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I find the threads about purchasing bikes interesting. People seem to approach it from different perspectives.
Some people see (or read about) a particular bike and lust after it as an object. They buy it to have it. Others only buy something that they 'need' to fulfil a specific task. Others buy as little as possible, happy to modify whatever they have to meet the task. And there's also people that just feel the need for something newer than what they have.
I'm in the middle I think. I've ended up with a 100mm xc-ish hardtail for long gravel commutes with singletrack options, gravel days and a 142/160mm trail/enduro for singletrack, racing, bike parks. I can admire the look of other bikes but wouldn't buy anything because I couldn't justify the need. Both get ridden most weeks at least once each.
Then I have mates with a quiver of road bikes, gravel, e-bikes. One friend has a 700g framed road bike, a ti s/s, a 160mm yeti, another FS, but only ever rides his e-bike.
So do you buy a bike when you're looking for something to fit a need, or is it more nuanced?
i have 4 bikes at present
2010 charge duster steel ht 26". i really liked kona steel bikes from the 90's but never had one. the duster was like a modern version of the kona. (that i use as a town bike/has been neglected by me i have to admit).
kinesis maxlight sync ti 27.5" ht that i bought in 2018 is my first ti bike and i did lust after the frame when it came out.
2020 planet x spitfire ti road bike (rim brake) same for the spitfire also i lusted after a ti road bike (both kinesis and spitfire were bought on special offer hence why i could buy them/were too expensive originally).
2025 specialized chisel fs i wanted a full sus xc bike that didn't cost the earth to buy so when the chisel was released it definitely interested us in getting one.
i have just ordered a farlight secan 3.0 gravel bike (will be my first gravel bike) as i ride on the canal towpath to bath etc and my road bike is horrible to ride and my mtb's overkill hence the gravel bike. i also plan on using it as an all round bike too i must add both for road and for exploring bridleways etc too (maybe even bikepacking on the marlbrough downs ridgeway sometime).
i chose the fairlight as i really like the bike from the threads on here people have started who have one and also one of the guys at my local bike shop just bought their touring bike and it looks really nice. also the future proofing that they do with their frames and the fact they are also a british company too. oh and the bike is 853 reynolds tubing and i have never owned/ridden a bike with that tubing. i cannot wait to get the bike i have to say (hopefully sept eta delivery).
Spreadsheets. Geometry charts, comparing all components. Creating a "pro" and "con" list against a long list of possible contenders then narrowing down to what's actually available in my size (being at the giraffe end of the spectrum limits this).
I am the definition of analysis paralysis!
I'm running out of storage space so any new bike has to be on a "one-in, one-out" basis for now BUT I'm a sucker for a good deal, so this might not apply.
Weirdly, I'm waiting on a proper bike fit as I'm getting all sorts of aches and pains on all my bikes. Depending on the outcome of this, if I need to buy new seatpost, stem, bars and/or shorter cranks, then I may as well buy a new bike* as my existing (road) bike as quite old and I'd benefit from something less racy and more endurancy...
* Man maths, and I suspect my existing road bike is a tad too small for me....
For me, it’s a Venn Diagram of geometry, travel, warranty, cost, availability in size Xl, reliability (decent design that doesn’t eat bearings etc, copes with a bit of uk mud). If multiple bikes make it to the middle of the diagram then I can pick what I like the look of best / try a brand I fancy - but sometimes I’m only left with one choice (during Covid 2021 peak I certainly was for my last full suss!)
Ooh, shiny 😍
*Has vague idea of type of bike I want (trail, enduro, gravel etc)*
*Waits for something in that category that makes me go 😍’Corrr!!’ 🤩 * - specifics vary with the changing of the moon, however at the moment, skinny tubed steel is doing it for me.
*Works out build, though this is pretty much set now*
*Buys* - invariably this is followed by a wait, then delays.
that is literally what I was going to write!
Usually bought on impulse and after too many wines.
Never let me down yet.
