"Brian Sanderson" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:
Quoted message said:I read the 800$ bike post with great interest...
I've NEVER bought a new bike. Never. They've just seemed to come along
as I needed them...
"Pacific" (sez logo on the down tube).My bike from college, inherited
from an ex-roomate. Sold soon after I got married.
"Blue Meanie" Schwinn ATB. Part of a "dump" some local thieves made
behind our house in Ladner. Went thru 3 back wheels, two sets of brakes
and two sets of bars. Finally sold to a professional ticket scalper
from Montreal.
"Big Red" 1994 Norco Kodiak. Top of a midden pile, spring cleaning
2000. Shredded tire and stripped cables. Forks were bent, too.
Restored to "as new" condition...but the frame was far too small. Given
away to my friend Glen.
"Black Beauty" Hardtail ATB of uncertain origin (may have been a Norco
Katmandu at one time). Fished out of a ditch in PoCo. Seals on the
RockShox fork were gone. Re-built with a spring fork. BB had
pressed-in bearings, and went south after 3mos riding. Currently being
re-built on a Raleigh ATB frame.
"Freddy Fender" Hybrid roadie originally built on an old Raleigh
Portage frame. Frame was too tall (sqeek!), so was re-built on a "Tour
De Quebec" I fished out of the ditch near the local high school. Is now
fully decked with fenders, racks, lights and the plushest seat in
existence (wide-ass seat PLUS a Maxi-thick bellgel cover).
"The Italian Job" 12 speed Marinoni bought at a garage sale by my
neighbor, Dave Fulton. Apparently once owned by another neighbor who
committed suicide (a for real "dead man's bike"?). Dave attempted to
re-configure the bike as a cruiser, but ran into a problem with
recurring back tire blow-out. Gave the frame and all parts to me (90%
complete). Restored, but I'm a little too heavy for it...rode only 1/2
dozen times or so since the beginning of this past summer. Can't ride
it in the rain.
I have purchased new, or have recieved as gifts:
1 seat cover.
2 ATB seats with built-in blinkie lights.
1 set toeclips.
1 set Freddy Fenders.
1 set ATB fenders.
1 bottle cage.
1 Cateye 2c light.
1 Nitehawk Pheonix Nimh light set.
2 new 27 x 1 1/4 tires.
2 new 700cc tires.
nylon shell and rain pants.
2 pair cycling gloves.
1 pair fleece lined gloves.
1 basic black helmet.
SO...I do spend the ca$h, I just don't spend it on bikes...
I just want to clear something up. This is my first big bike purchase and
the only one other than the Next Avalon in well over 6 years. I already
went the cheap bike route with the Next Avalon and though I feel that I got
my moneys worth from it the bike over all is going to start having serious
problems soon because I need something that is far more capable than it was
ever designed to be (and also one that fits me, the Avalon's frame is at
least three sizes too large for me and thus I am fighting the bike as much
as the terrain when I ride). I have always had Wal-Mart or used bikes and
they have always been thrown away within a year because they just fall
apart under almost any use regardless of how they are taken care of, I need
something that will hold up for a long time and that is why I am going the
name brand route this time.
Another thing is this, I want something new. I do not want some bike that
might have a history I do not know about or might have damage that I would
be unable to detect until it is far to late and I get hurt on it. I am
tired of owning crappy-ass bikes that spend as much time in the shop as on
the road. That was one of the two reasons I went with the 7500 over the
7700, the 7700 seems to have a design defect in the front detailer and I
want something that I will ride home and not walk home like many of my
other bikes have made me do. The other reason I did not get the 7700 was I
just cannot justify the $1100 price new, I was willing to go up to $900 but
not over. I did very well, I am at $945 after taxes and with far more
accessories than I initially expected (the $125 pre tax for the carrier
alone proves that I actually came in well under budget on the bike itself).
I am not knocking the way you do things, it is just that I have done the
same up to this point and I am tired of it. I wanted the best money could
buy within reason and I feel I got that. I am actually considering riding
across one of the plain states or touring the East Coast next spring on the
bike and those are not things that I would ever want to try on a X Mart or
used bike regardless of how it was cared for (of course that is just the
way I feel, I am not saying such a thing is not possible just that I
personally would not do it).
Besides if someone else did not buy all of your bikes new before you got
them you would have had too so it all equals out in the end.
--
---
END OF LINE.
