Buying something just because it will be hard to source later
 

Have you ever bought or wished you bought a part/accessory that later became hard to source after the manufacturer discontinued it? Not talking about C&V stuff, but more recent electronics and gadgets. I bought a NOS CX bike with a Quarq Prime crankset that can be upgraded with a DZero power meter spider, which not many places sell anymore. I don't need a PM since I already have PowerTap P2 pedals, but I wonder if I will regret not buying the spider when eventually there will be no way to buy it new. Part of me likes the idea of having the freedom to use other pedals on that bike, say SPD pedals if I get the urge to go off-road, but I really think the impending scarcity is swaying my judgment since I don't honestly have a pressing need for power measurements under that hypothetical situation.

I've done stuff like this, and it was never a good decision. Buy what you need now rather than anticipating needs.

Yes, but I'm a hoarder

Got three boxes of bike parts 'n' things.

But when I did the end-of-winter chain measurements this weekend, I just walked over to box #2 and pulled out two chains!

I've done this with running shoes (Nike Odyssey, specifically), but that's it. Didn't regret it.

Clothes, yes.

Same. Actually I am hoping to build up a new bike. I have a list of parts I'd like to put on the new frame, which I don't yet own, and one item was a hub that appears to be discontinued, or at least not currently offered through the usual source (QBP), so I found an on-line shop with stock on hand, and I bought one. Then I went ahead and bought a set of rims, and built up the rear wheel to a bike I don't have. So maybe not so smart.

Also I'll grab something if I can find it at a really good price if I expect to have a use for it. Couple of weeks ago I was planning out another wheelset, decided what rims I'd like, and decided to get an idea of the price. Happened on an eBay seller with a set of those rims, new, for 10% less than anyone else, and then eBay sent me a 10% coupon, so I snapped them up. No hubs yet. No spokes. It's actually a gamble that they'll fit on the bike where I want them, but they'll fit on some bike, some day, so now I have them.

But on the whole, I agree with noglider. Plans change, and hoarding stuff you can't use is probably not cost saving in the end unless you're really certain you're going to use it. It only takes one, expensive, unused item in your closet to offset all the supposed savings of the can't miss deals. Also, while I know we're talking about electronics, not general bike parts, I think it still applies. It has occurred to me that by buying a discontinued hub, it may be irreplaceable when/if it breaks. If I ever have to replace the hub in that wheel, the odds are good that I'm going to have to source an entirely different hub that's currently in production. At that point, I will likely wish that I had started out with currently produced part, to increase the odds of easy replacement.

YES! I was lucky a number of years ago to come across a small bicycle in the countryside that had a lot of NOS stuff.I bought every Uniglide cassette he had and also every Dura Ace AX brake pads he had.

There used to be a fellow (now deceased) just outside of town, and he fixed bicycles that were easy to fix and sold them cheap. For $40.00 CDN each, I bought a number of bicycles from him for the Deore parts (many of them Deerhead) especially the triple cranksets and bottom brackets. Around here I couldn't buy a used triple crankset for $40.00 CDN. I now have all the Uniglide cassettes and triple chainrings/cranksets I'm likely to need until I'm 100 years young.

Slightly related.

I'm very happy that I did NOT buy a Cygo Lite Centauri or Trident bicycle light after all. that's because they've stopped making any light that used an external battery pack. I'd have had yet another orphan item if I had.

Cheers

well, I may have picked up a spare Avocet 20 bike computer in anticipation of the failure of one of my other Avocets.
Can't be too careful. ;)

Steve in Peoria


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I bought the last 2 right hand Lumotec bottle dynamo's in the world......Got to have a spare.

On Monday, the Governor decreed that all liquor stores and beer distributors would be shut down at day's end for at least two weeks...So the wife and I hit both stores locally to stock up.

I'm not regretting the decision.

I have a lot of rubbing alcohol & aloe

Anything like having seven sets of high flange Campy hubs nib in a drawer? That is me, I'm now off to the liquor store to stock up for CV season... Smiles, MH

I bought a second bike computer for half price in January after buying the first a few days earlier. Didn't really need the second computer but it'll go on a second road bike.

And bought a second 2012 era Wahoo cycling pack for the iPhone 3/4/s. I still have an iPhone 4s and the Wahoo pack's ANT+ adapter and magnet based speed/cadence sensor are a bargain at around $10 now. Those packs originally cost around $150 and while the tech is obsolete now (bulky ANT+ case for the old iPhone) the sensors alone are worth the money. And compatible with my XOSS G+ bike computer.

Recently I bought a good set of downtube friction shifters from another BF member. Didn't really need these either but I got 'em in case my Suntour GPX downtube index shifters go bad. The GPX shifters are great in index mode but are mediocre in friction mode.

