Don't start out by buying a $5000 bike
- Thread starter Bowyer
- Start date
Originally posted by rollers
You Canadians are so violent! First hockey and now cycling....
Attempting to change the image of cycling from the shaved-leg-gay sport to a manly one. Hockey is the only team sport where two grown men can drop the gloves & beat the tar out of each other. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, etc.. are all boys sports.....
Memph
on-topic:
Those who know little or nothing about cyclilng make wise use of their money if they buy a $5000 bike to start. That said, those persons don't make a wise move buying any bike just because they can.
My thinking is the money is spent not only on a bike. Cycling clothes, spare tube, patch kit, pump, lock, lights, fender, etc. add up to more than the cost of the bike in the end.
Those who know little or nothing about cyclilng make wise use of their money if they buy a $5000 bike to start. That said, those persons don't make a wise move buying any bike just because they can.
My thinking is the money is spent not only on a bike. Cycling clothes, spare tube, patch kit, pump, lock, lights, fender, etc. add up to more than the cost of the bike in the end.
These are things I have bought since my wife, son and I got our bicycles:
For fould weather riding, polypropylene long johns, cycling pants, long-sleeved cycling shirts, head coverings, windbreakers and gloves. We also got fenders and LED lights.
For fair weather riding, multiple sets of shorts and shirts so we don't have to launder them every single day if we are riding daily. Shoes for our clipless pedals and spare clip hardware.
For indoor training a fluid trainer.
I bought various tools, cleaners and lubricant. I also bought a work stand which I am pleased with for it makes working on my bicycles easy.
Cycling computers and heart monitors and seat bags. Spare tubes, spare tires, patch kits and frame pump.
I roughly estimate the cost of everything we have bought is equal to or greater than the cost of the bicycles we got.
I guess it is not accurate to say I am just starting out, though. Although I have ridden bicycles recreationally since I was a kid, in the past year I have become a pasionate rider for health reasons. My wife shares our bike passion as well, so we have gotten all the things that go along with riding that make it more pleasureable.
Your problem may be that you purchased everything at bike shops. Gets expensive that way.
I found clothing cheaper at other stores. Like I purchased an awesome pair of cold weather hunting gloves (neoprene) at WalMart for the third the price. During the summer, wear t-shirts intead of jerseys. Again cheaper then bike shop jerseys. What are fenders for, scared to get wet..
Costs can be cut if you look around. But still not as expensive as my bike......
Memph
Would've saved about $3000AU if I had bought a five grand bike to start with since the jalopy I bought first wouldn't even rate and I just kept having to fix it.
On the other hand what do you do with a >$5000 bike if you decide that cycling is not your thing? SELL THE BLOODY THING!
On the other hand what do you do with a >$5000 bike if you decide that cycling is not your thing? SELL THE BLOODY THING!
You're all missing the point.
It doesn't matter that when you've jammed your massive gut into the latest trade team jersey (preferably the grey last day TdF outfit from our friends presented by Berry Floor) that you fill it out so tight you look like a salami...
It doesn't matter that the $5000 thing you're sitting on has you sitting too close to the BB so you knees are arching...
What really matters is that you've spent a bomb & you can prove you have MADE it 'cos you're outspending the rest of us!
Ha - now there's a rant.
It doesn't matter that when you've jammed your massive gut into the latest trade team jersey (preferably the grey last day TdF outfit from our friends presented by Berry Floor) that you fill it out so tight you look like a salami...
It doesn't matter that the $5000 thing you're sitting on has you sitting too close to the BB so you knees are arching...
What really matters is that you've spent a bomb & you can prove you have MADE it 'cos you're outspending the rest of us!
Ha - now there's a rant.
I have to say that I don't understand people having a problem seeing a slow, fat guy on an expensive bike or taking pride in passing someone on a bike that's more expensive than theirs...
Just because someone has a bike that's more expensive than yours doesn't mean they're automatically going to be faster than you or even that they think they're faster than you!
All that it means is that they have more cash to spend on a bike! If some slow, fat guy with a lot of cash wants to go out and buy himself a Colnago (or whatever) and a bunch of nice gear... Who gives a damn? I say; "knock yourself out" and "enjoy the ride"!
