Originally Posted by
Papa Tom
The thing I have learned from shooting my mouth off in these forums and being called out for it is that we all need to just ride our own bike and leave everybody else alone.
I, personally, have toured, commuted, and recreated on the same $300 bike thousands of miles since 1996 and have replaced its components multiple times with parts that are consistently ten or twenty-percent junkier than the ones before them. I just paid $7.00 for an entire braking system and the bike stops just fine. The only thing that has gotten slower and less efficient over the past 24 years is ME.
Lots of people find pleasure in constantly upgrading their gear, their clothing, and their technique. I don't, but I'm really happy that other people are finding pleasure in SOMETHING as the world goes to crap.
Papa Tom...I do my best to not be judgy when it comes to people's bikes and preferences. I realize that there are many ways to solve a problem and many ways of looking at things. I do appreciate perspective, especially that which is not my own. I suppose there's a place for all sorts of bikers in all sorts of groups. I suspect at some point I'll have to replace my new to me touring bike and who knows what will be available at that time. I'm sure there will be many factors that go into the decision of what to buy when that time comes. I don't think my wallet will allow me to buy the newest of the new and I'm content to be a few generations back from the cutting edge. Plus, I think it's wise to wait for something to be torture tested by many people to see how it holds up in he real world. CAD programs can only get you so far. One of my favourite places is a used bike shop called Our Community Bikes in Vancouver British Columbia. They sell used parts from donations and have many social programs to help people learn how to work on their own bikes. They provide tools to people who wish to wrench on their bikes. It's awesome.
I appreciate the usage of one bike over the years. I want to try to wear out parts and then have to replace them. These are goals for now. I want to ride what I have and when things get better I will. Until then I want to get as much info about what I'm getting into as I can. Ultimately the road will make the decisions for me once I start on my journey.
Keep well and stay safe.