A small story...a massive mis-understanding....PLEASE CLOSE!

Simon1890

**EDIT**

Mis-understanding, difference of opinions, missed point, agree to disagree..... call it it what you want, let's just move on now shall we....

bartimaeus

N+1... you need a 'winter bike'

CambsNewbie

Sorry to hear your dream bike is causing so much stress!!

I cycle to get rid of my stress! Getting out in the countryside, getting away from work, domestic life for 2-3 hours of me time.

If the dream bike is causing so much stress why not sell it and get something you don't mind riding in the rain and winter? And will take a few bashes when you come off?

Or I can swap my Boardman with you? The offer is there...

Simon1890

CambsNewbie wrote:

Sorry to hear your dream bike is causing so much stress!!

I cycle to get rid of my stress! Getting out in the countryside, getting away from work, domestic life for 2-3 hours of me time.

If the dream bike is causing so much stress why not sell it and get something you don't mind riding in the rain and winter? And will take a few bashes when you come off?

Or I can swap my Boardman with you? The offer is there...

I know it sounds daft, and many on here may find my opinions annoying (i'm whinging about having a nice bike!) but i honestly wish i hadn't done it.
The obvious concern with selling it is the massive hit i will have to take...but i am in the process of doing just that...you may see it up for sale on here very soon.
My main point isn't about me, but about people thinking seriously about their needs BEFORE buying bikes....
I think forums like this, while being really helpful for a huge amount of things, can be mis-leading in the impression of what people actually ride....causing people to be influenced.

My Boardman was great, a brilliant bike that looking back i can't complain about.
Honestly would consider a swap under the right circumstances!!!

Kona21

It's only a bike...if you fall off and damage it so be it, not much you can do about it. Worry about it when/if it happends, not beforehand.
Or stick to the rule 'dont race what you can't afford to replace' a rule which I seem to have completely ignored!
But the winter months won't do it much good..

ooermissus

I feel your pain - but it's a sunk cost. By selling it on, you'll lose a chunk of the money you paid for it. Why not stop worrying and ride it just like you did your Boardman? It's probably a lot more resilient than you think,

sloppyschleckonds

Simon1890 wrote:

About 5 years ago i was overweight and un-healthy. I bought a Boardman Comp road bike and started cycling....i loved it.

Boardman bikes only went on sale 4 years ago.

What size and how much do you want for the Canyon?

letap73

I understand how you feel, however, I have a second bike which I care less about which I take out in bad weather or when I am feeling adventurous. Bizarrely, I would argue the bike I care less about is probably in better nick! Anyway, the point I want to make is that you can get a 2nd hand Boardman comp for probably next to nothing and leave the other bike for nice days or less adventurous rides.

ride_whenever

Buy a carbon MTB then worry about crashing...

Seriously, it's so much tougher than people seem to think. Fit some mudguards and ride it through the winter, if you're really worried buy a cheap set of cassette, chainrings and chain for the winter to trash. Everything else will be fine.

kylemalco

letap73 wrote:

I understand how you feel, however, I have a second bike which I care less about which I take out in bad weather or when I am feeling adventurous. Bizarrely, I would argue the bike I care less about is probably in better nick! Anyway, the point I want to make is that you can get a 2nd hand Boardman comp for probably next to nothing and leave the other bike for nice days or less adventurous rides.

.

I have rewritten this reply 3times, now onto the fourth reply just have fun

lemoncurd

A bike is a disposable object, no point in it sitting pretty in the garage gathering dust.

Ride it in the rain and sleet, crash it, scratch it up a bit, it'll survive.

If it was expensive then ride it lots, make the most of it otherwise it's just an expensive trinket.

gmb

I understand how the OP feels.

My PX is far too good for my level of riding and I often feel like I don't really need/deserve to have it (although I know it's not up to the standard of most bikes featured on here).

I had a 7 speed Giant OCR 3 with Sora etc. which I sold this year in an effort to force myself to ride the PX more.

Still fret about it though!

centimani

I kinda know where OP is coming from, but for slightly different reasons.
My modest 'best' bike is a Via Nirone Xenon. Its fabulous, i still love it 3 years after getting it. Its been upgraded at various points, better BB bearings, better wheels, better wheel bearings..but i keep thinking i'd like a better bike.
Will it make me go faster...not likely.
Will it look nicer...a bit.
Will i really enjoy it...doubtless.

But then common sense takes hold of me...and i think, do i really want to spend £1K plus to achieve those modest gains listed above. The bike ive already got still does it for me and thats despite the fact i don't really treat it like a piece of gold, its a tool and it shows its use.

