Bicycle Reviews: 2012 Specialized Amira Compact vs. The Trek Madone

I set out looking to test ride the Specialized Amira Compact and the Trek Madone.  Before heading out, I posted on each of the manufacturer’s facebook pages, “why should I buy your bike versus the competitor?”  Of course, I knew only I could decide what was right for me, but I was curious what they would say.

The Amira caught my eye in Bicycling Magazine, which named it one of their top picks for women’s 2012 models.  The review gives the bottom line, “Buy it if you want an affordable bike that will let you go fast.”  Yes – that’s me!  The Amira Compact is the entry-level model of Specialized’s more expensive Amira line, which includes 7 models in total.  The entry-level line comes in 3 models:  the base model ($2,000 msrp) with Shimano Tiagra, or the next model up ($2,200 msrp) with SRAM Apex components, and the Amira Elite ($2,700) with Shimano 105, upgraded tires and carbon seatpost.  All three models have the same racing designed carbon frame.

I received a postcard in the mail for Cycle Center’s annual bicycle sale in March.  I showed up on a sunny Saturday with my shoes and peddles in hand.  The store was packed but there was an adequate and friendly sales staff to quickly service me.  As it turned out, Cycle Center in Stamford, CT had the Amira in my size available for a test ride.  They directed me to a route around one of North Stamford’s reservoirs.  They definitely get the award for “best outdoor environment for a test ride” out of all shops I visited, which is actually a very important factor.

I took the 20 speed, carbon frame base model out for a ride and zipped around the reservoir.  The Shimano Tiagra was an upgrade to my Shimano Sora shifters.  I liked the fact that the 20 speeds, double crank saved weight and had easier shifting over my current triple crank, 27 speed, although I wondered if I could make it up some of the steeper hills I encounter in my CT and Martha’s Vineyard rides. 

Next up, I headed to Danny’s Cycles to take a test ride on the Trek Madone.  The only WSD in my size was their more expensive 5 series model (retail price I think was $3,300).  Christina was ready for me and took me out for a test ride, which was a nice touch to have the sales rep accompany you.  She advised me to just wear my sneakers with normal pedals for our test ride, which was on some side streets around downtown Stamford (probably a wise thing for being on an unfamiliar bike having to watch out for cars and broken glass in the city streets).  Of course, this being such an expensive bike, the ride was awesome, even given the less than ideal street conditions.  I asked to ride the less expensive 4 series, which they had available in a men’s slightly too large frame.  I could tell the difference between the 2 models in shifting and absorption of road vibration but the 4 series was still a great ride.

Now, I was confused.  On one hand, the Trek felt more comfortable but I couldn’t put my finger on why.  And I wondered why Bicycling Magazine hadn’t rated it side by side with the Amira (was it some sponsorship deal?).  For some reason probably having to do with brand perceptions and style, I was in love with the Amira but my head was telling me the Trek was more comfortable and therefore rationally a more appropriate bike for me.  I checked my facebook query and the responses, which came from all over the world, were all from regular consumers who either were simply advocating “their brand” or very unbiased and good advice to just get what was right for me.  But I really wanted to know the facts of why I should get one versus the other (being a professional marketer, the manufacturers missed a huge opportunity here to have a conversation with me in social media to help me through my choice and have the response on display for other viewers).

I stopped back at Cycle Center.  They had told me if I got confused or liked something about another bike to talk it through since many adjustments to any bike can make a difference.  We looked online together at the Trek models and it became evident why the “comfort” factor was different.  The Trek only makes a geometry in the Madone series that allows for a more upright position.  If I wanted more upright comfort, I should be test riding a Specialized Ruby for comparison to the Trek Madone.  In the end, I wanted a racing bike, so it became clear that would be my reason for selecting the Specialized Amira.  Now my heart and my head could agree!

Good Things Come in Big Packages (but is a triathlon bike right for me?)

My husband took my “subtle” hints of my “need” to have a bicycle on location at both homes in CT and Martha’s Vineyard for this year’s birthday present.  Once I started training for triathlons, my 15 year old Specialized Hybrid which I was keeping on the Vineyard just wasn’t cutting it anymore except for short runs to the beach or store.  So last summer I was constantly insisting we load my 5 year old Raleigh road bike onto the car for our weekend trips to our home away from home.  Both the Specialized and Raleigh were former birthday presents so given history and hints, I was pleasantly “surprised” with my gift.

