Fifty Plus (50+) - How does it happen?

When I got back into cycling a year ago all I wanted was a comfortable bike I could ride around town and get some exercise. I didn’t need a MTB or a Road bike because I knew it would take years before I was in shape.

Within two months I had a MTB and a comfort bike. But I didn’t see any reason to get a road bike because I could ride my MTB and comfort bike on the road. :innocent:

Turns out some of my new friends had road bikes so within another month I decided I wanted a road bike. Next thing I know one is on sale and now I had a comfort bike, two MTBs and a road bike. At least, I said to myself, I had all the bikes I needed. :lol: I read with interest some of the posts in these forums about people building a bike from the frame up and said I could see no reason to do that when complete bikes were available for the same or less money without the work. Besides my road bike was working just fine thank you very much. But a strange thing happened; I started getting a box full of bike parts, cranks, wheels, brakes, saddles. I didn’t need another bike because I was only a B group rider and a better bike wasn’t going to help me much anyway. :)

Then about a week ago a good friend decided he just had to have a Specialized Tarmac S works and he had a frame he was willing to let go for a price I couldn’t refuse. The end result is my first frame up build. I have it up and running but I am waiting for my Ultegra shifters and Dura Ace Derailleur to come in. When they do I will add the carbon bars I found in my parts box as well. Is there something in the water bottles we use that causes things like this to happen? :twitchy:

Thumbnails are the result.

Riding is the only remedy I've found.

It's "The Fever", on of the symptoms of which is n+1. In some of us, it manifests itself in odd jerseys, some like vintage bikes and can't pass up a 1980s shifters-on-the-downtube steel Rivenpeugwinn Le Ventoux. Still others think it's fun to look for 18% grades to climb on the big ring. There is no cure. You have crossed over to the dark side. Welcome, my son.

No Robert,

I don't think it's anything in the water bottles. Probably starts with something in your DNA, then when you start riding bikes it only makes it worse (well, I mean, better!).

My case is pretty typical, seven bikes, just added a DaHon folder, now looking (while not looking, really) for a cyclo-cross bike. The first step, as I understand it, is admitting to yourself that you have a problem (N+1 . . .).

The second step is to honestly recognize that this is not a "problem" for you, and in fact it leads to more exercise and an overall healthy lifestyle. This leads you to not really care about step one any more, giving you extra time to go for a ride.

That's how I see it.

Rick / OCRR

Do you still ride your recumbent?:D

If I were you- I would take up gardening. There is that space not too far from the house that needs clearing and I should say it is a bit bigger than 14ft x 20ft- Just big enough to leave clearance for maintenance. And at the rate you are going on I would build it quick.

Do you still ride your recumbent?:D

No I will admit I don’t. I figured the bent was the cause of the infection. A good friend of mine was trying to get his wife to cycle with him but she simply could not ride with any pressure on her wrists. She had tried MTB and Hybrids and a comfort bike and was about to give up. The friend asked if he could burrow my Revive LX and I figured I was only riding it maybe once every two weeks so I let him have t it for a week. He called back about the time he was supposed to return the bike and said his wife loved it but they couldn’t afford a new one. So I sold it to him and she has been riding it ever since. I took one look at her face as she was riding it and couldn’t help myself.

What I can’t believe is how much of a difference riding the Lapierre is. First ride on it was 40 miles and it was very smooth. I understand Carbon bars will soak up even more road vibration. I feel like I have gone from a sedan to a sports car. :lol:

If I were you- I would take up gardening. There is that space not too far from the house that needs clearing and I should say it is a bit bigger than 14ft x 20ft- Just big enough to leave clearance for maintenance. And at the rate you are going on I would build it quick.

I had zero parts last July but I decided I should have a parts box for cleaning supplies and extra bike parts. It was bad enough when I had the parts box in the house. Cranks, pedals, stems, brakes, and other parts just seem to appear in the box as if by magic. I put up a shed and moved the parts out there. Now there are Wheels, tires, a frame or two plus the parts that find their way into my parts box. And yesterday I discovered some speed play pedals and cleats in the back of my truck. I wonder if there is a pair of road shoes in my future. No can’t be because I am perfectly happy with my MTB shoes and people who wear road shoes walk funny. Even if the speed play pedals sure look cool.

I don't see where you have described anything unusual going on. What are you asking about? It all seems perfectly normal to me. ;)

I don't see where you have described anything unusual going on. What are you asking about? It all seems perfectly normal to me. ;)

Well I somehow knew I was speaking to kindred souls. I have several friends that build their own bikes and they were a great help. I just could never see myself getting this involved. But I have gotten to the point where I hate to miss a chance to ride and this bike is going to make it even harder not to find an excuse to ride. :innocent:

I wish I could find "extra parts" in my truck or in a box in the basement. My wife seems to find my "extra parts" when the UPS man rings the doorbell. I just haven't been able to say to my wife, "honey, look at these carbon fiber handle bars and Speed Play pedals that I just found in a box under the basement stairs".

BTW, that's a nice bike Mr. Foster.

Nice build!

I wish I could find "extra parts" in my truck or in a box in the basement. My wife seems to find my "extra parts" when the UPS man rings the doorbell. I just haven't been able to say to my wife, "honey, look at these carbon fiber handle bars and Speed Play pedals that I just found in a box under the basement stairs".

BTW, that's a nice bike Mr. Foster.

Well I was thinking that if I left an old pair of tennis shoes in the shed the bake part gremlin would exchange some road shoes so I could mount the speed plays.:innocent: However big things like the Lapierre frame was too big to fit in the parts box. My wife spotted the frame the same day it appeared. :o

Nice build!

Thanks. I have wanted a Lapierre for some time but I never thought I could afford one.

I had friends that knew what they were doing show me step by step how it should be done. The best part is how well this bike fits me.

I sold my son's (never ridden) Jamis Quest road bike to a coworker (for his wife). She wanted modern low-count flat blade spoke wheels since the originals reminded her too much of her old junker. The result is I have a good 9 speed wheelset with Mavic rims and 105 hubs. Hmm, I have some drop bars, Campy caliphers, Look pedals, cartridge BB, 27.2 seatpost, FSA stem, DA bar end shifters, and a Persons saddle on hand. It won't be long before a frame is on sale. N+1 rules!