Yes, ride this for at least until fall. Your idea of a good fit will likely evolve.
Meanwhile:
Use the drops effectively.
I like the bars high enough that the drops are a very comfortable position. I'm probably 50% on the hoods, 40% on the drops, 10% on the tops.
So many riders have their drops set so low that I essentially never see them in the drops.
In the drops:
way better control on very rough roads and descents.
my hands need the relief of having pressure across my whole palm, instead of more concentrated on the hoods.
stretch out my back a bit in the drops. And this is easier on my hands and shoulders too.
immediate aero benefit, of course.
Tires!! By far the biggest improvement for the cost.
Are you riding these stock tires: Specialized Espoir Sport, 60TPI, wire bead, double BlackBelt protection, 700x28mm.
These probably have very good puncture protection. But that depends where you ride: City streets may have more glass and sharp bits?
I stay off the shoulders, there's always debris there. I ride in the right tire track on the road, since car tires kick the debris to the side of the road. And cars won't try to close pass me when I'm riding there.
Good tires in 28 mm, like Continental GP5000, are so nice to ride. And better grip in the corners too. They flex over tiny bumps instead of vibrating/bouncing the bike.
Lightweight tubes are good to go with this.
At your 165 pounds, try 70-75 psi front, 80 psi rear. Very comfortable on rough roads, reasonable pinch flat protection. You'll be just as fast as a tire pumped rock hard, and likely faster on rough surfaces.
Save the old tires, and put them back on if you sell the old bike!
Cassette
A different range cassette might be good, depending on the hill grades and lengths, and also how fast you are riding. I like close shifts at flat road speeds where I'm working hard to hang on. And still have low gears to use on climbs.
Saddle
So many different saddle preferences with different riders. And there's no easy way to pick the best one for you. Some shops have a loaner / trial saddle program.
I wouldn't change it unless the stock saddle is just uncomfortable after riding it for 4-6 weeks at least.
I don't think I'd upgrade anything else on this bike, it's just not that effective.
Last edited by rm -rf; 06-26-22 at 08:17 PM.