Does new bike = big change in cycling habits?
Steve236
Posts: 212
Let me explain at bit further...
Not having the money or space for a weekend summer best bike + a winter trainer with guards etc I'm looking into do-it-all, all in one options. Liking the aesthetics of steel, I posted on here a week or two ago regarding the Condor Fratello which seems to fit the bill. The mention of the Condor Acciaio on that thread got me thinking though. At the moment, I ride for fitness and enjoy good hard efforts while passing through nice places, usually in the evening during summer and at the moment at lunchtime in work. Not really, extra-long, audax-type riding and not touring. I'm not in a club and mainly ride alone and avoid rainy days. This is all on an old mountain bike with slicks by the way.
But... I have ideas (when I get a road bike) of joining a club, doing longer rides, maybe whole days out with a bit of baggage. A bike like the Fratello would suit this type of thing but if all that failed to happen and I just kept on mainly with the shorter fitness rides, the Acciaio would be a bit livelier and I wouldn't miss the comfort, guards etc.
So the question is - for those who made a decision to up the stakes with their riding by getting a "proper" bike, did your riding habits change...did you do all the things you wanted to (maybe you had racing ambitions (I don't)) or did you just carry on doing the same type of riding but just with a bit more style?
Not having the money or space for a weekend summer best bike + a winter trainer with guards etc I'm looking into do-it-all, all in one options. Liking the aesthetics of steel, I posted on here a week or two ago regarding the Condor Fratello which seems to fit the bill. The mention of the Condor Acciaio on that thread got me thinking though. At the moment, I ride for fitness and enjoy good hard efforts while passing through nice places, usually in the evening during summer and at the moment at lunchtime in work. Not really, extra-long, audax-type riding and not touring. I'm not in a club and mainly ride alone and avoid rainy days. This is all on an old mountain bike with slicks by the way.
But... I have ideas (when I get a road bike) of joining a club, doing longer rides, maybe whole days out with a bit of baggage. A bike like the Fratello would suit this type of thing but if all that failed to happen and I just kept on mainly with the shorter fitness rides, the Acciaio would be a bit livelier and I wouldn't miss the comfort, guards etc.
So the question is - for those who made a decision to up the stakes with their riding by getting a "proper" bike, did your riding habits change...did you do all the things you wanted to (maybe you had racing ambitions (I don't)) or did you just carry on doing the same type of riding but just with a bit more style?
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Comments
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I really noticed the speed when i went from my My specialized camber to my allez and on a carbon road bike i feel the difference. thats mainly when i started riding a different bike after a while it just becomes the norm until you get something better.0
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Cycling is well in your blood now young man. Your life will never be the same again. Get yourself the Condor, use it all year round and embrace the liberation it will give you.0
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But does a new bike really make that much difference? I am carrying a couple of kilos to much and would love it if a new bike meant that I could go faster and lose it!!0
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Well going to a road bike was the time I decided to take up cycling as a more serious hobby; because I "could" go faster, I ended up cycling more, and going longer. This lead to pushing my body and, as I hit the 20mph barrier, I realized I needed proper clothing.
Once I get hooked onto something and spend some money, you HAVE to get your money's worth. I'm in college, and I study a lot and never party, so cycling iss the thing that I can do that lets me escape from everything, and just live my own world for a few hours.
But yea, the mentality will change; as with any new toy, you have the urge to use it more and more. I think this happens with near everybody, but the problem is when people realize that in order to go faster, they have to push themselves, the lazy can't stick with it, and they think that buying nicer gear makes up for it.
I constantly see posts on other forums about buying new parts and upgrading components when they aren't pushing a 20mph average over 20 miles; but it's a hobby and different people look at it in different ways.0 -
waterford123 wrote:Cycling is well in your blood now young man. Your life will never be the same again. Get yourself the Condor, use it all year round and embrace the liberation it will give you.
This. The OP is looking for an excuse not to upgrade...it sounds like u r getting bitten by the cycling bug proper. as long as u can afford it, get it. or maybe put your plans into action now e.g. join a club, and THEN decide on upgrades.0 -
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Dont bother with either, get a Genesis Equilibrium. Better geometry than the Fratello and it has proper mudguard mounts. Its also cheaper.0
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Thanks for the replies.
Its not that I'm looking for an excuse not to upgrade - my current bike is pretty old and battered and not really suited to road riding although it does the job for now. So an upgrade is very much on the cards.
A good bike is a fairly big investment (money wise) so I mainly want to avoid getting bike X thinking I'll be doing a certain type of riding then, in a year or so thinking - actually I would have been better off with bike Y given that I spend 95% of my time doing this other sort of riding.0
