Buying expensive bikes and parts...
08-29-20, 07:29 PM
#526
Senior Member
There's no need to get an expensive expensive bike unless you can appreciate the difference. Which is to say, if you have to ask why, then you won't understand the answer.
Likes For BlazingPedals:
08-29-20, 07:39 PM
#527
On Your Left
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Long Island, New York, USA
Posts: 8,373
Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR, Sram eTap, Zipp 303
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3004 Post(s)
Liked 2,433 Times
in
1,187 Posts
08-29-20, 07:53 PM
#528
Senior Member
08-29-20, 07:57 PM
#529
On Your Left
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Long Island, New York, USA
Posts: 8,373
Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR, Sram eTap, Zipp 303
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3004 Post(s)
Liked 2,433 Times
in
1,187 Posts
Agreed... they come first, but you also need to treat yourself. Maybe not to a sports car, expensive bike, expensive camera, expensive golf membership and other hobbies. But you deserve one of the above.
I drove used cars and worked 2 jobs so my kids can get through college without any debt. But when my last got off the payroll... I treated myself for a job well done.
When the time comes... treat yourself.
One last thing.. my mom taught me it's not about leaving money for the kids... they have their entire life ahead of them. It's not being a burden on them... that's the gift you give. When my mom passed, I gave what she had left to my kids since I never counting on there being anything so I didn't need it.
08-29-20, 08:21 PM
#530
Senior Member
I have wife, kids and grandkids.
Agreed... they come first, but you also need to treat yourself. Maybe not to a sports car, expensive bike, expensive camera, expensive golf membership and other hobbies. But you deserve one of the above.
I drove used cars and worked 2 jobs so my kids can get through college without any debt. But when my last got off the payroll... I treated myself for a job well done.
When the time comes... treat yourself.
One last thing.. my mom taught me it's not about leaving money for the kids... they have their entire life ahead of them. It's not being a burden on them... that's the gift you give. When my mom passed, I gave what she had left to my kids since I never counting on there being anything so I didn't need it.
Agreed... they come first, but you also need to treat yourself. Maybe not to a sports car, expensive bike, expensive camera, expensive golf membership and other hobbies. But you deserve one of the above.
I drove used cars and worked 2 jobs so my kids can get through college without any debt. But when my last got off the payroll... I treated myself for a job well done.
When the time comes... treat yourself.
One last thing.. my mom taught me it's not about leaving money for the kids... they have their entire life ahead of them. It's not being a burden on them... that's the gift you give. When my mom passed, I gave what she had left to my kids since I never counting on there being anything so I didn't need it.
Thanks
08-29-20, 08:54 PM
#531
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,286
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8279 Post(s)
Liked 9,033 Times
in
4,471 Posts
We can only see things through our own eyes and that's a pretty small universe.
I'm like you , I'm conservative and pretty frugal. I wouldn't spend more than maybe $400. I bought my last bike used.
I try not to be too judgmental. I see a lot of 70 year old men in $60,000 Corvettes. I guess if you have the money and you are comfortable with using it, its all relative to your own judgment and views on life.
I'm like you , I'm conservative and pretty frugal. I wouldn't spend more than maybe $400. I bought my last bike used.
I try not to be too judgmental. I see a lot of 70 year old men in $60,000 Corvettes. I guess if you have the money and you are comfortable with using it, its all relative to your own judgment and views on life.
Nobody needs to drive as fast as a Corvette can go but $60K is not a lot of money for a new car these days. Lots of pick-up trucks are quite a bit more than that. I worked at a Chevy dealer and we sold the supercharged Corvettes for $135K when they first came out and we sold every one we could get before we even saw them.
08-29-20, 11:02 PM
#532
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 490
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 252 Post(s)
Liked 67 Times
in
48 Posts
Originally Posted by vane171 View Post
I'd say, expensive bike is OK if you want to hang it on the wall and just look at it.
I'd say, expensive bike is OK if you want to hang it on the wall and just look at it.