(Edited to say, reading that last paragraph just made me realise, for me, the bike is important, but not as important as the cycling itself, there's a distinction)

Common sense is boring sometimes, i wish i could put it to the back of my head, but its there, thats me.

Cleat Eastwood

theres only one way to get over your worries.....BUY ANOTHER BIKE!!!!

lemoncurd

Cleat Eastwood wrote:

theres only one way to get over your worries.....BUY ANOTHER BIKE!!!!

A great solution.

Just make sure that it's a step up from your current bike, then you can demote your existing bike to your winter bike.

Bobbinogs

Bartimaeus wrote:

N+1... you need a 'winter bike'

Gets my vote!

Joking aside, just ride your bike. It isn't made of cheese. If you still have some old wheels then stick them on, if not get a cheap set (R500's for example), change the cassette for a cheaper one that's compatible, a pair of decent trainer tyres, some cruds and off you go, thrash the blinking thing!

Duffer65

lemoncurd wrote:

A bike is a disposable object, no point in it sitting pretty in the garage gathering dust.

Ride it in the rain and sleet, crash it, scratch it up a bit, it'll survive.

If it was expensive then ride it lots, make the most of it otherwise it's just an expensive trinket.

+1

Zoomer37

Get a grip dude. It's just a bike.

petemadoc

Buy a winter bike! ! ! ! !

I bet if you shop around, look at ebay and the classifieds you'll get something suitable for £300.

Oh yeah, and chill out too. I did a sportive at the weekend in damp muddy conditions, I thought for about 10 seconds that I might take the winter bike, then I came to my senses. What's the point in having a nice bike if you don't use the bloody thing.

prawny

Get a Carrera Vanquish from Halfords for £280 and keep the canyon for nice days, if it breaks so what. I've just bought a carbon bike ( a pretty cheap one mind) and I'm worried that if I wreck it I won't be able to afford to replace it but that would be the case with anything I'd want to ride.

To bad I've just sold my boardman or I'd have swapped with you ;-)

nferrar

Pfft load of nonsense Factoring in wear and tear replacements should be part of the purchase decision although you can always downgrade a bit if needed. Why anyone outside of racers buy the top-end cassettes though I don't know...

The those of us that don't compete the only real reason to buy an expensive bike is because it puts a smile on your face and helps you enjoy cycling even more, if you end up miserable on it as you're too paranoid about breaking things then it's not the bike's fault nor should it put others off buying expensive bikes.

keef66

Just ride the bloody thing!

I don't constantly worry about breaking or crashing my car, and that cost a lot more than my bike. Most stuff is fixable anyway. (good job in the case of my car :shock: )

DavidJB

Sounds like you have some issues outside of cycling if you're so worried about something like that! Chill out man...If I snapped my carbon frame in half I couldn't afford to replace it probably (mind you I'm a mug who brought bike insurance, so it would be covered).

I probably spend £200 a month on cycling and bike maintenance, worth it for the joy it brings, Ultegra (My bike) parts aren't cheap to replace but they aren't that expensive either, if I need a new cassette I'd gladly sacrifice a night on the town to buy it or whatever.

As my friend said the other day 'I'm not a bank, why would I store more money than I need to have stored, money is a tool for enjoying yourself'

pk6526

I have some sympathy here. When I bought my bike I had just enough money to get a carbon bike and the enthusiastic salesman swayed my choice. I do enjoy riding it but I admit to being scared I'll crash it - with winter coming up, I'm seriously considering a cheapish alloy bike to train on when it gets wet & dark.

Simon1890

Woahhh... lot of replies in a short time.....

Again, just to reiterate....this post wasn't supposed to be focused on 'me' and 'what advice can you give me?' kind of thing, i am well aware of my options and like i said i am considering selling the bike to purchase an alloy 'all year rounder'....but that's not what this post is supposed to be about..

Yes i do have A LOT of things going on in my life outside of cycling that affect my feelings and decisions....the small fact i have a family of four to provide for takes preference every time over any bike requirements, so i cannot afford to spend "£200 a month" on my bike. However this is a situation that obviously changed with time and with the current climate of economical doom i need to make my money go further, so my choice to go carbon with bells and whistles now seems like a bad decision...that is all i am saying.