I see bike, I want it, I buy it. That's normally the process, but it does have to be of the type I want at the time.
The crc fire sale hurt my wallet as a result
My last purchase (road bike) was a mix of opportunity, want (rather than need), and fortuitous timings.
My workplace got a new and very generous C2W scheme, one which was accepted by a good range of shops.
My old road bike was only 3yrs old but already a bit dated. 11sp mechanical groupset, I'd got it on a good deal towards the end of 11sp mechanical being a thing, used it loads, decided that if I could sell it now, it'd get a reasonable price vs selling in a couple of years when it'd be worth nothing.
So that went on eBay and sold quickly for a good price, work approved the C2W, the local Specialized dealer could get the bike I wanted on order fairly quickly so it all worked out.
Opportunity and a bit of desire. The new bike is ace though, it's so good. Comfy, fast, future proofed pretty well... I did have to spend another £1000 or so on a bike fit, new cockpit, wider tyres and getting it all set up properly but I'd expected that and since I'm saving so much on it, not too much of an issue.
Road bike - I just wanted something fancier than the reasonably nice but nothing special aluminium frame that I already had, but was restricted by budget, retro-grouchicity (had to be rim brake) and geometry (didn't want a slammed race position). Miraculously I found a Basso to suit and 'had' to buy it before it was discontinued 😎
Gravel bike - a victim of me overthinking, a whole tick list of specific needs and wants resulted in me going custom because I saw nothing on the market that I really liked. Ironically going custom didn't cost me much more than mid-level off the shelf would have, but frankly it isn't really living up to expectations (custom 853 but it just feels clumsy and heavy, questioning what, if any benefit, over stock carbon or alu). I'm starting to cast envious glances at some of the new complete builds on the market, particularly the Scott Addict bikes
MTB - Idly browsing the high street on a sunny afternoon, one too many espressos, wandered in to Alpine bikes to sit on a couple of bikes, talked into testing a Superfly, loved it, one bike-to-work later it was my commuter and is now my long distance gravel bike. 10 years old with minimal upgrades and it still does exactly the job I want of it. Really deserves some nice new wheels or something...
Basically, the less thought I put in to the purchase the better a purchase it turns out to be 😂
For me, nothing else, for months till I get it out of my system!
Spreadsheets. Geometry charts, comparing all components.
Spreadsheets, yes. Geometry charts, hell yes. Components, no (I'm too fussy and like what I like!).
Being relatively tall my decision process is easier than some as my Pool Of Possibilities is smaller to begin with. With more manufacturers adopting LLS, there's more possibilities now but many still don't get it right (for me), e.g. absence of size-proportional chainstays being one. Things like longer droppers resulting in shorter STs has been great for me as I can size up in frame for a decent reach without riding a gate*. Makes my decision-process easier.
Saying that, I mostly buy used frames and swap stuff over. If I've been thinking about a change I'll normally have spreadsheeted it to death already and will then jump into a purchase without much delay. I must be a seller's dream as I don't fanny about😀
* 187cm riding XXL SCs which I fall short on their size recommendations for: 500mm STs but still able to fit a 210mm dropper.
Gravel bike - a victim of me overthinking, a whole tick list of specific needs and wants resulted in me going custom because I saw nothing on the market that I really liked. Ironically going custom didn't cost me much more than mid-level off the shelf would have, but frankly it isn't really living up to expectations (custom 853 but it just feels clumsy and heavy, questioning what, if any benefit, over stock carbon or alu).
The problem with going custom is that there are SO many choices and - having gone through a long process of choosing everything to your desires - you're expecting perfection which it almost never is. You're buying a pathway to disappointment whereas if you buy an off-the-peg bike and then spend a bit of time dialling it in to your preferences, you're getting "custom" but from a better starting point.
I had custom built MTBs when I was racing but back then there was far less choice than there is now. Looking back on it, even though I was getting parts at trade price, I could quite honestly have got away with a basic Deore-level groupset and some regular Hope hub / quality rim wheels and probably have been within a percent or two just as good (or bad!) as I actually was anyway with fancy factory wheels, XTR bits and a carbon chainset.