My accountant husband did a lot of research and determined the best deal on the market was a Kestrel triathlon bike – you can find it online with high end components for about $1,800.  I was thrilled at the opportunity to not just get another bike to satisfy my “need” but also to upgrade for my future races.  But, the first question I started asking is “should I get a triathlon bike”?

I read some articles that would indicate I should consider a triathlon bike.  Generally, you should only consider a triathlon bike if you already have a road bike for certain training and riding situations in which you would not want a triathlon bike.  A lot of group rides prohibit triathlon bikes, which are not made for quick maneuvering or a lot of hills.  Triathlon bikes are best when you want to maintain speed over long distances on flat or not more than rolling hills surfaces.  Their design can be considered a little less stable when needing to deal with situations where you have to maneuver through a lot of bike or car traffic.  The geometry of the bike is designed to help “save your legs” somewhat during cycling to make the transition into the run easier.

So with this in mind, I visited some local bicycle shops to further investigate triathlon bikes.  My first stop was to a triathlon shop that I’m thrilled just opened in Stamford, CT – Pacific Swim Bike Run.  I follow them on Facebook as they frequently hold some great events.  While they carried Kestrels, they didn’t have any triathlon bikes in that or any other brand in my size to give a trial ride.  I stopped in at another store while in Waitsfield, VT – FIT WERX.  Very nice folks who take cycling seriously and it appears that people travel for miles to shop in their store and/or use their bike fitting services.  Again, there was nothing really in my size to try.  On the way home from VT and almost home, we stopped in Cycle Center, a bicycle store in North Stamford a few miles from our house.  Again no triathlon bikes in my size.

I started looking online at manufacturers’ sites, hoping to find a manufacturer’s event or sponsorship at a local expo.  While there appeared to be many events across the country, I was surprised and disappointed that there was nothing upcoming in the metro NY area (a huge oversight I think for the manufacturers).  I finally discovered a woman’s bicycle shop in Fairfield, CT.  The shop, Trek Women Bike Store, is really just a section of the larger Trek Bicycle of Fairfield store, but they did have a woman’s Trek triathlon bike in my size.  They were very busy that day so I had to wait awhile for them to get the bike ready but once they had time for me, the person helping me was very knowledgeable and actually a former triathlete pro-in-training who spent a couple years in Colorado at the training headquarters.  The weather was misting so I just took it for a quick ride in the parking lot to see how it handled.  I returned to the store thinking I would have to come back for a longer ride on it, and upon coming into the store, one of the sales attendants said, “yeah they are really nice bikes but you really only want to take them out on race day.”  Huh?  While I understood they are not good for all situations, I didn’t envision having a bike that I only took out on race day.

My next stop a few days later on a late evening just before closing was to Danny’s Cycles in Stamford, CT.  Danny’s offers lifetime annual service for free if you buy a bicycle there, a plus.  I instantly liked the sales rep, Cristina, who was a triathlete herself.  We talked more about a triathlon bike and she further discouraged me from it, confirming that most people who have one bring them out for race day.  As I thought about the fact that I ride on bike paths a lot, I often have to maneuver around people and on occasion stop quickly.  I also concluded through these discussions that I could just put aero bars on a road bike, particularly if I knew that going into the purchase and bought a bike sized with that in mind.  When I googled “getting optimal speed on a bike” one of the best things you can do is reduce wind resistance which is what the aero bars help accomplish, as well as ease the pressure on your back during long distances.

So, one month into my shopping, I concluded I would focus on a road bike.  I was also reminded throughout this process how important a Women’s Specific Design (WSD) is for me.  While many women can ride a man’s bicycle, I have long legs and a short torso which is one of the key features a WSD addresses.  Furthermore, bicycle designers who have been taking the woman’s market seriously, have made design changes to the handlebars and braking and shifting positionings, accounting for women’s smaller frames and hands.  As I researched WSDs, it appeared that Trek and Specialized are the two brands taking WSD seriously.  Both brands tout women designers on staff, have events tailored to women, and have an online presence that clearly demonstrates they take the market seriously.  Next up – my reviews of Specialized and Trek test rides.

