Attilio

Its the latter case I am a luddite because I don't like the idea of even more batteries to change or recharge and the buttons vs the tactile feel. Not a fan of drop bars in general the control is never as good as flat bar (different fingers shift and brake at the same time) but I get it for group rides and keeping up you need the aero. I don't want to bother being vigilant I just want a small pile of 105/Ultegra/XT or SLX parts they don't look expensive from what I am searching.

Attilio

I already mentioned this but I do not like to tinker. In the buy vs build debate I am 100% buy because I don't have the patience or attention span to be bothered. To me there is no satisfaction of making something myself, only the annoyance that it wasted me time and created aggravation. I get it how people say electronic groupsets are lower maintenance but in the 105 or better range which is sort of a boon for me because I hate having to remember things but personally I have not seen any need for adjustment or maintenance (cables) in the 3-4 years I have owned bikes of that caliber.

70sSanO

There are a few things that I have done at a shop that just does servicing, although they can source parts. They have no issue with installing parts that I have found elsewhere.

I’m not sure if it is acceptable to furnish your own components at the LBS you use or not. It may be commonplace in the industry, I have no idea.

But it might be prudent to find out if the shop will install customer supplied components, especially ones that are no longer available.

John

t2p

I also keep derailleurs - in case of damage due to crash etc

Polaris OBark

I hoarded an extra set of Di2 brake/shifters and disc calipers that I picked up for $199. These were the original disc 11-speed ones from 2014.

Eventually, I built up another bike around them.

soyabean

Hoading is fun and justified when its small components.

Not so much fun when it's entire wheelsets, frames, forks.

I admit I do fix and resell bikes, but the truth is that anyone can hoard.

Polaris OBark

Where is trekmogul ?

Attilio

I use several actually because I own a few different brands. One the Treks go to Trek which behaves as close to LBS as possible except for the fact that their mechanics are totally incompetent except one. At this point I am considered a good customer because I have bought more than one bike, brought friends and belong to a local cycling club that promotes them there so I am one of the customers that gets the "good" mechanic. As far as my other LBS they are amazing. Its three guys, one who owns it and two younger dudes all of them love the sport and they do outstanding work. Sometimes depending on direction I am driving there is a third one I utilize as well. In all cases they really don't care. If I really, really needed I also know a handful of people in the club that offered to do work for me they seem to do a good job so I don't think I have any issues finding someone to work on my bike. If I really wanted I definitely could I just hate sitting there fixing things. Its a long story but part of the side gig of my job is fixing things and you know how it is owning a business or property when its below a certain threshold if you call in the handyman or someone to fix it it starts at a $1-200 just to call them in plus parts and labor when you can do it in 5-10 minutes. I make really good money but that is probably the "most' money I make and best paid thing I do, fixing stupid little things instead of calling someone. Anything of significance though I definitely call. But its gets old and tiring. When I'm home I want to play and dealing with things that don't work for me is not fun.

pdlamb

20 years ago you would have said the same thing about 9 speed parts.

icemilkcoffee 

And guess what, there is no problem whatsoever finding Shimano compatible 9 speed chains and cassettes today. Like I said, this is a Campagnolo problem.

pdlamb

And those 9-speed Shimano (and compatible) chains work perfectly well with Campagnolo shifters.

storckm

Maybe I'm risking death by not replacing my cables annually, but I commute by bicycle year round and don't replace the cables anything like yearly. And I certainly don't need to rewrap my bars unless I'm replacing housing too.

I do have a single speed for ice, snow, and salt.

genejockey 

The problem with the watch analogy is that the Swiss continued to sell their top mechanical watches as a more desirable product than the quartz watches they sold, whereas you don't see Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM doing so. Also, top of the line in watches = "what rich people wear", whereas top of the line in bikes = "what the pros ride".

Mind you, if Shimano starts offering a mechanical groupset ABOVE Dura Ace Di2, I'll have been proven wrong.

squirtdad

I think it is different for everyone.

I recently did a custom bike with ultega r8000. the last mechanical ultegra group.

I did future proof by buying spares fir things like brake/shifter levers and derailers that could be hard to source in 10 to 15 years and are easy to break by dropping bike or simply falling over

I based this on a build a few years back and when I was amazed at how hard it was to find the specific 9 speed parts I wanted

I do think that in the future I could swap many parts out with niche products like Rene Herse, Velo Orange, Paul, Indgrid components, but some are harder than others

curbtender

What are you talking about? Most people have enough room to store a tub of spares if they need them. Now if you are talking piles, I'd say no. Either way, it will still work out that you didn't keep that one part you needed.

zandoval 

Used to have so many miscellaneous parts in my parts bins that I could easily put two or three bicycles together with them. Not any more. Over the past few years my parts bins have gotten kinda skimpy...

Maelochs

I can certainly see the point to buying brifters (STI levers for the squeamish) and derailleurs, but past that, I cannot see where parts should become hard to find. I am sure there will be firms buying up old Shimano patents or just making knock-offs of old parts when Shimano is full wireless electronic and riders wear halos with electrodes into their scalps for shifting and braking.

SoSmellyAir

Certain components are rarer than others. For example, I bought 2 out of the 3 last remaining Prestacycle 11-speed Uniblock 12-28 cassettes. Yes, some Amazon off-brand seller may eventually sell knock-offs but I would not want to use them because I doubt that they are of comparable quality.

PeteHski

Mechanical shifting will never come back in “style” as these are not fashion items like watches. Electronic shifting will certainly trickle down the product range and mechanical shifting will probably remain at the very bottom of the food chain. But there will always be a residual C&V demand for higher end period mechanical group sets.

Dgital cameras are probably a much better analogy here. Nobody is using mechanical cameras anymore other than C&V collectors.

One Wheel

I hope and believe that you're wrong, both about mechanical groupsets and analog cameras. I will grant that there's a real possibility that you're not, though.

dedhed

I wouldn't say I'm hoarding, but I did buy replacement 6603 STI & Derailleurs on clearance for future replacements when 6700 came out.

PeteHski

These things will always exist if you prefer to use them. Just don’t expect them to make a mainstream comeback.

robobike316 

There is a fine, invisible line that separates hoarding from having a reasonable supply of harder to find older equipment. I am pretty sure I crossed it a few years ago!

Steel Charlie

I know that the bikes that I have now will easily outlive me. Aside from maybe a couple chains. And I find it quite satisfying to see the accumulata going out the door to be stored somewhere else.

Earlier this year I flipped a small pile of vintage Campy parts for a bit over $1K. That has become my cigar fund.

Thanks, guys !

rsbob 

Only hord toilet paper. It’s the American way!