# Thinking about Specialized Dolce



## smoothie7

My girlfriend is looking at getting her first road bike. She has never ridden a road bike until this past Friday when she test road a Dolce. She currently rides a Fuji Absolute which is like a commuter/hybrid bike. We only have been riding Fuji because that is what the closest lbs sells however we went into a really nice bike shop about 40 miles from home and I think I found my new lbs. The service, selection, and pricing was great. My question is, she test road a 2011 Specialized Dolce and really liked it. She went to the website and really likes the 2012 Dolce Triple. What are the differences in the different Dolce's? I am trying to stay relatively cheap since this is her first road bike. What are your guys/gals opinions? Thanks in advance.


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## jorgy

The base Dolce and the Dolce Sport have very low-end components. The Comp and Elite have much better components.

Unless you have some really big hills, the Compacts should be fine vs. a triple.


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## smoothie7

my only problem is the paint scheme she really wants on the 2012 models is only available in the Dolce Compact and the Dolce Triple. This would be her very first road bike. We live on very flat roads


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## Trek2.3

Color scheme can be amazingly important to new/casual riders. It's hard to change. If she doesn't like the color, she'll be negatively affected no matter what.

Compontents are easy to upgrade in whole or in part (and good deals on parts abound on Ebay in the off season).


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## smoothie7

my thinking is that if she doesn't like how it looks/feels she will never ride it. This would be her first road bike and I want her to be excited about it. If she really enjoys road cycling I have no problem getting her a different bike down the road, I just want something that works properly for her and that will be worry-free. She's not going to know the difference if it has SRAM or 105 components on it and she will never be racing it. Up to this point, we have only ridden Fuji bikes as shown in my sig. We have been happy with them but haven't done much research on Specialized. That's why I was looking for opinions  Thanks so far for the input.


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## il sogno

I would avoid that triple crankset. If you can get it with a compact crank go for it.


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## jorgy

smoothie7 said:


> my thinking is that if she doesn't like how it looks/feels she will never ride it. This would be her first road bike and I want her to be excited about it.


Trek2.3 and your instincts are correct about color. Go with the bike that excites her. Sora's good enough for her to get a sense of whether she likes road biking or not.

I notice the compact and triple come in the same color. I'd go with the compact.


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## smoothie7

The compact is actually cheaper than the triple.  What are your reasons why you would avoid the triple?


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## jorgy

smoothie7 said:


> The compact is actually cheaper than the triple.  What are your reasons why you would avoid the triple?


Two chainrings is simpler. Easier to keep the derailleur adjusted; lighter.

On my compact I ended up switching the inner 34 chainring for a 36; you might ask the shop about doing that. I made that swap because I found the 16-tooth jump too big.


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## freighttraininguphill

I have a 2011 Dolce Triple. I modified the gearing for super-steep climbs, so now it has a 24-tooth small chainring and a Shimano MegaRange 11-34 cassette. I haven't found a hill I can't climb with this bike.


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## tednugent

Should also check out the Secteur, which is the "mens" equivalent of the Dolce. Some of the ladies prefer the "mens" geometry over the women specific ones...


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## Trek2.3

I have both cranks. I'd get a triple if you can. If it wouldn't cost so much, I'd go back to one on all my bikes.


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## Camilo

This whole thing about avoiding the triple just because of supposed shifting quality issues is just not significant to most riders. Certainly a beginner is not going to have any problems with a properly tuned triple. Just get it tuned up - and this isn't unique to the triple, the compacts don't shift well if not tuned either.

Frankly, having owned both, and knowing how to tune them as well as possible, I think triples are smoother shifting than compacts because the jumps between wheels is less.

An added benefit - in my experience - is that for many riders and riding situations, there can be far less front shifting because the middle ring is very useful and can easily access the entire cassette w/o chain rub issues. There is just never any thought or issue in upshifting to larger rings - it just happens smootly and easily. Compacts are often more of a finesse thing for upshifting, in my experience.

