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When can you justify buying a new bike?

furragfurrag Posts: 481
edited August 2010 in Road beginners
I've been looking at versatile bikes recently in the £1-2k bracket, but I'm really struggling to justify purchasing a new bike after weighing up the pros and cons.

My current bike is made by Pro-Lite, Aksium wheels, Ultegra groupset and was bought second-hand, and weighs in at a hefty 9.5kg. I feel road biking is for me, so I guess it's natural progression to wish to cement myself within the cycling world with a new bike and bike fitting.

On my current ride I'm comfortable in the saddle over 80 miles, and I have few problems keeping up with people on the flats or hills who're riding far superior bikes that are in the price bracket I'm looking at. I'm fit, but not a great technical cyclist so it makes me question what I aim to be getting out of investing in a new bike.

I'd like to race crits, but I'd use my current bike at this stage in the Cat 4's as to avoid any thousand-pound disaster crashes.

So when is it the beginner can start justifying their second road bike?

Posts

  • rakerake Posts: 3,204
    when the old ones getting tatty and you need a spare for winter. that said 9.5kg isnt that heavy, you wont see a much difference to your average or flat speed. but it will be a pleasure to ride.
  • salsarider79salsarider79 Posts: 828
    Think you've already justifyed it. :wink:

    If you can keep up with people on your 9.5kg bike, then you should fly past on a 7.5kg bike. Lightweight wheels will inject a lot of performance to your bike, so thats something to think about. Also why not have a look at your LBS, see if they have any guys there selling off their bikes or bits you could use. You could find some tasty upgrades and you can get very good second hand bikes for £1k, and a steel frame can repaired if the unthinkable happens.... :wink:

    If your worried about crashes wrecking your shiny new bike, remember it could happen at anytime, anywhere and on any bike. Maybe look at insurance.
    jedster wrote:
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  • BunnehBunneh Posts: 1,329
    When can you justify it?

    When the wife's not at home and you are bored. :D
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  • Mad RoadieMad Roadie Posts: 710
    justification!!!
    since when has that got to do anything with it?

    justification and Carbon Fibre are mutually exclusive

    Carbon Fibre is 'bikelove'
  • ProssPross Posts: 34,856
    Sounds to me like you just want a new bike and are looking for justification. If you want one, can afford it and it won't end up with you in the divorce courts then buy a new one. However 9.5kg isn't that heavy and just to put a few numbers to it and being simplistic:-

    Assuming you are a relatively light 75kg and put out 200w of power, with a 9.5kg bike you would have a power to weight ratio of 2.37, if you spend £1500 and get a 7.5kg bike you get this up to 2.42 - only you can decide if that is worth it for a 2% increase :wink:
  • markos1963markos1963 Posts: 3,724
    Got agree with Pross, the gain is minimal if your only justification is performance. If however you just want a new bike to boost your self esteem then go for it. I would say a bike with Ultegra and Askiums isn't something to be sniffed at. Indeed you could buy the new bike for general riding and keep the old one for racing, especially if you plan to do some crits as they are the main event for crashing.
    Norfolk, who nicked all the hills?

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  • furragfurrag Posts: 481
    75kg? That's the combined weight of myself AND the bike! Any weight reduction now becomes expensive as it has to be shed off of the bike, though I'm not sure as to how essential it really is on the flats.

    I guess I'm trying to justify what I'll get out of a new bike which my current one can't already offer me. Performance gains are to be made through training; not money in my case. Comfort could really be increased, especially with a bike fitting, but then the S1 isn't really an all-day-in-the-saddle bike, while the Izoard (serious bike porn!) has been touted as one which could handle a sportive.

    I plan to use my current ride on the turbo this winter and may also take it out into the elements if I'm to get a new bike for next summer.
  • ProssPross Posts: 34,856
    Furrag wrote:
    75kg? That's the combined weight of myself AND the bike! Any weight reduction now becomes expensive as it has to be shed off of the bike, though I'm not sure as to how essential it really is on the flats.

    Pah, you should be punished for being annoyingly light by being forced to ride a lead frame! :x :wink:
  • elliebellieb Posts: 436
    i always say if there is a vowel in the month then it is ok to get a new bike.
  • Monty DogMonty Dog Posts: 20,614
    When there's room in the garage for another and you can afford it! (or your bank manager if offering preferential credit terms) Of course this doesn't exclude being able to build a bigger garage or shed.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • BarteosBarteos Posts: 657
    If you mainly ride to get faster, I'd seriously consider getting a powermeter.
    It won't make you Lance but once you start using it, you'll look at average speed, weight and equipment from a different perspective. A bike itself won't matter so much to you anymore, it will be just you, power, time and pain :)
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