Do you have to earn your equipment with skill?

[Skorp]

Hi!

I have had 1 year now on a road bike..been riding DH/AM/Trials for around 10years so i know my way around bikes.
Im really not the most fit person there is when it comes to stamina or weight.
Altough, i can easily feel the quality of more expensive parts and i love light bikes.
This is what i want to spend my money on in 2014, so that means i end up with a 6kg bike, with a Sram Red groupset and nice part all around.

Do you think i have to earn my equipment with skill? A noob like me can't have a top of the line bike?
I know i feel this way in AM/DH atleast. Im always thinking: "Why do that noob need that full carbon frame and a Fox fork when he walks down every crux there is, and pushes up every hill?"

What do you think?

[mattr]

No.
Buy what you want.

Only issue you may find is that a 6 kilo bike with racey geometry isn't exactly the ideal bike for a beginner. The head down, arse up position that they tend to put you in takes a good while to get used to.

[tri]

Buy want you want and can afford. "Haters gona hate..."

[DMF]

Buy whatever you want, as at some point some bloke on a battle scarred aluminum crit bike will blow by you at 30mph+ up a 5% gradient where you're grinding the granny anyway. Is there a difference if you're on Rival or Red? Not really.

[petepeterson]

Ride what makes you happy. Who cares what people think. Also there are many fine examples on here where you can put together a beautiful lightweight bike on a budget if you are not worried about brand names.

[SpinnerTim]

+1 to the above. Ride what you want, because life is short. If you want an incentive, you can adopt the attitude that you earn your equipment with effort, not skill. If you are committed to the bike and love it, you earn whatever you want and can afford.

-Tim

[kya]

That's what I love about these forums, no one seems to have a problem with people spending money on bikes. If you were to ask this question at a certain forum about bikes or a forum reviewing road bikes, you would get a much different answer -- it would seem most people are against the idea of spending money.

If you can afford it and it makes you happy, why not?

[Oswald]

There are 2 ways to 'earn' equipment. Either have the skills to earn a sponsorship. Or earn money and buy equipment.

[dha]

Yeah buy what you want. Ignore what other people say.

I was on a club run in the summer and someone asked if I raced, I said no I don't. His response was "well why have you got dura ace and an s-works then". I decided not to respond.

[DMF]

Oh sigh, that does happen... Mostly from n00bs (less than 3 years of riding constitutes a n00b here) and people outside of cycling... "You don't race and your bike costs what!?", the non-cyclist version of the same thing. I can take that, they don't know any better, but it's just sad when someone on a club run clearly doesn't comprehend cycling as a way of life but rather just another athletic activity.

I mean really, I'm sure these people enjoy cycling, but clearly missing the actual point aren't they missing out on like 99% of what makes cycling 'cycling'? Cycling without epiphany is just exercise....

[mattr]

The ones who get mocked for dropping money on top end kit are usually those who spend every waking moment telling everyone about how their new power meter has transformed their riding and that they will be doing 5w/kg by March and they are targeting the really important events this year, like the local 50 mile charity sportive and posting endless links to histories of Merckx and Hampsten with comments about how amazing they are and that everyone should read this article as they are such amazing riders.


TBH they deserve to be mocked.

[djm]

Buy whatever you want, as at some point some bloke on a battle scarred aluminum crit bike will blow by you at 30mph+ up a 5% gradient where you're grinding the granny anyway. Is there a difference if you're on Rival or Red? Not really.

+1

[LouisN]

Your skill level should determine what type of bike you are comfortable to ride with IMHO. Heck! many pro riders have huge "engines" but poor riding skills. But I guess it's their business if they are constantly on the ground.

The amount of $$$ you want to spend on it is all your prefference.

Unfortunately, not many higher end models offer different geometry types to accomodate different types of riders (not only physically, but also determining the frame behavior).

I witness a lot of bad crashes among the "sportive cycling croud", around here. Their general riding skills are poor. But they want THE real pro machine. If they can afford it, they'll buy it. Not necessarely a good idea for everybody.

From your original post, I guess you are a skilled rider.
If you need a special type of ride, and want to spend loads of $$$, go custom CF

If you're fearless and poorly skilled. That's another story...

My 2 cents...

Louis

[bricky21]

Personally, I don't care what men in neon lycra and velcro shoes have to say about my bike

[eric]

"have to"? No. Is top level equipment a waste under a slow fat wobbler? Yes. But I am not going to say that to anyone because it would be rude. And that argument is a slippery slope: how good do you have to be before it's not a waste? What if you're temporarily slow because you've been sick or injured?

The most important thing is to enjoy riding. You don't need a top level bike to do that; you need to get out and ride. A bike you can ride today is worth more than a better quality bike you don't have yet.

As a new road rider I recommend getting a decent but not top level bike to start. A $3-4000 bike is about 95% as good as a $10000 bike. Ride it for a year or two and then get your fancy top level machine. As you get experience road riding your taste in bikes and your position on the bike will change. Your dream bike now might not be your dream bike, or even fit right, in a year or two. You will also need to buy a ton of road specific gear- helmets, shoes, lots of clothes, etc. When you get the new bike the old bike becomes your rain/backup bike. If you're serious you need one so you don't miss a ride. This is assuming that you have a normal amount of disposable income. If you're wealthy buy both bikes now.