No new Ribble for me!!!

paulieb2006

Went for a spin with a couple of guys from the local club and discovered that the Ribble Sportive that I have been craving is proberbly going to be wasted on me Was wondering if anybody could reccomend a bit of bling for the bike I have. Was thinking of kitting it out with new Handlebars, Stem and Speedplay pedals. Also me Ar5e is hurting and could do with a new Saddle, (Need some Cushioning) Will prob be buying on the net so any ideas would be great.
Thanks
Paul

BigG67

Buy the Ribble if you want to and can afford it.

All the "all the gear no idea" is crap, you earned it you can save it or spend it and no one can tell you which it's to be (unless of course there's a Mrs.....!!)

If not then spend on wheels - don't always look as cool as other kit but they will help your performance and if it's bragging rights you're after then they're the 1st thing other roadies will look at, after the frame but before the groupset

greeny12

I agree entirely with BigG - if you can afford a nice bike don't be put off by some idea that you don't deserve it because you're not a tip-top rider.

I'm no Lance Armstrong but I fell in love with the lines of the Colnago clx and I had the dosh so I bought one, and I don't regret it for a minute.

After all, plenty of people buy Ferraris and Lambos and I bet only a small fraction are what we'd think of as great drivers...

avoidingmyphd

wasted on you how? because some guys you know will still be faster than you?

if that was the qualifying criteria for a nice bike, noone would have one.

if you want to spend the money, and you would enjoy owning the ribble, buy it!

10speedshimano

Hi Paul,
I'd definitely agree with all the other posts on here - if you want the Ribble and have the dosh for it then buy it, its a nice bike! I ride an Orbea Orca. Does that make me the best rider in my club? Course it doesnt, but I wanted it and could afford it ( I cant now though ). I would def say that owning your dream bike is a great thing to do if you can..my Orca is such a fine bike I swear it motivates me to work harder to be a better rider, plus time spent riding it is such a pleasure.
Just picking up on the other points in your post - saddles are a really tricky one to recommend as everyone is different, what works for me probably wont work for you. You might find that investing in a really good pair of shorts will help more than a new saddle...I bought a pair of Assos F1 Mille's that I only wear on the very longest rides and they are simply superb, just shut your eyes when you have to pay for them . I'd highly recommend Speedplays, use them on both my bikes and cannot fault them, although replacement cleats are pricey. Having said that, the cleats last much much longer than any others I've tried (Look Keo, Shimano SPD Sl etc) so I guess its all relative.

Go buy that Ribble!

Cheers,
Steve

Anonymous

Spend spend spend!

You can't take it with you, why suffer for second best?

I ride a bike that is way too good for me and I bloody love it!

In fact I ride 5 bikes that are way too good for me, one of which is a 1986 Muddy Fox courier I've had since I was 11. I love them all!

HonestAl

I can only throw my (not inconsiderable) weight behind what everyone else has said above. If there was some magic ratio of "skill and capability" dvided by "what I've spent on my bikes" it'd be a tiny, tiny number. For those who struggled with fractions that means there's absolutely no justification in my having spent what I have on bikes.

EXCEPT that (a) I can afford it, (B) my very tolerant wife is OK with me doing it, (C) I love owning them, and (D) I love riding them.

I know myself well enough to say that the worst economy I can make is to buy something "that'll do" if I've got any real interest in the subject. Soon enough I'll be hankering after something closer to what I really wanted, justifying why I needed it AS WELL as the cheaper alternative. And I bet I'm not alone in this.

So there's no magic definition of how you justify a bit of kit you want. If you want the Ribble and won't hurt anyone by getting it, then my vote is for you to do so. It really won't be a waste of time. You'll use it more, have more fun out of it, take better care of it and become a better rider.

(climbs down off of soapbox)

markos1963

I can't justify what I have spent on my bikes and kit but I remember when I was a kid looking into the window of Pheonix Cycles in Eastbourne lusting after the bikes that i couldn't afford I promised myself that I WOULD have what I wanted. Now that I can afford it I feel great every time I go riding, I know that I'm never going to fufill the potential of my bike but at least I can look good doing it.

Anonymous

Ironically, the only people who truly justify the top end bikes get them free...

Litespeed79

Spend the money I did I bought myself a Litespeed on a wim beacuse I thought I'd like to take up cycling again.

Totally wasted for the 1st year think I sat on it twice but since Christmas I'm always on it - due to guilt & the fact the missus saw the bills & 'encouraged' me to use it!

Now bought a mountain bike too!! I paid for it so who cares - you're a long time dead so spoil yourself - no one else will!!!

simpoman

OMG....what is there to think about!
I'm 45, fat, not too fit....just got my Madone 5.2. Don't care what people think, its a joy to ride and the best of my 6 bikes. Its also taken me on my 1st 50 milers.
If I could have got a Ribble near me I'd be on it now.......go for it

edhornby

you buy the bike that you want - a bike that you enjoy riding will make you ride more and you'll be in better shape for it

winner all round :-)

sturmey

Agree with the general sentiment that if you want it,buy it.


But it is satisfying to be able to 'do justice' to your steed and even more, to overtake weekend warriors on fancy modern racing tackle when I'm out on my 21 yr old steel framed lightweight. Now if I only had what they were riding,who knows how fast I could be ...