Last edited by vane171; 08-29-20 at 11:05 PM.
Likes For vane171:
08-30-20, 06:20 AM
#533
On Your Left
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Long Island, New York, USA
Posts: 8,373
Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR, Sram eTap, Zipp 303
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3004 Post(s)
Liked 2,433 Times
in
1,187 Posts
that's nice to hear..I'm the son of immigrants from the Far East...and to this day ,like you, I've never owned a new car. Did my own roof. Used to bag my meals and save my per diem on long trips.but I am already very fortunate ..to have lived in America...and in some ways ...small house, used cars, used bikes.workaholic ..I already consider myself rich
Thanks
Thanks
Likes For GlennR:
08-30-20, 01:10 PM
#534
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,286
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8279 Post(s)
Liked 9,033 Times
in
4,471 Posts
08-30-20, 02:28 PM
#535
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 5,751
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease Carbon Deore 11, 2020 Salsa Warbird GRX 600, 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX disc 9.0 Di2, 2020 Catrike Eola, 2016 Masi cxgr, 2011, Felt F3 Ltd, 2010 Trek 2.1, 2009 KHS Flite 220
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4387 Post(s)
Liked 3,016 Times
in
1,865 Posts
Likes For MinnMan:
08-30-20, 03:08 PM
#536
On Your Left
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Long Island, New York, USA
Posts: 8,373
Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR, Sram eTap, Zipp 303
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3004 Post(s)
Liked 2,433 Times
in
1,187 Posts
Welcome to the interweb
Last edited by GlennR; 08-30-20 at 03:27 PM.
Likes For GlennR:
08-30-20, 05:22 PM
#537
Member
What model is it? Is it the Hal? AXS Eagle Lunar is the wireless group from Sram. Mountain bikes are usually sized by small, medium, large, etc. Mountain bike sizing varies so much from one brand to another you have to look at geometry charts to see if it will fit.
Did you try to post a link?
If it's the Hal then a 48 is the large.
I think you can start posting pictures after 10 posts, so not a big deal.
Did you try to post a link?
If it's the Hal then a 48 is the large.
I think you can start posting pictures after 10 posts, so not a big deal.
Anyway, this is the bike I am going for.
08-30-20, 05:42 PM
#538
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,286
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8279 Post(s)
Liked 9,033 Times
in
4,471 Posts
08-30-20, 06:03 PM
#539
Member
The only exception for me is shifting gears. I hatted having to pull up and down on those archaic levers below your knees and feeling your way through what gear you were in. For me, click click and I love it. Other than that I guess there was something special about riding those super tall giant framed bikes. I guess.
08-30-20, 06:10 PM
#540
Member
If you just want to putt around town or noodle on some mellow trails a $400 bike will get the job done. If you want a nice light bike to go climbing for hours and maybe go 50 mph on the descents you will have to spend a bit more. Right tool for the job.
Nobody needs to drive as fast as a Corvette can go but $60K is not a lot of money for a new car these days. Lots of pick-up trucks are quite a bit more than that. I worked at a Chevy dealer and we sold the supercharged Corvettes for $135K when they first came out and we sold every one we could get before we even saw them.
Nobody needs to drive as fast as a Corvette can go but $60K is not a lot of money for a new car these days. Lots of pick-up trucks are quite a bit more than that. I worked at a Chevy dealer and we sold the supercharged Corvettes for $135K when they first came out and we sold every one we could get before we even saw them.
08-30-20, 06:31 PM
#541
Member
I regularly spank guys on bikes costing 3 times what my mountain bike cost($1500+ hop ups.got 2grand in it)
And they are often ten, twenty years younger than me
I take great pride in that fact as I do my bikes..
Buy them 10K bikes rich guys...this spurs great R&D and it trickles down to me
And they are often ten, twenty years younger than me
I take great pride in that fact as I do my bikes..