But the bike did look nice! 😉
But the bike did look nice!
True! I should just have bought off the shelf then paid for a custom paint job 😂
I'm a mixture of all of the OP's reasons I think?
I see myself as a trail rider so always have a trail bike which is always a bike I like the look of and usually upgraded over my ownership depending on what money I have spare. I don't obsess over geometry and usually just follow the current trends which so far have improved each bike I've had. Don't change them that often, every 3 to 4 years when parts start to get tired or technology has moved on.
On the back of a modest inheritance gift I treated myself to a XC bike that I wouldn't normally be able to justify. It's overkill for what I use it for but I could afford it and wanted it.
My HT is a general purpose tool (albeit one I like) that I use around town and for bashing about on. It might get some hand-me-downs but that's about it.
I've bought a few white goods or stupidly good value bikes in the past but they usually leave me cold. With the cost of cycling, even at the cheaper end and with a limited budget I want to get some satisfaction out of simply owning them.
Mmmmm, this is hard to answer - especially as I'm sat here waiting for DPD to deliver a new bike!
I tend to want to go a bit quirky and different - so that can't be driven by "need", it's purely "desire"!
I stopped riding on the road after 50 years (!) last year (crap roads and crap drivers) so only have off-road bikes in the garage now and have limited myself to 3 (the whole family ride, so garage is still full!) - they are a custom Shand Bahookie with Gates & Rohloff, an Orange Stage Evo and a Sonder Signal Ti with a Pinion gearbox.
The Rohloff and Pinion purchases are purely driven by the lust for something different and (supposedly) low maintenance, but I like tinkering so they're never actually left untouched after a ride anyway........
The biggest challenge I have is deciding which one to ride as they are so similar in purpose really - so in conclusion, there is no real rhyme or reason to my purchases at all!!!
The problem with going custom is that there are SO many choices and - having gone through a long process of choosing everything to your desires - you're expecting perfection which it almost never is. You're buying a pathway to disappointment whereas if you buy an off-the-peg bike and then spend a bit of time dialling it in to your preferences, you're getting "custom" but from a better starting point.
Some of that is the one thing that can put me off spending good money on custom bikes more often. I have almost never got a bike right first time, first version usually needs a fine tune (or more like, it's always a case of iterating by ride feel as on-screen work can't do all of that). Custom bikes I've had included, apart from one that was based on such classic tube specs and geometry that I pretty much knew what I was getting (basically the road frameset club riders used to get made locally in the 60s to 80s).
I think there's a market for less premium-polished custom frame builders, someone who makes good functional bikes, almost at prototype level. But I doubt that saves any cost aside from the paint quality/time.
On the 'better starting point', a custom builder makes something for you, but a brand does things for a generalised rider and has to meet standards that don't necessarily have to apply to every individual and use. You may get a better start point from a builder, but it depends on the kind of bike you're after.
Me & the wife take turns in buying bikes - so I have to wait a long time between them. Then usually less than a month after she buys one I have a new one.
Cheap always helps in my decision making.
I lusted after a Cotic for years, stayed on 27.5 wheels as I didn't want a 29er. Then my wife bought a fast 29er as she keeps XC racing, so I purchased a new bike to try & keep up.
Some people see (or read about) a particular bike and lust after it as an object. They buy it to have it. Others only buy something that they 'need' to fulfil a specific task. Others buy as little as possible, happy to modify whatever they have to meet the task. And there's also people that just feel the need for something newer than what they have.
I'll always spend time trying to understand geometry and think more about contact points, compare with what I currently own and understand to fit me.
As for components I'm generally less impressed by posh parts XT or Ultegra are lovely but Deore/Tiagra/105 will do just fine for me, I have a mortgage to pay as well so cost is always a consideration and bikes are a discretionary spending item. I do recognise a decent pair of forks are worth a bit of expenditure, similarly tyres and wheels, but most of my wheels have been built by me...