Anyone reading this or replying who is in the wonderful position to have regular funds to spend on your bike and your hobby, then i'm happy for you!!!
My current life means if my bike breaks thats my cycling over with until i can save up the money to purchase a new one (even if that is £500).
It might surprise some young readers on here to know that there are people on here that don't have money to spend....i personally would say i have about £10 to £20 a month i could realistically put towards cycling....

At the end of the day this post was supposed to be about 'don't make this mistake' as a warning......i did not mean it to be about 'me' and my circumstances....

Thoughts?

kayakerchris

I am sorry but I think you need some financial counselling. You are going to sell this bike and probably take a 3-400pound hit on the price to buy a less good bike.

Lets suppose you break the front derailleur on your new bike, you can replace the ultegra with 105, SRAM rival, etc. They all have a 1:1 pull and are essentially interchangeable.

Unless you have carbon handlebar and stem the chances of them breaking are equal on bling carbon and cheap alloy.

My best bike is a Giant SL with SRM and Di2. It truly is worth more than my car. I built it this summer and will ride it every weekend I can physically get out this winter. The only reason I dont ride it to work is that I cant put a rack on it and bike theft at work is a real risk.

Carbon does not break that easily!! Look at the crashes in the Tour. Wheels buckle, skin rips but most times they exchange a wheel, get back on the bike and pedal off.

I can fully understand that you are worried about the bike after what happened. I wonder if this is anxiety about the original crash showing through.

Your decision to sell to POSSIBLY reduce financial outgoings in the nebulous future is frankly financially naive. Use the bike and if something breaks downgrade it.

Simon1890

kayakerchris wrote:

I am sorry but I think you need some financial counselling.
......
Your decision to sell to POSSIBLY reduce financial outgoings in the nebulous future is frankly financially naive. Use the bike and if something breaks downgrade it.

Hang on!!! I didnt' say anything about selling my bike as a method of reducing my outgoings, just selling to purchase a cheaper bike that:
a) i'm not as concerned about breaking
b) is cheaper to fix IF it does break.

Your'e right, maybe a lot of my concerns are based on a belief that carbon road bikes will break if you crash, regardless. However on that front i know i have read on here people writing "if you've crashed your carbon bike then there will probably be damage you can't see, it's not worth the risk, replace it"

Again, i'm not asking for sympathy or advice, this post is not supposed to be about my situation, just highlighting the fact that people buy expensive bikes, without a real need, and in my case that has caused me some (albeit a little) stress!!!

NWLondoner

I fretted for ages about crashing and wrecking my carbon pride and joy and fter 3 years it finally happened. Some stupid twat walked right out into me.


Not a dent or crack to my frame. Just a bent STI which with an allen key was fixed in no time



Road cycling and crashes will happen.


The way i look at it is, If i wreck my bike because of something I DID i.e taking a descent and corner at a speed and level above my experience then i have no other option but to put it down to experience.

If i wreck my bike due to a third party then i'll sue the w@nker for every penny he/she has!!!

thegibdog

Simon1890 wrote:

Hang on!!! I didnt' say anything about selling my bike as a method of reducing my outgoings, just selling to purchase a cheaper bike that:
a) i'm not as concerned about breaking
b) is cheaper to fix IF it does break.

The thing is though what are you actually going to fix? If anything breaks then it will most likely need replacing and, as mentioned previously, you can just replace them with cheaper parts. Therefore an expensive bike doesn't have to be expensive to maintain if you don't want it to be.

jonny_trousers

I can see the OP's point if people are going out and buying £2K+ carbon bikes as their first road bikes, but are they really? If they do and they can afford to then good luck to them! If they do and they can't afford to then they are mugs.

I'm not sure I have ever read a thread here where newbies are advised to spend much more than a grand for a first road bike.

That said, the OP's reminder that we should all seriously consider what we hope to use our new bikes for is a perfectly valid one and I have almost fallen into the heart overruling the mind trap a few times over the years.

Where overselling the practicalities of carbon frames is concerned, I would be more inclined to blame the magazines rather than the forums.

Simonhi

Couldn't disagree more, not tryiing to troll but here is my thinking.

I've just built up my first road bike, v.expensive, lots of carbon and titanium and lovely goodies have made it a pleasure in building, riding and enjoying.

I do not intend on riding anything else during the winter. Sure it may get caked in crap and a few bits might rot and need replacing but what is that point of having nice things if you don't get to use them.

My other bikes get a regular hammering and occaisionally need stuff repairing or replacing, this is part of bike ownership, they are not jewels that need locking away only to be taken out for special occaisions, none of my bikes are garage queens, I just use em and abuse em, when they break I fix them.