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sail

sail

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December, sunny in the 50's and I GOT A NEW BIKE.
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Been great weather since I got it a couple month's ago. Old school road bikes and my neck don't get along anymore but I never though I'd get a ubiquitous aluminum Trek. They just aren't as cool as an old steel bike. Cheap compared to the $10,000 carbon with electronic shifting and 5 chips on board to make it all work, it's a $700 FX 7.4.
With kinda goofy looking bars it fits me great and I'm back riding 10-25 miles most days.
 
I'm really old school, when it comes to bikes.

if a bike can't be had for $200.00 bucks......it just can't be had. ($10k??!!??)
Also worth noting: I don't look good in spandex.
 
I have a Specilized X bike.
Have had it for a while . I can't ride it anymore as it puts too much pressure on my shoulders and my arms and hands fall asleep and my shoulders ach after a couple of days riding.
One of these days I will go in and get fitted for a better fit
 
I paid $300 in 1973 for a used road bike, depends how you use it I suppose. I was giving a frame of reference for non riders, if I wasn't content with this one the next step would be more than a couple thousand. But then I wouldn't tell you or my wife how much it cost.

50 degrees and sunny today inspired me to go for a long ride on the Cedar Valley Trail.
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But then I wouldn't tell you or my wife how much it cost.
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you've got a point there ( my TR3 receipts are under lock and key).
my wife will not know about all those little extravagances until the last will & testament.

but that pic of the trail might just justify $700 bucks.
 
I can't understand why someone would pay that much for a bike for normal pleasure riding. That would be like buying a Hummer to go grocery shopping. What is it, a status thing? Here's a 21 speed Aluminum bike for $180.00. Sorry but I'm not impressed with a $500 or $1,000+ bike for average riding. Serious racing is another story and that's where the 10Gs CF comes in. JMHO. PJ
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sail said:
I paid $300 in 1973 for a used road bike, depends how you use it I suppose. I was giving a frame of reference for non riders, if I wasn't content with this one the next step would be more than a couple thousand. But then I wouldn't tell you or my wife how much it cost.
Click to expand...
A lot of money back then Sail. I opened my bicycle shop in 1973...Our most expensive bicycle that year: The Raleigh Pro $649.00 (still love the look). Fast forward to summer of 2015...Our most expensive bicyle sale to date: Moots Vamoots DR $12,000 (a truly amazing piece of equipment). There are those that will never understand that if it's your hobby, your focus, your love (as it were) that the desire to have the best equipment available is always there. Most who think a "bike is a bike" also think a "knife is a knife" etc. etc.
 
Nice ride, and I feel you on the road bike / neck issues. I've got a whole garage full of bikes for every reason: road, mountain, tandem, singlespeed, commuter, etc. With proper attire, anything over 30 degrees is still bike weather: Lake cycling boots, UnderArmour base layers, rain pants which double as windbreakers for your leg, and an outer level windbreaker, winter cycling gloves -- nice and comfy! I have even heavier gear that will get me down to about 20 degrees if I was so inclined...and I'm not as inclined as I used to be once it gets below freezing.

Having spent a lot of time tinkering with bikes, I can tell you there is a HUGE difference between a $200 bike and a $700 one, let alone a $2000 bicycle, or more. Well built bikes will ride better, last longer and are far easier to maintain. It's like a Yugo versus Honda Civic. Both are small cars, and even a used Civic was better than a new Yugo. The Civic simply did everything better: more fun to drive and more reliable.

I do agree that once you get past the $1500 - $2000 mark, you're paying for performance upgrades that only a serious rider could truly take advantage of, though. (lighter weight, higher end components, etc).
 
Nice bike, Richard. And you guys are shaming me into getting my Trek hybrid down off the hooks in the garage. I bought it, along with a Schwinn for Janet back in '90. Rode it quite a bit from '90-'93 while in seminary - even rode it down Monteagle Mountain on a back road. Took me about eight minutes to coast down... and my best time riding back up was 25 minutes. What a workout!
 
Jay, don't recall the deal with your shop, my first job out of college was a bike mechanic in 74? The $300 bike was a Gitane Super Corsa, orange all campi but Mavic brakes, with sew-ups. I sold a 70's Raleigh Pro last year for $800 because I couldn't ride it anymore.

(cost of the bike) / (30 minutes to 2 1/2 hours a day) x (4 to 5 days a week) x (8 to 10 months year) = (bike cost<TR)
 
sail said:
Jay, don't recall the deal with your shop, my first job out of college was a bike mechanic in 74? The $300 bike was a Gitane Super Corsa, orange all campi but Mavic brakes, with sew-ups. I sold a 70's Raleigh Pro last year for $800 because I couldn't ride it anymore.

(cost of the bike) / (30 minutes to 2 1/2 hours a day) x (4 to 5 days a week) x (8 to 10 months year) = (bike cost<TR)
Click to expand...
While never a Gitane dealer Richard, I certainly remember the Super Corsa (think the other color was green). You knew you had a deal, as the Raleigh Pro or any full Campagnola Record bike back then was in the $600 range (new '73 Ford Pinto Runabouts were $2200)....and of course back then the only way to get low rolling resistance/light wheel weight, you had to go with with tubular tires.
 
I still have my Raleigh Supercourse-II... tho haven't been on it in a couple years. Just got a new set of tires-n-tubes, need to start ~moving~ my sorry carcass again and running is too hard on my knees. It's always bike weather here.
 
I have an early 90s Specialized Hard Rock that doesn't see as much use as it should. The only action is saw this summer was tooling me around Watkins Glen International during the Vintage Race.
 
I'm been hemming and hawing over getting a fat bike - a mountain bike with grossly oversized tires. You can ride through just about anything - mud, snow, etc. But, it would be hard to justify buying a bike that was only good for a handful of occasions a year.
 
SaxMan said:
I'm been hemming and hawing over getting a fat bike - a mountain bike with grossly oversized tires. You can ride through just about anything - mud, snow, etc. But, it would be hard to justify buying a bike that was only good for a handful of occasions a year.
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Those are Hummers but it looks to me like you've got a bike problem already. I was surprised to meet 50-75 fat bikes on a group ride Saturday, I suppose going to look for mud or sandbars along the river. Tires made quite a racket downtown. Not for me but just saw a Surly Moonlander https://surlybikes.com/bikes/moonlander at a little over $1000. Surly is one of the few still making decent steel bikes, I rode a Long Haul Trucker with hopes of finding a road bike that fit but too stretched out.
 
We do a nice business as a Surly dealer. Their customers are as loyal as they come. Their Long Haul Trucker is particularly popular. As far as fat bikes...think their appeal is to the rider that already has multiple styles of bicycles. Would be hard pressed to have one as my ~only~ bike.
 
Whats your shops name, I don't buy much stuff but don't like my LBS so like most of my shopping it's done right here.
 
Too windy for bike but still beautiful weather. Mury is a lucky dog, I take him running every morning.
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