Bought a second Peal Izumi aero race fit jersey. Didn't need it either. But the first fit so well, when the other went on sale for 66% off the MSRP I got it too. Not sure if the jersey was any "faster" -- I've worn it only once on a really windy day -- but I could feel much less buffeting around in crosswinds. That alone was worthwhile. Felt much more secure than my looser fit jersey in crosswinds.

Got three identical older model KMC chains, just after KMC changed their catalog and either renamed or eliminated the Z72. The "old" Z72 was heavily discounted on Amazon, including the Missing Links. Chains usually last me a couple of years so that's one less thing to worry about for one bike.

I thought this was going to be another toilet paper thread.

A friend who lives down south told me San Francisco is considering marijuana dispensaries an essential service. :lol:

I do for wear parts when I find a really good deal but just random things never. I don't have that kind of liquid cash laying around that I don't have earmarked for other things. I try not to collect things if I can help it. It just happens anyways unfortunately.

Don't you agree?

When Levi's stopped making jeans in the US, and even still, the jeans that fit me best were Lee, and since I didn't like how prices vary so much from store to store, I mail ordered two pairs of Lee jeans and kept one pair in escrow for when the first pair wore out. Well, now the unworn jeans don't fit. So that plan wasn't so smart.

Well I was tracking Excel Sports' discounted price on that DZero spider and someone must have bought the last stock. The discount wasn't enough to make me bite, so no non-buyer's remorse yet.

Rather than paying for the DZero and then (knowing my own tendencies) upgrading to better 2-bolt compatible shoes to justify having it when I already have PowerTap P2 road pedals, I stumbled across Wahoo's sale on factory reconditioned Kickrs and bought one. That, I will definitely use.

For bicycle stuff? Not that much, except maybe the 2 extra pairs of Specialites TA 'Cyclotouriste' cranksets that I overenthusiastically bid on on French eBay. I suddenly had 3 instead of the 1 that I really needed. They were less than €50 each last year and nowadays they are closer to €100.

Maybe the second Batavus Randonneur GL because it was a good deal, I liked the one I just built and this one was in better condition? Perhaps I will move everything over to the other frame? Some day?

Oh and I have more Sturmey Archer hubs that were smoking deals than I necessarily have bikes for in the future. A 4-speed alloy FM hub with matching shifter, a freewheel drumbrake hub, an RX-RD5 5-speed drum brake hub and (a now in use) XL-RD5 5-speed drum brake hub. Last month I bought an S2 kickshift hub second hand.
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Okay, so maybe I have a problem. :lol:

I did always have a tendency to buy hiking and outdoor gear because it was a great deal or I wanted it but didn't necessarily needed it. Consequentially, my girlfriend borrowed a lot of my gear when she went out with friends. :P

I was planning on buying black Lepper Ergo grips to match my black saddle. But now they are unavailable everywhere and their website is down. So I'm not sure they are even in business anymore.
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I've bought components, tires, tubes, bar wrap, clothes & shoes prior to needing them (with shoes & clothes it's because I knew how they fit). I can't say that I've ever bought any electronic gadget or part in advance. I guess it's because my belief that the future whatever "it" is will be smaller, lighter, better and cheaper. I don't even wanna tell you what I paid for one the first IBM PC Juniors to hit town :eek:

I recall that IBM PC's were running around $2000 or so back in the early or mid 80's. Two floppy drives, or if you had cash to burn, you could get a hard drive!! Pretty exotic stuff for the day, and certainly attractive to an engineering student such as myself. That was a huge amount of money for a student, so I got by with my programmable Hewlett Packard calculator. Still have that!

Steve in Peoria

Sure. I bought a spare Garmin Edge 800 before the supply dried up (it works with older versions of Golden Cheetah, and didn't crash riding roundabouts like the 810 which followed). I also picked up a PowerTap SL+ in silver alloy and carbon fiber because it looks better than the newer G3.

I have NOS Campagnolo ultrashift levers and silver/carbon derailleurs as well, plus a healthy supply of my favorite 13-26 10 speed cassettes so I'm fine after they discontinue that combination like my 13-21 favorite in the 8 speed era.

Aluminum should be silver anodized, like Tullio intended., Bicycle parts shouldn't be black unless they're carbon fiber or plastic which look better with black or gray scratches than dark anodized parts with silver scrapes.
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I'm trying to buy a 32 hole Powertap Disc hub right now. The only place on Earth it seems to be is Bellati Sport in Switzerland. 3 attempts at purchase & the bank keeps rejecting the Visa card transaction for obvious international purchase fraud protection reasons. I even filed a travel order with the bank to open up Switzerland as a place a transaction can happen. No luck.

In short, I wish I bought in bulk. I have everything I need for a complete A23 disc gravel wheelset (with Son dynamo) except the darned power meter hub.