Axiom

I bought a replacement trek 1.1 less than a month ago and I have been riding a lot. I'm starting to hate the thumb shifters, the crappy breaks, and the low end 2300 components which don't shift smooth at all. I have a full time job now so I can drop more money in to a new bike. This time I was thinking about switching to a bikesdirect's Gravity Pro30 with Ultegra group set, ZeroLite wheels, Carbon fork and Continental Ultrasport tires.

Should I ride the 1.1 for a few months or should I switch? The Pro30 looks like a really great bike with significantly better parts. $999 for Ultegra, or $959 if I were to buy a new 1.2 with Tiagra. The BD bike looks to be a better deal.

nfmisso

Can you do the set up of the bike? BD bikes - like almost all online bikes - are shipped ready to be set up by a bike mechanic. If you are not able to do this; plan on dropping another $200- or more to have a pro do it for you.

Nightshade

Don't look now but now that you have a job the money you will earn is burning a hole in your pocket to get spent.

The truth is you've got big eyes for another bike that cost more money when the one you have will do fine until you can save money back for your next unemployment.

Don't be a fool. Save you money.

RichardGlover

If you've only owned the bike for a month, take it into the shop and have them do an adjustment on the bike.

New cables stretch. Most shops will give you a free adjustment or two in the first few months after buying a bike, simply because everything starts shifting and braking poorly after the cables stretch.

TrojanHorse

Sadly, I'm going to have agree with the "wait" crowd... you're probably better off getting some tools and learning how to adjust & repair your bike yourself. That's a skillset that will never go out of style.

Depending on who you're supporting, you should have 3-6 months worth of income in readily accessible cash (short term notes, CDs, etc, not necessarily in a box under your bed) before you start spending all your money on toys.

Mr. Beanz

All this turning over bikes looks to have been nothing but a waste of time. You've gotten nothing but wrong sizes and low end stuff. Give it up and get a descent bike.

jsigone

tiagra is barely a step above the sora you have now and prolly still 9spd. I'd ride what you have for a few more months, save more money in the time frame and walk into a LBS with about 2k+. You'll have a MUCH better rig then currently and also have them fit you to the size. My first bike was sora equip'd and as MUCH as I hated the thumb shifters while being in the drops, I racked in like 4-5k miles/per for 3yrs before getting a bike Bianchi with ultegra and different geometry.

To calm your upgrade fever, go buy some good bike clothing, this will help with the extra miles and time you will spend in the saddle. I just scored some Castelli bibs on chainlove for $56 shipped!! Change out the brake pads to Dura Ace for like $12 a pair, this should help with the crappy braking.

Axiom

Just myself. School is paid for, parents pay for most of my bills and they provide me food and home home (of course). So that means 70% of every paycheck is available. 20% in savings, %10 on bills (cell phone, gym, supplements, memberships). I have been thinking about that gravity every day and it's bugging me because I'd love to have a really nice bike so I don't need to upgrade for a long time.

@Beanz

It was actually going well until my 1.2 got stolen. Now I am back where I was a few months ago when I first started flipping bikes for profit. The 1.1 fits perfectly now that the saddle is adjusted.

vesteroid

Just because your parents are kind enough to continue to provide for all your needs, doesn't mean they should. How about taking you new found wealth and helping to support your family. Buy groceries for a week, pay rent to show them you are moving to a responsible adult. One day soon your going to have these bills (rent, food, clothes etc). Sooner you get use to not having 75% of your check as free income, the better off you will be.

goldfinch

Either do what Vesteroid suggests or save 50% and put it away for the long term. Save some more and put it away for a better bike. Delayed gratification is a good habit to get into. It will pay off far more than a better bike right now.

indyfabz

You should do what you want to do.

CraigB

FIFY

Seriously, now is the time to save that extra cash. You need to prepare for the inevitable time when you're on your own and paying bills. I wish to God I'd seen that light when I was young.