Dare to Dream

There was a moment last September when I was running down the path along Manhattan’s West Side in preparation for my last triathlon of the season. It was a beautiful evening run with the sun setting and glistening on the Hudson River and Lady Liberty standing tall in my view. I was feeling good that the pain in my knees that had been bothering me for the last 3 weeks had dissipated and that my pace was up despite my recent lack of running. But, it was unseasonably HOT. I was cursing that I had chosen to pack a long sleeve top that morning upon leaving my house. Then, it occurred to me there was an alternative – I had my sports bra on underneath my shirt.

It took me another five minutes of internal debate whether or not the right thing to do was just to strip the shirt since it had never occurred to me to workout in my sports bra. I was trying to envision the women in the gym – surely I had seen some of them working out in halter type outfits, whether or not they were a sports bra or not, I was unsure. And, there was that woman in the Nantucket Triathlon whom I had passed and ultimately beat – the image was very clear that she had been wearing something less than a shirt. But, there was something nagging me keeping my shirt on until I was so hot that I finally said the hell with it, ripped off the shirt, and went on to turn around for the second half of my run, waving to Lady Liberty and not caring what anyone thought about my freedom to wear what I pleased so I could insure a good workout.

After watching a fantastic movie last evening, it occurred to me why perhaps there had been a nagging thought in the back of my brain. As logical as I had thought about the fact that my swim suits were more revealing in public and that other women were certainly not always covering themselves with shirts, there once was a controversy that had put the issue on the front of the newsstands – it was the end of the 1999 World Cup when the American Women’s team had just beat the Chinese in overtime based on penalty kicks. Brandi Chastain, was just doing what the guys do when they win, she ripped her shirt off, revealing her sports bra, and fell to her knees in exultation for their magnificent victory. Somehow the models who pose in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition are sexy and Brandi on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time, and Newsweek was a controversy?!

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, Dare to Dream, about a group of women who changed sports forever. Most were high school age teenagers when they were recruited in the ‘80s by Coach Anson Dorrance for the US women’s national soccer team based on a vision and tiny investment from US Soccer. I have to say that I’m embarrassed and disappointed that I didn’t know more about them until now, especially considering they are my generation and that one of its star players, Kristine Lilly, went to my husband’s high school, and we were likely living in Wilton, CT at the same time as she was. In fact, before watching the movie, the only things I could recall was “the bra incident” and the name Mia Hamm.

The reality is that these women played for the love of the game. They didn’t have the same dollars and investment that the men’s team had. And, they had to figure out what all professional women have to do – how to balance family and work. When one of the young players in her twenties decided to start a family, she thought her “soccer hobby” was over, but thankfully her coach encouraged her back on the field. But, while we office professional women can thank the discrimination laws for equal pay for equal work, there are no such laws protecting female athletes and other creative artists whose pay is dictated by the market force of butts in seats and TV viewing that fuel sponsorship dollars.

So, you would have thought after they had finally proven their ability to get butts in seats in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, that sponsors and others would have taken notice. It took a labor boycott in advance of the 1999 World Cup for them to negotiate only some of the same terms in their contract as the men. And, as women of many professions have found, their abilities to succeed were called in question in the media – could they really fill the seats in Giant Stadium and the Rose Bowl? They did what many women have had to do – they worked harder. Not just on the field, but at building a fan base and in their grassroots ticket selling efforts. In fact, they played to a SOLD OUT stadium of screaming and fanatical fans of all ages and genders.

Brandi’s shirt ripping off gesture was not just about that win. As she whooped it in the air with her right hand – just like Lady Liberty holds the torch in hers – it was a symbol for the change and revolution that this team of amazing women had achieved.

Climbing to New Heights

For our annual March ski trip we decided to keep it somewhat local and simple. Skiing in VT with reasonably good conditions seemed plausible when 2 weeks ago the Green Mountain State was very white. As the forecast played out the week before, we weren't so sure. But, with family in VT, there was at least another reason to go.

After driving up Thursday night, we awoke to a rainy and foggy Friday. There is always the gym. As we were finishing up our workout, we peered down and were intrigued with the rock climbing wall on the floor below. Upon entering, we were enthusiastically greeted by Lauren and couldn't say no to her cheeriness or the offer that the lesson, equipment and entry were free with our gym day pass. Despite being afraid of heights, I'm a sucker for all things "free"!