Just because someone has a bike that's more expensive than yours doesn't mean they're automatically going to be faster than you or even that they think they're faster than you!
All that it means is that they have more cash to spend on a bike! If some slow, fat guy with a lot of cash wants to go out and buy himself a Colnago (or whatever) and a bunch of nice gear... Who gives a damn? I say; "knock yourself out" and "enjoy the ride"!
Oh yeah! And who hasn't bonked on a hard training day and, while dragging their sorry ass home, had some wannabe come rattling by on their Huffy in their cut-off jeans, one toe clip (yes toe clip) repeatedly smacking into the ground, straps on their Walmart helmet all undone, with a big sneer on their face because they're passing Mr. Racer Guy on his fancy bike with all of his fancy gear???
You know that if this guy had caught you at any other given time you'd have dropped him like a bad habit and he'd need access to the Hubble Space Telescope to even catch a glimpse of the cloud of dust you're leaving behind??? But right now you just want your mommy!
LOL!!!
You know that if this guy had caught you at any other given time you'd have dropped him like a bad habit and he'd need access to the Hubble Space Telescope to even catch a glimpse of the cloud of dust you're leaving behind??? But right now you just want your mommy!
LOL!!!
The best revenge in life is living well!!
Thus if you can afford a nice bike, even if you're slow, you get to enjoy a nice ride that the other dude with the Huffy, can't.
And on some day, you go out there just for a short nice ride because the day before you had gone on a century ride. So today you're slow and just wanted to stretch out the legs. Sure, all others will think that you're slow but they had no ideas you had embarked on a century ride the day before.
Thus if you can afford a nice bike, even if you're slow, you get to enjoy a nice ride that the other dude with the Huffy, can't.
And on some day, you go out there just for a short nice ride because the day before you had gone on a century ride. So today you're slow and just wanted to stretch out the legs. Sure, all others will think that you're slow but they had no ideas you had embarked on a century ride the day before.
The problem is the fat slow dude can't enjoy the expensive bike to the fullest. Can't handle it like a seasoned fit cyclists/racer can. Like owning an exotic race car (Lotus), where can you legally open it up and enjoy it to the fullest. You are purchasing it for a show-off purpose. Same as fat, slow guys do with bikes......
Memph
I'd like to second that.
I've just bought a new bike, $2500. I could've spent more if i'd allowed myself to get too exited about all the advantages of getting a more expensive bike. Right now I have something that will allow me to grow into it, and then some. After spending some time on my old bike again, and riding with some experienced friends it was easy to make a selection. Being grounded in reality is always a good start.
My tips would be:
1) Do some riding before buying a bike, any bike, and I mean somewhere between 700 and 1000 km's. You might by that time have an idea.
2) Research the bikes and test ride them.
3) Don't get too exited in what the higher end bikes offer. Once you know what you want the choice will be easy.
Yeah that's true. But a $5000 Merlin is a way better ride than a $1000 Trek whether you're "slow and fat" or "fast and fit"! If you had the money to drop for either one, why would you choose the lesser bike? That's my point. It's not necessarily showing off in my opinion. For an affluent guy (or girl) with a lot of expendable cash, dropping $5000 is probably the same as a guy like me dropping $500. The money just really isn't an issue for some folks. Why wouldn't he (or she) buy the better bike?
Bottom line is that I just don't unserstand why people are somehow offended because a lesser rider decides to pop for a great ride! I just don't give a frog's fat ass when I see a lesser rider on a better bike than mine. Just means they have more cash to spend on their bike than I do.
Agree; I just bought a $2800 bike also. Started out looking at the higher-end italian frames with Campy Record, but really wasn't comfortable with the image, or the value for dollar.
Seeing a decked-out Colnago on a ride convinced me I didn't want that much "flash" for my club rides and tours. For me, biking isn't about who can show off the most expensive ride; it's about fitness and having fun.
The bike is just a piece of sports equipment after all. It should function well, but it's not the end-all of the sport. IMO, the focus needs to stay on our fitness and athletic accomplishments, not the brand of frame or wheels we bought.
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