on maybe selling the fixie to fund a full carbon road bike

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Permalink Reply by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on December 22, 2009 at 10:02pm

Tony Adams said:

Going faster or farther is more about the rider than the bike - especially the "farther" part. For example, I did my longest tour (> 2000 miles) on a $300 Ross hard-tail mountain bike. I've done all of my tours and my countless* centuries on bikes that cost $300 or less.

I agree that a nice bike will not magically make a person a better rider. But having done my share of tours and riding on less expensive bikes, I believe that having a nicer bike often makes for a nicer riding experience. To make a car analogy, there is a difference in how a BMW 3 series drives and how a Chevy Malibu drives. If you appreciate that difference, you understand why the BMW costs more.

Similarly, there is a difference between how a $300 bike rides and how a $1000 bike rides. The rider isn't any different, but the ride the rider experiences will be much different. Given the choice, I'd never go back to riding across Iowa on my old bikes. The ride was much more fun with a better bike. If you can afford the better bike, and ride well enough to appreciate the difference you get with a better bike, you won't ever regret paying to get the better bike.

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Permalink Reply by heather s on December 22, 2009 at 10:21pm

I think I'm not the first person to bring this up--- but if you want to spend $300 on a bike, you're much better off buying a nice used bike than a cheap new one.

Joe said:

I agree that a nice bike will not magically make a person a better rider. But having done my share of tours and riding on less expensive bikes, I believe that having a nicer bike often makes for a nicer riding experience. To make a car analogy, there is a difference in how a BMW 3 series drives and how a Chevy Malibu drives. If you appreciate that difference, you understand why the BMW costs more.

Similarly, there is a difference between how a $300 bike rides and how a $1000 bike rides. The rider isn't any different, but the ride the rider experiences will be much different. Given the choice, I'd never go back to riding across Iowa on my old bikes. The ride was much more fun with a better bike. If you can afford the better bike, and ride well enough to appreciate the difference you get with a better bike, you won't ever regret paying to get the better bike.

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on December 23, 2009 at 12:49pm

Which begs the question: What constitutes a "better" bike? Price?

The most i think i've ever spent on any one of my bikes (dozens over the years,) was in the neighbourhood of $500. i particularly like older lugged steel frames, and nowadays would have no other.

Maybe shaving a pound or two of non-rotating weight from the frameset may make one feel like Eddy or Lance, but if you're not in top-category competetive circles with a big sponsor footing the bill for an exotic bike, i'd have to wonder if a more expensive bike is truly "better?"

Save your bucks, ride a LOT of different bikes. Consider how you'll be using the bike and- importantly- consider the fit ... all else will follow.




Joe said:

Tony Adams said:

...The ride was much more fun with a better bike. If you can afford the better bike, and ride well enough to appreciate the difference you get with a better bike, you won't ever regret paying to get the better bike.

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Permalink Reply by S on December 23, 2009 at 2:44pm

mike w. said:

Which begs the question: What constitutes a "better" bike? Price?

The most i think i've ever spent on any one of my bikes (dozens over the years,) was in the neighbourhood of $500. i particularly like older lugged steel frames, and nowadays would have no other.

Maybe shaving a pound or two of non-rotating weight from the frameset may make one feel like Eddy or Lance, but if you're not in top-category competetive circles with a big sponsor footing the bill for an exotic bike, i'd have to wonder if a more expensive bike is truly "better?"

Save your bucks, ride a LOT of different bikes. Consider how you'll be using the bike and- importantly- consider the fit ... all else will follow.

In my experience, one of the biggest advantages to getting a slightly higher end bike is getting components that work much better and are better in terms of reliability. For instance, the SRAM road shifters can be rebuilt so if you bust the shifters, you can overhaul and replace the broken/worn out pieces rather than having to buy new shifters is nice. Better shifting and not having to worry about misshifts is also nice. In terms of maintenance, the higher end gear ends to work better and be easier to adjust and stays adjusted for longer. There's also little touches like being able to trim your derailleur so that you can use a wider variety of chainring/cog combinations without having your chain rub on your front derailleur or being able to go down 2 or 3 cogs if you hit a tough patch of road/terrain.

Granted at the highest levels, the price vs. benefit ratio is no where as good. No one except for the pros really need record, dura-ace (7900 or Di2), or red groups but they are nice. However, stuff on the level of chorus, centaur, red, 105, or ultegra is pretty nice.

If you get a chance, you should hit your local bike shop and see if you can go on a test ride. You may change your mind.

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