If she likes the triple color better, there is absolutely no question - get that bike. Color is a legitimate factor in choice. Just read all the posts by vain high end bike riders about handlebar tape, seat color, tire color etc. 

The added benefit to the preferred color might indeed be a better shifting situation for her.

By the way, I just bought my wife a used (09?) Dolce elite which is Tiagra/105 triple. Excellent frame, excellent fork, excellent drive train. We have big hills so the triple is really nice to have too. In fact, I might put a 9 speed MTB cassette and derailleur on the back to get her more gears.


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## smoothie7

both the 2012 compact and the triple come in the color scheme she likes. I'm just trying to figure out which one is best for her. The bike she rides now has a triple on it but I ride a double.


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## theBreeze

I agree that being a beginning rider is no reason to avoid a triple crankset. My first road bike was a triple. I still love it. She will probably find that she can stay in the middle ring the majority of the time, so front shifting isn't an issue. After 10 years and becoming a pretty strong rider who logs lots of miles I still enjoy the triple for this very reason.


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## Hanks

*I'm real excited*

Don't get me wrong, I love our 12 year old Mongoose MTB's (kept in better shape than new) for crusing down to the beach with some pack-pack-beach chairs, my boggie board and an umbrella, it's still my kind of fun, but tonite my wife and I are going to a bike shop where she's going to order her first roadbike. We talked about roadbikes before and she said she never wanted one which was a downer for me because I can't go that slow on my CF or STL road bike. This is going to be great! We can find some hilly back roads around here and hook them onto the Thule pickup truck bed rack go, somewhere nice and ride for the day. This should really improve her riding going from fat tire 30+lb bike to more like 20-lbs! Thanks for reinforcing my thoughts for transitioning from a granny gear triple on our MTB's to maintaining the super low end on the Dolce as well. We're going to be doing some hills and until shes up to speed I don't want it to be harder on a road bike than it is on the MTB. Happy the extra brake levers are there (that'll help the transition too) and they can always be removed once she gets comfortable getting down in the drops.










Hank :thumbsup:

P.S. She said "I'll know it when I see it" and the other day she just wandered through a shop and said "I think I see a bike I like"


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## Hanks

My wife recently purchased a Specialized Dolce from PV Bicycle Center. We were both impressed with everything about PVBC. The highly organized “look” of the shop, the huge selection of bikes and gear, but what was most outstanding was the way we were treated.

This was my wife’s first road bike. Steve did all the measurements and the fit portion, complete with placing a pelvic portion of a skeleton (I hope it was plastic) on the seat to explain “sit bone/ seat interaction”. It was like going to a doctor when he explains things from a well studied, highly intelligent and experienced standpoint. You know that feeling of you are with the right person and have complete confidence. 










The bike is a 2011 Specialized Sport Triple and at $839.99 is everything you could want for an entry level road bike. 

Hank :thumbsup:


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## Hanks




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## KoroninK

I have 2 road bikes. A Trek 2000 (aluminum) with a triple and a bran new Felt F5 (carbon) with a compact. We bought the Trek used and it was my first road bike and the first bike as an adult I actually really enjoyed and wanted to ride. I really like the Felt, but I'm still trying to get used to the compact. For me having the triple as my first bike was very helpful. With the triple it didn't take me too long to find a gearing I was comfortable with to use for the most part. I'm having a hard time of that with the compact. We are in a fairly flat area about a half hour or so inland from the coast.


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## lisboa98

A good frame, I think


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## wotnoshoeseh

I signed my wife up for a century in May and she has been riding my 2010 GT Series 4 but has been uncomfortable on it. Went to the LBS here yeaterday to see about fitting and she ended up walking out the door with a '11 Dolce Elite with the Apex drivetrain.


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## Rapunzara

I am still on my first road bike (purchased used) with a triple, but lots of my rides include some icky climbing. Shopping for a new one and all I see out here are doubles and it scares the heck out of me! Would love to know what she decides. =)


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## Jpeconsult

Got the Dolce compact this past weekend for my wife...her first road bike. She really liked the secondary brake levers since she hasn't been very comfortable riding. One of those comfort deals, I think. Good luck choosing.


