nothings ever right, you have trust someone i.m.h.o.

[Fixed]

bro do you know a bro who goes out and buys top of the line bike stuff rides it for a short time and ditches it all for some other top of the line bike stuff ?it seems to me they are lookin for something that does not exist a perfect bike.it's like bro if i only had this or that i could ride better or keep up or drop those guys or whatever .it makes me sad to see guys blow their hard earned cash that way .most of the bros like this arn't rich the rich cats don't blow their wad that way .and sometimes their family 's suffer .bro's like this need to trust someone to set them up the first time maybe that is part of a fitter 's job .I don't know .cheers :beer:

[e-RICHIE]

but ya' can't win if ya' don't play imho.

[Bud]

I know what you mean. I feel lucky that I have a great LBS who gives me good advice and great fits. I also have a couple of friends that we ride with who have more experience than me and who share their knowledge. When I first started riding a lot, I use to descend behind this one dude and just watch how he descended. I learned a lot from him and now I can drop off the passes and down through the canyons pretty dang well.

Between having good mentors like this and a sweet LBS, I feel like I don't have to buy everything that's the latest and greatest to be a decent rider, or more importantly to have a great time when I'm on the bike.

[Kevan]

drug, is all.

Have to do things in moderation, but then this place has never been about moderation. Sniff... hey man... hook me up, will ya?

[Wayne77]

Happiness is not in "the having", its in "the getting". :cool:

Let's be honest, none of this stuff makes us faster. Let's recognize it for what it is: It's fun to acquire neat little doodads that look cool, little doohickeys that beep, and odd thingies made of cool, neato super strong materials. The whole research and acquisition process can be a means unto itself, not a means to an end!!

Once we have the latest techno-geekazoid-whizbang gizmo what fun would it be if that was the end of the line, nothing else better, that's all she wrote? There's ALWAYS something better. (or so the marketing folks tell us lemmings... :rolleyes: )

But on principle, I agree with you - and my wife even more so!

:beer:

[Climb01742]

dreaming, particularly on a winter's day, is free.

[SoCalSteve]

Happiness is not in "the having", its in "the getting". :cool:

Let's be honest, none of this stuff makes us faster. Let's recognize it for what it is: It's fun to acquire neat little doodads that look cool, little doohickeys that beep, and odd thingies made of cool, neato super strong materials. The whole research and acquisition process can be a means unto itself, not a means to an end!!

Once we have the latest techno-geekazoid-whizbang gizmo what fun would it be if that was the end of the line, nothing else better, that's all she wrote? There's ALWAYS something better. (or so the marketing folks tell us lemmings... :rolleyes: )

But on principle, I agree with you - and my wife even more so!

:beer:


Couldnt agree with you more!

I also like the "building" aspect...buying all the parts a la carte and then putting together my "masterpiece work of art"...and then the best part, going for a ride after its all complete!

Steve

[Grant McLean]

I have some clients seriously bitten by the Hi -Fi bug.

It never ends with these guys. As soon as one system is finished,
it's on to something else. I often wonder what they are really
looking for, besides another "project", since it's clearly not about the
"music" anymore. It's their "pursuit of happiness" I suppose,
but the sad part is these cats never seem happy, just driven to the
next level.

I've always kept the whole "collecting" bikes thing seperate
in my head from "riding" bikes. Two different things entirely...

_gee

[William]

drug, is all.

Have to do things in moderation, but then this place has never been about moderation. Sniff... hey man... hook me up, will ya?

I want a new drug
One that won’t make me sick
One that won’t make me crash my car
Or make me feel three feet thick

I want a new drug
One that won’t hurt my head
One that won’t make my mouth too dry
Or make my eyes too red

One that won’t make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I’m with you
When I’m alone with you

I want a new drug
One that won’t spill
One that don’t cost too much
Or come in a pill

I want a new drug
One that won’t go away
One that won’t keep me up all night
One that won’t make me sleep all day

One that won’t make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I’m with you
When I’m alone with you
I’m alone with you baby

I want a new drug
One that does what it should
One that won’t make me feel too bad
One that won’t make me feel too good

I want a new drug
One with no doubt
One that won’t make me talk too much
Or make my face break out

One that won’t make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I’m with you
When I’m alone with you

[Headwinds]

bro do you know a bro who goes out and buys top of the line bike stuff rides it for a short time and ditches it all for some other top of the line bike stuff....

