Fifty Plus (50+) - Buying mistakes....

Have you ever bought anything without doing adequate research only to find out that it might not be what you actually needed?

Well, I'm think I'm guilty of this with my Bike purchase.

When I bought my Madone last year, it was one of those "Hey, that's a hot road bike and I really have to have one.". The Madone is a great Bike for someone who is a hard core roadie or racer. But, that's not me.

What I should have done was a bit more research to find out that I wanted a road bike, but one with a bit more relaxed geometry and therefore, comfort.

Had I done so, I would have saved myself a lot of hassle, and money, trying to make my Madone into what I needed instead of what I thought I wanted. :o

Is it just me? Or, has anyone else duplicated this action?

Have you ever bought anything without doing adequate research only to find out that it might not be what you actually needed?

Well, I'm think I'm guilty of this with my Bike purchase.

Is it just me? Or, has anyone else duplicated this action?

Kinda, now I wish I would have bought a Tarmac SL instead of my Roubaix Expert in 2007.

I may have told this story before so skip ahead if you've heard it.

Last summer we spent a week in Destin during which I was able to take a nice long ride, both on and off bike paths. I took my old steel Trek 520 and wore SPD sandals. One day I happened upon a 30 ish couple with new Madones and we rode about 20 miles together. Back at the grog shop the young lady was complaining about how uncomfortable her bike was and how much her neck and shoulder hurt.

Her bike shop had told her nothing about compact frames, comfortable positions, handlebar risers, or anything else. She felt like she had been sold something well above her needs.

So, yes, it happens to others.

But it has never happened to me on any level for anything. Not for houses, cars, boats, planes, tools, computers, or cell phones.

Yes...but it is typically not about the lack of research but more that things and objectives change and one cannot anticipate everything.

BTW...before I purchased my Cervelo R3, I had a 2006 Madone 5.2. I thought the ride was very good on that frame and the setup can be altered to match your seat to bar drop requirements. Also, the Madone 5.2 comes with wheels that are fairly soft to give a better ride plus I had a triple on mine. Most "hardcore" roadies or "racers" prefer stiffer wheels and a stiffer frame. I suspect the Madone is about as compliant a carbon frame bike that is available. It is potentially more comfortable than bikes made of steel and titanium. I chose my R3 because it was comfortable and the frame technology is suited for shock absorption which some of the "relaxed" geometries may or may not provide. Beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder.:thumb:

And there is Ebay and Craig's List. If it does not workout, sell it.:)

Last summer we spent a week in Destin during which I was able to take a nice long ride, both on and off bike paths. I took my old steel Trek 520 and wore SPD sandals. One day I happened upon a 30 ish couple with new Madones and we rode about 20 miles together. Back at the grog shop the young lady was complaining about how uncomfortable her bike was and how much her neck and shoulder hurt... She felt like she had been sold something well above her needs.

I've been preaching about this for probably 20 years. I used to write cycling stories for my newspaper, and I heard so many people say they'd tried cycling and hated it that I started poking into why--how could they dislike something I enjoyed so much?
More often than not, the problem was just that--they'd either insisted on a "racing bike" when they didn't intend to race (most common among guys) or been told they NEEDED a racing bike when all they wanted to do was ride with their kids or go to out for breakfast on Sundays (common among women). One of our local shops followed up by advertising "the bike you NEED--we'll never try to sell you up," and got a lot of business.
Re your Trek 520--what a great bike. I bought one used 15 years ago and still have it, now converted to singlespeed. It's every bit as comfortable and versatile as my Atlantis. which cost 15 times as much (but is WAY cooler...).

Yeah, I just did.
I just bought a Topeak MTX DX rack trunk which is designed to mate up with the Topeak Explorer rack on my new LHT touring bike. The whole quick release idea works great and the bag is a quality product, but after installing it on my bike it just doesn't look right. What I mean is - it's just not "me". You'd think I would have figured that out first, but nooooo...that makes too much sense.:bang:

Guess I'm gonna have to sell it.

Yes- my first road but- but the other way.

