Lately I've been thinking about upgrading some parts on my bike, or even just doing (or having done, more likely) some maintenance like replacing the cables and cable housings. But when I think about the price, jeeze I wonder if it's just not smarter to save a bit and then get a whole new bike.

My current bike only cost me $210 new 14 months ago. It's a Diamondback Outlook. It worked great for the past 14 months or so, but I rode through a Northeast winter with lots of salt and slush, plus last fall I did a lot of rain riding. And the wear and tear is starting to show.

I guess you guys that talk about upgrading are starting with high quality bikes, huh? Otherwise it doesn't seem like it's worth it.