Those of you who never owned a new bike-- do you resent those that have new bikes?
07-26-11, 06:45 PM
#26
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No regrets at all - actually, I really enjoy making the best out of a deal. Bought a used 2000 Fuji Team a few years ago for one-quarter the original selling price, it's been terrific. The bike is a treat to ride every time. I also have an '83 Trek 760 - bought the frame new, all other components were older at the time, now upgraded with other new and used stuff I got along the way. The frame fits perfectly, why change it?
07-26-11, 07:52 PM
#27
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My 2 cents
Every bike I've ever owned [mostly steel until 2003], I thought initially was a great ride...until I upgraded and found out what I was missing. Carbon Fiber was another 'world' of biking, if you ask me [not that anyone would, ha]. But even with CF, there is 'better'...and seems proportional to the price tag.
Getting on that first truly high performance bike for the first time raises one's consciousness [mine anyway] that I really didn't know what I was misisng before [ignorance is indeed, bliss]...and any blind man 'born' blind has no idea of what he's missing, right?
I drooled over high end component bikes all my life. I paid dues. Still, there does seem to be an injustice that those fine youthful athletes who can probably make the machine do summersaults, while those like me can only make it 'go' [slow]...also probably can't afford the top models [just like I never could until I got older]. It's another one of them irony's of life I guess, like the bank only giving out loans to people who don't really need 'em, that when young and CAN do things, you can't afford to do those things until your old and decrepid and can no longer do 'em.
Every bike I've ever owned [mostly steel until 2003], I thought initially was a great ride...until I upgraded and found out what I was missing. Carbon Fiber was another 'world' of biking, if you ask me [not that anyone would, ha]. But even with CF, there is 'better'...and seems proportional to the price tag.
Getting on that first truly high performance bike for the first time raises one's consciousness [mine anyway] that I really didn't know what I was misisng before [ignorance is indeed, bliss]...and any blind man 'born' blind has no idea of what he's missing, right?
I drooled over high end component bikes all my life. I paid dues. Still, there does seem to be an injustice that those fine youthful athletes who can probably make the machine do summersaults, while those like me can only make it 'go' [slow]...also probably can't afford the top models [just like I never could until I got older]. It's another one of them irony's of life I guess, like the bank only giving out loans to people who don't really need 'em, that when young and CAN do things, you can't afford to do those things until your old and decrepid and can no longer do 'em.
07-27-11, 06:45 AM
#28
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I've gotten a few of my bikes new; but my favorite one is one I bought used.
07-27-11, 07:23 AM
#29
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No. Oh, wait I have a new bike. A whole $599 worth of new bike. Then again I live in a state that doesn't tax me to death so I can afford such things...
07-27-11, 01:20 PM
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Do I feel jealous about the riders on brand-new crabon fribe?
Not at all. I usually feel sorry for them because they usually aren't iterested in learning what a fine ride a really well-set-up steel bike can offer. Sometimes I want to laugh a little because along with their newly-purchased overgeared technosled they seem to always want to stuff themselves into team-kit Lycra and they're wearing really expensive clown shoes. It's just ridiculous to me. And I smile and shake my head a little and go finish the 50-miler I'm on in my khaki shorts and black T-shirt and blown-out old running shoes. I'm getting the same workout they are, but I didn't spend a bajillion dollars to look like a poseur doing it. It helps that on my full-fendered vintage steel bike, I can usually drop them at will. It's pretty gratifying to my inner prole.
Say what you will about Lance, he has one thing right: It's not about the bike. The bike doesn't make the rider. Legs and lungs and heart-- mostly heart-- make the rider.
Not at all. I usually feel sorry for them because they usually aren't iterested in learning what a fine ride a really well-set-up steel bike can offer. Sometimes I want to laugh a little because along with their newly-purchased overgeared technosled they seem to always want to stuff themselves into team-kit Lycra and they're wearing really expensive clown shoes. It's just ridiculous to me. And I smile and shake my head a little and go finish the 50-miler I'm on in my khaki shorts and black T-shirt and blown-out old running shoes. I'm getting the same workout they are, but I didn't spend a bajillion dollars to look like a poseur doing it. It helps that on my full-fendered vintage steel bike, I can usually drop them at will. It's pretty gratifying to my inner prole.
Say what you will about Lance, he has one thing right: It's not about the bike. The bike doesn't make the rider. Legs and lungs and heart-- mostly heart-- make the rider.
07-28-11, 08:58 PM
#31
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Do I feel jealous about the riders on brand-new crabon fribe?
Not at all. I usually feel sorry for them because they usually aren't iterested in learning what a fine ride a really well-set-up steel bike can offer. Sometimes I want to laugh a little because along with their newly-purchased overgeared technosled they seem to always want to stuff themselves into team-kit Lycra and they're wearing really expensive clown shoes. It's just ridiculous to me. And I smile and shake my head a little and go finish the 50-miler I'm on in my khaki shorts and black T-shirt and blown-out old running shoes. I'm getting the same workout they are, but I didn't spend a bajillion dollars to look like a poseur doing it. It helps that on my full-fendered vintage steel bike, I can usually drop them at will. It's pretty gratifying to my inner prole. ...
