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Do I really need an expensive bike?

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Do I really need an expensive bike?

Old 09-13-21, 04:12 PM
  #26  
Cougrrcj
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Short answer - NO!

Somewhat longer answer - I bought my '75 Fuji new (in Oct '76) for less than $200 Yes, that'd be higher in 'today dollars', but still... I still have yet to pay more than $160 for a vintage ride that may- or may not have needed a bit of repair/updating. The reason I even throw that caveat in there is because I like my bikes set up a certain way, and not one has been! I change things to make it suit my style/preference. Those costs are not the bike's fault!

Of course, I have some 'more-than-basic repair skills and experience' so that helps...
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Old 09-13-21, 06:18 PM
  #27  
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Need vs want.

It's a balance.
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Old 09-13-21, 08:10 PM
  #28  
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GMC Denali.
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Old 09-13-21, 08:51 PM
  #29  
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"need" is such a subjective word.

If it were not pandemic times, I' d say go to your LBS, test ride a much nicer bike than your regular mount, and find out what you're missing. Then you can decide what you "need"

Last edited by MinnMan; 09-13-21 at 09:45 PM.
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Old 09-13-21, 09:02 PM
  #30  
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Will a cheap bike be good enough?[/QUOTE]

Yes! Recently, I was on the go to climb in my area. A local guy was on a titanium Huffy wearing flip flops- unbelievable. We exchanged smiles.
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Old 09-13-21, 09:09 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Phil_gretz
Yes. Unless or until you gain enough experience to realize that you want to change. Ride what you can reasonably afford and keep it in its best mechanical condition. The rest you will learn on your own.
^ This.

I’m rocking a cheap bike also. A bike can still be fun, and you can learn a lot about maintenance and repairs along the way.

Was going to reward myself with something like a Nukeproof Scout or similar for completing 21 units last term…… but everything bike is scarce right now.
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Old 09-13-21, 09:19 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Jumpski
Will a cheap bike be good enough?
Yes! Recently, I was on the go to climb in my area. A local guy was on a titanium Huffy wearing flip flops- unbelievable. We exchanged smiles.[/QUOTE]

I didn’t think the Serotta Huffys were titanium.

John
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Old 09-13-21, 09:22 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by Jumpski
Will a cheap bike be good enough?
Yes! Recently, I was on the go to climb in my area. A local guy was on a titanium Huffy wearing flip flops- unbelievable. We exchanged smiles.[/QUOTE]

To digress… In my 30s I rode with a relatively quick recreational group and on one ride a guy in his 50s appeared on a MTB, 15 guys on racing bikes and this ‘old’ guy (am 66 now). We take off on our 30 mile quick training ride fully expecting to drop this clown in the first two miles. Not only was he not dropping but was taking turns at the front doing pulls. He was with us for the full 30 pushing huge knobbies which sounded like truck tires but even on sprints, he was right with us. I learned very conclusively that day, its the man, not the machine. Anybody can ride like a maniac if they train like hell and they can put the skinny-assed Lycra clad set to shame.
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Old 09-14-21, 06:37 AM
  #34  
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To digress… In my 30s I rode with a relatively quick recreational group and on one ride a guy in his 50s appeared on a MTB, 15 guys on racing bikes and this ‘old’ guy (am 66 now). We take off on our 30 mile quick training ride fully expecting to drop this clown in the first two miles. Not only was he not dropping but was taking turns at the front doing pulls. He was with us for the full 30 pushing huge knobbies which sounded like truck tires but even on sprints, he was right with us. I learned very conclusively that day, its the man, not the machine. Anybody can ride like a maniac if they train like hell and they can put the skinny-assed Lycra clad set to shame.
That story's like something you'd see in a movie... the seemingly unprepared underdog gets laughed at, then wins or nearly wins.
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Old 09-14-21, 10:46 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by 777funk
That story's like something you'd see in a movie... the seemingly unprepared underdog gets laughed at, then wins or nearly wins.
Breaking Away 'Cutters'...
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Old 09-15-21, 12:29 PM
  #36  
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No, you don't really need an expensive bike. You may want to consider saving up and buying that $75-$200 used bike though. A used bike shop bike will outlast any Huffy. Don't ditch the Huffy, but don't invest in it.

Even an old 1990's Specialized HardRock or Crossroads or Trek 820, etc will be a superior bike and are cheap and easy to maintain.

Last edited by restlessswind; 09-15-21 at 12:35 PM.
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Old 09-15-21, 12:37 PM
  #37  
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For all the disgrace that he brought to the cycling community…Lance Armstrong said something that I’ve always agreed with: “It’s Not About the Bike” (title of his first book). Within reason (whatever that might be for the individual bicycle owner)…the style, class, model, quality, and maintenance of the bike isn’t the important factor. What is important is whether or not you’re enjoying riding the bike.


Dan
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Old 09-15-21, 12:39 PM
  #38  
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If you have a bike and it works for you, you shouldn't even be thinking about a new bike. Ride it till you aren't satisfied with it anymore and then you'll know what you're dissatisfied with and be in a better position to decide what to replace it with.
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Old 09-15-21, 03:00 PM
  #39  
Maelochs
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You don't really need and expensive bike .... you need a really expensive bike.

Be a job creator, help the industry.

As other posts in other threads have mentioned, Riding a bike is terrible for the economy.
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Old 09-16-21, 07:09 PM
  #40  
ofajen
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We have a coop. They train people on how to fix their bikes, fix up bikes for those who need the help, and refurbish donated bikes and “sell” them for a donation of comparable value.

