It's your old age.

Decide what frame, then find it second hand, barter yourself into a bargain, then sell at a profit if you don't like it. Possibly. If you do like it, spend the change on some bling bits.

Just been through similar (albeit only spending £450).

It's ordered but not arrived yet. Having made the choice I now feel less concerned, though.

swisstony................money was invented to spend.
it is the only time it is any good, when it is spent. 8)

Second that
buy used most frames are massively over priced due to the lovely importers/ distributors
making a cosy living off the gullable few with more credit cards than sense ( otherwise known as cattle)

Buy an Orange 5 and love it.

i did.

Its probably the norm for the proletariat like yourself.

Thankfully I've succeeded at life and have reached the magical £35k per year mark.

Therefore, spending £1.5k on a bike frame doesnt worry me at all. I usually find myself worrying about the amount of plastic found in modern car interiors

if its stressing you get a second hand one, half the price and just as good. 😀

+1 on the orange five.never heard a bad word said or bad review. very versatile.

i think i'd be better off buying a second hand one but i really fancied a new one once in my life!

the 5 was on my list but at the very common height of 5 10 i'm in between sizes, they're one of the few bikes i have managed a ride on

post the frames you are consisdering and people can give you their verdict.this may help as long as you can judge whos valid and who talkin sh*t 😆

Don't rush it... it might be for your birthday but there no reason it has to be 'there' on the day of your birthday. £1500 is a good chunk of money in anyones book for 'just' the frame (though you wonder on some threads on here & some of the prices nowadays), so take your time & get all the test rides you need to make your decision. I've bought a couple of bikes blind, but none of them cost that much just for the frame, so it wasn't the risk your talking about, but I do understand your 'worry'. I think the main worry for testing bikes is that they may 'all' feel fine with none of them being outstanding..

My 40th present...

[url= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1328/1350193161_678896ca9a.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1328/1350193161_678896ca9a.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/13146208@N08/1350193161/ ]IMGP0617[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/13146208@N08/ ]jh_buchanan[/url], on Flickr

yes you are right in the middle height wise, i'm 5'9" and i have got a orange patriot in a 16" with a 50mm stem and it feels great.a more compact frame is better in my opinion.

Talking shite like David c*ckforth
I've reached 35k says it all

That particular style of insult says it all - Your still at school, probably first or second year?

In time you'll lose your pre-pubescent angst, and you may even finish school, succeed at life and get a good £35k per year job. I'm sure your views will change with time. Good luck!

Buy second hand and spend the change on a holiday. As above you can always resell if you don't like it.

Bad words about oranges? Try ugly, noisy, common and expensive!

suspected wind up merchant??? 😕

 

good words about orange fives: plush,bombproof,low/cheap maintaince,spot on geometry,versitle,british made!

common doesn't mean its bad bike....maybe the opposite??

Done that with a wheelset which is part financed by Xmas money - You obviously want it and why not - When I get too old to ride bikes I don;t want to look back and regret not trying somenting (within reason)

I reckon second hand is the way to go,... Whats all this shit about how much you earn..?? £35k is that it..?? Mate you aint that sucessful!! 😀

Nice choice Leku

Out of interest, I'm looking at a santa cruz butcher but no where close has a test bike, 18 bikes have a nickel so hopefully that will give me some idea.

It doesn't matter how much money you earn (within reason) £1500 is still alot of money.

Second that
buy used most frames are massively over priced due to the lovely importers/ distributors
making a cosy living off the gullable few with more credit cards than sense ( otherwise known as cattle)

You might be right, but that's still quite a chunky chip on your shoulder.

I don't have nightmares, but I often find that agonising over bike parts stops me being able to get to sleep at night.

I think it is really work related stress, but it manifests iteslf as bike anxiety!

It's weird as normally i don't get stressed at all but to get stressed over something that should be pleasurable is just unfair.

I don't think i'll find a s/h green butcher though?

I've sold a car for less than I've paid for a bike tyre.

Perhaps it was you that bought it Grum.

"good words about orange fives: plush,bombproof"
Humm interesting.

What you need to accept is that once you have spent you cash its gone. Thats it, no worries.
Try a few bike for £1.5k, you might be surpired.

pmsl that the £35k quote is going multi thread

Blur LT is the way to go light long lasting and not too expensive, oh and they also ride really well

I've just took 4-5 months to get (hand over the money) a Blur LT carbon, its cost me a fortune but i don't regret buying it for a second 😆

My mate just sold a Santa Cruz Heckler 10 months old in new condition for £540 on ebay... New it was worth £1300.
There are some great frames out there, just be patience!
If you have the money or earn somewhere around £35k and are successful then buy new,...!! 😈

money was invented to spend. It is the only time it is any good, when it is spent.

Thats the first indication I've seen that the recesion is over 🙂

35K - sounds like :

I am considerably richer than yaw 😉

Classic!! What a tw*t!!

the five is super plush with single pivot and fox rp23xv air can giving more linear travel.admittedly the suspension is not very active under brakeing but this learns you to stay off the anchors more!
and who would deny that its a durable frame?

