Originally Posted by
MRT2
As for spending the extra cash, it really depends on how long you own your bikes. I tend to keep my bikes for a long time so an extra $200 up front isn't much if I really liked the more expensive bike better.
Actually, at one level, the extra $200 could be wise whether owned long term, or shorter duration, since the better components could lead to higher resale value, but I am not sure how much of the extra $200 would be maintained in the resale.
My previous primary rider lasted for about 11 years before I bought another used bike to take its place, and it is still in my stable to use in certain conditions (like early spring before the rail trails firm up) and as a loaner, so that was obviously money well spent. Total bike cost (ignoring upgrades and maintenance over the years) was about $40 per year. And I could still sell it easily for $100 and recoup a quarter of that.