Right now they have too many complete bikes and need space. Lots of carefully refurbed, safe, working bikes for $100 to $250 donation.

It’s a decent option. I’m going to get one for my kid in college to ride around. If you have a coop nearby, it’s worth checking out.

Otto
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Old 09-17-21, 07:25 AM
  #41  
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I have purchased several $100-$200 bikes from Marketplace. They are all fantastic bikes. My best advice however is to have enough cycling experience, before you start buying, to know exactly why you want a particular bike, rather than just looking for a better bike in general based on it's brand. Sometimes it's hard to get that experience though if you don't have any opportunities to ride different bikes. In such a case I look at a $100 purchase as entertainment and education. I figure even if I only get a few rides out of it before it needs work, I've had more fun for less money than I could have had anywhere else.

If you are going to start making these used purchases you need to learn basic mechanic skills first. Get on Youtube and look into learning basic repairs and service. I enjoy working on my own bikes a lot more than I ever thought I would, plus you get to try out different modifications,and can customize something to your particular needs.
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Old 09-20-21, 11:37 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by OldRailfan
Few of us are in the group in which a better/expensive bike will make a difference on how much we ride or how fast we ride. It's the person on that seat that determines it.

PS it's very similar to the situation concerning cars it doesn't need to be fancy, but it needs to be reliable aka getting from A to B whenever one wants/needs to.
Reliability is key for me as well. I have an old road bike (12-speed) that I bought years ago for $70. I have my LBS tune it up once a year (they always catch something extra) and it's been a rock.
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Old 09-20-21, 12:08 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by icemilkcoffee
It's not about whether the bike is cheap or expensive. It's a matter of whether you like this bike or not.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I like expensive bikes.
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Old 09-20-21, 12:19 PM
  #44  
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This thread needs to remember that that both reliable and expensive are relative. BSO's are reliable if you ride once a week to get some fresh air and like most here a BSO cost as much as some tires so our perspective on expensive is a bit skewed.
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Old 09-20-21, 12:34 PM
  #45  
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For a couple of years I rode bikes I had built up from salvaged parts I found at the local dump. It started as a way to keep my maintenance skills up; then I found I really liked some of the bikes I put together, especially a 1983 Bridgestone 400, a midpriced sport tourer. So no; you do not need an expensive bike. But having said that I do have an expensive bike now, and it is nice.

Last edited by ironwood; 09-21-21 at 03:50 PM.
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Old 09-20-21, 12:40 PM
  #46  
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Ha! A guy at my local bike store, Wheelworks, said to me "Albert Einstein said that the three greatest inventions of the modern world were the three masted sailing ship, the refirgarator, and the bicycle". Well, he DIDN'T say that, as far as anyone can document. But he said a lot of other things, and this led me to write an 8 movement suite for jazz orchestra of things he said AND allegedly said. And that's the picture I put on the CD cover (and I paid a small fee for the rights)... https://www.discogs.com/Darrell-Katz...elease/7752027

https://www.discogs.com/Darrell-Katz...elease/7752027
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Old 09-20-21, 01:02 PM
  #47  
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I have as much if not more in accessories than I do my bike, and my bike was $800.
Bike carrier for the car, bike rack, bag to put on the rack to carry tools, tube, tube repair kit, and extra water. Tools to maintain and repair the bike. Fenders, water bottle holder, water bottles, upgraded pedals, mirror, extra chain, chain cleaning products, small crock pot, and wax for chains, lights, wahoo element bolt computer, speed, cadence, and heart rate sensor, different set of tires because I didn't like the ones the bike came with. The cost of hotel rooms for my extended bike trips to different trails. Donations to different organizations for maintenance of rail trails. Just recently tools to tension spokes and align wheels. I'm sure I missed a few expenses. So after giving it some thought the bike was the cheap part of my biking experience.
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Old 09-20-21, 02:16 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by dkatz1
Ha! A guy at my local bike store, Wheelworks, said to me "Albert Einstein said that the three greatest inventions of the modern world were the three masted sailing ship, the refirgarator, and the bicycle". Well, he DIDN'T say that, as far as anyone can document. But he said a lot of other things, and this led me to write an 8 movement suite for jazz orchestra of things he said AND allegedly said. And that's the picture I put on the CD cover (and I paid a small fee for the rights)... https://www.discogs.com/Darrell-Katz...elease/7752027

https://www.discogs.com/Darrell-Katz...elease/7752027
Say, is there a way to listen to your music online. (Sorry, I am not interested in chasing all over the internet to find a clip of a seven-year-old album.) I like big band jazz, and some improv (some "free jazz" is just random noise, to me) and I don't mind spending money on music but i won't buy something I have never heard unless I have 100 % chance of full-price resale .... so ....????
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Old 09-20-21, 02:22 PM
  #49  
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Go for whatever best suits your needs.
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Old 09-20-21, 02:35 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by 777funk
I'm an occasional rider (trails mostly paved sometimes hilly terrain). I see non big box store brand bikes (Trek, GT, etc) on FB Marketplace and CL in the $75-200 range at times and when I look them up here or other places, most say... "Trash. Save your money."

I'd have to think most of these are better than my $100 new USA Huffy since they say Trek on the side.

Most of my problems with my Huffy are fixable (new cables, brake pads) for about $50 or less. Should I keep the Huffy or do I need an expensive bike. My requirements are:
1. Won't fall apart when riding. I'd want any injuries (God forbid) to be rider error and not mechanical failures.
2. Rides half way decent (I don't need that last 5% or maybe even 10% of ride quality, light weight, etc).

Will a cheap bike be good enough?
i you’re happy with your ride, i see no point to a more expensive ride.
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