Do you have to earn your equipment with skill?

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

Moderators: robbosmans, Moderator Team

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mellowJohnny
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:56 am
Location: YYZ

by mellowJohnny

I think rookies with high-end rides who look down on guys with "lesser" rides tend to do that in general - cars, houses, women, lawnmowers, what they ordered for lunch - you name it. The $10k bike didn't bring out the douchebag in them, it was always there...

by Weenie


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LiKuid
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 1:09 pm

by LiKuid

I guess the best thing is to get the bike you like. Just be careful as to always save some excuses to yourself.
Having a top notch bike is one excuse less and that sometimes gets you face to face with reality ,which most times is quite harsh.
I am a fat bloke for a cyclist and still looking for my next bike which i expect to enjoy even when i am not on the road.

All in all, each to their own. I see you 've already found your way. Try to ride as much as you can, so that you can justify your future bargains

shlammed
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:59 pm
Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada

by shlammed

@likid,

You don't need excuses! LOL. Regardless of what you ride or what you place excuses aren't going to make you faster ;)

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kbbpll
Posts: 494
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:56 am

by kbbpll

Worse equipment can force you to make up for it with better skill. Better equipment can make up for your lack of skill, and reduce your incentive to improve your skills. Worse equipment can prevent you from improving your skills. Better equipment you don't deserve right now can inspire you to acquire the skills to match it. It's a real conundrum. Last summer I really deserved a better bike. This spring I don't even deserve the same bike.

As far as what anybody else thinks, Sartre says "Hell is - other people!".

makoti
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2014 6:33 am

by makoti

To the original question: I'm assuming you have some sort of skill that allowed you to earn enough to afford your equipment? Then you earned it.
If we all only rode what we earned through actual skill, the industry would be churning out a lot more Kmart huffy's. ;-)
Buy what you want. Ride what you want. Ain't gonna make you much faster, but it may make you feel that way. To actually get more speed, remember: It's the motor.

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HammerTime2
Posts: 5813
Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 4:43 pm
Location: Wherever there's a mountain beckoning to be climbed

by HammerTime2

Aero trumps Weight

True, but to follow up the post immediately above,

Gruber Assist trumps Aero trumps Weight

It's all about the motor, guys.
Image

Camilo
Posts: 355
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:31 pm

by Camilo

The nice thing about good and lightweight equipment nowadays is that you can buy a very comfortable, yet high end and light weight bike. All the manufacturers are totally catering to people like me and the OP (who posted so long ago!): guys who love good equipment and love lightweight bikes not necessarily for speed, but because they're fun to ride. But we either don't have the bodies or inclination (or both) to ride a super aggressive bike. There's a great market for us guys who can finally afford the bike we lusted after 20 years ago, but now we can afford something equally as high end, but built for our purpose - comfort and fun (and as much speed as the body can muster).

I love my Felt Z frame which I built with Sram Red, and decently, but not too expensive, light weight other parts. It's about 15.5 lbs and is a joy for a duffer to ride.

gitsome
Posts: 749
Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:03 am
Location: nyc

by gitsome

LIFE IS SHORT.

Ride the best thing you can get your hands on as often as possible and dont look back and dont worry about what anyone else thinks. Let a beautiful bike inspire you to ride faster and further each time. Let the bike be your inspiration to ride and make no excuses.

Bottom line.
My wallet is the lightest thing on my bike.

jimborello
Posts: 283
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 5:07 am

by jimborello

I have a friend that loves buying the very best he can afford even if he is starting in the sport, he has bought equipment for baseball, mtb, road bike, running, xbox, etc. The good thing about this is that he usually uses it a couple of times and sells them for half the price and Im always there for him to help him get rid of his stuff =).

If you dont care about money buy the best you can, if you like the sport youll be happy with your equipment and if not you will make another guy happy when you get rid of it

avispa
Posts: 262
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:36 am

by avispa

A wise person once said...

It's not the skill you have to buy the equipment, is the skill you have to know what to do with it.
Buy it cheap and use it hard! You will be a happy man...

..A..

bilwit
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 5:49 am
Location: Seattle, WA

by bilwit

^huge necro-bump

IMO If you have a ridiculously nice bike then I would assume you are either a really strong rider or a really big fan of the sport, unfortunately that's not the case with everybody. Cycling in general (particularly over here) seems to attract half-wheeling elitist "bro" culture so the guys that care about their Strava times and their next Zwift race will likely have different expectations than mine.

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