Nice Bike shame about the rider!

rowskein said:

It's pretty tough not to be tempted into buying a mega bike!!! Am I just throwing money away buying a high spec. bike from the LBS?

Click to expand...

Just go for it.

Hey if you can afford it flaunt it,
You can get me one to,while you're about it,
I'd be the **** on the walk.

Believe it or not, I've seen some really fatguys go really fast. I'm talking 250-280 lb dudes cranking it out in the pack, if you can believe it. Then again, I've seen other guys who absolutely suck riding 4-5 grand bikes. That's not what gets to me, though, and I'll tell you what does: it's the little wankers on the race team who think they're really cool, and the older guys with the team attitude. I don't care what you ride, just don't try to make me feel like I'm part of some elite group cause I ride with a bunch of geeks a couple times a week.

Buy it sure! But before that be sure you at least know all your ins and outs of the bike. Buying something that is over $2000, and espcially when over $3000, I think requires some skills. And not even strictly involving your physical strength. I am taking about those things, that when someone moves your seat up or down ~5mm you can feel it. Or you can notice the difference between different sized cranks. Stuff like that. Hopefully you have another bike that you ride. Maybe a cheapo mtb?

The more experience you get with the cheap bikes, the more you save when buying expensive bikes. Since everything will be done right almost the first time, and costly parts can be maintained and used properly. Another thing, is that bike shops don't care too much about how they do stuff. So learn and practice doing stuff on your old bikes, like changing cables and stuff. Many bike shops could care less if it works perfect.

I know I am being too detailed, but I don't know how much you know, and I just want you to get a sense of this.
Anyways, normally it shouldn't be hard to meet this cirteria. Remember, have fun with this, and use the internet to help you on your decsions. Your brain is a calculator, so calculate the best options!

Just do it! Buy the bike that you like (and naturally that fits correctly and is suitable for you and your riding). Who cares what others think? Remember that you are an adult riding around in public wearing lycra and probably shaving your legs. Everyone out there who does not ride already thinks you are weird.

You should go for what you want. I don't think most people look down on riders with expensive bikes even if the rider "is not up to par." I think what most people look down on are those that buy really expensive CF bikes and then never ride it. The "posers" if you will. The bike shop I always go into has a couple people that hang around there that buy all the top of the line expensive gear but never actually ride their bikes.

-Matt

mattjf said:

You should go for what you want. I don't think most people look down on riders with expensive bikes even if the rider "is not up to par." I think what most people look down on are those that buy really expensive CF bikes and then never ride it. The "posers" if you will. The bike shop I always go into has a couple people that hang around there that buy all the top of the line expensive gear but never actually ride their bikes.

-Matt

Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I relate to your post. I was in my LBS hanging out one day. I happen to have a full-custom Calfee Tetra Pro that ran me over $6K. This older guy comes in and listens to conversation a bit, then mentions he has his Litespeed and then says, as he was eyeing my bike that he was considering getting a Calfay'(mnemonically spelled here). The guy had no clue how to properly pronounce Craig Calfee's last name (whom I've met in person and know how he prounounces his own name). He was a clear poser and my LBS and I look at each other and cracked a quick smile the guy didn't see becuase we both saw how obvious he was.

Insight Driver said:

Oh yeah, I relate to your post. I was in my LBS hanging out one day. I happen to have a full-custom Calfee Tetra Pro that ran me over $6K. This older guy comes in and listens to conversation a bit, then mentions he has his Litespeed and then says, as he was eyeing my bike that he was considering getting a Calfay'(mnemonically spelled here). The guy had no clue how to properly pronounce Craig Calfee's last name (whom I've met in person and know how he prounounces his own name). He was a clear poser and my LBS and I look at each other and cracked a quick smile the guy didn't see becuase we both saw how obvious he was.

Click to expand...

I wonder if they put their kits on and go the tanning salon so they get the nice cyclist tan lines

-Matt

Get the new bike by all means - they are one of the better pleasures in life! Just a suggestion, though, instead of getting a triple, I recently bought a new bike with a compact drive (50/39) and consider it one of my smarter decisions. I can still climb the bigger hills in the small chain ring and find that the 50 chain ring is flexible enough for all but the biggest hills. That is, no need for the 3rd chain ring.

Insight Driver said:

Oh yeah, I relate to your post. I was in my LBS hanging out one day. I happen to have a full-custom Calfee Tetra Pro that ran me over $6K. This older guy comes in and listens to conversation a bit, then mentions he has his Litespeed and then says, as he was eyeing my bike that he was considering getting a Calfay'(mnemonically spelled here). The guy had no clue how to properly pronounce Craig Calfee's last name (whom I've met in person and know how he prounounces his own name). He was a clear poser and my LBS and I look at each other and cracked a quick smile the guy didn't see becuase we both saw how obvious he was.

Click to expand...

