Will I Just end up regreting it ?
 

Hello there BF I am in the market for a brand new shiny steed and Im wondering if i should even go new. I understand there is a risk being taken when you buy a new bike as it grabs attention BUT i really want a new bike and it has everything i want in a commuter. My question is the bike I am looking at is a good 1,ooo why such an expensive year round commuter because for my taste and needs it is perfect :). But my question is should i even bother or is it a recipe for disaster ? just want opinions, personal choices, get a little discussion going :).

My plan to keep it from getting stolen is 2 u locks one to lock the front wheel to the frame and to a fixed poll or rack my choice an ABUS u lock forgot the model but is the one with the highest rating and a Kryptonite mini new york lock and throwing in some anti theft skewers what you guys think ??

It depends; are you in a location with a lot of bike theft? I commute on a nice bike, only use one u-lock and have never had a problem with theft, but I try to keep my bike in visible locations, or under surveillance. Conversationally, a friend of mine had her rear wheel stolen while she ducked into a bakery to buy a loaf of bread. The bike was locked, but the rear wheel wasn't. It only took 5 minutes or so.

In my experience, a commuter should be an old mountain bike. Between the grubbiness of riding in foul weather, wipeouts on slippery surfaces, and damage done while it sites in the bike rack, there is no sense in using a bike in which you have a lot of money, and getting heartburn when it gets damaged.

I live in Los Angeles in my area there is not much theft that i know of , However i would be traveling downtown which is another story but there is also alot of riders in downtown and alot of decent bikes locked up and i wont be leaving it downtown for long just quick in and outs in stores and stuff. My college to me is extreamly low bike theft area in my opinion since some people dont even lock up their bikes to the racks they just lock up the rear wheel and leave it sitting around (there is a security post in front of the racks). I wont really mind the grime and abuse of commuting showing on the bike I rather enjoy seeing the battle scars on my bikes as long as they dont compromise the bikes safety, I know the abuse it will go through i really dont mind that. i have a beater that i ride right now and see what it goes through I Just want really want the bike and wounder if i lock up the bike well and have the anti theft scewers will i be ok and get to enjoy my bike or is a new semi expensive bike just not the wisest choice for a year round commuter.

Right now I use a Kryptonite New York 3000 U Lock and a KryptoFlex Cable lock to lock the rear wheel. I've made myself reasonably paranoid by watching a bunch of youtube videos of bikes getting stolen. It's amazing how easy they make it seem. I have the advantage of being able to bring my bike into the office at work and keep it inside my apartment as well. I only really use them when I go do some light groceries. I do plan on getting a small mini lock just to make it a little more difficult for whoever is eyeing it. My bike is worth about $500 and even though it hurts to buy a hundred dollars or more worth in locks I can just imagine regretting not had in the future.

Your money will go much further in a used than a new bike.

No matter how you try to secure it, people will find a way to steal either your bike, or some of the parts. You can lock the frame and both wheels, only to discover your saddle, seat post, handlebars, and shifters missing...

Yes you will regret it if you buy it and you'll regret it it if you don't. Or you can buy it and cosmetically trash it then regret that. For $1000 bike you don't leave it outside and out of view.

My commuter/errand bike is irreplaceable. It's a Bridgestone XO-2, 1993 model. Only 1500 were made, and I ride a 52cm, so they're rarer than Sasquatch riding a unicorn. I lock it up with a u-lock and a cable, and hope for the best. If it gets stolen, I'll be upset. Well, more than upset---I'll be livid. But if the choices are ride a POS or ride a bike you like, I'd say go to the bike you like. There are LIMITS, however. I have another bike that cost a whole lot more than the Bridgestone,and it's too flashy to risk locking up. Even though I could get another one just like it, the financial hit for losing that one would be too severe to risk.

I suppose it depends how much of a financial hit the grand would be to you if it got stolen. If you want to risk it, and the benefit is worth the risk, then buy your thousand dollar ideal commuter, lock it properly, put Pitlock skewers on the wheels, and go for it.

I also live in Los Angeles, my bike new is $800(bought about 1 year ago), but has well north of $1000 put into it. I am lucky enough to park it inside at my desk at work and it lives inside my house too. When I go places with it, I make sure to lock it securely and never leave it for too long. I don't regret making the purchase I did due to cost. If I could do it again I would have actually probably spent more. I spend 2 hrs+ hours a day riding, so getting what I wanted was more important then the risk of theft.