In terms of deciding I actually want to buy a bike, it tends to come more from me finding a bit of a "capability gap" in the 'fleet' or deciding a bike I have isn't quite doing what I want/need it to. I will generally default to looking at used options first and/or buying a frame to move parts over to. I very seldom just buy a whole new bike from a shop.
I do tend to keep a general awareness of what is available in the Niches I'm interested in, including things I know I can't really justify the spend for. I'm not sure I'd call it "lusting" more having a mental short list of what I'd buy if we won the lottery tomorrow, and much of it is probably relatively modest compared to some, I'm definitely not into Titanium.
The other thing to be wary of is holding on to too many bikes and parts, I have way too many bikes and bits currently and do need to divest, but even that feels like a ballache when I start rummaging through to flog/give away stuff. But there is something to be said for 'N-1' on occasion. Endless acquisition is not a good habit to get into.
I'll see something I like. After a brief consideration, I will realise I have no need for it. But it will plant a little seed in my brain.
In quiet/bored moments, the thought will occur. I'll look around sites, see if it can be had with some sort of discount. What parts Id need. That sort of idle browsing. Things end up in the basket on various websites. But the thought is dismissed, because it's silly.
Over time, I'll come up with justifications. Something i already have is too heavy/light/long/short/stiff/flexy.
At this point, it's just a wait for an opportunity. A bonus. A discount. An email from one of those sites that I added to a wishlist or basket on, telling me it's on sale. Now I am losing money if I don't buy it.
Now, I will immediately dismiss the idea of a new frame/bike as stupid and unecessary. Then it's jut a matter of repeating the last step and this one until I cave in.
Yeah, I regularly talk myself in and out of purchases and rarely actually buy. Maybe that's part of the fun?
My current process is e-bike based and goes:
I can raise £2/2.5k easily enough selling bikes/bits so can afford a £4k e-bike......
But the £5k version has electric gears and better suspension......
But that's not miles off the £6k entry level version of a bike I'd prefer and if spending loads I really want to really like the thing.....
But that one has a motor with reliability issues......
Oooooo, Avinox and new! I'd really like one of those from a different brand and it's £7k soooo......
Hang on, we're close to the £8k for the Avinox bike that I really want.......
£8k is a stupid amount to spend on a bike and anyway, you can't afford it.
That £2.5k Saracen reviews well and I could raise that without any credit or too many sales. Gaaaah, sold out.
The fancier version hasn't though but it has a Shimano motor and is nearly as expensive as the £4k bike in step one......
So we start again! 😆
I'll see something I like. After a brief consideration, I will realise I have no need for it. But it will plant a little seed in my brain.
It's like I typed this with my mind (the whole post!).
It starts with something that looks great, then I mentally engineer a reason/gap in my current fleet or an issue with a current bike that it would resolve. Then it's only a matter of time until there's a sale, or perhaps a trip/specific ride I want to do that it would be great for.
I'm also good at justifying it as part of a trip. "If I went to the Caribbean it would cost £xxxxx but If I buy an Enduro frameset and go to the Alps I'll only have spent £xxxx and I'll still have a bike at the end of it".
Yeah, I regularly talk myself in and out of purchases and rarely actually buy. Maybe that's part of the fun?
I think i take some of the fun out of it with all the overthinking and need to justify. It's about the only thing I really spend money on, and it's disposable income, I'm still saving, i don't spend loads on drinking or going out or any of that stuff.
For me it's a combination of irrational desire for something from a particular brand, which turns into an actual new bike when combined with a perceived gap in what I have.
For example, I've been lusting over a Cotic ever since I tried to buy a 26" Rocket back in the day. This unfortunately coincided with some manufacturing challenges (at least, that was my impression) so I ended up with a Whyte. This was a perfectly fine bike, but never scratched the itch and after a few years I sold it and bought a Mason Bokeh gravel bike. Well over a decade later my circumstances have changed, and I've ended up riding in a group that all have mountain bikes (generally hardtails) as well as gravel bikes, plus I'm in an area where the gravel bike just doesn't deal with the muddy trails all that well in the winter which really starts to limit the riding that's enjoyable that time of year.
