my wife is 5'3 and looking for her first road bike, she's been riding a hardtail mountain bike for a few years and doing very well, recently got a full sus mtb.
she is interested in doing 30-50 mile pavement rides and needs something more efficient .
https://worcester.craigslist.org/bik/d/jefferson-specialized-dolce-road-bike/7876316668.html
i think this bike is a 2009 model? any input into performance, value, likely upgrades and their costs would be greatly appreciated!
how good is 2009 tiagra? what benefits come from a 2020s/brand new bike?
cheers and thanks
by poitnarfpoit
1 Comment
The bike is quite dated but the price is good for a road bike of its age. Short of a tuneup I would not change much about the bike. Maybe swap out the pedals for flats or road pedals if that is her preference. Depending on her inseam the bike might be on the edge of too tall for her but it is worth seeing in person.
If you were willing to spend in the $1200-1500 range you start getting into fully modern new road bikes. Disc brakes, significantly larger tire sizes, through axles, among other things. Disc brakes can provide better and more consistent braking performance. However on aluminum rims caliper brakes that touch the rim are more than adequate to bring the bike to a stop quickly in all conditions. The larger tires provide a more comfortable ride as long as the [tire pressure is accurate](https://silca.cc/pages/pro-tire-pressure-calculator). Long gone are the days of rock hard tire pressures. For most people erring on the side of slightly soft is better than too hard.