 

OOOOOOOOOOOO 35k!! Well done, pat on the back and enjoy your masda mx5 penis extension you lovingly strap your pride and joy on each weekend to puff up the hills on.... And yes 1500 is still alot of money to spend on a frame or any componant. regards the nickle there a great frame got one and enjoying it alot. Good luck with your choice oldbean.

Bats.

I just wish I was in the position to have nightmares about buying a new frame. Im having nightmares about the prospect of replacing the bust spoke on my front wheel. 😥

Si from Progressive will be along any minute to sell/recommend you something.....his phishing radar must be iced up 😕

Wish he'd post some more about the evo g2 😀

Not sure what sort of frame you're after, but there's a new Merlin Works 4.0 on ebay for £1599. I've got one (not form there and paid a fair bit more than this) and it's a beaut, if you like that sort of thing. Had it since 2007 and it still looks like new.

+1 on the orange five.never heard a bad word said or bad review. very versatile.

Er, I had an extended test ride on one and found it to be an overpriced pos that is rubbish at climbing.(just to balance things out)

Figure out what sort of riding you do, that will give you an idea of the travel you need.

Make a short list of the likely suspects £1500 on a frame will give you plenty of options.

While you spend all this time looking at frames one of them will click with you.

Try and get test ride, if you can't don't worry, you will like the bike you picked anyway, things have a funny way of working out like that!

I wouldn't get out of bed for £35K........... the bin men earn that and all the posties ride Orange 5's round our way!

BTW, just done one weeks overtime, bought a brand new 2011 575 frame for top price, cash, so I can sell it at a massive loss next year to some peasant!
I'm really nice like that 🙂

Thankfully I've succeeded at life and have reached the magical £35k per year mark.
WTF !

You can get some nice second hand frames for well under your budget, or if your not bothered about the badge some of the more main stream bike brands can be had for a bit less.
p.s
That said, If you earn 35K, then you cant possibly spend
any less, your friends on 35k+ would not ride with you as you are not worthy
l.o.l

 

Whats different on the 2011 575 by the way??
Other than the price 😛

@ partyboy .
agreed they five isn't the best climber due to being single pivot and relying only on the shock as a platform and a slacker head angle than some,but flick the propedal on for the climbs.

Is no one going to mention the good ol Anthem...??!! 😆

Goin by todays standards £35k is *uck all...!!

If it helps at all, when I bought my dream bike I'd never ridden it, only ever seen one once and didn't have a clue where to get one from.

It was £800, plus all the bits to take it up to £3k.

It's the best bike I've ever ridden. Not just owned, ridden.

The bits I chose originally were bobbins but the frame is great.

Whats different on the 2011 575 by the way??
Other than the price

Apart from....

chunkier chainstays from ASR7(coz the old carbon ones were like spaghetti!)
Better double row bearings
Stiffer seat tube
Direct mount front mech
ISCG mounts
Lower BB
Rear 142x12mm axle
Tapered headtube
Frame lugs for dropper remote cable

all for an extra £100...... ermm, nothings changed really

MrFannay - Member
Whats different on the 2011 575 by the way??
Other than the price
Apart from....

chunkier chainstays from ASR7(coz the old carbon ones were like spaghetti!)
Better double row bearings
Stiffer seat tube
Direct mount front mech
ISCG mounts
Lower BB
Rear 142x12mm axle
Tapered headtube
Frame lugs for dropper remote cable

all for an extra £100...... ermm, nothings changed really

This was one of my "dream" bikes I had thought about purchasing last year. Test rode one in the Lakes and was severely dissapointed 🙄
Lowering the bb will have made it worse ❗

Have a friend who actually returned his after the rear triangle broke on it`s 2nd ride and the chain rubbed on the replacement ❗
Customer service may be very good but the product does not appear to be.
Another bought the special tools to replace the sus bearings(regularly and expensively imo)
Yet another not heavy rider broke a frame and his new one always seems to have creaks from somewhere ❗

Been down this route myself. Took 3yrs of testing "dream" bikes before arriving at one that was not even in the list of "must haves" and if you beleive any of the mag tests would not have even sat on it. I managed to get a side by side test of my 2 "dream" bikes + the odd one out and was streets ahead. That was 5yrs ago!!
Having bought a Blue Pig frame to replace my 16yr old Bontrager said dream bike has not been used for for a year.

I would consider a full build bike for a bit more rather than some "niche" brand.

Buying 2nd hand? mmmmm Buying someone else`s problem bike imo from recent mates experiences. By the time you have replaced all the worn out stuff you could have bought something decent.

Have a few weekends away if you can and find some dealers with bikes you fancy or just wait till all the test days start up in the new year.

Just remember that throwing money at a "dream" bike may not make you a better rider, have 2 mates who have gone down that route 😥