PSUfan09

When do you upgrade? do you find a nicer component at a good price and upgrade just to upgrade, or do you only upgrade when something breaks or you can get a new part to improve the performance of something that works fine?

PhattTyre

I usually try to wait until something needs to be replaced, but sometimes the lust is too much. Having extra parts that still work well isn't bad either. Before you know it you'll be able to build a bike from spare parts.

Maelstrom 

I upgrade when I feel like it. If a part is needed yes, if a part is going to improve performance and I need it yes.

PSUfan09

ANyone ever brave enough to get any components off of ebay?
i was lookin at https://cgi.ebay.com/SRAM-X-7-Front-R...QQcmdZViewItem

Maelstrom 

Nope. Not a fan of ebay.

PSUfan09

yeah ebay scares me, but some of the prices are so damn good, its really hard to tell who to trust

jonbth

I've saved hundreds of dollars buying stuff on EBAY. You just have to be smart and read feedback and don't trust anyone with too many negatives.

Paladin

I buy and sell on ebay all the time, probably done close to 500 auctions and only ever had one bad experience, but still collected my money so it wasn't too horrible. Just look at the user ratings/feedback, it is a good indication of who you are dealing with.

mcoine

Ebay is pretty safe if you know what you are doing. I have about 40 to 50 transactions and haven't been burned yet.

Maelstrom 

Ebay doesn't scare me per se. Its more a time vs money situation. My time is worth a lot to me and the money I save on ebay most of the time doesn't pay for itself. I find most items end up only slightly cheaper (at least in the parts I look at) than you could find them at your cheapest online store.

LowCel 

Pretty much the same way I feel. If I need or want something I get it.

PSUfan09

I think im definately gonna giev ebay a cahnce one of these days...did anyone check out that link i put up there? is that stuff any good? (you can use SRAM shifter with front deraileur right?)

BoSoxYacht

About the same here . When I do upgrade a worn out part , I buy the best product available(I hate wasting money). I bought a Chris King headset in 1994 and it's a smooth as the day I bought it. By far the best product I've ever purchased .

leonardotmnt

Yeah you can use an SRAM shifter with a front derailleur... If you mean can you use it with a Shimano front der. I think the answer is yes. Only shifters and rear derailleurs have to match right?

PSUfan09

aha yeah thats what i meant, shimano front deraileur with an SRAM shifter.

LowCel 

Yup, works fine. I use XT front derailleurs and X.9 shifters on both of my mountain bikes.

ed 

I use eBay all the time. I have done a couple of hundred transactions and had a positive experience with it.

I built an entire bike using eBay stuff and it only cost me around 150 bucks. I got a Trek Alpha Aluminum SL hardtail frame for $15 brand new. You can't beat prices like that. I do however weigh the price differences a bit. If I'm only going to save 20 bucks or so, I will go to my LBS and support them. Lord knows they've hooked me up in the past. If I'm going to save a ton of cash I will go ahead and use an online vendor or eBay.

Heck, I'm getting ready to list a few Jamis Dakar XLT frames on eBay tonight.

I try to put a bit of heart and effort into supporting local cycling, but there's a point where the deal is too good to pass up.

New Chris King H-sets usually go for around $120'ish on eBay. My LBS gave me one installed for less than $100.

On the other hand, my LBS wanted to charge me $400'ish for a Fox Vanilla R fork and I got one from an online vendor for $220.

Just be smart and watch for shady people on eBay, you can generally spot them right off.

Jason222

Buying some things on ebay is much cheaper, but other's is just as expensive and takes longer. Forks are usually much cheaper on ebay than in LBS's. Derailleurs, brakes, wheels are usually cheaper on ebay as well.

dminor 

When I get a new sponsor . (Go ahead, Gastro, say it )