If it were me, I would buy the bike that I liked the best, and then include that in a supplemental insurance policy if it's going to be locked up in a public area pretty often. That way, if you've found the perfect bike, you can ride it every day and not worry so much.

I don't really have to worry about this, as my work parking is very secure (much more secure than home, actually), so I ride the nice one to work and back, and I take my inexpensive bike pretty much everywhere else.

New bikes bring great joy.

the longer I commute, the more I understand people that commute on nice bikes. However, I almost have my crummy looking mtb running good enough that I enjoy riding. I rode it over 30 miles after work last Thursday, my boss felt guilty for eating a big lunch and dragged me along.

nice bikes are for riding not leaving it somewhere. get the bike and ride it. use the beater when you are bouncing around.

For me it's all about where you lock it up. It should always be somewhere that 100 people would be watching it be stolen if it was. I spent a year in Boston with a decent bike and always used a cheap cable lock.

That said you can't put a price on a cheap POS bike you don't care about. It's so nice to have a beater that nobody would ever steal, it's gotta be hideous, not just a decent bike spray painted to look bad. It's actually got to be a horrible bike that nobody wants.

My commuter was about 1k before I started changing things, now is quite a bit more. I have a few different locks, and depending where I take it I adjust the level of security (Krpto Mini-Evo and New York u-locks, 10mm hardened boron chain and Abloy 342 padlock). Use just one or mix and match as needed. I also peeled all of the brand logos from the frame (which looks better anyways). Life is too short not to have a decent bike, IMO.

Buy what you want and be happy. Be careful on where you lock it, though.

Don't limit yourself and let the crooks win.

very true and well said .... in addition i'll say .. you only live once.... dont settle for less out of fear that it might be stolen .... for what its worth you could also register the bike with your local law enforcement agency ...

Wise words spoken by both sides :) but I think those who say get it have a point ill enjoy riding it and just seeing it . Just because I fear it will get stolen shouldn't stop me I mean its a reality but that doesn't mean I shouldn't have what I want because than ill just stare at it kbt the computer wishing . Just up the security ( I do plan on getting those ID tag things from kryptonite that I can register it stolen and it supposedly alerts LBS the cops and who social networks ) I do like my beater but it can't take Fenders I'm limeted on tires (27's) I can't go big for some trails and plus I want to be able to switch up components and things as I please and older bikes sometimes are not comparable with the new stuff atleast that's my understanding . Thanks guys I'm going to get my bike and hope for the best.

Three-fourths of my rides and over half of my mileage is from commuting. Why do all of that riding on a crappy bike? I commute on very nice bikes but have a safe place to park them at work with security cameras, a Kryptonite NY lock and cable. If someone steals my bike so be it, but I am willing to take that risk so I can ride a nice bike. However, everyone's situation is different. If I worked somewhere that was a theft hotbed with no secure place to lock my bikes, I would probably ride a beater as well.

I get to put my bikes in my house and in my office and I make a decent wage so I ride clean new scoots and as long as I love commuting like I do, I probably will always ride clean new scoots unless I start hand assembling experimental combinations, which is also likely.
Be aware of your surroundings. "Can I keep this bike?" or "Can I afford to loose it and not be overly emotional about the loss?" Then go with your gut.
I've been entertaining the idea of ground up mods. I've never built up a bike before but I have most of the tools and a degree in Industrial Mechanics. I'm thinking that stripping frames and starting with paint is a hobby I'd like to undertake. Like new restorations or custom assemblies.
So, I doubt this is where you were going with this exactly.
Now that I've spent too much time behind this computer this morning it likes like a motorcycle ride in to work rather than a bicycle ride.

Tells us what you end up doing.

Consider a nice folding bike that you can take inside your workplace, if that's all possible.

Off-Topic: I'm currently doing just that. Have a frame sitting out side with the paint stripper on it right now. So far its a hassle but fun.

Take it to an auto body or furniture restoration shop and have it bead or walnut blasted. Then let the auto shop paint it. Just a thought. I hate messing with stripper.