there - I tend to agree with your LBS that 50cm is a bit big for you. The top tube of Lexa 50cm is 51.7cm - from my point of view it is a bit big for a female 5'2" (I am 5'4" so I can imagine!). You likely will need to use a short stem to compensate the long reach, this will compromise the handling of the bike. Plus as you said it just doesn't look good to have the seatpost exposed a few cm and lower than the handlebar :noway:

I don't know much about the Lexa range but I have ridden Trek bikes before and was very happy with them (a 1500 & a Madone). There are a lot of alternatives out there so not easy to suggest. But if (when!) I get my next bike - I would like to get a Giant

Being comfortable on the bike is the most important thing IMO, you will only ride if you are comfortable - you will then see results which in turn will give you motivation to ride - a nice cycle. A poor fit bike - you don't even want to get on it...

Cyclink

There's a reason Trek is pretty much THE consumer brand in bikes. They make a decent line of entry to upper-mid-level bikes. They are not too expensive, have a good warranty, and have dealers all over the place. They also use stock components that you can get replacements for almost anywhere.

As Narak said, fit is everything. If the frame is too big, the stem too small, the cranks too long, or any other small issue, you will find little nagging neck, knee, and back pains that will cause you to skip riding. Spending a little extra time at the bike shop (and even spending a little of your budget on a proper bike fit) will go a long way. A good shop will adjust the bike (and even swap out parts) to get the fit just right.