Am I a bad bad person?

[Juan Kog]

I’m growing increasingly concerned, 6 pages in to this thread . Where’s @SkipdiverJohn . Maybe some should pop round to see if he is OK .

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I’m growing increasingly concerned, 6 pages in to this thread . Where’s @SkipdiverJohn . Maybe some should pop round to see if he is OK .

Give us a chance! The thread has only been going for two days and I hadnt noticed it until you mentioned my name like a coven summoning the Devil.
It won't come as any surprise that I agree completely with the philosophy that cycling should always be simple., reliable and preferably cheap into the bargain.
Rather than just buy cheap low end bikes at cheap prices, I prefer to leverage my spend and get superior quality secondhand bikes at cheap prices, and the low end ones at pull out of skip prices or not very much more.
Shiny new retail therapy desn't float my boat I'm afraid. New and shiny doesn't last long, and it's an expensive way of getting a short term feelgood factor. Like a car with the latest reg plate, six months later it's old hat. My cars don't have year-letter plates on them. Age doesn't matter, condition does.

 

[Lovacott]

Shiny new retail therapy doesn't float my boat I'm afraid. New and shiny doesn't last long, and it's an expensive way of getting a short term feelgood factor.

I grew up getting hand me downs and the first brand new bike I ever bought was the Boardman on the cycle to work scheme two months ago.

I've just picked up a brand new Voodoo Marasa as a fun bike/ good weather commuter.

There's something about being the first person on Earth to ride a particular machine. Hard to explain.

 

[Arrowfoot]

not about money - one of my self-builds (original core cost £21) has a brand new XT rear mech on it - I know it will last/give good simple reliable service. Another of my self-builds (original core cost £30) has an Ultegra rear mech - it is on its second bike though with new jockey wheels. Another (original core cost £30) has Spa handbuilt wheels. All have other quality components, some second-hand as they'd been discontinued. All 9 speed. All simple - don't see any serious maintenance issues with any of them - have spare bits ready for any that wear out.

Picking a decent priced frame and putting on quality components resonates with me. I did the same with my last 2 bikes. Also admittedly I do like tinkering.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I grew up getting hand me downs and the first brand new bike I ever bought was the Boardman on the cycle to work scheme two months ago.

I've just picked up a brand new Voodoo Marasa as a fun bike/ good weather commuter.

There's something about being the first person on Earth to ride a particular machine. Hard to explain.

I've bought the odd wheeled vehicle brand new, but not very often. Two bikes and one car over a 40 year period. In all three cases the reason I went ahead is I thought I was getting a very good deal for the price I was paying.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Picking a decent priced frame and putting on quality components resonates with me. I did the same with my last 2 bikes. Also admittedly I do like tinkering.

I know what you mean: I feel the same about taking a frame others see as "junk" and making it into a useful bike, then going on adventures on said "junk" bike...

 

[Lovacott]

I've bought the odd wheeled vehicle brand new, but not very often. Two bikes and one car over a 40 year period. In all three cases the reason I went ahead is I thought I was getting a very good deal for the price I was paying.

I've never bought a new car. I tend to go for well maintained vehicles around the five year old mark.

Cars take a massive depreciation hit the second they have an owners name in the logbook. Car logbooks and odometers tell you a lot about a vehicle.

Bikes don't have mileage records or logbooks, so you'd need a very keen eye to spot things like a drivetrain on the cusp of being knackered.

If I was going to buy a second hand bike, I'd buy it for the frame and wheels only and I'd expect to have to renew the rest.

 

[Reynard]

I know what you mean: I feel the same about taking a frame others see as "junk" and making it into a useful bike, then going on adventures on said "junk" bike...

This ^^^

I'm getting such a kick out of riding Max the MTB. And get an even bigger kick when folks on posh bikes say "nice bike" to me.

Makes all the work in putting the whole thing together worthwhile. Not bad for a £25 clunker picked up at the local tip - although I did have to put in a fair bit of investment (time and money) into the project. But at the end of the day, I've a bespoke bike that's a hoot to ride. Just need to do something about the tatty seatpost and bars now, but that's not urgent.

My other two bikes are safely mid-range, though only the Rouen was bought new.

Grandad Arthur used to say "I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff" - and I agree. But on the flip side, I'm never going to be a strong enough / good enough cyclist to warrant spending silly money.

Funny thing though, my bikes always get admiring glances, so I must've done *something* right

 

[Andy in Germany]

This ^^^

I'm getting such a kick out of riding Max the MTB. And get an even bigger kick when folks on posh bikes say "nice bike" to me.