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## KoroninK

Rapunzara, I understand where you're coming from. Personally I prefer the triple and am considering changing my compact over to a triple at some point, or at minimum switching out the inside ring for something closer to what the middle ring on my triple.


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## ontheroad

Hi there,

I Know this is an old post but i am unable to do a new thread as I'm a newbie. I was wondering what you all think about the 2012 specialized dolce elite, and is it worth the $1400 price tag? I am trying to decide which one to get. I like the ride when i test drove it but i am not that experienced of a rider to know the difference between road bikes. I was just thinking if i should get this or a lower end model such as a dolce comp or triple sport. Is there an added advantage with getting the elite? I was told by my LBS that this has higher components but what would that mean for a rider like me? This would be my first road bike as i am transitioning from a mountain bike. I like the specialized womens specific bikes like the dolce. I am a recreational rider, one to two times per week and doing 20-30 miles. Future plans for road biking would be doing harity events. Any advice as to which dolce would give me the best bang for my buck for a recreational rider like me would be highly appreciated. Thanks!


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## tednugent

ontheroad said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I Know this is an old post but i am unable to do a new thread as I'm a newbie. I was wondering what you all think about the 2012 specialized dolce elite, and is it worth the $1400 price tag? I am trying to decide which one to get. I like the ride when i test drove it but i am not that experienced of a rider to know the difference between road bikes. I was just thinking if i should get this or a lower end model such as a dolce comp or triple sport. Is there an added advantage with getting the elite? I was told by my LBS that this has higher components but what would that mean for a rider like me? This would be my first road bike as i am transitioning from a mountain bike. I like the specialized womens specific bikes like the dolce. I am a recreational rider, one to two times per week and doing 20-30 miles. Future plans for road biking would be doing harity events. Any advice as to which dolce would give me the best bang for my buck for a recreational rider like me would be highly appreciated. Thanks!


The only way to tell is by riding it.... in particular, paying attention to the shift quality differences of the 10-speed tiagra and 9-speed sora. The tiagra will allow you to shift from the drops-- if you care about that.

the rear carbon legs with zertz inserts really benefit more on longer rides, where the high frequency vibrations doesn't wear you out as much.

If you decide to get the Sport with the Sora... that frees up money to buy stuff... like pedals, shoes, etc.

the Dolce Comp is a higher end model compared to the Elite BTW, which gets a 105 drivetrain or for slightly more money compared to the Elite, the SRAM Apex, which gets the 32T cassette....


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## ontheroad

tednugent, 

I meant to say dolce compact or dolce triple. My LBS adviced me to get the dolce elite with the 10- speed since he said that is the standard these days. I intend to do longer rides so comfort is also important for me. I was not able to test ride the lower end dolces since they did not have any in my LBS. i really liked the elite, do you think the components is worth the price tag though? $1400 compared to $880 for the lower end dolces? Would a 10-speed tiagra give me more power than the 9-speed sora? And yeah, thats what i was thinking too with accesories it can add up! On the other hand, i also dont wanna regret getting a less superior bike just for the cheaper price tag then if i'd want to upgrade sooner than later it would end up costing more.
Thanks!


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## tednugent

people say, the front derailleur on a triple is more difficult to shift than a double or compact crank.

But, the triple crank does allow for easier hillclimbs.

10-speed is the norm these days. 10-speed cassette gives you more increments between the biggest cog & the smallest cog, so you find the right gear for the right time.

Bridging the cap between a regular compact crank 10-speed and a triple crank is SRAM's Apex, with the 32T cassette.....which is another $150 on top of the Elite.

Which one to get? All I can say is... test ride all of them. Since they didn't have the lower end Dolce... see if they have an equivalent Secteur to test.


