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Morning....
So which is the most important part of your decision making process when buying a new bike?
Going with what you need or what you want dispite the possible impracticality?
Cheers
Buying technical sporting equipment can only ever be a choice for the head.
need
surely an impractical bike is pointless.
Heart, if you don't love it you wont use it.
Both. I recently bought a second hand Genesis CDF purely because I wanted to recapture the feeling of riding my Coventry Eagle over the Downs and around the Sussex lanes that I was doing 30 years ago. It reminded me of that bike and I love the way it looks but there are lighter better equipped and cheaper bikes out there.
Actually scrap the both it's heart every time with bikes. Strange because my attitude to all other purchases is very simple, If I don't buy this will I die? If the answer is yes buy it if it's no then don't.
Generally heart. You've gotta have the love 😉
[Bruce Lee] Don't think, feel. [/Bruce Lee]
Heart +1
Once bought a Carbon 456 because it ticked all the boxes I wanted ticking. Rode it a few times and really didn't get on with it. Didn't ride regularly with it. Great bike, don't get me wrong but...
Bought the Intense as I've always wanted one and found one at the right price so had to have it...Can't get out on it enough now and I tend to pause when going in the garage so that I can have a quick look at it
I've bought 3 bikes with the heart - none of which were 'quite' right, but awesome nonetheless and I got them right over time.
Kona Lava Dome
'06 Enduro
'08 S-Works Enduro which is now verging on perfect.
Actually - heart was telling me to rid the S-Works and get a Cube Super Stereo HPC 160. I went with my head this time and sorted the Enduro. I think this could have been the right decision for once - especially considering the Cube uses 2013 Fox CTD diving equipment!
Colour.
Heart.
Cycling isn't about requirements or practibilities. It's about love and passion. You might use what you get in a practical way but ultimately, every bike purchase should be done because you've got a little bit of a stiffy for it.
Heart for me. If I don't love it, I won't use it. Simples.
My Rune is a prime example. I shoujd have bought the Spitfire but I rode the Rune and fell in live with it despite it being a silly bike. It gets used though.
Same for cars with me too....the one car bought with my head and I hated it.
Head for the budget part of the buying process, heart for the rest.
Both! Neither works without the other. My Herb was a better bike than my 224, measurably faster but it wasn't as fun to ride. My BFe was technically excellent but uninspiring. My Soda makes no sense at all but is great fun. My 1x10 hardtail is more limited than when it had a double, but the inferior drivetrain makes it interesting.
It's not hard to get a bike that's great these days, there's loads of them- most bikes are good, many are fantastic. But they won't all speak to the soul.
Buy the bike you *want* to ride, not the bike you should ride.
plus one plyphon
Just finishing building a Purple, old style Orange Alpine with brand new old school wheels 🙂
There's no sensible reason to buy a bike if you can afford a car. 🙂
Therefore heart.
Both. Heart makes the short list (last time it was Yeti ASR-C, Scott Spark, Trek Top Fuel, Kona Hei-Hei) Then it's test rides and the head takes over from there.
.
Heart ruled some out (Giant Anthem for example) Heard very good things about it but just don't look at one and think I want that.
Heart
Jyst sorting out a new frame, a PP Shan, weighs too much, has an odd BB standard, and will be too much bike for a good percentage of the riding that I actually do. I fully expect to laugh like a loon, which is the point isn't it?
Head rules the shortlisting process and heart makes the final selection.
Heart doesn't get a look in when choosing a bike. It's a bike. Doesn't mean i don't love riding them, 'cause i do.
Ecky-Thump - Member
Head rules the shortlisting process and heart makes the final selection.
That's about right.
Although, if head was fully in charge, I'd still be on my old frame, because it was absolutely fine. But the heart went ahead and began an extensive shortlisting process regardless.