Speaking of which, does anyone know how to pronounce Bontrager? I've been under the impression that it's a French name (pron. Bont-rah-jay) but supposedly Mr. Bontrager is an American. Is it pronounced Bont-rah-ger?

Noeljs said:

Get the new bike by all means - they are one of the better pleasures in life! Just a suggestion, though, instead of getting a triple, I recently bought a new bike with a compact drive (50/39) and consider it one of my smarter decisions. I can still climb the bigger hills in the small chain ring and find that the 50 chain ring is flexible enough for all but the biggest hills. That is, no need for the 3rd chain ring.

Click to expand...

If you're going for a compact, don't get 50/39 but rather 50/34. Even that won't allow you quite the same ability to spin up the steepest hills as a triple.

PartisanRanger said:

Speaking of which, does anyone know how to pronounce Bontrager? I've been under the impression that it's a French name (pron. Bont-rah-jay) but supposedly Mr. Bontrager is an American. Is it pronounced Bont-rah-ger?

Click to expand...

I've always said Bon-tray-ger and have not yet been corrected by the nice people at the LBS.

-Matt

Insight Driver said:

Oh yeah, I relate to your post. I was in my LBS hanging out one day. I happen to have a full-custom Calfee Tetra Pro that ran me over $6K. .

Click to expand...

Nice bike to be hanging around LBS. What LBS are we talking about ? I might stop in on my way threw Sac town.

PartisanRanger said:

Speaking of which, does anyone know how to pronounce Bontrager? I've been under the impression that it's a French name (pron. Bont-rah-jay) but supposedly Mr. Bontrager is an American. Is it pronounced Bont-rah-ger?

Click to expand...

That's the way I pronounce it too. Thought it was German.

lw

Insight Driver said:

Oh yeah, I relate to your post. I was in my LBS hanging out one day. I happen to have a full-custom Calfee Tetra Pro that ran me over $6K. This older guy comes in and listens to conversation a bit, then mentions he has his Litespeed and then says, as he was eyeing my bike that he was considering getting a Calfay'(mnemonically spelled here). The guy had no clue how to properly pronounce Craig Calfee's last name (whom I've met in person and know how he prounounces his own name). He was a clear poser and my LBS and I look at each other and cracked a quick smile the guy didn't see becuase we both saw how obvious he was.

Click to expand...

Yeah, you certainly don't want to be too nice to people like that. They might end up wanting to get more involved in the sport...

PartisanRanger said:

Speaking of which, does anyone know how to pronounce Bontrager? I've been under the impression that it's a French name (pron. Bont-rah-jay) but supposedly Mr. Bontrager is an American. Is it pronounced Bont-rah-ger?

Click to expand...

According to the Bontrager website...

Q. How do you pronounce Bontrager?
A. We get that a lot!
Bon -- Bon-fire
-tra -- Tra-gic
-ger -- Grrr

rowskein said:

Anyone any thoughts on buying bikes that are way over spec. for the kind of riders using them!

Click to expand...

If, when riding, you can tell the difference between a very high priced bike, and a mid priced bike, go ahead and buy the expensive model. If, on the other hand, you can't tell the difference, why spend the money? When I bought a new bike three months ago, any new bike was better than the 20 year old schwinn that was my main ride at the time. For me, $5k on a bike would have been a waste of money. A year or two from now, when I drop 50 or so pounds and can routinely ride centuries, it might be worth it.

So what? I didn't know how to pronounce Calfee either until I read your post. That doesn't give you nearly enough information to tell whether I am a poseur or not.

What a dork.

Insight Driver said:

Oh yeah, I relate to your post. I was in my LBS hanging out one day. I happen to have a full-custom Calfee Tetra Pro that ran me over $6K. This older guy comes in and listens to conversation a bit, then mentions he has his Litespeed and then says, as he was eyeing my bike that he was considering getting a Calfay'(mnemonically spelled here). The guy had no clue how to properly pronounce Craig Calfee's last name (whom I've met in person and know how he prounounces his own name). He was a clear poser and my LBS and I look at each other and cracked a quick smile the guy didn't see becuase we both saw how obvious he was.

Click to expand...

rowskein said:

Anyone any thoughts on buying bikes that are way over spec. for the kind of riders using them!

I'm not a racer or anything special just an amateur enjoy riding. I've got a Trek 1000 and i've been okay doing 100 mile trips on it. In June i'm doing a 330 mile ride in Norway. I've decided i want a triple just in case it starts getting too tough half way through and also decided on a good set of wheels. I'll use the trek 1000's wheels as spares on the run. If i upgrade the 1000 I'm in new bike teritory money wise so I'm thinking new bike time. It's pretty tough not to be tempted into buying a mega bike!!! Am I just throwing money away buying a high spec. bike from the LBS? Also is CF going to be more comfortable for this kind of long distance?

Click to expand...

I really dont need a Dodge Viper GTS but if I had money to burn on a car I would proly get one.

For me ever since I was a youth I have always bought the best I can afford.