Originally Posted by
vkalia
For example - I am sort of considering a full-suspension mountain bike b/c there are some really nice DH trails here in Oman, where I will be for the next 6 months. I can easily afford to spend $3500 on a Niner RIP9/XT bike and I know it will fit my requirements perfectly. But given that I normally prefer a hardtail for the type of off-road riding I do, and already have a pretty nice blinged-out Niner, I am trying to see if I can get a decent full-sus 29er for <$2000. And you know what - I am coming close. I can get one for $2300 and if I look a bit harder/get creative, I can probably get the bike I need for my target price, a price which most people will agree is "too low" for a high-quality full-suspension 29er. So what part of my process do you disagree with?
I feel like a rubbernecker on this thread... morbid fascination keeps me coming back.
So... you can afford $3500, you found what you want for $2300... but you won't buy it until you can get it for under $2000? Are you a cyclist, or a financial analyst? You're going to spend a lot of time looking "harder/being creative" for $300? Especially when you can afford way more? It sounds like you get more of a thrill out of shopping than you do riding the bike. I would have already payed the $2300 and would have been riding the bike. Hey, if it was exactly what I was looking for, I probably would have paid the $3500! Cycling is a hobby for me. It's not a profit oriented, money-making, money-saving activity.
I am just like everyone else. I'm not going to buy a bike that I cannot absolutely afford. But, you stated, that you can afford $3500 and it sounds like you know exactly what you want. It's just that your big sticking point is... that you want it for under $2000. You have a good time shopping and looking at Craigslist. I'll be out riding.