This desire plus 'need' have met in the middle, and as such I'm now waiting on delivery of a Cotic Solaris, to go with my gravel bike and road bike. As a plus, now my children are growing up a little, I'll have more time to take it a bit further afield and get more 'proper' mountain biking in again (whatever that is, but here I'm using it to mean hitting some actual graded trails).
A hypothetical Q for those who buy bikes often and/or enjoy the acquisition process -
There is no real N=1 bike for anyone who enjoys a variety of riding. But if you could buy a bike tomorrow that would mean you lost interest in new bikes (or framesets in particular) for say 75% of your riding for maybe the next decade, would you buy it?
Need, need, want, want, buy it now, done. WTF can i put it?
Oh, look, there's a nice bike over there, nee....
There are better ideologies than N+1 I suspect.
A hypothetical Q for those who buy bikes often and/or enjoy the acquisition process -
There is no real N=1 bike for anyone who enjoys a variety of riding. But if you could buy a bike tomorrow that would mean you lost interest in new bikes (or framesets in particular) for say 75% of your riding for maybe the next decade, would you buy it?
I don't buy bikes often, but why wouldn't you want a bike that would work for the bulk of your riding for the next decade unless you were more interested in bikes as objects/retail therapy than actually riding? I guess it's a conundrum for the bike - and other leisure - industries, who need to sell stuff to remain viable as businesses, but as a buyer, hell yes.
I enjoy riding bikes, not buying them. Being constantly interested in finding a better / newer / shinier / faster / more innovative bike sounds hellish. The whole bike journo thing where a new, better bike is always a delivery away even worse. The industry's slightly desperate pursuit of endless wheel size upgrades may make sense if you're in the industry or an elite racer chasing the smallest advantage, but as a normal rider, it just seems sad and driven by blatant consumerism. Ditto the endless e-mtb hype train.
Find a bike you love riding and keep riding it is my take. The rest is noise.
For me it's a combination of irrational desire for something from a particular brand, which turns into an actual new bike when combined with a perceived gap in what I have.
For example, I've been lusting over a Cotic ever since I tried to buy a 26" Rocket back in the day. This unfortunately coincided with some manufacturing challenges (at least, that was my impression) so I ended up with a Whyte. This was a perfectly fine bike, but never scratched the itch and after a few years I sold it and bought a Mason Bokeh gravel bike. Well over a decade later my circumstances have changed, and I've ended up riding in a group that all have mountain bikes (generally hardtails) as well as gravel bikes, plus I'm in an area where the gravel bike just doesn't deal with the muddy trails all that well in the winter which really starts to limit the riding that's enjoyable that time of year.
This desire plus 'need' have met in the middle, and as such I'm now waiting on delivery of a Cotic Solaris, to go with my gravel bike and road bike. As a plus, now my children are growing up a little, I'll have more time to take it a bit further afield and get more 'proper' mountain biking in again (whatever that is, but here I'm using it to mean hitting some actual graded trails).
This is good work, I'm going to use this when I decide i want a Solaris
This is good work, I'm going to use this when I decide i want a Solaris
Thanks I worked hard on it.
The other candidate that I was pondering for a few years was some sort of Ti road bike that could take relatively wide tyres and mudguards so as to be more comfortable on our atrocious Hertfordshire roads, but I decided that I enjoyed avoiding the issue entirely/leaning into it by riding predominantly off road instead.
Based on use.
Back in the late 80's got into cycling, so bought a decent Shimano 600/Ultegra bike for going on club runs and getting fit. Followed on in 1990 with a top end Dura Ace equipped bike for racing/TT'ing and a Sunday best.
Soon after, us clubmates decided to try out this MTB thing (early 90's) so bought a decent Diamond Back.