After finding a pair of mountain climbing shoes that fit, we stepped into and snuggly adjusted our safety harness and were given a "belay" - the all important clip that will save your life provided the rope attached to it and your belay partner does his or her job. Lauren instructed us on the protocols for safety checks and belay partners - as in any marriage, good communication and paying attention to your partner's needs are key! We learned how to manipulate the rope so it stays taut as the climber ascends and how to loosen it to allow the climber to descend.

Mike suggested I should go first - perhaps he knew if I thought about it too much I would chicken out. I made it out about a third of the way and was ready to come down. Lauren encouraged me for another couple steps but after 15 minutes of this I really was ready to give it a rest.

Mike, on the other hand, was born a climber. Family lore often relays the story of him climbing a tree and literally greeting guests hanging upside down by his shoelaces! So, I shouldn't have been surprised when he bolted up and rang the bell at the top within a minute!

I like to get my money's worth and since we were all ready doing a good job of that, I decided to torture myself some more. The second time up, my brain was at least processing that I needed to push from my legs rather than pull with my arms. But I still got half way and then got stuck. I was sweating either from the effort or the height or both. But Lauren was coaching and encouraging me with every step "you go girl...don't give up now!" Every movement was planned and an effort. By the time I was a foot away from the top, I knew I had to do it. I took my last step but found I was really about an inch too far away to the left of the bell. I reached and stretched and my shaking right hand finally hit it and announced my triumph.

My first experience rock climbing has good lessons for any triathlete or person taking on a sporting endeavor:

1) Good coaches really help! Yes, I could have watched YouTube videos for the technique but I likely would not have prevailed the mental aspect without Lauren's coaching.

2) Don't worry about the performance of those around you. Just focus on reaching your next personal best.

3) Plan each next step. Give each step along the way your best. While the end goal will keep you motivated, it's the daily small goals that will allow you to achieve the end goal.

4) You can and will exceed your expectations of what is possible if you just believe in yourself!

Middle Age is Cool!

Patricia Cohen's book "In Our Prime" and articles about it such as this one http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/books/in-our-prime-the-invention-of-middle-age-by-patricia-cohen.html have recently been expounding on the virtues of middle age. It seems that many of us are happier now than the previous three decades of our life. For we middle aged triathletes it seems like a bit of a chicken and egg question - did we attempt this sport because we have this new found confidence in our lives or did the sport change us and make us better and happier? I say both!

I recently celebrated my 44th birthday and as I look back at my 43rd year it beats my 33rd year hands down! I was googling myself recently just to see what kind of bread crumbs my life has left behind and I came across the results of my first - and only up until this past year - 5K run I did a decade ago, "the not quite New York City Marathon". My husband's company was sponsoring it and I recall deciding a couple weeks before the event that we would give it a go, going out and buying running shoes, taking a couple practice runs and showing up on a nice fall day in Central Park with no clue what to do with the timing chip.

Ok, so I wasn't exactly well trained for the event and my time in the race was 33:21. The two 5Ks I ran a decade later as a 43 year old came in at 27:52 and 27:47. AND, my two triathlon 5Ks after swimming and biking still beat my 33 year old self at 29:16 and 32:50!

I'm fortunate to agree with Patricia Cohen's premise. I'm physically, mentally, and emotionally stronger than I have ever been. One kind friend wished me a happy 29th birthday on a facebook post. I let him know that I'm proud to say I'm 44, and besides my age is a simple google away in my race records!

Training in the off season

I've been getting a lot of questions about what I do in the off season. The best advice I read is that you should do what you feel like doing and so that is my prescribed plan, or lack thereof. After all, the off season is a chance to rejuvenate yourself both physically and mentally.

We've been having an unseasonably warm winter so that has meant many days of feeling like running and biking outdoors. I've been adding distance to my running, taking on a 5 mile hilly loop around my house. When I got a cold recently, I opted for walking rather than running and discovered a whole new perfectly distanced 5K loop from my house.

