Originally Posted by
Terry66
I started off with a $1000 Specialized aluminum bike and then after the first year and a half I spent about $3K on my current bike. I would have been much better off just spending the $3K from the beginning....at the time it seemed like $3K was CRAZY to spend on a bike and that I would NEVER need a bike like that.
Hindsight is 20/20. For every one person who loves it, theres probably 5 that give up and sell their bike on CL at a loss. I'm a big fan of buying something reasonably priced to start, even if it means you outgrow it quickly. If you realize you love the sport and know you will stick with it, then the sky is the limit.