Yeah fixed, I hear you!

I know a couple of guys like that.... But, one thing I know is that their families ain't suffering. IMO, they are just not happy with anything, not just bike related stuff. They will do this with whatever hobby they have and they may even do this with people.... You know, like the man or woman that is always looking for Mr./Ms. Perfect. They may think that only the best equipment is going to make them the best they can be!

Fancy wheels, exotic bikes, expensive doodads... To be honest, I have been near there before. Today, I think most bike products are so good that one does not need the top quality "everything-stuff" to ride safely and well.

By the way, I do believe that the person that gets bike stuff at the expense of their family obligations, I think he or she has some serious issues!!!

[e-RICHIE]

white punks on dope.
e-FEE©™®

[William]

white punks on dope.
e-FEE©™®

Tubes.


William

[davids]

I have some clients seriously bitten by the Hi -Fi bug.

It never ends with these guys. As soon as one system is finished,
it's on to something else. I often wonder what they are really
looking for, besides another "project", since it's clearly not about the
"music" anymore. It's their "pursuit of happiness" I suppose,
but the sad part is these cats never seem happy, just driven to the
next level.

I've always kept the whole "collecting" bikes thing seperate
in my head from "riding" bikes. Two different things entirely...

_gee
When pressed, I refer to myself as a recovering audiophile. I went through that whole acquisitive thing, chasing the perfect sound, for more than a few years. And all of a sudden, one day, I was content. When it comes to audio, it's stuck.

And for more than a few years after that, I wasn't that interested in stuff.

Then I started serious cycling. The desire for things is back, and hounds me. Sometimes it's good - Like climb says, dreaming's free on a winter's day. And the abstract game, called "the next bike", can be a lot of fun! But sometimes that desire is a kind of agony, and it feels like consumerism at its worst. And I'm torn. There are times when I look forward to reaching that moment of contentment with my bikes. But I know I'm not even close to it, when there are (at least) several bikes I still really want as my own...

Enough rambling. Good evening, all!

[shinomaster]

Maybe some of these guys need new wives too. Play?

[e-RICHIE]

Maybe some of these guys need new wives too. Play?


or maybe a cowboy?





hey - bananas, okay!

[Grant McLean]

But sometimes that desire is a kind of agony, and it feels like consumerism at its worst. And I'm torn. There are times when I look forward to reaching that moment of contentment with my bikes.

Hey David,

I "hear" you. As an audio-holic myself, I often find that when the
desire to own 'things' starts to take over... it's a good time to just
go for a ride! I usually feel better after.

-Gee

[Frankwurst]

You wanna be faster? Ride your bike. You might buy a little speed but not what you'll obtain by having your but stuck on the saddle. When you can drop the dude riding "state of the art" and your riding steel with downtube friction shifters and 36 spoke wheels....go buy some new wheels. TMO :beer:

[Fixed]

bro it.'s not what i'm goin to ride next but when i'm goin to ride next. i.m.h.o.

[Too Tall]

Sure folks perpetually ISO the next great thing can be a little unnerving at times but guys like fixed are always there to set them on their respective ears ;)
On the bright side I really REALLY appreciate folks who are into the next great thing or we wouldn't have what we do and in such abundance. Could you EVEN imagine this level of enthusiasm and industry were it 1980?

[zeroking17]

<cut> The desire for things is back, and hounds me. Sometimes it's good - Like climb says, dreaming's free on a winter's day. And the abstract game, called "the next bike", can be a lot of fun! But sometimes that desire is a kind of agony, and it feels like consumerism at its worst. And I'm torn. There are times when I look forward to reaching that moment of contentment with my bikes. But I know I'm not even close to it, when there are (at least) several bikes I still really want as my own..<cut>!

David, I've had precisely the same thoughts. Thanks for your clear-eyed articulation of exactly those feelings that often plague us, be it with regard to stereos, autos, bikes,...in short, all material objects. The urge toward unending consumption in fact ends up consuming us.