I have these three still. The 600/Ultegra bike is a bit of a triggers broom as it had two frames replaced (car accidents) but same frame since mid 90's. The Dura Ace bike is still original, other than bar tape and saddle. The MTB is still going, used as my commuter now - parts upgraded/replaced when needed but kept 'period'.
Bought a fixed gear road bike for commuting 18 years ago, got knocked off it 10 years later breaking my spine so sold it (thinking I wouldn't commute again). Four months later, I could ride again, so bought a 130mm travel full sus MTB (the wife didn't know for a year).
Roll on 3 years ago, wanted a gravel/CX bike for a bit of off road and road as I was spending most of my time off road, but the gnarr was mainly canal paths and bridleways. Bought a used CX bike as it had rim brakes and I have numerous spare rim braked wheels.
Back commuting on the old MTB as it's tough, carries two panniers and my route is mixed surface. The CX bike is ridden on road and off road and has three sets of wheels now. Mainly as the parts are easier to get, and I'd kill someone if they bent the Dura Ace equipped bike as that was hand built for me by the frame builder.
Intended use
Company back up .
Can I do bearing servicing and changes without costly shop days .
Geo and Chainstay length
Weight and construction the colour
Thats about the size of my head thoughts
A hypothetical Q for those who buy bikes often and/or enjoy the acquisition process -
There is no real N=1 bike for anyone who enjoys a variety of riding. But if you could buy a bike tomorrow that would mean you lost interest in new bikes (or framesets in particular) for say 75% of your riding for maybe the next decade, would you buy it?
I enjoy riding bikes, not buying them. Being constantly interested in finding a better / newer / shinier / faster / more innovative bike sounds hellish. The whole bike journo thing where a new, better bike is always a delivery away even worse. The industry's slightly desperate pursuit of endless wheel size upgrades may make sense if you're in the industry or an elite racer chasing the smallest advantage, but as a normal rider, it just seems sad and driven by blatant consumerism. Ditto the endless e-mtb hype train.
Find a bike you love riding and keep riding it is my take. The rest is noise.
In your opinion. Plenty of changes over the years have been great and improved my enjoyment of the sport (tyres, droppers, better suspension, steep/slack geometry). Yes, I could ride my old 2010 Orange 5 but I'd much prefer to ride the bikes I have now and being tall 29" wheels really make a difference.
E-Bikes are a whole different topic and not really comparable to meat propelled bikes IMO. Yes there's hype but there is good reason for that, they've changed the game.
Function over form, while looking for deals.
While not looking for solutions to problems that don't really exist, I don't need to save the weight of a gear cable to add ~£1k to cost of bike.
For me, it typically fills a need at the time. For years I had a hardtail, and that was about it. A few alps bikes here and there.
Fancied some focused training - bought a cheapish road bike
Enjoyed road riding more than I thought, but wanted to explore tracks and trails - swapped the road bike for a gravel bike
I was moving to a mountainous, more technically challenging area - Bought an enduro bike
etc, etc.
Currently I'm craving a little more pace and flow, so considering a short travel MTB.
In terms of what I actually end up buying...seems it's usually a Cotic 😉 If I'm buying a bike it's usually because I want it to last me 10+ me years, and generally that's been the case. I don't chop and change that much.
I think about it for 6 months, maybe longer, then either buy it, or don't
But in the meantime I will obsess a little over it - but I do that with most things, be it a TV, car, whatever. Reading reviews, browsing forums etc.
I err towards building my own bikes mostly, so the deliberation goes even further. Planning and carrying out a build do give a greater sense of satisfaction though.
Off the shelf in recent years have been ebikes and my gravel bike. Next ebike might be a build though, depending on what's hot next year. Gravel bike isn't really a big part of my riding, so that one took the least thought and will probably the last bike to get changed, if ever
I typically do a shit load of research, look up and compare geometry and specs obsessively, which stresses me out to the point I never end up deciding on anything. Or do all this then realise what I want is too far out of my price range anyway.
