Road Cycling - I am faced with a dilemma. It concerns money (or lack thereof) and road bikes

Introduction/recap. I'm a 16-year-old high school student. I love cycling, and I'm on the verge of starting a school club. My road bike is a Bianchi Veloce that I purchased for $700 last summer with money earned through a summer job. I commute on a 1983 Schwinn Super Sport (see sig!) that I've put spent a lot of time and money on.

Well... there's an excellent deal on the Seattle Craigslist that I can't quite resist. It's a very new Specialized Allez in a 54 cm with Tiagra. They're asking $200. I'm thinking it would be a sweet commuter / rain bike. By all standards, it'd be a technically superior commuter to the old 83 Super Sport.

The thing is, I don't have that money. So I was weighing the option of selling the Super Sport and picking this Allez up in time for Christmas.

But here's why I'm asking you. The Super Sport is seriously a classic bike, and I love it. I'm attached to it; it's got a beautiful lugged frame, 36h tri-cross wheels that I painstakingly tracked down, flawless Suntour Cyclone friction bits, and classic 52/42 double. It started off beat-up and unloved; I restored it. This bike is the closest thing I have to a build - it's mine - and it's a joy to ride. I might mention that the whole steel setup weighs about 21 lbs.

The other side is calling me towards this insane deal. $200 could get me a very competent, if relatively passionless road bike with a likely high resale value. My friends would be able to borrow it, meaning I'd be able to introduce a lot of people to the sport (STI is a lottt easier to pick up for these kids than friction shifting). It'd be faster, more practical, and 'nicer'.

Would I be making the right choice by nabbing this Allez? Should I keep the classic-steel Schwinn?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/249248294.html

http://d.im.craigslist.org/Ly/4Q/hCiAsJ8BVqi2zSO7PJFuMRv06v6t.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/841/s2mz2.jpg

Can you get a 'loan' from your parents first? Promise them you will pay back with another hard summer job this coming summer...

Who knows... maybe they'd be generous enough to give that to you as christmas gift...

One thing is the Specialized will be much easier to upgrade than the Schwinn..

My parents are financially unsupportive (beyond the basics, which I'm still thankful for). They've got a you-want-it-you-earn-it mentality. My dad's into the whole Christmas-is-not-a-time-of-giving deal. Needless to say, it complicates things..

Yeah, it kinda makes me sad that I have to pick one or the other. If I had it my way, I'd love to own all three (N+1, baby). I just don't have any quick way to come up with $200.

The Allez is a sweet deal, there is no doubt that. I am pretty sure I have that same bike, and I've had some pretty good times on it. In the end, though, it's not only too big, but you're right in thinking that it's a bit passionless. I like it well enough, but it's not something that I get excited about.

It sounds like you really like your Schwinn and that it's giving you fine service. I'd keep it and save the $200 --- which you don't have anyways. Allezs (Allezes?) are easy to come by, and you can get one later if it's what you really really want.

EDIT: I have the same frame, but with 105 components and an FSA Gossamer triple crank instead of Tiagra.

save your money and get a nice wheel set for the schwinn. some modern superlight wheels will breathe new life into the bike. you wont regret it.

cheers

What are your job prospects for next summer? Are you a good credit risk?

How much money did you earn last summer? What else did you spend it on? You did not save any?, so you should be prepared to answer this question if they ask.

How did they feel about the Schwinn purchase? Did you discuss it with them in advance? Were they involved?

Was this your first job? Have you tested their attitude since you have had the job?

Do you have other siblings that may have needs, too that could complicate this? Parents try to treat kids equally. Do your parents have the financial means to loan you the money? It could be embarrassing to them if they don't, so take this into consideration. Remember, if they do this for you, they have to do it for all the children. Can they afford it? You may never know but this might be the real reason for their attitude. Did their parents help them? Most parents financial views are determined by how their parents supported them financailly. Can you talk to your grandparents about this? Would they be in a financial position to help you?

You are a minor. Any financial transaction you make can be reversed so you really need an adult to make the transaction for you or the seller could be forced to take the bike back and return your money.

Get a standard loan document and fill it out with the Schwinn as collateral. Tell them they can sell the Schwinn and more than get their money back if they need to. Use a current market interest rate and a due date for the end of next summer with no pre-payment penalty. They will be impressed you know about this. Pay the loan back early. Make it a very positive experience and you will earn more respect from your parents and/or grandparents. Grandparents deserve a loan document also.

You are thoughtful but there is a lot more to this parenting thing than even you realize. Remember, a son becomes a man two years after he thinks he does and three years before his parents think he does.

An Allez Sport isn't worth turning yourself inside out. It's a decent bike & def. worth 2 bills, but it's not light years better than what you have.

My parents are extremely financially unsupportive. They've got a you-want-it-you-earn-it mentality. My dad's into the whole Christmas-is-not-a-time-of-giving deal. Needless to say, it complicates things..

Yeah, it kinda makes me sad that I have to pick one or the other. If I had it my way, I'd love to own all three (N+1, baby). I just don't have any quick way to come up with $200.

You are 16 right? Cant you donate sperm and get some quick cash? :p :p :p

My parents are extremely financially unsupportive.

