Quote Originally Posted by Zen View Post
Do you come up with these pearls of wisdom while riding a custom built Luna, perhaps?
Well, I got my first bike 3 years ago (I have had two bikes during the past 40 years), the Rivendell. I rode it for 2 years, increasing my mileage a great deal, and had fit problems the whole time that we tried unsuccessfully to solve. There was some nasty elbow pain and a constant unbalanced feeling. I tried to 'love what I had"...I certainly love the concept of Rivendell steel country bikes...but the severe elbow pain was ruining it for me, as was the constant feeling of falling on my hands.

It wasn't a feeling of 'bike envy' that made me order a Luna, it was the pain and discomfort in riding I was having. I would have bought ANY bike that fit me really well. I test rode a few other types of bikes including a WSD bike, and wasn't having much luck. I researched for months, because I didn't want to buy the wrong bike again- I wanted a bike that would last me for many years of happy riding. I finally figured that getting a custom bike would greatly increase my chance of having a bike I could ride without pain. Got my Luna (more expensive than most Treks, less than most Sevens), made to my body measurements.
It has been SO comfortable for me, such a huge relief!- and has made bike riding the pain-free joy I was hoping for. I'm not sure all this was falling under the spell of 'bike envy'. Though for sure, for 2 years I did envy women who were riding without pain!

Now, what I would love most at this point in time is to sell my Rivendell and replace it with another identical Luna frame to be used for errands and shopping. Then I could be comfortable all the time when riding. But I resist that urge. Instead I chose the practical route and fixed the Riv up with rack and panniers, etc., to use it for my utility bike for shorter trips. Shorter trips didn't hurt my elbows as much.

I occasionally see great old 1980's lugged steel road bikes in the trash or at garage sales cheap. The urge is to nab them, fix them up...after all, they'd be so cool. But then... I think "Do I really need another bike?" and the answer is NO, I only 'need' a road/pleasure bike, and a shopping/utility bike. I have what I need, and I don't need more. Happily, I don't suffer from uncontrolled Bike Acquisition Syndrome.

Bike envy aside, I do recommend that anyone who rides a bike that is uncomfortable for them get a new bike that fits properly, whatever that might be.