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## ontheroad

Tednugent,

I appreciate your input. I hear that about the triple crankset, also hear something about chain rubbing. Hmm...ill have to see the difference to find out for myself. But dont think i'm gonna be doing a lot pf climbing with my road bike. Plan to test ride this monday and get fitted to make sure everything is compatible with my body type. Will post what i end up getting! On the side note, i got to test drive a friend's orbea opal today. I have to say i really liked it! Very fast ride.


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## Camilo

tednugent said:


> people say, the front derailleur on a triple is more difficult to shift than a double or compact crank.
> 
> But, the triple crank does allow for easier hillclimbs..


[edit: I'm sorry, I just noticed I posted just about the same thing a few months ago in this same thread! I just clicked on the second page, saw the debate on the crank, and just did my usual thang... anyway, I still think this way, and just since i didn't mention it again, the Dolce is an excellent frame and the WSD, while not essential, does come with some features that a woman's stature may benefit from]

That thing about triples being more difficult to shift or fussier than doubles really perplexes me. Yes, it definitely is "conventional wisdom", but I doubt that anyone who has actually ridden a properly tuned triple and a properly tuned Compact Double would say that.

To me, the triple is far superior in several respects (I currently ride both a good quality Ultegra triple and a good quality Sram Red compact double): 

first, the jumps between the chain wheels is much smaller than with the compact double, therfore front shifting is smoother.

Second, since those jumps are smaller, when you do shif the front, you have far less shifting in the back to accomodate the jumps. Far less "double shifting" with the triple in order to keep a regular cadence rate.

Third, the triple has the middle ring which is extremely versitile. Most riders can just camp on that middle ring for a huge proportion of the time and just shift in back. 

Finally, for any given cassette, the triple gives you approximately two lower gears. This is extremely important for the fun factor if leg strength or hill steepness is at all a factor, or if the rider is uncomfortable standing to pedal. If you match the lowest gears on both rigs, the triple will require a smaller largest cog in back compared to the compact double. Therefore, the gear spacing in back will be tighter, again... advantage triple.

The only reason to get a compact is if you really, really don't need the low gears and/or you jsut can't stand the thought of a triple on a road bike (a very silly thought, imho). I think compact cranks are fine, but not optimum for people who buy them for their designed purpose, lower gears. They certainly don't shift better. If you don't need the low gears, either get a conventional double or at the very least, minimize the jumps in your compact double by getting a 36 tooth small ring instead of the 34. If you need the gears, don't drink the Compact Coolaid, get a triple if it's offered.

As for Sora vs. Tiagra. The difference between 9 speed and 10 speed is pretty much meaningless (again, I currently ride both). That's not the decision point AT ALL, no matter what the sales guy says. It's just BS. 9 speed cassettes will not be hard to find in our lifetimes.

The real question is which shifters the rider prefers. They are distinctly different in shape and function. My wife's road bike (a Dolce Elite Triple) has Tiagra and it works perfectly. She rented a road bike and rode it 200 miles last sumer and actually preferred the Sora on that bike - she liked the way it shifted, and it was better suited to her hand and riding style (never in the drops). The Tiagra is absolutely fine with her, but if we had ridden both before purchase, I'd bet she would have chosen Sora. But everyone has their own preference. Both work perfectly.


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## Crusty

I agree with everything Camilo says. I have an triple and it's smoother as butter. I ride on the middle ring 90% of the time. I have 52/42/30 and 12-25 combo. I really like the close spacing of of the gears that the 12-25 offers.

Here's a link that compares available gear ratios of a triple vs compact double.

You should give some thought about what kind of gearing you want. You can't simply swap out a 11-28 cassette for a 12-32. You might also need to swap out the derailleur and/or chain as well. This would add to the cost of the bike.

Personally, I think Tiagra + better other bits is a good investment over Sora. But as you are not going to ride it hard (powerwise, that is, eg lots of hills and acceleration) Sora will probably be acceptable.

I find the price of Specialized bikes to be higher than comparable Trek and Cannondale bikes. Have you tried any of these bikes?


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## KoroninK

I have an older Trek road bike that has a triple and a new Felt that has a compact double. Personally I like the triple better. My husband likes the compact double better. I think in some ways it's just personal preference as to which you prefer.


