How Long Between Bike Purchases?

I bought my Trek FX 7.3 6 months ago. It's a hybrid and I really like riding it. However I have been reading all these posts about all these different brands/types of bikes and it makes me want to go out and test ride them all! I live in a town where there are all brands of bikes represented and a ton of LBS of every flavor! Portland is truly a bicycling town.

So....I'm thinking of a road bike. Back history: I bought a nearly new Schwinn Le Tour 10 speed road bike from my older sister when I was 13 years old (1977) and it was my only form of transportation, other than walking, that I used until the bike was stolen when I was about 19 or 20 years old. I rode that bike every day to school, around for entertainment/leisure, etc. So, I'm currently 47 years old and have not ridden a road bike with drop handlebars since way back when. I doubt if I would do any racing, touring (unless it's what I think they call "credit card" touring, but not camping, etc.). Really just riding around urban/suburban areas in street and MUPs. My current bike suits my needs beautifully, however, I think it's nice to have different options for different things, and also for the variety.

So, if you have more than one bike how long was it between getting another bike? How did you justify getting another bike?

I don't want a stable of bikes that are, basically, all the same. So how did you decide what features you wanted/needed in the subsequent bikes?

Thanks.

It is really fun to buy bikes! I only learned how to ride 17 months ago and have 3 bikes while I have purchased 4 of them. The first one was a Trek 7.6 FX WSD - I learned how to ride on it but hated the aluminum buzz and it was too big for me anyway. Decided I wanted a steel touring bike, so bought my beloved steel beauty, a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Learned from my fitter the Trek would never fit properly, so I sold her :( So The Trek was purchased in December, the LHT in March.

Rode the dickens out of the LHT last summer - close to 2,000 miles worth in my first season. It is my cushy tank, but the important word there is tank...she is heavy and I wanted something lighter and reserve the touring bike for tours. I have significant fitting issues and am short, so in January started the process to have a totally custom bike built and thus was born my Gunnar, or Ms. Plum Blossom! I will never buy another bike for road use that is not steel.

I am learning how to mountain bike this summer, and while I had intended on waiting until after the women's clinic to purchase a mountain bike, we learned that there were few of the 2011 model I wanted remaining for purchase. So, on the same day I brought home the custom Gunnar, I also brought home the Jamis.

So, three different bikes, and they are all quite different. My stable, and bedroom, is full.

I think you will have fun shopping for a new bike, but then again, don't look to me to talk you out of it :cool: :)

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

So, if you have more than one bike how long was it between getting another bike? How did you justify getting another bike?

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As long as a couple of years, and as short as a week.

How to justify buying a bike? You are talking to a bunch of enablers here. New, old, or in between doesn't matter. If you want a bike, thankfully there is NO ONE here who will try to talk you out of it.

Thanks for your insights. Not sure that I "loved" the Schwinn - it was the only road bike I have ever ridden and finances were tight growing up, so I didn't have a choice of bikes. I don't even recall if it fit me (come to think of it, I never adjusted the seat, had tune ups or even knew to oil the chain!). I don't remember what it felt like to ride it, but I do recall I learned to ride with no hands and could go literally miles with no hands if I wanted.
Heck, I don't even have a budget in mind. Probably not more than around $1,000. We have a place called Sellwood Cycle Repair that sells new (Kona dealer) and excellent quality used bikes on consignment. So a used bike would be an option. I looked at the Trek Portland Which Trek calls both a "Road" and an "Urban" and my favorite LBS happens to deal in Trek. It's more than $1,000, so...I guess if I totally fell in love I would consider something more.
I don't think I want carbon because I don't see myself ever needing that "much" specialty in a bike for my type of riding. Steel sounds heavy and I doubt I'd ever be riding more than perhaps 30 miles in a day (although who knows?).
It rains here a lot, so disc brakes sound nice. I don't work so commuting to/from work isn't an issue, although who's to say?
I think I might like an all around general purpose road bike to ride mostly in urban settings vs century type rides.
Portland is opening up it's first ever indoor MTB park similar to Ray's MTB in Cleveland. I've never ridden a contain bike, but want to try. We have some MTB specific shops in town and I think they have clinics. so I would definitely try different types od riding before buying a new one.

