Jtgyk

It's really sad...I don't have the familiar n + 1 itch anymore.
I still look at CL (mostly out of habit), but I'm at saturation level right now and even thinking about paring the stable down to the Touring Bike and my Trek 1220.

The Hardrock rarely gets ridden anymore.

I have several sets of panniers (for different purposes) and use them all.
I have very adequate lighting, Bike comps are all working, the tool stash is at an acceptable level, and I don't even need/want a GPS at this time in my cycling life.

It WOULD be at this time that my 30% off Nashbar would be expiring.
Maybe I'll just stock up on tubes and a chain or two.

Anyone else out there reached your "Eh....I'm content" phase with your gear?

Neil_B

Nashbar and Performance tubes are supposed to be lousy.

jk_surgeonfish

Nope, not content yet. I can help you with your problem. Just send me some of your stuff.... you'll start to miss it and then have to go buy more and upgrade more.

I do know what you are saying however..... part of the fun is getting the stuff together.

zoste

Yeah...sortakinda...I got an email from Performance a couple weeks ago that they were giving double points and I didn't even need a water bottle; I've got two spare tires sitting under my bed. Ended up buying a new chain.

bautieri

It's a fairly common side effect of the venom of a Diamond Back Anacondasin Mamba.

I know what you mean though. Eventually you get to the point where you say enough is enough.

Mr. Beanz

I'm at that point. All my bikes operate smoothly and ride well, the Lemond is more than comfy so what more do I need?

I think I've met too many riders with high end bikes, fancy climbing wheels that prove the point "it's the engine, not the bike". When I ride around them, I can't help but think, "if it was about the bike, I'd be faaaaaar behind!"......Seeing too much of this has cured my itch to spend money on higher level equipment! I guess I'm content now!

I could care less about a GPS, including HR monitor, cadence etc.

Mr. Beanz

I use Performance tubes on just about all of my 7 bikes without no problem at all. Figure between me and Gina, we do over 8000 miles every year for the last 12 years. That's plenty of no problem miles with the Performance tubes.

But! I have watched other riders replace a tube on the roadside. Riders that have complained about the quality of Perf tubes. Believe me, it's not the tubes! Strange how these guys are always the same ones to get THE BAD BATCH of tubes!

Jtgyk

Yeah...I just looked again and the Continental tubes they have on sale are only 26". Blast!

If the only had a touring or road frame small enough for my wife (44 or 46cm) I'd be all over it.
I really need to get her off her mountain bike.

flip18436572

I run nashbar tubes and tires and don't have a problem with them at all.

zowie

It is also the bike. You said it yourself: "operate smoothly" "ride well" and "comfy". I'll add to that appropriate for one's style of riding/terrain/weather. What it is not about is the most expensive, lightest, and newest.

Jtgyk

If I was training heavily, maybe a HRM. I have a comp with cadence, oddly enough, it's on the Hardrock and I never used that function after I got used to the feel of a cadence over 80.
Right now with healing up (the shoulder is still wonky from the crash) I'm mostly commuting and riding under 15 miles on the "longer rides". (Sucks as this weekend I'm turning fifty and had been planning a "ride your age" ride)

I may invest in a truing stand and dishing tool....build me some rear wheels I could abuse. (40 spoke deep V's)

youcoming

Never but I'm a gear head and cycling is my passion. Yes it is all the engine and the big gain I ever see from high end stuff is comfort. Yes what I ride is comfy enoughbut why stop at comfy enough. I pass by guys on fancy wheels and all I think is man those are nice wheels, I don't even think about how much he paid yet I still pass him. I love the GPS but that's just the way I am. I don't have to say i think I climbed this much or I think my cadance was right and yes I can tell what 90 feels like. I use to think GPS was just a joke but I love it. As for wheels I have no use for climbing wheels as they are really designed for climbers and will be of no great help for a clyde in fact likely a hinderance as a good stiff yet slightly heavier wheelset would be better suited. Saying all that if I never aquired another thing for my bike I would be happy with what I have, but and this is a very big but, I like to try things out. So nope I aint done yet and see no end in sight except for my frame it will not be going anywhere in the near future.

Barrettscv 

My N+1 urge is minimal, and my what-new-item-can-I-put-on-the-bike urge is almost satisfied.

