From: "dave89144" <
[email protected]> Newsgroups: alt.mountain-bike Subject: Re: What's the
diff between a decent $1300 and jaw dropping $3000 mtn bike? Message-ID:
<OM_Va.32644$Ne.20244@fed1read03> Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 19:02:34 -0700 Organization: Cox
Communications
> $1700 is the difference in a nutshell.
How uninformative and incorrect of you.
> I have a 01 Giant Warp DS-1, paid $899 for it.
Warning sign #1.
> I have been upgrading it slowly, replacing the stock cranks and bb with a RaceFace setup, and
> upgrading to the Sram X.0 shifters and rear derailleur.
If you paid full-pop for a better speced bike to begin with, you would not have had to spend non-OEM
retail for parts you replaced the original **** spec parts with.
> The bike came with the Hayes mechanical disk brakes, and I replaced those with the same, and now
> an 8" front rotor.
That's just plain idiotic. Replace something you already have? I suppose you have a single crown
fork up front as well, don't you?
> So now I figure I have a ~$1400 bike.
No, you still have a POS because you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
> Next on the list, new wheelset, and maybe a new rear shock and forks, although the suspension
> works great for me as it is.
Yeah, why not replace parts that don't need replacing? You are getting more idiotic by the
line here.
> I would call it a cross country/freeride setup as it is now.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...now THAT'S funny!
> I have ridden a few high dollar bikes, and I cannot tell any difference.
Tell us barney, what bikes and which sidewalk?
> Mechanical disks properly set up and maintained are just as good as hydraulic, plus they don't
> leak. They both start to fade when the heat builds up.
Mechanical vs Hydraulic is debatable, especially in wet vs dry environs. You need to get out more.
As far as fade goes, try metallic compound pads for mechanical disc brakes the next time you feel
the need to "upgrade".
> Some of the bikes are lighter, but it really depends on the bike setup. The difference in weight
> is most noticeable in the cross country bikes, not in the freeride or downhill category.
That may be true in some cases, but is definitely not a rule. You also seem to have forgotten, or
just do not know that the manufacturing process and materials used in most botique frames are FAR
superior to joe blow cookie cutter bikes.
> The key to a great bike is getting it fitted to your body... correct seat height and position, and
> especially the bars and stem.
This is an especially funny notion coming from you, joe budget, since a good CUSTOM frame will
always fit everyone better than any cookie cutter.
> I have ridden with many people on high dollar bikes and can keep up with them anywhere, though I
> do fall back a little on long climbs to the lighter cross country riders, but usually fly by them
> coming back down.
Holy ****, it's BATMAN! I was wondering when you would come out of the Bat-Cave. Can I have your
autograph? BTW, there are a lot of lamers out there on high-zoot (or what they think are high-zoot)
mountain bikes. I'm glad you have had the chance to meet some of the many.
> As far as quality, I am upgrading to higher quality parts, but had very good luck and longevity
> with the cheaper parts my bike came with, except the cranks and bb... they were truely a POS.
Make sure to keep us posted as parts break, Batman. With your powers, that shouldn't take very long
because you are so much faster than the rest of us mere mortals.
> The trick here is proper maintenance and I believe again the bike setup to your body. If you are
> more in control and more comfortable on the bike, you are less likely to crash. Less wipeouts mean
> less parts replacing, and higher quality parts are obviously more expensive!
Let's give Batman a cigar for stating the obvious!
> If you are into serious downhilling, freeriding, and hucking 4'+ drops. It doesn't matter how much
> money you spend, you will be fixing and replacing parts constantly.
If you are a serious dumbass, you will believe Batman's words and be a dumbass constantly.
> My best story was a trip a few weeks ago to Brianhead, UT. Some punk kid was looking at my bike
> and talking ****... POS Giant, blah blah blah. He had a very nice Intense freeride bike, said he
> paid $2600 for it. At the end of the Bunker Creek trail, a 12 mile downhill run, he was bloody and
> bruised, and about 20 minutes behind me and my POS.
Sounds like you were both on POS bikes. BTW, it usually takes a fair amount of time (like 20 minutes
for example) to gather oneself together after a bloody and bruising crash. He sounds like almost as
much of a dumbass as you do.
> Save some $$$, you can get an awesome bike for $1300 to $1500.
For full suspension, forget Batman's lame advice above. Putting a dress on a cow and calling it a
hot chick would be less ridiculous than "fixing up" a crappy frame. It all starts with the frame and
a lame frame will always make for a lame bike, no matter how you spec it.
> Even when you start replacing parts down the road, you are still way ahead.
What a boneheaded statement. It's "when" you start replacing parts, so he admits that it is at least
an eventuality, even for the seldom riding Batman. Non-OEM retail is for suckers and Batman here
seems to be the King of the suckers.
JD