Hmm...let's see now. My first "road" style bike w/drop bars was a Specialized Sirrus that I bought many years...I'd say I was in my early 20's at the time (I'm 45). After I tired of that bike, I got a Nishiki mountain bike...it was lime green. :D I rode that bike for years, before deciding on a Trek Navigator 2.0, a comfort bike. I rode that bike up until I got "bit" by the triathlon bug back in 2008. I bought a Trek 2100 WSD, that served my purposes well...only it was a tad too big for me. A year later, I decided I wanted a faster, better bike because I thought I would continue doing triathlons. So I bought a Cervelo Carbon Soloist. I rode that bike for 1 season, and never did do another triathlon that year. I loved my Cervelo, but sadly it was a bit too aggressive for my old, messed up back...so I sold it and bought a more relaxed geometry road bike last May - a Cannondale Synapse Fem 3 Carbon, my current bike.

I'm on the 1 year plan, right now! ;) First road bike bought in Nov. of '09. "Outgrew" that starter bike pretty fast and got my new/current ride in early Dec. of last year. Now I am eyeballing a cyclocross bike before Fall so that I might get in on some races and have a bike more suitable to riding when roads are snowy/slushy and on our unpaved roads (they can take studded tires for snow and ice). I hate not being able to ride outdoors some year-round, so having 2 different bikes will allow me to not be stuck on the trainer so much all Winter.

I wouldn't dismiss steel so quickly...It's really not as heavy as it used to be and the ride quality is amazing on some bikes. I have had many comment on how light my steel Trek 520 is (unloaded of course;))

...for me it's usally years for new purchases due to finances but....if I win the lottery.......:D I would go nuts!!!

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

I doubt if I would do any racing, touring (unless it's what I think they call "credit card" touring, but not camping, etc.). Really just riding around urban/suburban areas in street and MUPs. My current bike suits my needs beautifully, however, I think it's nice to have different options for different things, and also for the variety.

So, if you have more than one bike how long was it between getting another bike? How did you justify getting another bike?

I don't want a stable of bikes that are, basically, all the same. So how did you decide what features you wanted/needed in the subsequent bikes?

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Yes, we are all enablers and we'd never talk you out of a bike purchase.
But...
What do you want to do that your current bike is unable to do for you? Sounds like you have the ideal bike for what you want to do. How or why do you think you may have "outgrown" it?

Some of us have many bikes to suit a variety of tasks, as not every bike excels at everything it is asked to do. You must first ask yourself what "difference" you want to satisfy, and would that be met with a bike of another type?

If you want a variety of hand positions, it may be cheaper to just add bar ends to your current bike.
If you want to credit card tour - add a rack.
If you want to go fast(er), maybe a road bike would suffice.
But only you can decide what you want to do on a bike.

Oh I haven't outgrown my current bike and I won't dismiss steel either. I'm the kind of person, who for example, if I had the money would have a variety of different cars - a sports car, a sleek sedan, a utility vehicle, etc. I would have them to match my mood. Just like I wear different colors of makeup depending on my mood, or different earrings. I like variety.
So I didn't mean to imply that my current bike isn't sufficient, just entertaining the idea of riding a different style and having a different feeling on a bike. Different bikes for different moods I guess. here's something that I found on a bike site that meant something to me:
"An intelligently designed bike will offer a wonderful ride, handle like a dream and only slightly compromise the all-out need for the ultimately competitive bike."

Started riding an old hard tail with slicks in fall 2000. In September of 2002, I bought my first road bike, an aluminum Cannondale R600. In June 2004, I was sick of the road buzz and the crappy components, so I bought a Trek 5200, all carbon. Loved that bike. It had a few quirks and ended up upgrading the front derailleur to Dura Ace. It really wasn't that comfortable, though, for me. In June 2006 we went into a new shop for a fitting (DH had a Trek 5500) and we ended up getting Kuotas... different models. After much duress and actually having the LBS switch out the frame for a smaller one, almost 2 years after purchase, I've learned that my body probably needs a more upright position, but, I am not buying another road bike for awhile. I bought a steel Jamis Coda (hybrid/flat bar road bike) in January 2008. It's decked out for shopping, etc. Many ride this bike as their fast bike, but for me, it's more of a toodle along bike. Oh, and I had a full suspension mountain bike, bought in 2004. Never really got very good at it, but it was used a lot for 2-3 years. I sold it last fall.
Next bike will be a steel or titanium custom roadie that I can use for light touring.