Generally I won't have much overlap between bikes, I only really want to have one of each - trail MTB, road bike & a DJ would be my realistic "3 bike garage". Although I suppose it would be nice to split out MTB into something fast and pedally then something a bit more heavy duty for DH etc, but not sure I ride enough to get the most out of either. Even a 2nd, lighter weight wheel set feels a bit extravagant for me at the minute 🙂 so I don't really go for the n+1 stuff.
My current reason for wanting a new bike is realising my current frame is a bit small for me, so now in the obsessive phase of looking for a longer frame. I also seem to go through phases of thinking I need a FS, then eventually go back to a hardtail, and the cycle repeats.
Spreadsheets. Geometry charts, comparing all components. Creating a "pro" and "con" list against a long list of possible contenders then narrowing down to what's actually available in my size
This. Then I go into a shop and see a nice colour and all my analysis goes out of the window.
I am with most of the above, desk based research, geometry comparison, and on occasion the odd spreadsheet but for me there is another couple of dimensions too.
1) I only have one bike, no n+1 here, so it has to be the bike for what I ride, or on occasion I ride the wrong bike and I am good with that additional challenge on both fronts
2) I Buy a bike that makes me feel guilty when I don't ride it! Like many life / work gets in the way but the pull of the guilt of not riding helps me, we're all different, so my current nice hardtail calls me and I must ride it LOL
James
Identify the need for a new bike (or part).
Establish the spec. What does it need to do, what am i going to do with it, what's the compatibility like (either keeping bikes compatible with each other for spares/repair/service, or will the shiny part work with all my existing shiny parts).
What's the Geo like, is it suitable, WTF is going on with the sizing on the manufacturers website, no, i don't need a large/56 cm frame. Anything that needs swapping from new because it's the wrong size (a bike that size doesn't need 175 cranks, or 44cm bars).
What's the price point, can i go down to 105 to get a better frame? Can i get last years colours to get XT *AND* the decent forks/wheels? (or 2023's colours to get XTR and the good forks?)
Detailed look at the specs on a shortlist, anything i need to swap immediately because someone in purchasing has cheaped out or doesn't actually ride a bike. How does that impact on the cost?
Or go to a shop, get confused by the salesman trying to put me on an enduro bike for racing XC or an aero road bike for hacking round the lanes (or these days, suggesting a gravel bike for *everything*, or an e-bike because i'm getting on a bit now. Cheeky sod.)
Or as always, telling me i should be on a 56/large at my height...
Thankfully i haven't needed a new bike for a few years now, and am not likely to for another 3 or 4.
I haven't bought an off the peg for years, so for me it's a case of :
- what spares are are looking at me, do they need a frame to go on?
- what custom thing am I currently riding, what would I improve change, tweak, do I fancy a different wheel size?
- How much titanium is too much?
- do I need a test rig for new handlebar/fork designs
- has a nice man given me a prototype frame to brutalise and report back on.
this is why I have a mad collection of bikes with every wheel size and width from 26-36"
and the next bike shaped thing of Joy will be taking the pole Taival frame i've done bad things to and replicating it in Ti with some extra adjustments. (who new 60.5 head angle 140mm travel, fat bike that is longer than a long thing sitting in a stretch limmo, would be a total riot)
… I had a different route on my commute today because I had to drop off and pick up a car from getting tyres replaced. I t meant I ended up riding a mild jumps track on my xc commuter Santa Cruz Highball. I was way too scared by it to do any of the jumps.
Must resist thinking this means I need a bike specifically for commutes when new car tyres are required.
I err towards building my own bikes mostly, so the deliberation goes even further. Planning and carrying out a build do give a greater sense of satisfaction though.
That's a big part of it for me, I do really enjoy the process of planning and speccing and building a bike from frame. And then evolving the whole thing with a new frame and carrying on. The bike's I've warmed to least have invariably been the rare times I've bought full bikes