So do you have a place to sleep at night? A roof over your head? I think you might need a little perspective with that comment...

If you can't afford it, it doesn't matter if it's on sale. If you spend all your money, it doesn't exactly matter how much you saved, does it?

Get a job at a tree lot.

Or buy the Specialized and sell it on ebay for $100 profit, then you will have $100 for the next deal that comes around.

DONT sell the schwinn. You will regret it, as it is a special bike for you.

$5/hr for 40 hours buys you that bike, but it sounds like you are really attached to your current bike. Personally, I would just save all the money possible so when the next great deal comes by, you can get it.

I so wouldn't bother with the Allez. I would convet the Schwinn to a fixie though. :D

I'm one academic rank higher than you so I can easily relate my experience to what you're going through right now. My suggestion is keep what you have and make the most of it. Life always gets better. In high school, I had the ****t*est car imaginable. Girls would look at my car and sum me up very quickly. Now in college, I find that I don't even need a car. OTOH, I do have several races bikes that I compete with and love.

The important thing is that you shouldn't expect your parents to give you everything you want. If they do, the things you want won't be as meaningful when you actually get it.

Anyways, think positive during the Holidays and save up for a nicer ride.

I so wouldn't bother with the Allez. I would convet the Schwinn to a fixie though. :D


+1, go fixie!

Being that the allez looks newer it may be more tempting for a bike thief to want to steal it (especially since you use it as your commuter and lock it up at a highschool).

If you're using it primarily as a commuter, then keep the Schwinn. It's a classic, and does performance really matter for commuting?

So do you have a place to sleep at night? A roof over your head? I think you might need a little perspective with that comment...


^ this statement is 100% true

Keep the Schwinn, you won't regret that.

My parents are extremely financially unsupportive. They've got a you-want-it-you-earn-it mentality. My dad's into the whole Christmas-is-not-a-time-of-giving deal. Needless to say, it complicates things..

I must be paying child support to your mother. You got me pegged. I don't recall having a 16 year old though. Closest to that age is my 13 year old child support sink in Missouri.

For what it's worth, I have a Fuji Absolute, which for all practical purposes is the same bike as the Specialized you just mentioned. If I were in your shoes, I'd keep the Schwinn. Here's my Schwinn, it took too much time to tune it in just right and I'll probably never sell it. Those Specialized flat bar bikes are a dime a dozen...

http://www.magix-photos.com/mediapool05/C8/C0/F3/20/6D/B8/11/DB/84/58/C2/6D/18/22/50/63/oma/10/94D384008C4A11DBB5A83A6618225063.jpg

If you really want the Allez, you'll find a way to earn the money short of selling that classic old Schwinn.

That's a really tough call. I don't think I can tell you what to do. Wait, yes I can. Sell some drugs.

I would second the thought that the Specialized is about a million times more likely to get snatched when you lock it up outside. I have a Cannondale, and love it, but I have my Schwinn that I've started using to ride to work... not as quick a ride, not a triple (which is a bummer), but I doubt it'll get stolen from outside my office (can't bring it in during the day).

The allez will likely go fast, so whatever you do - don't lollygag.

I think you're also making an assumption that you'll be able to sell the Schwinn fast... Don't assume anyone else can look at that bike and see the same value as you see.

The siren song of a new bike is calling, isn't it? Well, Odysseus, you better grab some mates and order them to lash you to the mast.

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting one of those soulless Specializeds. Contrast it to the bike you have now. That Schwinn is a classic. Even better, you've made it yours by dressing it with some very nice wheels and components.

If it were me, I'd keep the Schwinn and continue to ride the heck out of it.

So do you have a place to sleep at night? A roof over your head? I think you might need a little perspective with that comment...

If you can't afford it, it doesn't matter if it's on sale. If you spend all your money, it doesn't exactly matter how much you saved, does it?

Very true. I guess I retract the comment. I'll just say they're financially unsupportive beyond the basics.

Keep the Schwinn. I can almost guarantee that it rides nicer than a newer spec.

You love the Schwinn, you covet the Allez. Rarely does something you covet live up to your expectations once you obtain it.

Keep the Schwinn.

Very true. I guess I retract the comment. I'll just say they're financially unsupportive beyond the basics.

It's all good... just an important thing to remember at your age. I mean, the world is 100% unsupportive of me financially, so I work my butt off and I've been lucky enough to have cash left over to spend on bikes. It sucks when you're young and everyone's riding their fancy uber-bling, but it'll come.

And FWIW, I'd keep the Schwinn too, and save for something that's really an upgrade. There'll always be a great deal out there when you're armed with more cash.

That price is good but you'll have that happen again. It sounds like you really like your classic ride. Think of it this way, if you pass it up you can always find another bike in that price range, they actually come along with reasonable frequency. You can't necissarily replace your classic bike if you sell it and as its your build you can't put a price on pride.

You love the Schwinn, you covet the Allez. Rarely does something you covet live up to your expectations once you obtain it.

Keep the Schwinn.


Post of the day.

You are 16 right? Cant you donate sperm and get some quick cash? :p :p :p

Hahah.