Buy them 10K bikes rich guys...this spurs great R&D and it trickles down to me
08-30-20, 06:44 PM
#543
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,286
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8279 Post(s)
Liked 9,033 Times
in
4,471 Posts
08-30-20, 08:33 PM
#544
Senior Member
08-30-20, 08:36 PM
#545
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NE Indiana
Posts: 8,687
Bikes: 2020 Masi Giramondo 700c; 2013 Lynskey Peloton; 1992 Giant Rincon; 1989 Dawes needs parts; 1985 Trek 660; 1985 Fuji Club; 1984 Schwinn Voyager; 1984 Miyata 612; 1977 Raleigh Competition GS
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1126 Post(s)
Liked 253 Times
in
204 Posts
Two points:
1. A friend has a high end Ti Motobecane and deeply regrets it. And he's a MUCH better wrench than me. We can swap anecdotes. Maybe you have more anecdotes and you win.
2. I never said online order was a bad idea. I own a Canyon, after all. But it's a bad idea for people who don't know a lot about bikes and about their fit and their needs and also for people who can't do a fair amount of their own customizing and wrenching. It seemed to me that the person posting above could be in that category, but maybe he's not. He can gather the information and make his choice.
1. A friend has a high end Ti Motobecane and deeply regrets it. And he's a MUCH better wrench than me. We can swap anecdotes. Maybe you have more anecdotes and you win.
2. I never said online order was a bad idea. I own a Canyon, after all. But it's a bad idea for people who don't know a lot about bikes and about their fit and their needs and also for people who can't do a fair amount of their own customizing and wrenching. It seemed to me that the person posting above could be in that category, but maybe he's not. He can gather the information and make his choice.
My friend does all of his own mechanic stuff on his bikes and he said there is nothing unusual about his Moto that was out of the norm and wouldn't be able to find parts for it. Like I said he bought his about 9 or 10 years ago so maybe back then it was all normal stuff vs today's newer Motos? but from what I saw looking at their website I didn't "notice" anything non conforming. I'm sure with the mid to lower level bikes that might be true, but I don't know anyone who has one of those levels of bikes to tell me if that's the case or not.
What we should do is post a question on this forum to see how many people who have bought Bikes Direct bikes that are having issues getting parts...by golly, I think I'll do just that! LOL!!
Likes For rekmeyata:
08-30-20, 09:57 PM
#546
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: In the foothills of Los Angeles County
Posts: 25,286
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8279 Post(s)
Liked 9,033 Times
in
4,471 Posts
If I was motivated, I could have bought a used one and fixed it up but after working on cars every day for decades, I lost interest.
Last edited by big john; 08-30-20 at 10:04 PM.
Likes For big john:
08-30-20, 10:59 PM
#547
It's MY mountain
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Mt.Diablo
Posts: 10,002
Bikes: Klein, Merckx, Trek
Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4338 Post(s)
Liked 2,980 Times
in
1,617 Posts
And that's why I said "some of what you said is untrue".
My friend does all of his own mechanic stuff on his bikes and he said there is nothing unusual about his Moto that was out of the norm and wouldn't be able to find parts for it. Like I said he bought his about 9 or 10 years ago so maybe back then it was all normal stuff vs today's newer Motos? but from what I saw looking at their website I didn't "notice" anything non conforming.
My friend does all of his own mechanic stuff on his bikes and he said there is nothing unusual about his Moto that was out of the norm and wouldn't be able to find parts for it. Like I said he bought his about 9 or 10 years ago so maybe back then it was all normal stuff vs today's newer Motos? but from what I saw looking at their website I didn't "notice" anything non conforming.
There was a time though, that BD.com was selling complete junk frames with nice component groups because the "whole bike" dealer discount on components was so good that people would buy a bike from them just for the parts. They've had kind of a hard time getting past that reputation.
Last edited by DiabloScott; 08-30-20 at 11:08 PM.
