Specialized Dolce Sport

Price Paid:  $859.00 at City Bicycle Works S

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
specialized dolce 2007 or 6 not sure

Summary:
The Bike has been good considering, but the front gears shift rough. The Sacramento store sold me Men's shoes instead of womens.. and so they were way too big. They also sold me air pump that did not have the valves that would put air in tires and on a 40 mile ride, i suffered.

Bike probably ok, the store probably charged me too much, did not catch that air pump was bad after asking for two check outs

therefore, for bike

i was over charged
store services were poor
service to get gears checked etc took 3 days

would not shop there again
and when i called on that 20/40 mile trip
where there was missing part on air pump

they were of no help and i walked a long ways!

and i was only a few miles from their shop

boycott
Sacramento

City
Bicycle
Work

is my advic e

Strengths:
great Bike for short legged women

Weaknesses:
gears

Similar Products Used:
rei

Price Paid:  $811.00 at Bikes Inc, Keller, T

Model Year:
2005

Favorite Ride:
Peach Pedal - Weatherford, TX

Summary:
I really wanted the comp (the next step up), but couldn't afford it. I am very satisfied and amazed by the entry level edition. I can't even imagine a better bike! I love the upper brake levers for riding on top of the handle bars. Everything from the bar tape down to the tires is just great! The seat is incredibly comfortable. The only upgrades or additions are: SPD pedals, water cages, a bike computer, a flat kit, and a Bento box. My next wish is for aero bars.

I am training for my first triathlon and I love riding this bike so much that I have for force myself to swim and run. My next adventure will probably be a century ride!

Strengths:
Carbon fork and seat post, quiet, smooth gears, silver color, extra brake levers on top of handle bars, great tape, comfortable seat. EVERYTHING!

Weaknesses:
None!

Similar Products Used:
Trek 1000 WSD

Price Paid:  $600.00

Model Year:
2005

Bike Setup:
clipless pedals, swapping out the cassette for a bigger one this week.

Summary:
I have a 44cm 2005 Dolce, got it on sale in 2006. It's great for women with long legs but short torsos. The only problem I've had so far is that no matter how ofte nthey adjust it, the chain derails regularly. Shifting gears is often sticky and a pain. Also, I wish it came with a bigger cassette. However, for the price, it's great, and I'm really happy with it overall. I'd definitely recommend it.

Strengths:
Shape and size, nice handlebars, good price.

Weaknesses:
Shifting, could use a bigger granny gear if you're in a really hilly area.

Price Paid:  $600.00 at Quality Bicycles/San

Favorite Ride:
Specialized Dolce Sport

Bike Setup:
stock

Summary:
I am 5'0" with a short torso and delighted to find an entry-level roadbike that fits. I hadn't ridden a roadbike in 20 yrs so I don't know what to say about brakes/shifters etc except they are way nicer than they used to be 20 yrs ago! The saddle is very comfortable and I love the "bar phat". I had to get a special waterbottle rack because the 44cm frame is so small I needed a side-entry rack.

For a newbie the adjustable stem is also a nice feature. Initially I liked the handlebars relatively high but after several months wanted them lower. It took a few min for the shop to flip the stem over.

Strengths:
Entry level bike with frame sizes to fit short people with short torso; "bar phat" provides excellent cushioning on handlebars; comfortable seat; adjustable stem heights; very lightweight

Weaknesses:
Not exactly a weakness, just a note about the small frame size: in the 44cm frame size, the frame is so small there is only room for one frame-mount bottle rack and it must be a side-entry rack to accomodate a tall waterbottle.

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $660.00 at Bicycle Sport Shop-

Favorite Ride:
hills in west Austin

Bike Setup:
speedplay pedals, clip-on aero bars, different seat (some of us don't like the sack crack)

Summary:
This is my first road bike, and being a student I wanted something that wasn't too flashy or delicate but that I would enjoy riding. I also am a female with longer legs and a shorter torso, and stubby short fingers, so I accepted I was probably going to need a female-design bike (I know I could have replaced parts on something else, but that would have blown my budget through the roof). I was delighted to see that Specialized had just released a budget Dolce this year, and the good experience I had with my Specialized mtb was enough to convince me. All I needed to be up and riding was a new seat and some clipless pedals. This bike has taken me on countless adventures and I think I'll love road riding forever. Some may poo-poo the cheap components, but I haven't noticed a difference.

However, disaster struck a week ago when I noticed a tiny (<1cm) crack forming in the head tube. I immediately took it into the shop where I bought it which is also a Specialized repair center, and they were absolutely wonderful and I got a call today that this is the second frame that cracked in this location, so they're re-engineering it (remember, it was new this year) and in the meantime they'll send me a Comp frame as a replacement. Wow! It was very reassuring that they took such quick action as to re-design it and I'm overall very impressed with the warranty service.

The big thing is to remember that yes, the components are cheap, but you did just get a complete new bike for <$700. I'm not racing, and it's just not that important to me to be riding on the same stuff as the pros.

Strengths:
Fits those of us with girly proportions, cute, unflashy design, excellent warranty service, cheap!

Weaknesses:
First year design is a little buggy, entry-level components (on an entry-level bike)