How Long Between Bike Purchases?

[Velocivixen]

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.

[Catrin]

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

[Velocivixen]

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.

[withm]

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

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.

[nscrbug]

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. 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.

[zoom-zoom]

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.

[Trek-chick]

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....... I would go nuts!!!

[ny biker]

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.

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.

[Becky]

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

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.

[Catrin]

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!

[hulagirl]

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.

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.

[hebe]

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.

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...

[Becky]

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.

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....

[7rider]

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?

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.

[Velocivixen]

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."