Hi there -
I've been riding a Gary Fisher mt bike for about 5 yrs now - decided that riding SF hills might be more fun ;) with a road bike. Now I'm tossed between a Specialized comp (end of year 2005) and Specialized elite (end of year 2005)-- not sure how much of a difference there really is for the price -- would love your advice! Is 9 speed really so much worse than 10 spd? Is the weight difference (all carbon vs. mix) a big factor? Is the shifting ease a big deal? All in all, is it worth the extra $500 or so? I should mention that I'm a very fit female, 5'9" with a 34 inseam...so is there a bike other than Specialized that would be better suited to my long-legged, short-torso body type? (comfort is huge for me - I like long distance rides)
Any advice is much appreciated!

I'd go with whatever bike fits the best and feels good on the road. They say the new dura ace 10 speed cranks are stiffer,but if one is not riding on the elite level i can't see that it would matter to you if you have one less gear on the cassett

Hi there -
I've been riding a Gary Fisher mt bike for about 5 yrs now - decided that riding SF hills might be more fun ;) with a road bike. Now I'm tossed between a Specialized comp (end of year 2005) and Specialized elite (end of year 2005)-- not sure how much of a difference there really is for the price -- would love your advice! Is 9 speed really so much worse than 10 spd? Is the weight difference (all carbon vs. mix) a big factor? Is the shifting ease a big deal? All in all, is it worth the extra $500 or so? I should mention that I'm a very fit female, 5'9" with a 34 inseam...so is there a bike other than Specialized that would be better suited to my long-legged, short-torso body type? (comfort is huge for me - I like long distance rides)
Any advice is much appreciated!
Are you talking Allez, Roubaix, Tarmac, or Ruby? Specialized names a bike and describes the level of components/wheels by Elite/Expert/Pro, etc. The Ruby is designed for women, might be worth checking out.

I love my Roubaix Comp, last year's model, with 9 speed Ultegra. I upgraded the wheels, but the 9 speed vs. 10 speed isn't that important to me. The wheels were. Weight would be important to me once I lose another 20 lbs. As a non-competitive rider, shifting is fine with 105 vs. Ultegra, but I do like Ultegra better. Also, see about trying out different saddles-you probably won't want the one that comes with the bike.

Might be worthwhile to look into a pro fitting. That should steer you towards the right bike for you. If the bike doesn't fit right, it won't be comfortable and you won't ride it. As for final cost, if you ride your bike a lot, that extra $500 is worth it in the long run, but if you're not that into road riding, it might be excessive.