Quote Originally Posted by Cloudymoor View Post
Thanks Becky---the bike is cobalt blue and it is pretty (although secrety I wanted a Bianchi!)

If I find that I'm really into this and outgrow the gearing in a few years time, is it easier to get a new bike, or change what I have??
That's sort of a tricky question to answer. 7-speed components are getting hard to find- I know, my commuter is 7-speed!- and 7-speed stuff is not readily upgraded to 8-, 9-, or 10-speed. You may be able to buy a 7-speed cassette with slightly different gearing, but it's certainly something that your shop would have to special order for you. To upgrade beyond that, you're looking at a significant chunk of money, and I'd be inclined to use it to increase your budget for a whole new bike.

Personally, I don't mind 7-speed, so I'll be keeping it on my commuter until it breaks. There's a lot of "what ifs" that go along with upgrading any bike so, for now, ride that pretty bike into the ground and see how hard the cycling bug bites you

IMHO, of course...