Best Bike Buying Advice, EVER!

[smurfalicious]

I guess I'm smack in the middle between the right age to buy a "hot, sexy bike" and the right age to afford one

Ugh, yep, I feel ya there. Life was simpler when the greatest toy ever was Lego's. It makes sense that most of the gals I end up riding horses with are old enough to be my mom or damn near. Kids are off at school, and they're living the dream. I don't know they do it, they strangely seem to enjoy riding the same trail every weekend a walk. Buuuut, they're also financially stable enough to have sweet pickup trucks with bun warmers in the seats that I looooove on a cold morning. I just want a purdy bike while I'm still young and dumb enough to see just how fast and how tight I can lay it into corners until I get roadrash.

eta: I felt much the same way when I was browsing for a road bike, and a guy in his 50s, very overweight, came into the store, glanced around and casually walked out ten minutes later with the beeyoootifulll shiny sexy sleek red road bike I'd been lusting for but couldn't afford. Sure, I should have been thinking "woohoo, good for him, getting out there and getting into shape!" But I just kept thinking "waaahhh - that bike would've looked so much better going home with me!"

Funny related story. I was in a local shop a while back and they had just special ordered a Colnago for a customer. Total retail after they blinged it out came to over $10k. I was in shock especially since they said the guy didn't ride. His logic was that if he spent a good chunk of change, he'd be more motivated to ride it. My question was, "Did he get a 52cm and should I watch Craig's List in a month?" I've done similar things though. Thus why next bike muuuust be pretty, it must call out to me "come ride me!!!"

Coworker just got someone's old team issue GF ProCaliber in pink and grey, not fair. It has an awesome carbon flat bar on it but all the guys keep telling her flat bars suck (really? loved mine) she's decided to replace it after a very small handful of rides. RAR! Not worthy!

Meh, you're only young once, and while sometimes I want to slap whoever started that vicious rumor that your 20's are so great, might as well have fun toys. Don't know when I'll have the chance to only worry about myself and the puppies again so if it means subsisting on ramen noodles for a bit then so be it. I did it when I bought Pony my old hardtail and I can do it again.

I can promise you none of you meet the description of the 50 year old with an Amex in her wallet. You all rock, you know that because you like bikes and I'm sure he'd gladly roll out a few choice for anyone of you to try out until you found the one that made you feel like fastest chica in your zip code. His thing is the people who buy just because they can afford it, not because they care. Like a few years back when he had a beautiful beyond compare Titus Motolite in metallic baby blue, 14" frame. It was blinged out beyond compare with pink pedals, pink spoke nipples, LE Chris King pink hubs and headset, etc. At the time it was $5k but with prices now it would probably be $7k. A gal came in wanting to buy it for her 13 year old son because "it might fit him." Yeah, for a week until he out grows it or gets beaten up.

BTW my grandma lovingly calls herself an "old broad" all the time, thus why I put it in quotes. She's busted her tookus on horses all her life, gone to quarter horse worlds more times than I know, so she can call herself whatever she pleases in my book.

[jobob]

BTW my grandma lovingly calls herself an "old broad" all the time, thus why I put it in quotes. She's busted her tookus on horses all her life, gone to quarter horse worlds more times than I know, so she can call herself whatever she pleases in my book.

But if a perfect stranger referred to her as an old broad, and in an unkind and insulting way, wouldn't you take offense??

[Biciclista]

But if a perfect stranger referred to her as an old broad, and in an unkind and insulting way, wouldn't you take offense??

+++

[SadieKate]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

I can call myself an old broad. I have a friend who calls herself an old broad. She jokingly calls me the older broad. Any one else? It depends on who and in what context and how good a friend.

[Veronica]

Plus when one is writing, one needs to think about his/her audience. That doesn't mean always being absolutely PC, but a writer needs to think about what message he/she is sending with his/her word choice.

Veronica

[Triskeliongirl]

You know, I think we can turn this around into an interesting discussion of aging, and whether we perceive ourselves aging differently as athletic females vs our sedentary counterparts. I know the women older than me in our bike club are such models and inspirations to me of healthy aging.

I wouldn't be being honest if I didn't admit that on the most superficial of levels, youth is very physically attractive. But, as I have aged, I have also gotten fitter and healthier, and I even think about the signs of aging as badges of honor. For example, even though I am now lean and healthy, I have some loose skin over my belly from bearing two strong healthy children. That is my badge of honor that I had that life experience. Knowledge of life, accomplishment in life, are also very attractive in a person. So, I think its important for young people to be furthering their education and aspire to do great things. That's what you need to do to get beyond the superficial definition of an attractive person.

Words are important, because before we can think differently we have to act differently. So how we talk about aging effects how we think about it.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I can promise you none of you meet the description of the 50 year old with an Amex in her wallet.

Since the description said "any 50 year old woman", I think a lot of us do.

Here's your homework:
over 50...
Pop quiz on Friday.

[tulip]

"Broad" doesn't bother me, except if it's used in reference to my backside. Neither does "Dame."

I've never heard of "Cougar" in that context before. Only in reference to large wild cats, and I only hear about them when one decides that joggers in California are tasty.

[indysteel]

Smurf, based on this thread and a few of your other threads, I have to say that you seem unduly fixated on what you have as compared to others, especially people who are wealthier and older than you. I can assure you that "keeping up with the joneses" leads to nothing but grief, emotional and financial. I would urge you to resist trying to do that.

As a 40-year old with an Amex in my pocket, I can assure you that it wasn't that way when I was your age. I was just getting out of law school, in significant school debt with $9 to my name. I didn't have much of anything until, to be frank, fairly recently. Even when I started to earn a decent income, I resisted the urge to go into debt for the things that I wanted. Instead, I paid off my school loans. I saved. I bought a house. I invested. I gave to charity. I saved some more.

While I allowed myself a few nice things and some budget European vacations, I tried very hard to resist any sense of entitlement. I also tried to resist envy, even though I have many friends who have much more than I do--either because they have a more lucrative career, inherited it or married into it. The trappings of wealth are superficially nice, but I'd rather value my life by other things: my health, my dear BF, my friends, my volunteer work, my pets, my hobbies, my career.

I simply hate how it feels to desire all the time. It's incredibly toxic. Instead, I carefully evaluate the wants that I have and measure them against what I otherwise want and value in my life. Because of that, I live well within my means. I refuse to buy things that I can afford. I find much more joy in my financial stability than I do any material item.

I don't fault you for wanting a really nice bike, and if you can truly afford it, knock yourself out. But if you can't or can only afford a less expensive bike, then accept that with grace and focus on other things. If your friend in Portland advised you to buy the bike you want but can't afford just because "you're only young once," then I assure you that he did not give you the best advice ever.

I understand that you live in a town where there's lots of money and work with people who harass you about your bike. So, I'm not saying it's going to easy to resist wanting more than you can afford, but ultimately, you can choose to ignore it. If nothing else, please keep your bike lust in perspective. You may decide to eat ramen noodles for a year simply so you can afford to buy a bike, but don't forget that lots of other people eat ramen noodles simply so they can afford their rent or buy medicine for their kids or keep the heat on during the winter.

Frankly, I think you might benefit from getting a a dose of reality/different perspective in Boulder. I would encourage you to volunteer with a group that helps people who are disadvantaged in some way. IMO, getting outside your own head (and away from the people who put you down all the time), might do you some good.