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## Jpeconsult

My wife doesn't intend to race so she opted for the base model at $880 (-10%) as a recreational rider. Personal preference and a fear of spending extra money were her deciding points. She also tried the Trek Lexa series.


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## il sogno

Crusty said:


> I find the price of Specialized bikes to be higher than comparable Trek and Cannondale bikes. Have you tried any of these bikes?


The Treks are good.


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## Camilo

Jpeconsult said:


> My wife doesn't intend to race so she opted for the base model at $880 (-10%) as a recreational rider. Personal preference and a fear of spending extra money were her deciding points. She also tried the Trek Lexa series.


I predict she'll be very happy. Just make sure she gets a comfortable saddle and get the handlebars up where she feels comfortable. Don't spare any expense or effort on the saddle or fit, and don't get hung up on making the bike "racy" in terms of saddle-bar drop unless she likes it. My wife happened to like the stock Dolce saddle (some sort of specialized brand), but also experimented with a couple different Bontrager.

Also make sure you are super particular in keeping the shifting right on - there's nothing more discouraging to a beginning rider than flawed shifting.

Finally, the stock brake pads on my wife's Dolce Elite got pretty noisy after just a few hundred miles. I have no idea why. I tried cleaning the rims and pads, but still got a lot of brake "raspyness" sound - loud scraping like sound. I simply bought some good quality replacement pads from the LBS and now the are silent and take less hand force to engage.


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## KensBikes

My wife has gone from triple to compact and back to triple. We've been riding now for about 10 years and did a very hilly (well, for Michigan!) 15 miles last weekend. We both spent a lot of time in our grannies, and she said she'd always want a triple. 

Her bike, btw, is a steel Georgena Terry, designed and built by women for women. I'd recommend giving them a look.


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## Fern

My personal journey with bikes: I started with a comfort bike about 4 years ago and decided to move on to a road bike as I began to ride longer distances. I'm a recreational rider like yourself. No races, no group rides.

I bought a 2009 Dolce Elite to reward myself for successfully meeting a weight loss goal, but had test-rode the "base" Dolce several times. If I had it to do over again, I would have probably saved myself the $400 difference in price and purchased the base model. Not that I don't like the Elite-it's a beautiful bike and fun to ride on smoother pavement.

In the next two years I went on to get a hybrid and a touring bike-both with steel frames. Obviously I can't ride all three at once, so I switch back and forth. I'm finding that I prefer steel. I also like having a rear rack and going to yard sales while out with the bike. So the fancy Dolce is left behind while one of the steel workhorses goes to battle. I probably couldn't have predicted all this when I started...it's just the way it evolved.

I've just ordered slightly wider tires for the Dolce in an attempt to change that. Our broken-up roads are not much fun, and I'm hoping the ride smooths out a bit so I use it more this year. (BTW, if you do decide to go with the more expensive model, you can still have the cross brake levers installed if you choose.)


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## ontheroad

So to update, my partner ended up getting the dolce elite. On the other hand, I ended up with a 2006 orbea opal. I brought it to my LBS and got fitted right. Had to spend money on a shorter stem, emergency essentials, water bottle cages...overall I am happy with the ride. I have only ridden it for 30 miles but plan on riding more next week. I am curious though, how much does an average tune up cost? Like brake adjustments, etc...maybe even shortening cables cost? lBS charges $65 and I'm just curious if this is average. How about replacing handle bar grips, how much would that be on average? As a newbie, I plan to use my LBS for now. Maybe later on I will invest on books and tools to do tune ups myself.


