How far would you drive to purchase your dream bike?
#26
Member
About 3.1 miles to my LBS to have them order it for me and put it together for me...unless of course they had something in the showroom, new or used, that I just had to have.
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,229
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18409 Post(s)
Liked 15,520 Times
in
7,324 Posts
I took the train to pick up my dream bike. Then I rode it home.
Likes For indyfabz:
#28
SuperGimp
Hm, I drove down to San Diego to get my last bike. I could have had them ship it, sure, but I wanted to test ride it and by god, new bike day should be a holiday. It was about 3.5 hours total in the car, so not too obscene.
My current dream bike is a small builder up in Santa Cruz and you're DAMN RIGHT I'd drive up there to get it. That would be more like 6+ hours each way in the car, so it would be a weekend holiday with some riding mixed in.
Do what makes you happy.
My current dream bike is a small builder up in Santa Cruz and you're DAMN RIGHT I'd drive up there to get it. That would be more like 6+ hours each way in the car, so it would be a weekend holiday with some riding mixed in.
Do what makes you happy.
Likes For TrojanHorse:
#29
Heft On Wheels
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 3,123
Bikes: Specialized,Cannondale,Argon 18
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 887 Post(s)
Liked 560 Times
in
346 Posts
Well I did a 11 hour one way to get one. It was awesome! I love road trips though. I think I would drive anyplace in the US though, nothing more fun than just driving across the US and seeing what a person can find.
The best trips are sometimes the unplanned ones.
The best trips are sometimes the unplanned ones.
#30
Member
Thread Starter
Update: A week ago, I did end up driving 11 hours roundtrip to get the 62cm LHT. I don’t regret it at all because this could be my commuting/touring bike for the next 20 years.
The guy I bought it from was a really cool person that had the bike over 10 years and babied it, it looks practically brand new. He had the bike built for him when he retired and health problems prevented him from riding it as much as he wanted. I got a great price on it and it is exactly the bike I wanted. 🍻
I am building it up for my fit with trekking bars, regular seatpost, clipless pedals, and new brooks saddle in the next week or so. Ill post pics when it is done.
The guy I bought it from was a really cool person that had the bike over 10 years and babied it, it looks practically brand new. He had the bike built for him when he retired and health problems prevented him from riding it as much as he wanted. I got a great price on it and it is exactly the bike I wanted. 🍻
I am building it up for my fit with trekking bars, regular seatpost, clipless pedals, and new brooks saddle in the next week or so. Ill post pics when it is done.
#31
Member
Thread Starter
It was totally worth the drive. What a wonderful bike! Here it is after I built it up to my preferences:
#32
Senior Member
I once did 1,500 miles round trip to get a nice Bridgestone 700 to add to my stable of classic steel bikes.
#33
Senior Member
The bike looks awesome. I agree that it was totally worth it. What frame size is that? I lov that style. I have a 1994 trekking bike in a similar style and will only part with it when I can no longer ride it.
#34
Senior Member
My mother bought her [gently used] Peugeot road bike (her first as an adult) while stationed in Germany in the 70s and had it shipped when she returned to the States. She rode it everywhere over there for 5yrs, she worked on an US Army base and lived off base and couldn't see buying a car. She still has it and rides it to this day, it's probably one of her most prized possessions. The furthest I drove to pick up my bike(s) was 50miles(or about an hour),
#35
Zip tie Karen
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Posts: 7,004
Bikes: '13 Motobecane Fantom29 HT, '16 Motobecane Turino Pro Disc, '18 Velobuild VB-R-022, '21 Tsunami SNM-100
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1465 Post(s)
Liked 1,542 Times
in
806 Posts
I'm glad that it worked out for the OP. It looks like the LHT turned out exactly as he had envisioned. That's good news, indeed.
Each of us is different. I hate driving. I really hate driving. So for me to drive anywhere at all, there has to be a compelling reason. If it's for something that can be purchased and shipped, I compare the cost of my miles (@ $0.55 per mile) and the loss of my time into the equation.