On December 31, Mike and I decided to do a 10 mile bike loop to the beach and back at our Martha's Vineyard house - a record for the latest bike ride in the year for us. On January 1, we set another record for earliest ride in the year and we were treated to a blue sky, sunny 47 degree day with blue, calm ocean views during our 18 mile ride.

Swimming has continued to be a focus of mine. I joined an adult swim group that my swim coach runs. I choose up to 2 nights a week and I'm sometimes joined by 1-2 others or have the benefit of a private lesson when no one shows up. After a warm up, we typically do technique drills that have definitely been making me a more efficient swimmer. Then, the sets focus on speed and/or endurance. It all seems to be paying off as I keep setting new speed records for myself and felt pretty good after swimming 2100 yards non stop one day (I set out to do one mile which is 1760 yards and was surprised after I looked at my lap watch how much I had miscounted!). My current personal bests are:
25 yards - :21 seconds
50 yards - :47.78 seconds
100 yards - 1:53
450 yards (.25 mile) - 9:58
1800 yards (1 mile) - 45:02

There is one problem with this "do what you feel like" plan - strength training doesn't make the list. So, I've had to force myself to do some of that but it has admittedly not been enough as another piece of advice that I read is that you really should do more of it now since it often gets squeezed out in season. So, I came up with a little game of sorts - I sum the digits in the date and do that many daily push ups and twice as many sit ups. So 1/1/12 = 13 push ups and 26 sit ups and 12/31/12 = 55 push ups and 110 sit ups.

This off season training plan has one big benefit - it's been great at fighting the wintertime blues. Dark early? Who cares, I'm off to the pool. Winter? I'm still in denial with these beach bike rides. And, I've discovered new streets in my neighborhood after living there for 14 years!

2012: New Goals

The first thing I did on the first day of the year was to register online for a popular Montauk triathlon that opened that day! I spent a couple of hours on New Year's Eve researching my 2012 triathlon options. I am excited that my 2012 goal will be to complete an Olympic distance triathlon. 2012 is the Chinese Year of the Dragon. The Dragon is a legendary creature and would make a good triathlete as it can survive on the ground, in the water, and in the sky.

Here's the run down on my race plan - come join me!

June 2: Barb and I will return to Lake Noxamixon State Park for the Independence Triathlon. It will be fun to do a year over year comparison since this was my very first triathlon. It's also a great warm up race at .25 mile swim, 10 mile bike, and 2 mile run. http://www.piranha-sports.com/Race177.aspx

July 1: It's tempting to go for the Olympic triathlon in my home town in Stamford, CT. But after checking the 2011 results, as it stands now, I would come in dead last on the mile swim. I've decided it would be best to use the summer to get plenty of open water swim practice in and to work on my biking and running speed before attempting an Olympic. But, Mike, my friend Allison and I have decided to do it together as a relay as a good training race. It will be a good 10K training race for me and give me motivation to work on my run. http://www.kicittriathlon.com/

July 15: The Montauk Point Lighthouse Sprint. This race will add some distance with a .5 mile swim, 15 mile bike, and 5K run as I prepare for the Olympic distance. And, it's a location I've always wanted to visit. https://secure.marathonguide.com/register/montaukpointtriathlon/index.cfm?

September 9: Martha's Vineyard. So far there are 11 of us who have declared we're in! I'm planning on making this my Olympic distance debut as is my friend Allison. Mike has declared he will do the Sprint distance. I'll have all summer to practice and will know the route well. We're planning lots of extended weekend activities for our friends and family so please let me know if you want to join us for the sprint, Olympic or Olympic relay or our cheerleading squad and the weekend events! http://www.vineyardwarrior.com/

Others: It may be tempting to squeeze in an early and/or late season event so I'm keeping these on my list.
4/22 mini mighty man (pool swim)
9/22 Darien sprint usat
9/29 mighty man montauk sprint 9/30 Olympic
mid-Oct. Gettysburg

Last year my goal was just to finish some races. While that is of course still the intent, particularly with my Olympic, I'm hoping for some new personal bests.

Having been born in 1968, my Chinese sign is the Monkey:
Monkeys can run circles around other people with ease. They are curious and clever people who catch on quickly to most anything. Monkey people generally can accomplish any given task. They appreciate difficult or challenging work as it stimulates them and makes them think.

Game on!