Do you spend money on the bike or on kit?

964cup

My name is 964Cup and I'm a bike addict. In the last year I've bought three new bikes, including an increasingly pimptastic Cervelo R3. I can easily persuade myself to buy expensive bits for the bikes (especially if I spot a "bargin" in the Classifieds). Case in point I've just spent quite a lot of money on 7970 Di2 for the R3, despite its existing Ultegra drive train being a) only 600 miles old and b) more than good enough.

But I won't spend money on cycling wear. Shoes, yes. Helmet, yes. But all my bibs, tops and assorted extremity warmers are dhb, Endura or Pearl Izumi. I have no Rapha, no Assos, no Castelli. I'll spend three figures on upgrading a perfectly functional drivetrain I use once a week, but I baulk at paying more than £40 for bib tights I'll wear every day. It does mean I can just chuck them in the washing machine without too much concern (isn't it Assos that you have to wash in a special bag using soap made from virgins' liposuction fat in desalinated crocodile tears at precisely 29.8 degrees?). On the other hand it means (I assume, since I've not tried) that I am significantly less comfortable than I could be.

Do you share this block, or is this something I should discuss with my therapist?

imposter2.0

Spend some money on a race licence and some entry fees...

iPete

Complete opposite, the bike works so I need to look good on it...*

*after paying my licence, to keep Imposter happy...

slowbike

iPete wrote:

Complete opposite, the bike works so I need to look good on it...*

Do any of us really look good on our bikes?

iPete

Slowbike wrote:

iPete wrote:

Complete opposite, the bike works so I need to look good on it...*

Do any of us really look good on our bikes?

No but there is sliding scale between complete gimp in YJA and racey looking weirdo in lycra...

imposter2.0

iPete wrote:

Complete opposite, the bike works so I need to look good on it...*

*after paying my licence, to keep Imposter happy...

and club membership

goonz

I spend more money on kit because I would need to save to get my best bike and I cant save, so splash every month on gear. I have lots of Rapha and Assos and love the stuff. Am also building up a fixed gear at the moment so splashing loads on that too.

Padeye

I am exactly the same as you. You appreciate fine mechanical engineering and there's nothing wrong with that!

I too buy fancy bike bits but all my gear is dhb or similar. I think my main reason for this is that the majority of people either laugh at me, take the piss out of me or in extreme cases act agressively towards me for dressing up in lycra, so why pay a a high price for it? All my gear fits well and is comfortable, so no need to pay more.

Bozman

You've got the bike, just get the engine sorted and bobs your uncle, assos isn't going to make you any quicker.

LegendLust

Bozman wrote:

You've got the bike, just get the engine sorted and bobs your uncle, assos isn't going to make you any quicker.

Neither's Di2

trek_dan

I never used to spend any money on kit, but now I've got my new bike where in all honesty any extra money outlay would just be for the sake of it I've recently invested in some decent stuff. I have to say that having comfortable stiff shoes, a well ventilated helmet, a couple of pairs of nice shorts and some weather appropriate jerseys and jackets does make riding a lot more pleasant.

iPete

Imposter wrote:

iPete wrote:

Complete opposite, the bike works so I need to look good on it...*

*after paying my licence, to keep Imposter happy...

and club membership

Paid up for two years, what else have I missed?

goonz

Slowbike wrote:

iPete wrote:

Complete opposite, the bike works so I need to look good on it...*

Do any of us really look good on our bikes?

Not sure about you guys but I make my bike look good. 8)

goonz

Padeye wrote:

I am exactly the same as you. You appreciate fine mechanical engineering and there's nothing wrong with that!

I too buy fancy bike bits but all my gear is dhb or similar. I think my main reason for this is that the majority of people either laugh at me, take the wee-wee out of me or in extreme cases act agressively towards me for dressing up in lycra, so why pay a a high price for it? All my gear fits well and is comfortable, so no need to pay more.

People get violent to you for wearing lycra???

themekon

It's fine to have an expensive bike fitted out with all the latest kit,if that is what you want and you can afford it. I've long ago realised that you soon end up chasing diminishing returns. Once you have got a decent bike then for me the kit is more important.
I'm not saying that the most expensive is best but Assos, Castelli, Rapha are all very good quality and I think it does make for a more enjoyable ride.
I've an Assos airblock 851 jacket which has seen me through at least 6 winters and still looks as good as new.

964cup

I'm not claiming this is rational - after all, I already had a nice bike *before* I bought the R3. Somehow £120 for a cassette seems acceptable (in a bizarre sense of acceptable, I grant you) while £200 for a pair of bibshorts makes me choke on my coffee. I entirely agree that the marginal gain (if there is any) of a DA cassette over 105 will be less than the gains from Assos shorts over dhb.

I think some of it is a deep-seated mistrust of the fashion industry (Prada backpacks at £500, made of nylon and of identical quality to their £15 Romford market knock-offs) combined with a massive gullibility when it comes to exotic materials. If it's titanium, or carbon, or Scandium or Unobtanium, I gotta have it. Lycra's just polyester with knobs on.

It may of course also have something to do with the fact that I am unlikely to get shorter (or taller) so last year's bike still fits me, and will probably fit me next year. None of last year's clothes still fit, and I'm still aiming to lose a bit more...

86inch

Come on guys, is it just me, but is this thread really about the relative merits of quality cycling clothing, or is the OP just trying to woo us all with his wealth and frivolous spending habits

He's obviously got access to funds, as we would guess that from his handle.

goonz

OP no point hav ing the best bikes if you cant beat anyone up the shortest of hills...