@Crankin, you're the second person who has mentioned Jamis to me.

I read a good article on the differences of steel (modern), aluminum, carbon. It sounds like for purely ride quality a steel frame might be a good place to start.

Also, thought I would redact what I said about buying all sorts of cars if I had the money. I highly doubt I would have that many cars because I don't think it would be the right choice from a trying to live a "greener" lifestyle point of view. I mainly said that just to give an example of how I would like to have a variety of bikes "just because".

Thanks.

Agh! You made me do math! :eek:

I USED to be really big into bike touring/commuting/fun rides. But after about 5 years on a SoftRide Mtn bike that was too big for me, the pain got to be too much. Sold it when I moved to Hawaii and stopped riding due to allergies giving me asthma.

Became a lazy, over weight business owner that lives 1.5 miles from one of the best beaches on earth. :mad:

Hubby did too! Then he started running, then I started running (hate it!) and said "I hate running!" but maybe I'll like triathlons! :D

So I bought a 7 speed beach cruiser named Bonnie. (about a year ago)

Then I found out that you need a brake on each wheel for a triathlon. So, 5 months later I bought a Specialized Vita Sport Hybrid as my first triathlon bike.

Then I did my first triathlon. And as a former biker I KICKED *** on the bike. But because it was so heavy, I had nothing left for the dreaded run. And started to look at road bikes.

2 months after buying the hybrid, I bought a carbon Orbea road bike. (Talk about a jump!)

And just this weekend I placed an order for a Bike Friday for hubby and I and sold the beach cruiser and hybrid. (6 months)

So it looks like I'm at about 6 months. But I'd like that to stop. So would my bank account!

Our stable is very empty now. One Orbea and one Big Dummy. But soon we will have Ketchup and Mustard coming to join them!

So my first bike was a Marin Stinson comfort bike (I really wanted a Pashley but couldn't find a local dealer). It was July 2010. The Marin was hard work off road and actually not very comfortable. For Christmas 2011 the Mister bought me a Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike (and I found a Pashley dealer). The Spesh is perfect off-road and a barrel of fun. I put a new saddle and seatpost on the Marin and to be fair, that bike is doing well and is a lot more pleasant to ride. It's set up with basket/full mudguards and is my errand bike as I'm doing far more road mileage due to fuel prices. Those two will do me fine for a while yet. Yes, I would love to swap the Marin out, but it will do the job until finances allow a Pashley (or until I'm 50, whichever comes first).

Bike #1 : Trek Pure Cruizer bike bought late July of last year and lasted me all of two months.

Bike #2 : Trek FX 7.3 Hybrid purchased used late September of last year. My main ride through the end of the season, but enough miles to feel the buzz from the ALU frame and fork. Burr in my saddle got my pondering something with carbon fork.

Bike #3 : Bought my Specialized Ruby Elite full carbon roadie in early late Febuary. I wasn't thinking I needed that much bike and originally looked at the Dolce, same bike, ALU instead of carbon. Found a new old stock bike at a er price.

Bike Four : Trek xcal 29er hardtail mountain bike purchased about a week ago!!

Just sold the cruiser last night, so I'm back down to three.

Shannon

I started with a path/pavement bike my DH got for me to ride to the store and back. I rode it occasionally for several years. Then I moved up to a used Trek FX hybrid bike which I kept for 6 weeks until realizing I really wanted a road bike.

I bought an aluminum Fuji road bike in August 2009, and just bought a Specialized Ruby Comp last month, 1 1/2 years after. (My daughter is getting the Fuji as long as she wants it I got an old Nishiki mixte in Nov 2009. I don't expect to buy any more bikes.

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Originally Posted by withm

As long as a couple of years, and as short as a week.

How to justify buying a bike? You are talking to a bunch of enablers here. New, old, or in between doesn't matter. If you want a bike, thankfully there is NO ONE here who will try to talk you out of it.

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I might try to talk her out of it.

I started with a mountain bike (1998), which I rode on paved trails as well as dirt. When I wanted to do longer road rides, I got a road bike (2002). When I realized a different road bike would be more comfortable, I got a different road bike and donated the old one to a nonprofit bike shop (2010).

I made sure I had the money to pay cash each time.

Bikes are not cheap and they take up space. I buy new jerseys and new socks when I want variety.

