How Long Between Bike Purchases?

[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.

[oz rider]

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

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.

[Velocivixen]

@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.

[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....

[redrhodie]

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 ). 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.

[Catrin]

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.

+ 1,000

[Biciclista]

wow, Murienn, that red Jamis is awesome!