Refurb current bike or buy a new one?

the_hundredth_idiot
the_hundredth_idiot Posts: 813
edited May 2019 in Road buying advice
I'm being indecisive ...

I have a 12 year old Condor Fratello as my winter bike / occasional commuter / occasional light tourer / gentle rides with the family bike. I love it but it's looking a bit tired now. I've started a new job and can opt for a £1,000 Halfords cycle to work voucher (which can be used at a number of independents as well). I've checked with the LBS that it is okay to use the voucher to get a new groupset and wheels to really freshen it up.

Job done? Except now I'm wondering if I should clean up the Fratello and sell it, using the voucher to buy an entirely new bike with disc brakes and space for wider tyres (the Fratello is limited to 28mm max). For "just" £1,000, I probably won't get such a good bike but it might be better suited to what I use it for, particularly as I'm riding a few old railway tracks and things like that with the family. Fatter tyres will make the commute a bit more comfy as well.

Any thoughts?
Never be tempted to race against a Barclays Cycle Hire bike. If you do, there are only two outcomes. Of these, by far the better is that you now have the scalp of a Boris Bike.

Comments

  • shiznit76
    shiznit76 Posts: 640
    Technically your lbs is breaching tax laws by doing this, the vouchers is supposed to be used to buy a bike and accessories needed for a regular commute to work. A shop near me got in to trouble for letting people use the voucher towards much more expensive bikes than £1000.
    As for your question, old bikes have a certain desirability about them, if you're happy with it and your shop is happy doing the wheels and groupset upgrade then go for it. I would imagine spwbjbg the voucher on just wheels and groupset will get you better ones than you would get if were buying fully spec'ed bike at same price
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    I've wondered the same, as my commuter bike gets a degrade upon degrade just to keep it going.

    Well used commuter bikes have little resale value; if I did get a new bike what would I do with the old one?
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I thought they'd loosened the restrictions so you could use it to buy parts to keep an existing commuting bike going?

    Which makes sense from a sustainability point of view, so maybe they didn't.

    I suppose it all depends on how often you'll be riding on the rougher stuff. If it's 99% winter riding / commuting on decent roads then tarting up the Fratello makes sense. If you anticipate spending a lot of time bouncing down old railway tracks then something with fatter tyres sounds better.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    shiznit76 wrote:
    Technically your lbs is breaching tax laws by doing this, the vouchers is supposed to be used to buy a bike and accessories needed for a regular commute to work. A shop near me got in to trouble for letting people use the voucher towards much more expensive bikes than £1000.
    You can buy components (eg groupset) on cycle to work schemes now, changed in the last couple of years:
    https://help.cyclescheme.co.uk/article/ ... ork-scheme

    Topping up is still grey area but widely available.

    I'd stick with the Condor personally, 28mm is plenty wide for me - I guess if you spend a long time on terrible roads/off road might make sense to have wider.

    You might want to consider tubeless 28mm tyres for a bit more comfort (can be safely run at lower pressure).
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    Can’t you maintain the commuterAND buy a new bike?
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,351
    I'd have gone with upgrading the Condor, but this is the correct answer really:
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    Can’t you maintain the commuterAND buy a new bike?
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • bigmul
    bigmul Posts: 208
    Also thinking similar things. I have a Boardman carbon from circa 2012. Currently has Rival on it, but woudl lovely with Ultegra 8000, abd since you can pick it up for £500 I'm wondering about doing that and sticking the Rival onto my CX bike.

    Would I use my CAAD12 less though....and is it worth it?!
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    bigmul wrote:
    Also thinking similar things. I have a Boardman carbon from circa 2012. Currently has Rival on it, but woudl lovely with Ultegra 8000, abd since you can pick it up for £500 I'm wondering about doing that and sticking the Rival onto my CX bike.

    Would I use my CAAD12 less though....and is it worth it?!

    Only you can say if its worth it but if I were hankering after some shiny parts I might buy some DA for the caad 12 (because its a frame thats worth it if its not already on) and trickle the stuff down to the other bike as a 2nd tier but definitely nice bike.
  • the_hundredth_idiot
    the_hundredth_idiot Posts: 813
    I'm convinced - I'm refurbing the Fratello.

    It's what I had intended to do, but I was checking if I was missing a point. If I have £1,000 to spend then I think refurbing the Fratello will mean I end up with a bike I'm much happier with than something new for £1,000. Disc brakes would be nice, but I like the idea of some 28mm tubeless.

    I'm sure I can find another bike for the light offroading stuff - I'm under orders to get rid of a few bikes but I can probably justify retaining one and making it right for the gentle offroading with the kids.
    Never be tempted to race against a Barclays Cycle Hire bike. If you do, there are only two outcomes. Of these, by far the better is that you now have the scalp of a Boris Bike.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,840
    The Hundredth Idiot wrote:
    I'm sure I can find another bike for the light offroading stuff - I'm under orders to get rid of a few bikes but I can probably justify retaining one and making it right for the gentle offroading with the kids.
    I was convinced that you are doing the right thing but the bit in bold got me thinking.
    Why not upgrade your best bike and filter the groupset to the Fratello, but change the wheels?
    One of the reasons all my bike parts are interchangeable. 8)
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • the_hundredth_idiot
    the_hundredth_idiot Posts: 813
    I only have two road bikes (plus a fixie, plus a Brompton, plus an old MTB currently lent to a friend with really tall kids, plus another old MTB currently in bits because not much of it was worth saving).

    Annoyingly, one road bike is Campagnolo and the other Shimano. I did think about a trickle down approach so putting the Shimano groupset from my other bike on to the Fratello and getting something of an upgrade for the other bike, but the Shimano groupset is a hideous black plastic thing - looks good with a lack, carbon frame but would be just wrong on the Fratello.
    Never be tempted to race against a Barclays Cycle Hire bike. If you do, there are only two outcomes. Of these, by far the better is that you now have the scalp of a Boris Bike.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,840
    Which is one reason I am all Campagnolo. :wink:
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Campagnolo make ugly black components too!

    But yes, they are for people without taste.

    Shiny shiny.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,840
    I do like an excuse to post this... :wink: 8)

    360.jpg
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Alejandrosdog
    Alejandrosdog Posts: 1,975
    PBlakeney wrote:
    I do like an excuse to post this... :wink: 8)

    360.jpg


    I dont like marketing barf but I think thats living in the past.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,840
    Alejandrosdog wrote:
    PBlakeney wrote:
    I do like an excuse to post this... :wink: 8)

    360.jpg


    I dont like marketing barf but I think thats living in the past.
    Suits me sir.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    PBlakeney wrote:
    I do like an excuse to post this... :wink: 8)

    360.jpg

    Would you mind posting it to me? I'll pay for the stamps :D
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,840
    The bike is free, postage will be £5k though. :lol:
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.

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