In the past four years, I've bought two complete bikes and built up three others. It helps that, until recently, I worked part-time at a shop and got pro deals. So I'm probably not the best person to ask :D

They're all just a little bit different. The two that are most similar are the two road bikes....one is Shimano-equipped steel and the other SRAM-equipped carbon. The rest of the fleet have even more variety....the full-suspension mountain bike, the rigid singlespeed mountain bike, the cyclocross-turned-supercommuter, and the beater singlespeed for locking up at the grocery store.

I love them all but, in some ways, they're a burden. It's stuff....stuff that takes up space and requires time and maintenance.

I remember a little over a year ago when the good women of TE talked me out of building my LHT from the frame up and getting the Surly complete build instead - the build my LBS of that time was recommending wasn't very good and would have been much more expensive to build. I am glad I listened :)

While I've purchased two other bikes since then, I do not expect to buy any more unless something happens to one of them - hopefully not.

BTW, steel doesn't have to be heavy, I've two steel bikes and one is MUCH lighter than the other - and the ride is so much better than aluminum. I must admit that lighter steel does come at a premium price, but I love both of my steel bikes!

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Originally Posted by Catrin

BTW, steel doesn't have to be heavy, I've two steel bikes and one is MUCH lighter than the other - and the ride is so much better than aluminum.

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Oh a very big thumbs up to that! I got rid of my 18lb Specialized Vita Sport (aluminum) because it felt like I was always riding in mud.

My husband's Big Dummy (steel, over 6' LONG in in the 60lb weight range with his 30lb chain lock) is a better ride at well over double the weight.

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

... 6 months ago ... hybrid ... thinking of a road bike.

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That's standard in my world, hehe. You don't need to justify it; it's mathematically N+1 where N = number of bikes you have and +1 is the number of bikes you need. ;)

Sounds like you have an idea of what you want to do with it, and I would suggest you focus on the bikes that fit and do the job rather than brand,so test riding is good. But also, don't buy for what you want today because most people find they can do so much more than they thought; buy for what you might want to do in 12 months' time.

@NY Biker - yes, I think for awhile I will be using jerseys & socks to add variety. lol

@oz rider, thanks for suggesting to think of what I might want or be able to do in 12 months time.

In reality I don't have funds to buy a bike, however I have been exposed to so many brands, types, build ups of bikes in my short time on this forum and I feel excited about the endless possibilities with bikes. I will still research and probably do some test rides, but I am in no big hurry to buy another bike. Just really wondered if I was "normal" wanting a new/different/additional bike so soon after I bought one that I truly love.

I guess I've found that I'm "normal" (well, I've never really wanted to be 'normal'). But I think you get the idea.
Thanks. I'm going to look up some of the bikes you've mentioned.

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Originally Posted by Becky

I love them all but, in some ways, they're a burden. It's stuff....stuff that takes up space and requires time and maintenance.

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Lovely stuff, but you make a very good point. I think I will always be at two bikes, as no matter what the finances, there's still only me and still the same number of daylight hours in a day and the same other demands on my time. With two, they both get ridden every week weather permitting.

VV - it's very normal :) Sorry. I just try to enjoy window shopping and the new bikes on here. Plus, my two are still less than a year old so new really...

I got my first non-kid bike in 1982: a Univega Gran Turismo. I wish I still had it. In 1986, I got my first racing bike, a Fuji something-or-the-other. It was stolen that same year. In 1986 I bought my first mountain bike, a Specialized Stumpjumper Sport. I still have it! In 1987, I bought my second racing bike in 1987: Centurion Facet. I rode and raced that for several years. I sold it and bought a beautiful Vitus racing bike that I rode until 2003. The frame cracked in the Horrible Crash.

In 1989, I bought my second mountain bike: a Bridgestone MB2. I had it until 1999 when i left it behind when I moved from Overseas.

I rode the Vitus and the Stumpjumper all through the 1990s and into the 2000s. In 2003, I bought a Jamis Coda Comp and retired my Stumpjumper from commuting duties. In 2003, I had the Horrible Crash and the Vitus bit the dust. I only rode the Jamis for the next two years, and only for commuting.

In 2005, I bought my beloved Luna. Still riding it, of course.

In 2008, I bought my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro. Still riding that, too.

I have not bought any other bikes since 2008. I have all that I need and want.