Likes For DiabloScott:
08-31-20, 10:58 AM
#548
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NE Indiana
Posts: 8,687
Bikes: 2020 Masi Giramondo 700c; 2013 Lynskey Peloton; 1992 Giant Rincon; 1989 Dawes needs parts; 1985 Trek 660; 1985 Fuji Club; 1984 Schwinn Voyager; 1984 Miyata 612; 1977 Raleigh Competition GS
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1126 Post(s)
Liked 253 Times
in
204 Posts
The usual caution, and complaint, that we hear about BD bikes is not that they use non-standard parts, but that they're not assembled very well. Threaded fittings without enough grease, wheels not tensioned and true, shifting not dialed in, brakes crooked, etc. Those are all things that an experienced cyclist will generally have the knowledge to fix. Too many inexperienced people buy them on price alone, discounting the value that an LBS offers in this regard, and then have troubles. The usual advise is to go to an LBS unless you ARE a decent mechanic and experienced rider.
There was a time though, that BD.com was selling complete junk frames with nice component groups because the "whole bike" dealer discount on components was so good that people would buy a bike from them just for the parts. They've had kind of a hard time getting past that reputation.
There was a time though, that BD.com was selling complete junk frames with nice component groups because the "whole bike" dealer discount on components was so good that people would buy a bike from them just for the parts. They've had kind of a hard time getting past that reputation.
On top of that, they handle problems pretty darn good, if a derailleur fails under warranty they send you a new one. Here is a website about BD complaints: https://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/bikesdirect.com The largest bike shop in my town only gets 2 stars!!! Are they perfect? no, but you do get what you pay for! They do tend to be a bit slow with customer service, and sometimes they can't ship a bike out on time, so people get annoyed, but on the other hand, a lot of people on various forums have done business with them and the majority had no issues and love their bikes. I would recommend that any bike you get mail order, even a Moots, you should take it to a bike shop and make sure all is good before you ride it, that may cost you $145 or so, but it's peace of mind. I didn't do that with my Lynskey because I can check that stuff myself, but if I didn't know how to do that sort of stuff I would have taken it to a shop. As crazy as this may seem but I've known people who got bikes out of LBS's and the LBS NEVER checked to see if things were lubed or torqued correctly, one guy blew out his BB because the factory didn't put any lube in it at all and the LBS just assembled it and turned it over to the owner, and then the LBS gave him a hard time about it because the LBS had to pay for it all. I've heard a lot of stories like that over my 40 years of riding. So just because you bought the bike at an LBS doesn't mean all is golden.
It's nowhere near the gamble you would take if you went directly to a Chinese supplier and bought a bike that way!
Likes For rekmeyata:
08-31-20, 08:26 PM
#549
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 490
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 252 Post(s)
Liked 67 Times
in
48 Posts
Anyway, lets forget about it.
11-03-20, 03:11 PM
#550
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Fl
Posts: 137
Bikes: Argon 18 Gallium, GF 29er, old Trek Madone
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 31 Post(s)
Liked 47 Times
in
29 Posts
For a few years before my back operation, I wasn’t riding at all. Afterwards, I got a comfort bike for therapy and started riding around the subdivision and after a while replaced it with an endurance bike with easy ergonomics. Rode a Peloton indoors 4 days a week for 3 years and finally got my old Trek Madone out of the attic and recently started riding with a fairly fast group 3 or 4 times a week.
I’ve gotten to the point I can keep up and do my share of pulling.
My LBS lent me a nice demo bike to take on one of the shorter (30 miles) rides. Well, I felt great, even though the ergo’ s were pretty racy. Really dig the electronic shifting and for whatever reason, my speed was up and so was my comfort.
So yep, I ordered one. Life is good.
I’ve gotten to the point I can keep up and do my share of pulling.
My LBS lent me a nice demo bike to take on one of the shorter (30 miles) rides. Well, I felt great, even though the ergo’ s were pretty racy. Really dig the electronic shifting and for whatever reason, my speed was up and so was my comfort.
So yep, I ordered one. Life is good.