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## Kernyl

ontheroad said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I Know this is an old post but i am unable to do a new thread as I'm a newbie. I was wondering what you all think about the 2012 specialized dolce elite, and is it worth the $1400 price tag? I am trying to decide which one to get. I like the ride when i test drove it but i am not that experienced of a rider to know the difference between road bikes. I was just thinking if i should get this or a lower end model such as a dolce comp or triple sport. Is there an added advantage with getting the elite? I was told by my LBS that this has higher components but what would that mean for a rider like me? This would be my first road bike as i am transitioning from a mountain bike. I like the specialized womens specific bikes like the dolce. I am a recreational rider, one to two times per week and doing 20-30 miles. Future plans for road biking would be doing harity events. Any advice as to which dolce would give me the best bang for my buck for a recreational rider like me would be highly appreciated. Thanks!


I would go with the Elite to get the better group (tiagra vs. sora) for smoother shifting. Although it's worth mentioning that for about $1400, I think you could do better. Check out the Jamis Ventura Race. For the same price you get a 105 group. Or Giant has the Avail Inspire ($1360) with 105 derailluers, where it matters most.


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## Boofhust

Do you have REI in your area? Check them out and members got special discount on service


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## Guest

I have a few questions about sizing. I am 5' 2'' and have a 27.5'' inseam. I am wanting to start biking and get into doing triathlons. I am looking at the Specialized Dolce tripe 2012. I have already purchased the 44cm. It seems a bit small, or maybe I am just freaking out 'cause it seems that everyone my size is getting a 48. 
I went back to the store today and the owner said he would order me a 48 and when it comes in next week I could try it out. They are the exact same bike just one is a 44 and one a 48. I am new to riding and I am unsure.


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## Kernyl

Looks like the shop is willing to work with you on sizing. Try the 48 when it comes in and see how it feels. Don't stress if you feel the 44 is a better fit, everyone is different, height is only a rough guide as to what your size will be. I ride a much smaller frame than most people my height, it is what feels best to you that matters, not what everybody else thinks.


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n

+1 on triple chain rings if she is a new rider. She already has a triple on the commuter and so she will be used to it. Smaller jump between the chainrings. What kind of rides does she do on the commuter? Distances she does?

Colour if very important ... Components may not be so if she is a new rider. They will look the same to her if it is tiara or ultegra.

Was the road bike idea driven by you or her? Just trying to place the type of rider she is.


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## eklekroush

*Specialized Elite Dolce vs Raleigh Capri 3.0*

I am new to roadbiking and am looking at either a Specialized Elite Dolce for $1260 vs a closeout on a Raleigh 2011 Capri 3.0 with 105 comps for only $899. Can any of you offer insight/pros/cons to either. I have some hard core biking friends that stick with Specialized but want to know if anyone has any thoughts on the Raleigh brand. They both felt great to ride.


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## Kernyl

That Raleigh looks like a good deal. I always think if you can get into 105 you should do it. But as always, try them both out and go with what feels good to you fit wise. If you're not comfortable it's not a good deal.
I do think Raleigh is experiencing a bit of a resurgence lately.


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## andyoo

My wife actually bought a base Dolce 22lb 44cm size xs and I took out everything and put SRAM Rival groupset on it...
Eventually changed out to carbon handlebar, FSA os-99 carbon stem, s work carbon seatpost,EA90 Aero wheels and a selle italia diva saddle and pro 3 tires... endup around 17lb15oz.
Recently I upgraded my ride to 2012 SRAM red... So the old 2010 SRAM red TDF group set got freeup.. I got crazy and put it on her Dolce... and also changed the tires to pro 4 and add some light weight tubes. Crazy thing is like 16lb 14oz now, lighter than some carbon bikes out there.....
Going to find her a new carbon frame soon...but until then...this will do.


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## gocard

Looks nice, hope your wife is enjoying it!


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## cycleguyRB

Very nice Andyoo. Get some lighter wheels and she will really feel the difference.


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## andyoo

when she is ready, probably will get some carbon wheel , or get her a carbon frame to reduce
vibration. At 1500-1600 gram a pair, the Easton EA90 Aero wheel is already not much heavier than a zipp 404 carbon. Unless she change from clincher to tubuler....however, since she don't go race, this is way 
more than what she wanted on a bike.
She don't even want to change from a 25mm tire to a 23mm.....sigh....


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