I'd rather have my Scott £800 and look good and feel good in my gear and know I can beat most guys up a hill then have the best bike, not feel totally comfortable and struggle up speed bumps.

ricey155

kit is cheap and always gives you a little pick me up when new bibs arrive or some new tech eg

I fancy a new bike but I'm also into wearing things out till they can't offer me anything further, My PX is just fine it goes up hills I've got a decent amount of KOM'S on strava not sure a new bike would make me ride faster so no real point unless its a top spec pro bike with electric shifters and pro mechanic to set it up, its offers no.

but new kit in the latest team colours gets me excited, current favourite is team garmin sharp kit love the blue never going to race just race myself in strava and the locals

buy some kit

964cup

86inch wrote:

Come on guys, is it just me, but is this thread really about the relative merits of quality cycling clothing, or is the OP just trying to woo us all with his wealth and frivolous spending habits

He's obviously got access to funds, as we would guess that from his handle.

Plenty of people on here have nicer bikes than me - not that I'm trying to pretend to be impoverished - but it was a semi-serious question. You can easily spend as much on kit as you would on a decent bike (just tot up 3 x tops, 2 x bibs, knee- and arm-warmers, buff, gloves and 4 x socks from Rapha). The question I was asking was whether others react as I do - differently - to the costs of clothing and bike bits.

tlw1

Buying better kit is addictive - ie, you treat yourself to one decent set of shorts and then decide you no longer want the others and upgrade them all

sloppyschleckonds

Ricey155 wrote:

I've got a decent amount of KOM'S on strava

How many?

blinddrew

back to the OP...
I just can't get interested in kit in the same way I am with bikes. I wear my kit 'til it's worn out then replace it with whatever I can get cheap that doesn't look repulsive.
It's like when you look at the homepage here (or your wiggle/chain reaction/bike-store-of-your-choice marketing e-mail comes through), bits about bikes and tech get looked at, bits about kit just get ignored.

johnny25

I'm slightly addicted to Castelli.

For me, good kit makes for a more pleasurable ride. However I'm not prepared to pay silly money. Most of the kit I buy is either discounted or end of line. If you have time to shop around, there are some good bargains about.

Lower quality kit is fine, but after 3 hours in the saddle wearing a pair of cheap bib shorts made me look at the higher end of the market!

No point having a posh top end bike if it's hell to ride because of your kit quality.

alihisgreat

Slowbike wrote:

iPete wrote:

Complete opposite, the bike works so I need to look good on it...*

Do any of us really look good on our bikes?

I can confirm that I look absolutely fantastic on my bike.

desweller

Now that I've got all the bikes into a state where they're reliable and they fit they don't get any money spent on them except for wear parts. I have jerseys and shorts that fit and with which I'm happy; again, I only spend on clothes when something wears out or gets damaged.

It took a bit of fiddling/spending to get into this position though; I have quite a bit of stuff in the shed that didn't make the cut!

964cup

blinddrew wrote:

back to the OP...
I just can't get interested in kit in the same way I am with bikes. I wear my kit 'til it's worn out then replace it with whatever I can get cheap that doesn't look repulsive.
It's like when you look at the homepage here (or your wiggle/chain reaction/bike-store-of-your-choice marketing e-mail comes through), bits about bikes and tech get looked at, bits about kit just get ignored.

Exactly.

The thing is, I'm perfectly comfortable in my cheap kit. As far as I know. I've done some reasonably long rides (200km) and not got off feeling that I needed a more expensive chamois.

But every time I see some Lightweight Meilensteins, or DA9070, or pretty well anything else that's shiny and unaffordable, I get a terrible case of the wants. Even though the bike was also perfectly fine for the 200km, and the one thing I never seem to see on Wiggle's website is Jens Voigt's legs... 12% off with the Platinum discount.

LegendLust

964Cup wrote:

blinddrew wrote:

back to the OP...
I just can't get interested in kit in the same way I am with bikes. I wear my kit 'til it's worn out then replace it with whatever I can get cheap that doesn't look repulsive.
It's like when you look at the homepage here (or your wiggle/chain reaction/bike-store-of-your-choice marketing e-mail comes through), bits about bikes and tech get looked at, bits about kit just get ignored.

Exactly.

The thing is, I'm perfectly comfortable in my cheap kit. As far as I know. I've done some reasonably long rides (200km) and not got off feeling that I needed a more expensive chamois.

But every time I see some Lightweight Meilensteins, or DA9070, or pretty well anything else that's shiny and unaffordable, I get a terrible case of the wants. Even though the bike was also perfectly fine for the 200km, and the one thing I never seem to see on Wiggle's website is Jens Voigt's legs... 12% off with the Platinum discount.

What do you want old mens legs for?

phreak

As Eddy Mercx said, better to ride up grades than buy upgrades. As such, I tend to spend any cycling money on trips to decent mountains rather than trying to make my bike a few cakes worth lighter.

964cup

LegendLust wrote:

What do you want old mens legs for?

Steady on...he's younger than me. And retired, so he doesn't really need his legs. I'd be happy to swap...

chris_bass

I do a lot of miles so i spend most money on chains, cassettes, tyres and lube etc, the things that wear out and help stop them wearing out so fast!

don't spend much on clothing though, aldi, lidl, sports direct that kind of thing. it doesn't really fit well or look good but it sure is cheap!!