Bike Buying Tips: Buyer Be Wise (5)

Do I need a women's bike?Standard bikes are built based on male physiology. Women's bikes are proportioned to suit the general female population, and most have components to suit women's anatomical needs, such as shorter-reach levers for smaller hands. A few companies even tune frame tubing to suit women's generally lighter bodies. All of this leads to a significant if obvious benefit--improved fit--but it also makes you a better, more confident rider.

Bike Buying Tips: Buyer Be Wise (4)

Should I buy a carbon-fiber bike?Absolutely. Maybe. Unless you shouldn't. Carbon is generally lighter than other materials, can be constructed to provide specific ride qualities in ways that metal tubes can't, and offers unlimited tube shapes--aero or just freaky cool. If you race and want a superstiff frame, carbon offers the best mix of low weight, aerodynamics and drivetrain stiffness without a buckboard ride. But it's also expensive. And not all carbon is equal: Less expensive frames use lower grades of fiber, which are heavier and less stiff, and often have a dead ride quality when compared with higher-grade carbon. If you're on a budget, there are many racy bikes made of high-tech aluminum or a mix of alloy and carbon, which are stiff and light but will ride a bit more harshly than their all-?carbon brethren. If you prize a smooth, refined ride feel, carbon can deliver--but so can steel and titanium, both of which continue to advance as frame materials. Ultimately, you should decide based on what you're willing to spend and whether you're a carbon person. Did you stand in line to buy the iPhone? Carbon's cutting-edge tech will appeal to you. But if you're restoring a 1952 MGTD in your garage, then a ti or steel bike from a small builder may be just right.

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Can I haggle with the shop over price?You can try, but don't expect dealers to be flexible on current-year models. Profit margins on bike sales are razor thin. It's not uncommon for a shop to net more money on the extras--helmet, pedals, computer, and so on--than on the bike sale itself. For this reason, dealers are often more willing to throw in a free seat bag or bottle cage than to give a deal on the bike. Service is an area where you can seek out value: It's common for shops to provide a year of free basic adjustments on your new bike, so it's worth asking for this if your shop offers less. If you don't like the deal offered by a shop, then quietly go elsewhere. You may find a better price in a nearby town, but it's not worth driving an hour to save a few bucks. Having a good ?local bike shop will save you time and money in the end with service and any warranty issues. Shops tend to go the extra mile for you if they know you bought the bike there.

Bike Buying Tips: Buyer Be Wise (2)

When do bike shops have sales?Bikes are like cars: New models arrive on the bike-shop sales floor each year, typically in the fall as the riding season winds down. This is the best time to look for deals, because shops don't want soon-to-be-year-old inventory lingering through the slower winter months. While hot models in popular sizes will sell out over the summer, you may get lucky and find last year's model at a discount, but do your homework before buying: A model often gets a dramatic redesign only every few years, so if the new model has only different paint and minor parts tweaks, you'll save on last year's bike. But if the new model has big frame changes or parts upgrades, then it can be worth paying for the new model. Beware of bikes that are more than a few seasons old. Advances in carbon fiber and component technology happen quickly, so a seemingly great deal may be only an average one.

Bike Buying Tips: Buyer Be Wise (1)

Which is a better bike, a Trek or a Specialized?Or Cannondale or Orbea or Scott or Schwinn or Cervelo. We're asked "Which brand is better?" almost daily. While each brand has its diehard fans, we can't answer the question. It's not because of any political reason, but because it's not the right question to ask--you're buying a bicycle, not a brand. If you shop by brand first, then you're making a style decision, not a performance one. When deciding which bike is better suited to you, it's the model that counts. To find the best bike, pick your price range, identify the ride feel and features you're after, and then look for models from various brands that meet those criteria. From there, a winner will emerge.

S-Works Safire

The Safire, Specialized's new-for-2008 women's trail bike, is light and, as another tester put it, "crazy steady and fast." It got me to the top of climbs in half the usual time, and another tester said it "sailed on downhills." All of us noted that the Safire helped us over obstacles we struggled with on other bikes, and we all felt confident and comfortable in the saddle. The inspiration behind this confidence: the Future Shock fork and AFR shock paired with the company's lauded FSR suspension design, which helped the bike respond to the terrain while keeping the tires glued to the trail and the rider isolated from bumps. This S-Works version, the top of the line and the highest-end production women's mountain bike available, also has a beautiful lightweight carbon frame and top-notch components all around. Instead of skipping difficult sections, I stopped and tried them again until I cleared them. Shifting (the drivetrain mixes Shimano and SRAM parts) was so quiet and flawless, sometimes I actually looked to see if the chain had moved.