Makes all the work in putting the whole thing together worthwhile. Not bad for a £25 clunker picked up at the local tip - although I did have to put in a fair bit of investment (time and money) into the project. But at the end of the day, I've a bespoke bike that's a hoot to ride. Just need to do something about the tatty seatpost and bars now, but that's not urgent.

My other two bikes are safely mid-range, though only the Rouen was bought new.

Grandad Arthur used to say "I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff" - and I agree. But on the flip side, I'm never going to be a strong enough / good enough cyclist to warrant spending silly money.

Funny thing though, my bikes always get admiring glances, so I must've done *something* right

I've had people stop and ask me about my touring bike fairly often and ask lots of questions, chief amongst them being "where do you get bikes like that?"

On the other hand I remember riding my tourer (of downbar lever fame) near Stuttgart, and passing a few erm... older people on very expensive looking Ebikes. One lady looked at me and said to her friend: "Gosh, that poor man even has those really old gear levers..."

 

[Reynard]

I've had people stop and ask me about my touring bike fairly often and ask lots of questions, chief amongst them being "where do you get bikes like that?"

That's actually really cool. I haven't had anyone ask me that *YET* about the MTB, but that's a regular question with the roadie. People think I'm funning them when I say Halfords...

On the other hand I remember riding my tourer (of downbar lever fame) near Stuttgart, and passing a few erm... older people on very expensive looking Ebikes. One lady looked at me and said to her friend: "Gosh, that poor man even has those really old gear levers..."

On the flip side, if something goes *ping* on your bike, chances are you'd be able to bodge a repair to get you home. On those fancypants e-bikes, that's much less likely, I'd wager...

 

[Moon bunny]

As long as my bike gets me where I want to go and back without breaking I’m happy. Other people can worry about spending £lots to improve the numbers as they ride around in a big circle if that’s their thing.

 

[Tribansman]

Rather than just buy cheap low end bikes at cheap prices, I prefer to leverage my spend and get superior quality secondhand bikes at cheap prices, and the low end ones at pull out of skip prices or not very much more.

Generally agree and is mostly my approach, but I guess we're fortunate that there are those who want to buy and keep buying new bikes, or there wouldn't be many superior quality secondhand bikes at cheap prices to pick up!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Grandad Arthur used to say "I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff" - and I agree.

There's certainly an element of truth in this, that if you go for the lowest priced junk with the most features per pound, you will probably end up spending more overall than if you had gone up the quality ladder just a rung or two.
I recently bought a 1-2" micrometer, and the easy option would have been a cheapo new Chinese one as I'm only going to use it now and then, so I don't want to pay megabucks. However I bided my time until a very nice used Moore & Wright mic came up at sensible money, and bought that instead. Still in its original wooden box with adjusting tools, paperwork and it's 1" precision ground calibration disc. I'm pretty sure its pre-WW2 so over 80 years old but still better than a brand new one and its accuracy is spot-on as I recieved it. It will outlast me just like it outlasted its original owner, no doubt about it. Buy good quality, buy once.

 

[DCBassman]

This ^^^

I'm getting such a kick out of riding Max the MTB. And get an even bigger kick when folks on posh bikes say "nice bike" to me.

Makes all the work in putting the whole thing together worthwhile. Not bad for a £25 clunker picked up at the local tip - although I did have to put in a fair bit of investment (time and money) into the project. But at the end of the day, I've a bespoke bike that's a hoot to ride. Just need to do something about the tatty seatpost and bars now, but that's not urgent.

This this! My bikes and my bass are like this, custom-built for me, by me. 'Tis the only way to go.

 

[Reynard]

There's certainly an element of truth in this, that if you go for the lowest priced junk with the most features per pound, you will probably end up spending more overall than if you had gone up the quality ladder just a rung or two.
I recently bought a 1-2" micrometer, and the easy option would have been a cheapo new Chinese one as I'm only going to use it now and then, so I don't want to pay megabucks. However I bided my time until a very nice used Moore & Wright mic came up at sensible money, and bought that instead. Still in its original wooden box with adjusting tools, paperwork and it's 1" precision ground calibration disc. I'm pretty sure its pre-WW2 so over 80 years old but still better than a brand new one and its accuracy is spot-on as I recieved it. It will outlast me just like it outlasted its original owner, no doubt about it. Buy good quality, buy once.

Is it OK to admit that I now have tool envy?

There are very few more satisfying things than working with really nice tools.

Edited to add, my 1941 Singer 99k sewing machine is much the same. Even today, it's a joy to use, even though all it does is sew a straight seam. Mind you, a straight seam covers a *lot* of sewing.