I've learned (am still trying to learn) that being satisfied with the material objects that one already has must result from a conscious decision to be satsified with them. A feeling of satisfaction is never caused by the objects themselves; we must simply declare that we are satisfied and then turn our focus to the more important things in life.

[Jeff Weir]

Hey e-Richie,

Do you think one of your cross bikes could make it over Brokeback Mtn?

You Connecticut Cowboy...

[Climb01742]

yes, but...if an object brings joy, then getting it is ok, i believe. and how about people who have a passion for eating and food, and who search out new restuarants and chefs, and seek new eating experiences? except in scale, is riding all that different? i'm not advocating mindless, endless consumerism, but objects aren't either good or bad. fewer isn't more noble, necessarily, than more. it is the spirit of the search that truly matters, i believe. searching is part of the human character. a bit of hunger, a bit of yearning, a dollop of dissatisfaction is the flint of discovery. finally, and most crassly, it's all relative, isn't it? my parents would have plotzed (sp?) at paying $100k for a house. now there are kitchens that cost close to that. there are stoves that cost what a honda does. that's insane right? not to someone who lives to cook.

[bostondrunk]

I'm waiting for Roy to chime in regarding my euro helmet collection...... :D

[Fixed]

bro I like new stuff as much as the next guy the difference is I try to make sure what I get is what i want and bikes become my friends i ain't turnin them over just cos i suck as a rider or had a bad ride one day a new bike is not goin to change that . bro I just got a new cadd 7 to race on this year but i still like my old bike (millie) more it's grown on me and I on it. that doesn't mean I don't think the cadd7 is a better race bike it is, I ain't goin to trade for another bike just like it with the hopes that it might be faster i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

[Serpico]

fixed,

bro, imho the cats you describe are hobbyists/tourists--more money than time, nothing wrong with that, go into the shop and ask "What's hot?" and hand over the plastic

folks here collect bikes because of their love for the sport, imho--I look forward to sampling and purchasing some fine frames/bikes in the future, but I do it out of passion (like the posters here), not to be loose with my finances or spend for the fun of it (like the folks you describe)

also, I think a lot of folks here consider (rightly so) their rigs to be investments, in and of themselves, and they seem to have good luck playing musical chairs via eBay with their frames

nothing wrong with any of the above scenarios, there's some dangerous stuff out there today and "hooked on fine bicycles" ain't one of them :D

cheers, bro :beer: as always your comments/posts/threads are spot on--bro, you get the 'positive pragmatism' award in my book :)

[e-RICHIE]

Hey e-Richie,

Do you think one of your cross bikes could make it over Brokeback Mtn?

You Connecticut Cowboy...


of course, partner. there, and back again.
but no pictures, okay avedon-isimo!!

[e-RICHIE]

my parents would have plotzed (sp?) at paying $100k for a house.


plotzed?
PLOTZED!!!!

Climb - i feel so much closer to you now!!

[Argos]

I guess some people get a limit to the # they can have in the house before they get the "how many can you ride at a time" line [significant other] so they liquidate and pick up, rather then exceeding the [fill in your household bike allowance here] bike limit.

To each his own. Someone does not like riding more then someone else because they do/don't flip bikes. Who cares? So long as everyone is happy, that's what's important.

I had a customer, as well as some friends, that I sold bikes for on ebay. One guy, I must've sold 5 bikes for him. Friends.... I have friends I've sold 3-4 bikes for each. I'm selling a set of wheels for a guy now.

They buy, they sell, they ride. They are happy in their own way. Be glad you've found your inner peace, let them find theirs in their own time.

IMHO :beer:

[Wayne77]

bro I like new stuff as much as the next guy the difference is I try to make sure what I get is what i want and bikes become my friends i ain't turnin them over just cos i suck as a rider or had a bad ride one day a new bike is not goin to change that . bro I just got a new cadd 7 to race on this year but i still like my old bike (millie) more it's grown on me and I on it. that doesn't mean I don't think the cadd7 is a better race bike it is i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

Interestingly enough, the more I dote over my Concours the more I also appreciate my MUUCH cheaper aluminum Klein. It rides great, has nice paint, and I have no intention of replacing it. It still has blood on the left chainstay from my accident that I won't clean off - adds character. AND, it didn't implode when it hit the ground like everyone told me an aluminum beer can frame would..