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Originally Posted by tulip

I have not bought any other bikes since 2008. I have all that I need and want.

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Hehe...famous last words...

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Originally Posted by hebe

Lovely stuff, but you make a very good point. I think I will always be at two bikes, as no matter what the finances, there's still only me and still the same number of daylight hours in a day and the same other demands on my time. With two, they both get ridden every week weather permitting.

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You make a very good point about time, and it's a lesson that I still haven't learned ;) I do toy with the idea of selling a bike or two, but I wouldn't know which one to let go of first....

I remember when I got my Fuga, saying to one of the shop guys it was the last bike I was ever going to buy (to which he laughed). 2 more bikes later, within 4 years. I bought my steel Merckx because it was a deal I couldn't pass up, and I wanted a beater (it's the world's nicest beater, btw :p). Then I decided riding outside all winter was more fun than riding the trainer, so I sold my trainer and bought a winter bike. I use it more than I thought I would, like whenever it's going to be wet out, and whenever I need to carry stuff. It's a great addition to the stable. I do a lot more utilitarian cycling.

But you don't need to/shouldn't go into debt for more bikes. Wait until you have a need for, and the money for, a new bike. You might be surprised what you end up wanting.

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Originally Posted by redrhodie

But you don't need to/shouldn't go into debt for more bikes. Wait until you have a need for, and the money for, a new bike. You might be surprised what you end up wanting.

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+ 1,000 :o

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Originally Posted by Velocivixen

So, if you have more than one bike how long was it between getting another bike? How did you justify getting another bike?

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I bought my first carbon fiber zoom-zoom bike in '07. Then added a mtb that same year. Sold the mtb the next year and upgraded to a full suspension mtb. Decided I needed a touring mtb and bought one in steel. Then my zoom-zoom bike got rear ended by a car when it was on the hitch mount bike rack and after the insurance settlement I ordered a new road bike--in light weight, OX Platinum steel.

I've often thought of reducing the number of bikes to just 2 but I always find a use for every one of them.

I think I'd ask myself if I were prone to buying too much... if so, then hold off. Also, you may want to get a few more miles under your backside to get to know what's important to you. However, if something lighter and faster will mean you can go on rides (especially with groups) that you can't keep up with on the hybrid -- and you'll go :) -- then you'll *get* those miles with a new bike.

I have usually had about 2 years between bike purchases; they each have a unique role. I started with a hybrid in... '91? ... in 2001 I decided to go with a lighter bike for longer, faster rides. I don't remember when I added the Vintage 1968 Racer to the fleet because that's an amazing cool bike that I grew up with and I found one cheap on ebay ($32, another 30 for shipping)... and then a little after that this grad student was selling his Dutch commuting bike 'cause he was graduating and going back to HOlland. (That I would have bought even if I'd bought a bike the week before, because it wasn't going to come along again!) Anotehr two years later and I got a folding bike for those traveling miles.

Any of my bikes cost less than a year's worth of auto insurance that I'm not paying.

I just realized, there will be strays, too. You'll start seeing bikes in the trash, and at yard sales, that you'll think you need to take home, to rescue. Sometimes they're great deals, sometimes, just clutter. I haven't counted any of those in my bike count, because I've gotten rid of them all, but they can really add to your fleet.

wow, Murienn, that red Jamis is awesome!

@Geonz, you are wise my friend. I have had the habit in the past of "getting excited" about something and not really doing my research, then buying something that wasn't right for me (esp. given my history of very "wrong" bikes for me).

I did get to two bike shops, one that sells primarily Kona & Specialized. Based on our conversation (lasted about 45 minutes) he recommended perhaps a Kona Honky Inc. I looked at the Sutra and he said it might be too slow or "combersome" of a ride feeling. I didn't test drive anything today. I went to a shop that sells Jamis, Soma, Surly and another brand. I spoke to him for about an hour and actually learned that Cross bikes have drop bars, but apparently are a little more "relaxed" in riding position, and often have more room for things like racks, fenders, etc. vs. purely road bikes. This was intriguing to me and I'm learning a lot. He suggested the Surly Cross-Check, Jamis Satellite-Sport (entry level components), or the Soma Double-Cross which is disc brake ready.
I doubt I'd actually use a cyclo cross bike during a real cyclo-cross race, but more as a road/commuter/rough path type bike. Still doing research though.
Thanks for all your ideas.