"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Bike Cunumdrum

Okay so I was putting my LOOK back together the other day and started thinking about how many bikes I have. I rarely ride the LOOK and spend most of my time on the Orbea. I tend to only race the the LOOK in RRs and use the Orbea for training and crits. I have this absolutely wicked bike but never ride it because I don't want to f' it up in a crit. I'm thinking that I should sell the Orbea and just ride the LOOK, if I crash it, well that's the breaks and I'll just get another bike. It is after all just bike right?

Okay that was my rational side, my "i love bikes and want more and more and more" side says keep the Orbea.

Should I stay with the current situation or unload the Orbea and ride the LOOK consequences be damned.

A difficult situation you find yourself in. Keep both and buy a Pinerello, just in case something happens to the LOOK.

This is the pretty good problem to have :)

An answer to this question depends on too many factors to list, but assuming that budget concerns are not that big of a deal, it seems like riding both equally is the way to go. I'm from the "ride it like you stole it" camp when it comes to my equipment. I don't abuse it, but I'm not afraid to use it. Same thing with cars, I don't get people that buy a car and put 1000 miles a year on it.

A difficult situation your find yourself in. Keep both and buy a Pinerello, just in case something happens to the LOOK.

As nice as a Pinerello is it's no 595, close though!

This is the pretty good problem to have :)

An answer to this question depends on too many factors to list, but assuming that budget concerns are not that big of a deal, it seems like riding both equally is the way to go. I'm from the "ride it like you stole it" camp when it comes to my equipment. I don't abuse it, but I'm not afraid to use it. Same thing with cars, I don't get people that buy a car and put 1000 miles a year on it.

I race both bikes, in Austin I'd probably put equal if not more miles on the LOOK because of the amount of RRs. But here in SoCal it's mostly crit racing.

I've got a Felt TT bike, the LOOK 595, the Orbea Asphalt, and a Redline Conquest Team. I kinda feel one of the road bikes should go, I mean the 595 is such a great bike and I hardly ride it. Of course the Orbea would be the one to go.

I've got a Felt TT bike, the LOOK 595, the Orbea Asphalt, and a Redline Conquest Team. I kinda feel one of the road bikes should go, I mean the 595 is such a great bike and I hardly ride it. Of course the Orbea would be the one to go.

What do you ride in crappy weather? I would think having a "backup" bike would be nice. However, it seems like you are leaning towards getting rid of the Orbea - it is the fiscally responsible thing to do, after all.

I'm sure if you get rid of it by this time next year it will be "should I sell the Look or the BMC?" :D

Let me see if I get this straight. You ride the Orbea more, so you want to get rid of it? Why not sell the LOOK? How do the two compare in your mind? Does a secret part of you prefer the Orbea? Not that I have any bias just because I ride an Orbea or anything.

(this is the second thread today where a chin scratching smiley would be great)

Just ride the LOOK more and keep both. I've had enough bike problems as of late where I've determined that having a back-up bike would be seriously useful.

Race what you can replace.

If the Look is a 55 or 56, you should give it to me to ride (for recreation so it doesn't get broken) and keep racing your Orbea.

I dunno, I've always had the rule that if it's good enough to race, it's nice enough to ride every day and I don't need any more bike than that anywhere (except for a super comfy frame for centuries maybe). Then again, that attitude doesn't mean much coming from someone on a teacher's salary. I know some lawyers that have quite the opposite rule.

Hi EDR,

Sounds to me that you've reached that point in your life where you can do like I do. My "good" bike is for ALL races. My lesser bike is for training. I tend to mess up my bikes more in training than racing. When I "wear out" my training bike, my race bike rotates into the training position and then I get a new race bike. Been doing this for about 20 years and so far so good. :)

Sorry Urbanknight it's a 53. I'm going to ride the LOOK more and not just save it for RR's. Since I bought the cross bike I kinda feel like I've got 3 road bikes now not just two. I think that's what prompted this feeling of excess.

Sorry Urbanknight it's a 53. I'm going to ride the LOOK more and not just save it for RR's. Since I bought the cross bike I kinda feel like I've got 3 road bikes now not just two. I think that's what prompted this feeling of excess.


Take your Conquest Team down some singletrack. Then it won't feel so much like a road bike. Plus, you will enjoy it, and develop handling skills to boot.

rain bike? oh, nevermind. you're in socal...

rain bike? oh, nevermind. you're in socal...
LOL +1
To date I have missed 3 training days due to rain, and have HTFU'ed for a whopping total of 4 rain rides (meaning it was drizzling or lighter)

Any bike you may have that doesnt excite you to ride you should get rid of.

Keep everything...

...from a guy with 9 bikes and a basement that looks like a bike shop. :)

Any bike you may have that doesnt excite you to ride you should get rid of.

OK, the Martians have officially landed.

HTFU wussy, you can't have too many bikes.

OK, the Martians have officially landed.

huh? What is wrong with what I said? If you have bikes around that do nothing for ya why bother with them taking up space?

HTFU wussy, you can't have too many bikes.

+1

Lock the thread now!

huh? What is wrong with what I said? If you have bikes around that do nothing for ya why bother with them taking up space?
If all the other bikes break, the beater would be very exciting.

a broken bike is a great reason to get a new one!

HTFU wussy, you can't have too many bikes.

incorrect.

Not quite as nice a problem, but my Trek migrated to the trainer and hasn't been off in a year. You're not going to get much back (half?) if you sell the Orbea, so you might as well keep it. If you did sell the Orbea, your LOOK would break the next day and then you'd be SOL.

Karma says keep everything.

PS Now you need some mtbs.

huh? What is wrong with what I said? If you have bikes around that do nothing for ya why bother with them taking up space?

Nothing, it just goes against everything preached here.


I'll bet there are riders on this board who have held onto a bike for sentimental reasons alone.

I don't think I'm qualified to have an opinion in this thread, but I'll tell you anyway. Race the LOOK.

Alright I hung up the Orbea and will be rock'n the LOOK for the summer.

After a wonderful three hours of LOOK 595 sex I'm keepin' both bikes. Gotta have the right tool for the right job.