Originally Posted by
arimajol
I've pretty much always got the urge to get new bikes. The one exception is when I'm riding one particular bike. It just rides so wonderfully and fits so well, I can't imagine being happier on a bike. The only problem is my aesthetic tastes have changed since I got it and the finish doesn't really move me anymore. I'm thinking maybe I can avoid buying a new bike (that I really can't afford) by spending half that on refinishing. Has anybody used this as a n+1 stalling tactic? Could this really work?
...I have done that for the last five years. Yes, it really does work.
And I have some nicely refinished bicycles as a bonus. Doing a good job requires a lot of disassembly and reassembly, time and effort. So that's time you can't spend cruising CL. And the painting process itself takes time because of the re-stickering and various stripping and primer/color coat/finish coat steps. Also you'll discover that all the effort you put into a complete refinish/rebuild will make you a lot more reluctant to take on too many new projects at the same time.
Go for it.