I've been tweaking the bike for almost a year now. It will never be perfect since my needs seem to change every few months.

This summer I added Keo Pedals, upgraded my shoes, changed to a FSA compact handlebar and took my Brooks seat of the Vintage bike. These upgrades have solved every fit issue and the bike is comfortable for eight hours.

I would like to add a super compact crank with a 45t and a 30t chainring. These cranks are hard to find and $$, so that change is not going to happen soon.

N+1 is not going to happen soon either. I can alter my cyclocross bike for commuting, touring, fitness rides and long distance rides quickly by changing tires and gearing.

I would need to spend major money on a better bike and even then I would only enjoy a small improvement in performance.

Michael

txvintage

Dude, you can't ditch the Hard Rock. When I get another MTB or a better yet, a Cross bike, and when we're both healthy, say 2015, we have to ride the rail bed all the way to Paris!

Jtgyk

Oops! I forgot about the "almost" Rail to Trail (trial?) to Paris.
The fenders Gotta come off so I can run some big knobby cushy tires. I remember feeling pretty battered after 8 or 9 miles of the rough stuff-stones-gravel-sand-chuckholes....Vey is mire! (agony! oh the pain! etc)

Then again maybe a 29er would be much better.

Caincando1

I live out in the country now and the n+1 is equating to n+MTB really bad right now.

Stray8

Still need just one more bike...and then after that...


















































...would still need just one more bike.




.

kenseth03

I used to have to have "just one more thing" to make my bike exactly the way I want it. Now I realize that I am content with my 2 main bikes and as long as they run smoothly I really am not worried if they are equipped with high end components. I'll just replace things as they wear out.

wild animals

I'm great right now! But that's because it's hot outside. (Knock on wood, etc.) When it's cold again it will be a different story. Most of my cold-weather stuff is janky or pieced together, and irritating to deal with. But yeah, I remember when I stopped reading P Bike emails. "95% off? That is infinity percent more than I want to spend."

Although, I'd have a harder time with bike clothes or whatever if any of it fit me properly.

Oh and PS: When I rode up The Hill, I had a can of pepper (bear/dog/pre-vert) spray in my pocket, and when I was halfway up the hill, I kind of felt a little itchy. And my leg kind of felt a little wet. So apparently I need a new can of pepper spray, and a holster or bike mount wouldn't hurt.

mawtangent

I was thinking today that I've only spent about $35 dollars on bike stuff in 2009 (an order from niagaracyle, which included a chain and an adjustable handlebar stem), which, in part, has allowed me to pay down all my credit card debt. Compare this to the $1200 I spent mostly in 2007/2008 (after my love for bicycling was reborn in middle-age). I made a lot of bad decisions while spending that $1200, but I also satisfied some curiosity (which I find is the reason I make a lot of my decisions). I could be content with a set-up (bike + bike stuff) costing $300 -$400.

txvintage

I caved. I ordered a set of 27mm deep rims. It needed to be done.

PS. Jtgyk, did you order that wheel truing stand and dish tool?

Hill-Pumper

I'm in the mood for another bike, but I know that right not is not the time to be buying one. I am slowly getting the cross bike outfitted with some commuter gear and would like to get another set of wheels to mount some form of touring/street tires on. For now, it is cheap to dream of building a Ti frame road bike.

Jtgyk

Gah!!! I almost convinced myself to order the Park Tool Home Mechanic TS-8 Truing Stand , but then I started reading the reviews....Now I don't know if it will be good enough to build wheels on.

anyone out there a wheel builder?
Is th TS-8 gonna be a pain in the A$$ or should I just quitthebichin and get on with it?

Neil_B

I used my Nashbar "kiss and make up" discount on:

- new rainjacket - I hope this one will actually close. :-(
- new gloves
- a high visibility jersey in orange so I can ride certain trails during hunting season.
- and a couple of tubes.

I passed on the touring frame. I was tempted, but considering how difficult I am to fit getting a frame through the mail is too great of a dice toss for me.

Jtgyk

You must not hear this often, but - "Oh! To be your size, that I might actually order cycle clothing from anyone but Borah (Jerseys) or Aerotech."

It'd be nice to cash in on some sales every once in a while.

I keep thinking about the smaller frame, then not ordering. Just the thought of transferring everything to a new frame (just to find it a bit too small) kind of makes my teeth itch.