I was a serious Mountain biker and as such had good machinery that had been adapted - upgraded and set up for the use I was giving it. But when I went road- I thought that just to test the water- I would get away as cheap as possible without going too cheap. Bought a Giant OCR3 and sorry but for my cycling experience- it was way below me. Heavy- and poor quality wheels. Didn't make the same mistake a year later though.

I think sometimes you need to find out what works and what doesn't through experience.
I have stuff I don't use any more, but it was useful on my journey to what I use now.

Example: Splash guard and one of those clip on tail fenders. Useful, but eventually I got full fenders.

I think sometimes you need to find out what works and what doesn't through experience.
I have stuff I don't use any more, but it was useful on my journey to what I use now.

Example: Splash guard and one of those clip on tail fenders. Useful, but eventually I got full fenders.

I got the clip on fenders for the tandem and when the water was thrown in my face from the front wheel due to insufficient coverage, I purchased the full fenders.

If you live by the motto of "build one, then you'll understand how it works", then you build a lot of c***. Interesting c*** but still...........................




speaking of which, it must almost be time for an unannounced contest...:)

There are no buying mistakes. They're tuition payments in the School of Hard Knocks.

I'm working on my Ph.D.

Who doesn't? For me it was looking for long dependability, secure stopping and low maintenance. Then the answer was a touring bike. I haven't enjoyed it for the last 2 years and still planning on getting a decent road bike.

I need a new clothes pin to hold the cards on my fork, anyone know where I can get one made out of aluminum?

While I have had purchase regrets, I only buy used. So I have been able to undo the mistake without losing a lot of money. I made two such buying mistakes last year, I ended up making a little money on both of them.

I don't buy anything new, other than electronics.

I need a new clothes pin to hold the cards on my fork, anyone know where I can get one made out of aluminum?

Hollywood Pin-Up. In going after the big buyers, Alcoa was not neglecting little markets. Typical was the "Hollywood Pin-Up," an aluminum clothespin. Its inventors were two neighbors in Van Nuys, Calif., who got tired of hearing their wives grumble about ersatz clothespins. Alcoa helped them perfect the pin, licensed them to use its color process, "Alumilite," at a nominal royalty. Del E. Webb, contractor and co-owner of the New York Yankees, financed them. Last week, the Del E. Webb Products Co. was busy shipping out 80,000 pins a day, expects to use 2,500,000 pounds of aluminum a year.

You will have to do your own research. The reason for that will be immediately obvious after one or two google clicks.



Any other questions?

I find the whole thing massively confusing. DW and I seemed to have lucked out on our decision to buy Tricross Comps but we went largely with written descriptions and talks with store employees. Test rides just don't work for me - I need to spend a long time on a bike to be sure whether it is a good ride. Same with seats. Skis are even worse. How do you check out skis when the only things you can rent are clunkers?

It even has a name - Buyer's Remorse.

Which model Madone is it? As I recall they come in two varieties: race and more relaxed. Be interested in knowing what's been done to try to make it comfortable . . .

Tony

I do understand this, as although I REALLY love my new Jamis MTB but with our lack of permenent auto transport, financies and the idea that my wife just isn't going to be a "DIRT rider" at heart, I really wonder if we shouldn't have bought "hybrids"??

Not "comfort bikes" but something like the Specialized CrossTrail or Ariel series, using 700cX45 tires so it can handle some dirt trails. We seem to be riding more MUP's (mixed surfaces, dirt/asphalt/concrete), rather than pure dirt double/singletrack trails and the Mrs. is pretty tenitive on the harder dirt part of the MUP's so my idea of us boming long miles of lovely singletrack in the the amazing mountains of CO. may be nothing but a "fantasy" and my poor MTB having to suffer the pain of "being a forced semi-road bike":(

Oh well, I'll just have to put a rear rack and short fenders on my MTB and be looked down upon by the "hardcore MTB'ers" as only a mere wanabee;) so I can enjoy riding a bicycle with the wife and sneak in some singletrack at the local area foothills here in Colorado Springs and dream of the trails of Crested Butte! SIGH!:o

Oh well, I'll just have to put a rear rack and short fenders on my MTB and be looked down upon by the "hardcore MTB'ers" as only a mere wanabee;) so I can enjoy riding a bicycle with the wife and sneak in some singletrack at the local area foothills here in Colorado Springs and dream of the trails of Crested Butte! SIGH!:o

I remember a 70's song by Lee Michaels, (I think) titled "stuck in middle with you" that seems to fit your situation.:D

I don't have to buy mistakes. I make my own.