@everyoneelse: Thanks so much for the advice. I had little intention of ever asking my parents for the Specialized as a Christmas present, though I would've obviously consulted them beforehand if I were buying it myself. Given the fact that I work (measely jobs) for almost all of my money they're quite easy-going with my bike purchases, as long as I actually have the cash in hand before I make the transaction. Yes, they never surprise me with anything and they did force me to buy myself picture books as an elementary school kid, but they're good parents. I tweaked that post on the 1st page a little to better reflect what I wanted to say.

I think someone asked me about my last summer job.
It was hard (for me at least); I was 15 and the opportunities for work for 15-year-olds are seriously limited. I landed a job through the Washington State Dept of Ecology cleaning up major highways for minimum wage, 37 hours a week for 4-5 weeks as part of the Ecology Youth Corps. round two-hundred kids had applied and they had picked me to be in the crew of six, so I gave it my best. It was no-skill slave labor. We found the weirdest things - porno DVDs, drugs, working cell phones, spinner rims, pee bottles.. I actually found a loaded gun a mile away from my house, sitting in the soft shoulder. All of the cash from that job pretty much went to the Veloce. I'll try and get a less dirty job this coming spring.

Anyway, looks like I'll keep the Schwinn. It's a dream to ride, and I'd feel bad for letting it go. I was a little conflicted, but you guys swayed me. Thanks! Woohoo.

Will

Please stop making threads...

Please stop making threads...

Yeah, I know, it sucks you're not 16.

Wait, just kidding. I lied. I'm 32, work at a bank, and I'm wondering if I should sell my Schwinn and get an Allez. Whaddya think?

You love the Schwinn, you covet the Allez. Rarely does something you covet live up to your expectations once you obtain it.

Keep the Schwinn.


+1

Please stop making threads...


why? he asked a legitimate question of... *gasp* OTHER BIKE RIDERS! who better to ask??????

his post was well thought out and very polite (unlike a LOT Of the adult's posts around here!)

hey, kiddo... ask away!!!! and keep riding!!!!!!

Please stop making threads...

I can think of a few people I wish wouldn't start any more threads, but le beef is definitely not one of them.

The Schwinn's the one on your sig line, and the one in the video you made, right? Keep the Schwinn.

(Better late than never)

dont give up the old bike! i started road cycling in grad school bc i didnt have a car to get around in and had a nice lugged 531 Dawes tourer. Ive since replaced that with a lugged mid 80s 531 Trek for commuting. There is nothing like practicality, beauty and feel of old steel, especially if you have spec'd out your own parts for a great fit.

Another thing you should consider is storage. Im still in school and move around a lot. I have three bikes and have literally nowhere to put them. I think if you are going to university next year you will likely be wanting the scwhinn to get around campus, and if you have space the racer. i know my parents are barely tolerant of my bike habit not bc i spend a lot on gear but bc the bikes take up all sorts of space

Please stop making threads...

man this guy is some azhole

- insane to contemplate ditching steel for AL!

:-)

. . .I actually found a loaded gun a mile away from my house, sitting in the soft shoulder. Do you still have that loaded gun? If you do, there's the solution to your problem right there.;)

Do you still have that loaded gun? If you do, there's the solution to your problem right there.;)

Just don't try to take interceptor's bike with it, because he has balls and won't take crap from anyone.

Just don't try to take interceptor's bike with it, because he has balls and won't take crap from anyone.
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: Well played!

Friction shifters are hard to learn? I found them pretty easy compared to Ergo/STI stuff. Then again, I started off w/ friction shifters...

Anyways, good call on keeping the Schwinn. If the bike fits, works, etc., keep it.

I'm a 16-year-old high school student. ...

Would I be making the right choice by nabbing this Allez? Should I keep the classic-steel Schwinn?
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/bik/249248294.html
http://d.im.craigslist.org/Ly/4Q/hCiAsJ8BVqi2zSO7PJFuMRv06v6t.jpg
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/841/s2mz2.jpg


Yes , Yes

Allez is a great deal

You'll never get even close to what the SuperSport is worth, as a bike.
you did a nice job. 20 yrs from now, it'll still be a hell of a nice bike.

Spec is (IMO) a much better expenditure of cash than an Ipod nano

The Spec, soulless? it is today, what the Super Sport was in its day.
most bikes are fine examples of high-water industrial art
soul comes from the rider...
come across your posts quite often out here in BF land, and if you really are 16, then you've got it over many other 16 yr olds.
parents - fallible, flawed humans as we all are - but required to do it all 'right'
think of them as 'steel' and needing more regular TLC
money - tough when its short, thankfully there is usually more than one tradeoff to be made
SuperSport for Spec prolly isn;t the one needed to be made.
rock on

You know at first I thought snag the Allez, but after reading all of these comments and now realizing how much you love your schwinn, stick with the schwinn until you can afford another bike or you stop loving that schwinn.

keep the SS

I think the answer to this one is obvious. Keep the Schwinn. You will regret it if you don't.

If you sell it then you will spend the rest of your life looking for one that is similar.

Bicycling is about passion.