General Cycling Discussion - To buy or not to buy?

Hey folks,

I was wondering if you all could help a fella out.

Here's my dilemma...

I started riding last summer and got really hooked. I ride maybe 50-60 miles a week because I really enjoy it. Used to run but his is sooo much better. Anyway because I haven't been riding so long I am not well-versed in the intracies of the equipment.

I ride my brother-in-law's old Trek 2120 that my he gave me in order to start me out. I'm guessing it's about 4-5 years old and it's got quite a few miles on it (don't know if that matters on not.) It's a carbon fiber frame and it seems to still be in fairly good shape.

At this point I know that I will continue to ride for years to come. Do I make an investment of $1,500.00 - $2,000.00 for a new bike now or keep riding the Trek?

Someone has told me that if I'm only going to spend that amount of money I'll never get a bike as good as the one I'm now riding. Is this true?

I've never ridden any other bike so I don't know what kind of ride I get from a carbon fiber frame as opposed to say titanium or steel. How much heavier is a steel/titanium bike than a carbon fiber one (is the weight difference all that significant? Is the ride?)

One of the main reasons I'm considering a new biike is because my brother-in-law is a good 2"-3" shorter than I am and I think the Trek might in fact be a tad small for me. I'm in relatively good shape but after I ride say 30 miles I've always got something nagging at me, sore shoulders, sore neck, etc. Is this just a sympton of riding and I should live with it or could it actually be that the bike doesn't fit me properly?

I appreciate any input anyone can give me.

Originally posted by soupcan
At this point I know that I will continue to ride for years to come. Do I make an investment of $1,500.00 - $2,000.00 for a new bike now or keep riding the Trek? Someone has told me that if I'm only going to spend that amount of money I'll never get a bike as good as the one I'm now riding. Is this true?

In a word - no. There are some great new bikes @ your price-point.


One of the main reasons I'm considering a new biike is because my brother-in-law is a good 2"-3" shorter than I am and I think the Trek might in fact be a tad small for me. I'm in relatively good shape but after I ride say 30 miles I've always got something nagging at me, sore shoulders, sore neck, etc. Is this just a sympton of riding and I should live with it or could it actually be that the bike doesn't fit me properly?

It could be you, or it could be the bike. It does sound as if the bike could be a bit small for you. Do a search on bike fit, and you'll get some great information.

Good luck if you decide to buy a new steed!!!! However, if the Trek fits, you've got a great bike to ride @ no cost to you! :D

A carbon Trek is a fine bike in terms of quality and ride.
I would query your current bike fit. It may be correct, it may be fitable with replacement stem or seatpost, or you might need a different sized frame.
Since you can raise and lower the seat a lot, the critical aspect is the length from saddle to bars.
It is quite simple to get yourself into the right ballpark for size. Put your knees over your pedal, position your saddle in height and for/aft to support your butt at that position, then place your bars where they fall naturally to hand. There various readings on how to fit a bike, my fav being:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frames/index.html

other links
http://www.cyclemetrics.com/Pages/FitLinks/bike_fit_links.htm

There is some fine-tuning which an expert bike fitter could help, but it pays to know what they are doing.

That's great guys.

I really appreciate the feedback.

Definite food for thought.

And thank you very much for those links Mike.

Sounds like you want a new bike no matter what :D
It's much better feeling riding your own one rather than the barrowed one. For me at least...

Find yourself something good. :)

"Sounds like you want a new bike no matter what"

You got me.

I guess you're right but I'm trying to rationalize it so the wife thinks I did my due diligence before I lay out that kind of dough.

Well, I know that you can get a Shimano 105 equipped bike at around $1,000. It will not have the really snazzy frame, but the frame will be fine.

I am not familiar with the Trek you are riding, but unless it was the top of the line (and I bet it isn't), you can get bikes that are as good or better for $1,500. Also, if you get a new bike, you can get what you want, you can get a bike that fits you, you can get a bike with the features that compliment your ride style - a laid back bike for a person who likes to cruise, look at the scenery and smell the flowers or a bike with aggressive geometry for your manic road warrior. Most importantly of all, you can get a bike in the color you like!

i have a 18-19lb bike with full ultegra that cost me $750 used.

The trek 2120 you mentioned is not worth that much anymore.... you'd only have to spend about $400 to get a bike as good.

Look here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3609022631

And you could get a MUCH better bike for only $700-800 used.... or $1000 new.