Ed, so sorry the Madone isn't what you thought it would be. These things aren't cheap. In the early days of my cycling life (1970s) I was fortunate enough to work in a bike shop and could test ride anything I wanted to for days at a time. I learned a great deal about what I like and dislike through those rides. My tastes have stayed pretty true to form over the following decades. Hence, when I buy a bike, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm getting. I did purchase a Trek Alpha 2500 SL road bike six of seven years ago that I regretted, because the aluminum frame was a real bone rattler. While the paint scheme was different the frame was the same as the one attached below. I didn't think anything could be quite that stiff, and I was mistaken. However, I bought it from a bike shop with which I had built a strong relationship, and they were more than happy to accommodate an exchange.

The Bike is a Madone 4.5.

I actually don't have "buyers remorse" as I would readily buy a different bike and spend the same money. My situation is that I bought what I "wanted" and didn't give much thought to what would have been the right bike for me.

Fortunately, I can do some adjustments that will make the bike more comfortable for me.

I sure have purchased the wrong items for my needs quite a few times in my life!

As far as bicycles are concerned, I was also fortunate enough to have began cycling in the 1970's and works for some years in a bike shop. This experience allowed to build my latest bike to what I needed rather than what the shops thought I needed. I ended up with a reasonable weight steel bike that I can ride with comfort, rather than a stiff racer wanna-be bone shaker that seems to still be the rage.

There are no buying mistakes. They're tuition payments in the School of Hard Knocks.

I'm working on my Ph.D.

Post of the day!!! :)

I'm kinda curious what is a good way to test a bike before you buy it? Ride it on the worst road as possible? Rent one if you can?

I just bought a old aluminum gt road bike off of CL and it works for me but it really sucks on crappy roads.

My number one mistake has been saddles. I have a large array gathering dust in my shop. I'm still looking for something to replace my beloved Vetta Gel that came on my Nashbar Tourer in 1992. I've got some that aren't bad, but haven't arrived at "the one" yet.

I tend to refurbish classic bikes and build an occasional modern bike. Almost all are my size and I evaluate them for my stable. I've found some good candidates were too aggressive and turned out to be uncomfortable. Some others rode fine but not better or different enough from my current bikes.
I tend to build cheaply so I don't loose financially if I sell a bike off.

I thought my LWB recumbent (Sun EZ Sport) might be a mistake for quite a while. Then I figured out what was wrong with the handlebars and had a new pair made to my spec. Problems almost solved. The second pair of custom bars was right on the money. Sometimes you have to make the decision right after the fact. Yup, I have $450.00 in handlebars; Ouch! But; they're right. bk

I don't buy anything new, other than electronics.

I also buy my food and toilet paper new. :thumb:

I also buy my food and toilet paper new. :thumb: :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

I have to ask. Exactly what is it about a geometry that makes it uncomfortable? It seems to me if one is to bent over like one example given, it's a not a geometry issue, but a sizing issue. The bike was bought with too long a top-tube.

I built up a new mountain bike for my wife a year ago and went with frame with steep head-tube and seat tube angles. Steeper than today's typical atb. I sized it so she could get her preferred riding position which is relaxed --- she's 68. She loves it and does single-track with it far more enjoyably than her previous atb which had relaxed frame angles. She likes the better handling among other things.