If I have to take a leave day, then I factor in the cost of burning 9 hours of vacation at my current rate of pay. When you see the numbers, it's sobering, and makes the cost of shipping seem miniscule...
I might be willing to drive 45 minutes each way for a particular bike, and have done so. Recently for a Fuji America that I thought that I wanted, and turned out really well. But I sold it in the end. So...
Each of us is different. I hate driving. I really hate driving. So for me to drive anywhere at all, there has to be a compelling reason. If it's for something that can be purchased and shipped, I compare the cost of my miles (@ $0.55 per mile) and the loss of my time into the equation.
If I have to take a leave day, then I factor in the cost of burning 9 hours of vacation at my current rate of pay. When you see the numbers, it's sobering, and makes the cost of shipping seem miniscule...
I might be willing to drive 45 minutes each way for a particular bike, and have done so. Recently for a Fuji America that I thought that I wanted, and turned out really well. But I sold it in the end. So...
#36
Member
Thread Starter
62 cm, We have gotten acquainted on my long commute (30 miles rt) over the last few weeks and I love it. The steel frame eats up road chatter so the ride is very smooth. I plan on doing a short tour this weekend to see how it performs loaded.
#37
Member
Thread Starter
#38
Senior Member
This is my trusty 25 year old red one. Upgrade to a hub dynamo is still to be done. I already have the wheel.
Likes For Harhir:
#39
Senior Member
I'm glad you took the plunge and went for it OP. You cant put a price on something like this. Dont listen to the naysayers. My perfect bike is in Japan and I even thought about travelling the 10000km. Its a journey and bike youd never forget😁
Likes For breadbin:
#40
It's the little things
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 781
Bikes: Too many, yet not enough
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 279 Post(s)
Liked 326 Times
in
147 Posts
OP, glad this worked out for you and you love the bike. Our love of these machines and riding them is what keeps us going anyway.
#41
Senior Member
I wanna update. Did you get it? How do you like your LHT? More and more i look at one, the more i want to get a LHT Disc for myself.
#42
Senior Member
Likes For katsup:
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (Formerly Los Angeles, CA)
Posts: 1,145
Bikes: 2008 Cannondale Synapse -- 2014 Cannondale Quick CX
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 212 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 83 Times
in
54 Posts
The question is silly if you put it in the context of how many hours would you *ride* the bike?
Is a 2-hour drive too long of a drive to pick up a bike that you will regularly be doing three-hour, four-hour, six-hour, or multi-day rides on?
My hybrid, I drove about an hour to pick up from a private seller. As it's my commuter (fair-weather) I ride it several hours a week. The hour drive was nothing.
On the other hand, how far is far enough that you would just ship it instead?
Is a 2-hour drive too long of a drive to pick up a bike that you will regularly be doing three-hour, four-hour, six-hour, or multi-day rides on?
My hybrid, I drove about an hour to pick up from a private seller. As it's my commuter (fair-weather) I ride it several hours a week. The hour drive was nothing.
On the other hand, how far is far enough that you would just ship it instead?
#44
Hear myself getting fat
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Inland Northwest
Posts: 754
Bikes: Sir Velo A Sparrow
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 335 Post(s)
Liked 265 Times
in
134 Posts
If the money I was saving on the bike+trip expenses was less than the cost of buying it local, I’d drive maybe 8 hours one way. Quick overnight trip would be the most I’d do.
Maybe more if there was a significant land mark cycling destination for me to ride the new dream bike up once I bought it...I’d go pretty far for that.
I’m planning some long drives to the continent for some rides in the mountains, this is my hobby so I’m willing to work a bit to enjoy it I suppose.
Maybe more if there was a significant land mark cycling destination for me to ride the new dream bike up once I bought it...I’d go pretty far for that.
I’m planning some long drives to the continent for some rides in the mountains, this is my hobby so I’m willing to work a bit to enjoy it I suppose.