Not at all. I usually feel sorry for them because they usually aren't iterested in learning what a fine ride a really well-set-up steel bike can offer. Sometimes I want to laugh a little because along with their newly-purchased overgeared technosled they seem to always want to stuff themselves into team-kit Lycra and they're wearing really expensive clown shoes. It's just ridiculous to me. And I smile and shake my head a little and go finish the 50-miler I'm on in my khaki shorts and black T-shirt and blown-out old running shoes. I'm getting the same workout they are, but I didn't spend a bajillion dollars to look like a poseur doing it. It helps that on my full-fendered vintage steel bike, I can usually drop them at will. It's pretty gratifying to my inner prole. ...
07-30-11, 03:25 AM
#34
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Most of my posts outside C&V are so thick with irony you could lift them with a magnet. The deadpan delivery is what sells it.
07-30-11, 04:59 AM
#35
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I had never had a brand new bike until 2008.
I had ordered an Xtracycle Free Radical and it was on it's way here.
The plan was to put it on this vintage Nishiki mountain bike, that I had picked up at a yard sale. My grandson and I had put a couple of days getting the Nishiki ready when I discovered that the frame was bent.
The Free Radical was on its way, and I thought it might be a good thing if I had a bike to attach it to when it got here--so off to the LBS I went and bought my very first brand new bike at the age of 48.
All the other bikes I own (7 or 8), I bought used for 10 to 30 dollars each at yard sales.
I had ordered an Xtracycle Free Radical and it was on it's way here.
The plan was to put it on this vintage Nishiki mountain bike, that I had picked up at a yard sale. My grandson and I had put a couple of days getting the Nishiki ready when I discovered that the frame was bent.
The Free Radical was on its way, and I thought it might be a good thing if I had a bike to attach it to when it got here--so off to the LBS I went and bought my very first brand new bike at the age of 48.
All the other bikes I own (7 or 8), I bought used for 10 to 30 dollars each at yard sales.
07-30-11, 03:25 PM
#36
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I had never had a brand new bike until 2008.
I had ordered an Xtracycle Free Radical and it was on it's way here.
The plan was to put it on this vintage Nishiki mountain bike, that I had picked up at a yard sale. My grandson and I had put a couple of days getting the Nishiki ready when I discovered that the frame was bent.
The Free Radical was on its way, and I thought it might be a good thing if I had a bike to attach it to when it got here--so off to the LBS I went and bought my very first brand new bike at the age of 48.
All the other bikes I own (7 or 8), I bought used for 10 to 30 dollars each at yard sales.
I had ordered an Xtracycle Free Radical and it was on it's way here.
The plan was to put it on this vintage Nishiki mountain bike, that I had picked up at a yard sale. My grandson and I had put a couple of days getting the Nishiki ready when I discovered that the frame was bent.
The Free Radical was on its way, and I thought it might be a good thing if I had a bike to attach it to when it got here--so off to the LBS I went and bought my very first brand new bike at the age of 48.
All the other bikes I own (7 or 8), I bought used for 10 to 30 dollars each at yard sales.
Not the greatest bike in the world but the best value!!!
07-30-11, 05:29 PM
#37
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07-30-11, 06:45 PM
#38
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I never took the class that explained irony as a literary device.
Sarcasm is under my radar, too.
Sarcasm is under my radar, too.
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07-31-11, 10:01 AM
#39
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I've had very few new bikes in my life time. The last one in 1995. I haven't ridden that until recently.Now that I ride,do I feel envy of those who ride new bikes? No! Now I would like to get a newer one,and I plan on it some day,but I don't envy those who have one. You don't need a bike with a cabon fiber titainium frame that weighs 12 lbs to ride! If you have a bike,just ride it! If anything,I'm looking for older bikes to buy,not newer onnes. Love the vintage bikes!
07-31-11, 10:49 PM
#41
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No I have never been envious and for the most part like many here I am all about the deal. That being said I also am both a utility and a social rider. Riding around town I find many bikes work just fine from cruisers to MTBs. But social riding gave me a bit of a different perspective.
Like so many of my friends that ride I started with a Varsity and then moved all the way up to a Continental. I rode that bike for years till we bought our first house and my neighbor was an avid cyclist took me to his LBS and I bought a Viscount Aerospace Pro at a feather light 22 or 23 pounds. That bike was a good 10 pounds lighter than my old Schwinn and I thought it rode like a dream. Then life got in the way and for a number of years I stopped riding. When I came back I started looking for a Viscount. I tried a few from Craig’s list but nothing grabbed me. So I started considering a newer bike. I discovered Bifters, clipless pedals, light weight stiff wheels Aluminum and Carbon f machine with bifters and light wheels. My CF bike is 6 pounds lighter than my old Viscount and it makes this old motor function about as well as it did on the old steel bike. I don’t know if I can go back to friction shifters however.