Al

I wouldn't change any of the current bikes - even I bought them sight-unseen from advertisements without inspection or test rides
1990 Specialized Sirrus Triple, classic proportioned lugged steel with 105 triple crank - still my long distance bike of choice
1995 Santana Visa tandem - shop-soiled stock oversight, lost in the loft of St John St Cycles in UK for a few years and advertised as a cheap clearance sale - it's been great
2007 Rocky Mountain Solo 50, steel main triangle and carbon at the front and back - just what I wanted

Bought a used Saab soft top when I first came to Bahrain - now that was a mistake, or maybe lending it to the Mrs on the night of the annual torrential rainstorm was the mistake. Imagine a parked convertible filled to the top of the doors with rainwater, like an overflowing bathtub. Those cars have interconnected electric everything - never quite the same again. The horn button lowered the windows, the wipers opened the trunk, switching on the a/c activated the theft alarm.....

My number one mistake has been saddles. I have a large array gathering dust in my shop. I'm still looking for something to replace my beloved Vetta Gel that came on my Nashbar Tourer in 1992. I've got some that aren't bad, but haven't arrived at "the one" yet.

That's a good point! I think that finding the right saddle is an expensive hunt and peck process. When you find the right one buy a spare because, when the original dies, that exact model won't be available anymore.

I have to ask. Exactly what is it about a geometry that makes it uncomfortable? It seems to me if one is to bent over like one example given, it's a not a geometry issue, but a sizing issue. The bike was bought with too long a top-tube.

To me head tube length is the frame dimension that's all-too-frequently overlooked. Would you call that a sizing or a geometry issue? I could make a case for either.

I have to ask. Exactly what is it about a geometry that makes it uncomfortable? It seems to me if one is to bent over like one example given, it's a not a geometry issue, but a sizing issue. The bike was bought with too long a top-tube.


Al

I thought that it might be a question of the top tube. My recent "second opinion" fitting at an alternate LBS tells me that the size is correct.

I've found that the "racing" position of the bike I bought is not very comfortable and that I actually prefer riding a little more upright.

The relaxed Geometry road bikes have a taller head tube that allows exactly that.

I've been able to accompish getting into the more upright position by adding a stem with a greater rise and longer length. I get basically the same reach, but in a more upright position. I think there are a few other variations in the relaxed geometry bikes, but the head tube hight/length is the most prominent.

I've found that the "racing" position of the bike I bought is not very comfortable and that I actually prefer riding a little more upright.

The relaxed Geometry road bikes have a taller head tube that allows exactly that.

I've been able to accompish getting into the more upright position by adding a stem with a greater rise and longer length. I get basically the same reach, but in a more upright position. I think there are a few other variations in the relaxed geometry bikes, but the head tube hight/length is the most prominent.

My first road bike was a relaxed geometry Giant OCR and I even raised the bars to level with the saddle. That bike hurt the back after about 4 hours riding. Second was a race geometry bike with the bars 3" below the saddle and longer top tube. Boy is that bike comfortable. The more stretched out riding position took all the weight off the hands and I don't get any back ache.

You just have to "Try" the different positions till you find what works for you- and the back- and the hands- and the neck.

I need a new clothes pin to hold the cards on my fork, anyone know where I can get one made out of aluminum?

Humph! everyone knows they MUST be carbon fiber...Weight you know.....

Bud

While I have had purchase regrets, I only buy used. So I have been able to undo the mistake without losing a lot of money. I made two such buying mistakes last year, I ended up making a little money on both of them.

+1, Same as Bill, I returned to cycling on a well used Nishiki MTB. When I decided to ride a road bike, I picked up a vintage Ross for $10. Rode that for a while then worked my way up until I was riding a used Cannondale SR500. That became my main rider for 2 1/2 seasons. I still ride it as my back-up ride today. The advantage of buying all these used bikes, not only did I come out ahead when I sold them, I knew what I wanted when I decided to go new. I looked at the Madone, Specialized Allez and Robaix, and a Cannondale. As much as I wanted to stay with Cannondale, there was no doubt that the Giant OCR-C was the right bike for me. One ride and I knew I had to have one. I've made some mistakes with components or buying a used bike that turned out to be a basket case, but over-all the used route for newbs or someone just returning to cycling is the easy, least expensive way to find out what you really like. The downside is, if you can't or don't work on bikes, they can get expensive real fast.