But then, no one can tell us these things and have them stick. You have to learn on your own. Hence my FIFY above.

bbeasley

Obligitory Eddy Merckx qoute:

"Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades"

magohn

Buy the Gravity with Ultegra. There's plenty of time in the future to be 'sensible' We all did what we wanted when young so why not you? . Also, your now employed. We work so we can do what we want (within reason). Otherwise, whats the point?

As for BD, I recently had a great experience with them. As long as you know what your buying and know how to setup very basic bike assembly you will be fine. Can you link to the Gravity for more info ?

A strong reliable ride that we love makes all the difference. Did I need to drop $2500 on my Roubaix in 2010? No. Do I still love the bike? Yes. I have zero intentions (or need) on upgrading the Roubaix so in a way it saved me money - at least thats what I tell the wife.

himespau 

Sock it away for retirement. You're young; with compound interest, this is the most important time to put money away for retirement. At least that's what my father-in-law told us every time he saw us when were were young (gets annoying after a while even if it is good advice). Of course we weren't paid much and only had enough to make ends meet, so not much got put away. Went to a talk once while still in school where the guy made the point that, if you get a decent rate, putting $2k away every year from when you're 20-30 will net you more than putting away $2k a year every year from 30 until you retire. Ride what you've got until it breaks or falls apart.

sstorkel

It shouldn't cost $200 to set the seat post height, put the wheels in the frame, install the handlebar in the stem, and screw on the pedals. That's all the initial setup that's usually needed with a BD bike...

magohn

+1 - Thats how mine came with the exception that I had to bolt on the front disc brake - 10 mins extra. Really, not a big deal. IMHO, a rider should know how to do this stuff anyways. Less complicated than fixing a rear flat.

CraigB

This is the point I was trying to make. Thing is, you do what you want; nearly all of us do, particularly when we're young. But you're lying to yourself if you think that the money is there for the spending. Spending it is stealing/borrowing from, at best, your own future, and at worst from any assistance you might offer your parents now. All purchases carry an opportunity cost. Don't make the mistake of thinking otherwise. Understand what that cost is, and make an educated decision.

magohn

And of course, all of us old fogey's telling the young whipper-snapper to save his money spent WAY less than $900 on our bikes because we value a $ so much.

bigfred 

Axiom,

You obviously want a nice bike. I'm going to suggest that you get that nice bike. BUT, make it one that you're not going to want to upgrade for a long while. Save a bit now. Ride your bike. Once you've got the cash in the bank, start thinking about what you "really" want in a bike. Buy that bike. Not a "it'll make do", or, "it's better than what I've got now", or,....anything else other than being the bike you want ride for the foreseeable future.

There will always be something newer. That's what marketing is all about. However, bikes are wonderful things, in that they continue to work even after something new comes out. The important part is that you get out and ride that bike, not, that it's the latest or greatest.

I suggest you find a frame that speaks to you. Something about it, that you really like. It may be carbon, Ti, aluminum or steel. Then, either purchase it already built with components close to what you want, or, hand select a build kit.

It's the frame that you're going to relate to as being "your bike".

Oh, and like the others have said. Put $5,000 into a retirement account now. Do the math if you need further convincing. You'll thank us later.

Esteban58

The nice thing about being and old fart is that I know exactly how much I can spend on a bike and get away with it... I put in about $950 on my current bike, including new helmet, shoes, and such... and caught a lot of (well deserved, I guess) flack from the wife when I didn't ride it much for the first year. Now that I'm out regularly she's my biggest fan, but we'll see if that holds when I tell her what N+1 will cost

Axiom

Good god LOL. I guess I will keep the bike I have for now and learn to work on the bike myself. I'll start saving more of my paycheck to put in to savings and retirement I suppose.

@Verteroid I do buy a lot of the food I eat anyway, as well as all of my clothes, but I guess I could chip in and pay rent from now on. What would a reasonable monthly payment be?

CraigB

At our age, with any luck and foresight, $900 represents a much smaller chunk of our potential retirement funds than it would have done at 20. Plus there's a matter of perspective. It's much easier when you're this close to retirement to see the actual effect of the expenditure than it is when it's so far off in the future.