I've been slowly losing my mind this winter trying to search for an affordable XXS road bike for myself (43/44cm). I'm signed up for my first sprint tri next June and my current bike is just too big for me to continue training on at this point.
My local options are lacking, so I keep revisiting eBay. I've had all of these options on my watch list for awhile now, and they're all somewhat different. I really don't want to spend above $500 (I actually didn't want to spend more than $200, but that seems impossible for my size so my budget has been slowly increasing).
Do any of these options look "amazing" value wise? I keep coming back to the 2013 Specialized Dolce Elite Compact frame since it's the compact version of their 44cm frame, but that price seems insane for only the 12+ year old aluminum frame/carbon fork, no other major components. I can find fully assembled Dolces in my area for $200-$400, just not in my size. I do have my slightly too big trek with Ultegra components that I should be able to use as a part donor bike… Would building a bike myself make sense? What would you offer for just the frame/fork?
How is the value of the fully assembled Specialized Ruby or the older Cannondale? I have the inexpensive Trek frame still saved in there as well. For whatever reason finding a matching fork seems more of a headache than I'm wanting for my first bike build, but if I'm overlooking that option please let me know!
I'll also unwillingly accept the answer that I should just keep waiting, Im just itching to get back to training! Thanks in advance for any advice.
by MFalcn1
1 Comment
Just wanted to note the “compact” in the 2013 Specialized Dolce Elite Compact doesn’t mean the frame is smaller, but rather that it has a compact crankset (50-34T) vs. a full-size crankset (53-39T). Compact cranksets are perfectly fine for most riders.
Putting together a bike from the frame up is a good learning experience if you want to learn to do your own bike repair and maintenance and become a more self-sufficient cyclist, especially with the help of Youtube where videos on every imaginable bike repair can be found. With the donor parts from your too-big bike the costs (including buying the tools) shouldn’t be too bad assuming the major parts like the wheelset can be transferred over. The time commitment can be big though.
If you want to get on the road as soon as possible I’d grab that Trek Alpha complete bike and start riding (assuming the bike is in good condition). Then think about doing a groupset swap from your too-big bike in the future when you have the time to spare.