Made mistakes by "under buying". Bought a mountain bike several years ago, then decided the upright geometry of a comfort bike was what I wanted. Then decided what I really needed was a flat bar road/fitness bike dor the type of riding I wanted to do. Latest purchase, full road bike because I thought that it will be faster and more comfortable for long rides over the road. Sold the mountain bike, but had a couple of years of fun on it first. It's a journey, I guess.

I thought that it might be a question of the top tube. My recent "second opinion" fitting at an alternate LBS tells me that the size is correct.

I've found that the "racing" position of the bike I bought is not very comfortable and that I actually prefer riding a little more upright.

The relaxed Geometry road bikes have a taller head tube that allows exactly that.

I've been able to accompish getting into the more upright position by adding a stem with a greater rise and longer length. I get basically the same reach, but in a more upright position. I think there are a few other variations in the relaxed geometry bikes, but the head tube hight/length is the most prominent.

There is also a steering tube extension available for some steering tube diameters. One advantage of building ones bike is that you can cut the steering tube to a more suitable length and use spacers under the stem.

I've never trusted an lbs for fitting.

Al

I thought that it might be a question of the top tube. My recent "second opinion" fitting at an alternate LBS tells me that the size is correct.

I've found that the "racing" position of the bike I bought is not very comfortable and that I actually prefer riding a little more upright.

The relaxed Geometry road bikes have a taller head tube that allows exactly that.

I've been able to accompish getting into the more upright position by adding a stem with a greater rise and longer length. I get basically the same reach, but in a more upright position. I think there are a few other variations in the relaxed geometry bikes, but the head tube hight/length is the most prominent.

Be sure to hang on to the old parts. As you ride more and more, you'll likely find that your body will change and your position requirements along with it. You might even find that the position you began with will be the one you prefer eventually.

I've never trusted an lbs for fitting.

Al

Without reservation, I can tell you that I'll never again trust the one where I purchased my Madone.

The one that did the fit on Wednesday, did it in, what I believe, was the correct way. He used tools to measure leg angles for saddle height and a number of other tools.

He found the saddle height and position to be both completely wrong.

I can tell you this. I had a lot of knee pain when riding. A hard 30 minutes on the trainer on Thursday and a good 15 mile ride yesterday and no pain other than the residual tightness that was already there. couple of days rest and I think that will be gone completely.

For years I rode, and still do, a Specialized Allez from the mid-80's. Modernized components but the ride was always the same...quick and stiff. Thinking that my aging bones would prefer a more relaxed steel, I bought a Rivendell Romulus when they were such a great buy. Yes, very relaxed, stable, predictable, no-hands, everyday-wife-like-humper, long ride comfort, etc.........and a bit boring. So now I ride and appreciate the strengths of both. I think fifferent bikes aren't mistakes so much as kicking out the jams to new aspects of cycling. Assuming they fit or are "fitable".

F everyday-wife-like-humper,

I must confess I've never heard this expression before. Not sure I know exactly what it means, but I think so.

Be sure to hang on to the old parts. As you ride more and more, you'll likely find that your body will change and your position requirements along with it. You might even find that the position you began with will be the one you prefer eventually.

+100 First, clear your mind of the distinction about racing and riding. Let's look at the way to make the most power on the bike. The most powerful muscles which have the greatest blood flow are the gluts ie your @ss. You engage the gluts when you lean forward toward the bars. The more upright one rides the more you use the quads which do NOT have as good a blood flow and when they contract put pressure on your knees. Now, if you need a more upright position fine. No problem. But understand the tradeoff.

The way to capitalize on the power in your @ss is to over time stretch your hamstrings and back and practice going lower. As you do this you will make more power and enjoy the benefit of that power however you elect to ride.:)

Yep. An the best advice, cycling related, is that the right LBS can save you more money than you will waste making the wrong choices.

Great thread. I joined this forum (yesterday) with this question in mind. I'm hitting the "50" make the begining of May. I was a hardcore bike comuter for several years in the early to mid eighties. I'm astounded at the progress in the equipment. I'm actually on here so as to not make these kinds of mistakes.

There are no buying mistakes. They're tuition payments in the School of Hard Knocks.

I'm working on my Ph.D.


I have completed post doctoral studies. :D