Like so many of my friends that ride I started with a Varsity and then moved all the way up to a Continental. I rode that bike for years till we bought our first house and my neighbor was an avid cyclist took me to his LBS and I bought a Viscount Aerospace Pro at a feather light 22 or 23 pounds. That bike was a good 10 pounds lighter than my old Schwinn and I thought it rode like a dream. Then life got in the way and for a number of years I stopped riding. When I came back I started looking for a Viscount. I tried a few from Craig’s list but nothing grabbed me. So I started considering a newer bike. I discovered Bifters, clipless pedals, light weight stiff wheels Aluminum and Carbon f machine with bifters and light wheels. My CF bike is 6 pounds lighter than my old Viscount and it makes this old motor function about as well as it did on the old steel bike. I don’t know if I can go back to friction shifters however.
07-31-11, 10:57 PM
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As soon as something gets scuffed, it's not so new anymore. I like saving half the price and not having that moment of heartache when the first ding or scratch happens to the pristine paintjob.
Heck, it's annoying enough when one of my rescued-and-Kryloned junkers gets its first scratch, and I know I can repaint it for under $10. (Including stripper and primer.)
Heck, it's annoying enough when one of my rescued-and-Kryloned junkers gets its first scratch, and I know I can repaint it for under $10. (Including stripper and primer.)
08-01-11, 08:15 AM
#44
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Well, some of my bikes are old, some are new. I only buy a new one, when I can't buy an old one. All are equally beloved.
My favorite bike is one that was a freebie. It's an old Specialized Hard Rock which serves as my short-range and utility bike. My new one is now 3 years old, a Bacchetta Giro 20. I bought it new because it was my first recumbent, so I wanted dealer support, and there just weren't any used ones around.
My favorite bike is one that was a freebie. It's an old Specialized Hard Rock which serves as my short-range and utility bike. My new one is now 3 years old, a Bacchetta Giro 20. I bought it new because it was my first recumbent, so I wanted dealer support, and there just weren't any used ones around.
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08-08-11, 04:55 AM
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If I ever felt envy over the four or five thousand dollar bikes a few of my friends ride, it was thinking about how much top shelf vintage stuff I could be playing with if I was willing to charge the same on a credit card. If I had the cash, I would probably not have anything newer than 1990. In fact, if I had the cash, my collection would start to average Older, not newer.
When I was 16, I drooled over having a Fender Stratocaster guitar. But, I never had the money...so I made do, and 'never did', ha. All my life, whenever I see a Fender Stratocaster, I remember...and feelings of being 'left out' come over me.
It's a vision I have of the 'haves versus the have nots'...where this little first grader (me) is peering through a chain link fence at the rich neighbor's pool where all the little kids are having such a great time. But...you're not invited. It's just a swim in a pool you see, itself not important. Nor that Fender Stratocaster, nor perhaps that 'expensive' bike that, after 30 some odd years of riding, one might simply 'splurge' an ungodly and even obscene amount of money on [given one's meager income], just that they no longer feel 'not invited to the party'.
Once you have the snappy dura ace or chorus bike...you find it's just another bike after all...and that pool was probably no better than a skinny dip in the nearest lake, or that strats are now made in Mexico and those from the US, jacked up in price for collectors sake.
I guess my point here, is that even though we TRY to be rational [as you argue], we are, IMHO, essentially IRRATIONAL creatures for the most part. Not to sit in judgement, but only to understand what makes us go I suppose; Like a nice spiffy aero dura ace bike that hardly befits the aging decrepid body I now possess [but housing memories from long ago, still trying BE]. Or whatever...
08-11-11, 10:08 AM
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This is a really interesting question, actually.
I started training for a triathlon in May. I didn't have a bike. A co-worker offered to loan me his wife's 20 year old mountain bike because she refuses to ride during the summer (it gets dangerously hot here). One of my teammates who also started with no bike showed up at the second bike practice with a $2,500 road bike. He's a doctor. I am not.
That said, I have worked my butt off on "my" bike. I feel like it knows me and I'll be sad to give it back (I'm considering offering to buy it). I'm going to keep up with triathlons and will be buying a road bike in the next few months, but will I be jealous because someone else has a nicer/newer/more expensive bike? Heck no. I've had to work HARD using an old, heavy bike. I love that I've had to work harder and I know in the long run, I'll be a stronger rider for it.
I started training for a triathlon in May. I didn't have a bike. A co-worker offered to loan me his wife's 20 year old mountain bike because she refuses to ride during the summer (it gets dangerously hot here). One of my teammates who also started with no bike showed up at the second bike practice with a $2,500 road bike. He's a doctor. I am not.
That said, I have worked my butt off on "my" bike. I feel like it knows me and I'll be sad to give it back (I'm considering offering to buy it). I'm going to keep up with triathlons and will be buying a road bike in the next few months, but will I be jealous because someone else has a nicer/newer/more expensive bike? Heck no. I've had to work HARD using an old, heavy bike. I love that I've had to work harder and I know in the long run, I'll be a stronger rider for it.
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Arthur Peabody
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12-12-18 11:14 AM