[Fixed]

fixed,

bro, imho the cats you describe are hobbyists/tourists--more money than time, nothing wrong with that, go into the shop and ask "What's hot?" and hand over the plastic

folks here collect bikes because of their love for the sport, imho--I look forward to sampling and purchasing some fine frames/bikes in the future, but I do it out of passion (like the posters here), not to be loose with my finances or spend for the fun of it (like the folks you describe)

also, I think a lot of folks here consider (rightly so) their rigs to be investments, in and of themselves, and they seem to have good luck playing musical chairs via eBay with their frames

nothing wrong with any of the above scenarios, there's some dangerous stuff out there today and "hooked on fine bicycles" ain't one of them :D

cheers, bro :beer: as always your comments/posts/threads are spot on--bro, you get the 'positive pragmatism' award in my book :)
bro I see your point I don't mean to be judgemental and I don't write very well my point is if you have the best of brand a why sell for a loss to get the best of brand b and you didn't have the money for the best in brand a in the first place .I've been down that road too and i just want to help my bro 's from some of the things I have done cheers
:beer:

[Serpico]

my post wasn't at all critical of your's, and I don't think you were being judgmental

just giving my opinion on why people chase the elusive "perfect ride", some out of passion, some because they have more money than time (to research or dial things in)--lots of worse things to be mixed up in :D

just imho

[Wayne77]

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=brand+a&word2=brand+b

[Fixed]

bro I agree thanks cheers :beer:

[malcolm]

I never spend on anything to the point of making my family sacrifice. I enjoy trying out new bike stuff and different frames and if along the way I find some I like I keep them. I'm not fast never have been, I just like the stuff. I own several top shelf guitars and as my family will attest can't play for crap. Same thing I just enjoy the mechanical simplicity. My 2 cents, Malcolm

[Serpico]

as for "why brand a to brand b", maybe variety? I had a professor once that bought a new car every year (finance guy ;) ), I figure he did it because he could

or possibly it's how some people, the more money than time folks, avoid boredom. a lot of people ride enough to make cycling goals and work hard for them, some people work 12 hrs a day so possibly "Well I try a Colnago next year" is their way to mark progress--again, nothing wrong with either perspective--everyone has different comittments and different priorities, the cats who buy the super-bling high zoot stuff are a great boon to the industry--the bleeding edge always drive innovation imho, and then the advantages trickle down to everyone else

for me it makes me more ambitious, aside from cycling I'm only really into films (DVDs) and books, right now. saying I want to come home from work, five years from now, to my serotta, a sachs/or/kirk/or/peg, and a colnago/or/parlee, gives me something to aim for. might sound silly, but other people invision boats and fancy cars--I just want some bikes :D

cycling is a great place to spend money imho, it keeps us healthy while allowing us to exercise our consumerist drive (no politics, please)--lots of worse places to spend money :beer:

[Jeff N.]

I want a new drug
One that won’t make me sick
One that won’t make me crash my car
Or make me feel three feet thick

I want a new drug
One that won’t hurt my head
One that won’t make my mouth too dry
Or make my eyes too red

One that won’t make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I’m with you
When I’m alone with you

I want a new drug
One that won’t spill
One that don’t cost too much
Or come in a pill

I want a new drug
One that won’t go away
One that won’t keep me up all night
One that won’t make me sleep all day

One that won’t make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I’m with you
When I’m alone with you
I’m alone with you baby

I want a new drug
One that does what it should
One that won’t make me feel too bad
One that won’t make me feel too good

I want a new drug
One with no doubt
One that won’t make me talk too much
Or make my face break out

One that won’t make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when I’m with you
When I’m alone with youI'm done...done...on to the next one, done I'm done and it's on to the next one, done, done and I'm on to the next one, done I'm done and it's on to the next......." Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters Jeff N.

[Fixed]

bro malcom i bet I play worse than you I have 3 I try to play a little each day cheers i have an Ibanez custom agent from 1974 mostly play my acus. seagull cheers :beer:

[andy mac]

i won't do him justice as i don't have the book here to quote exactly but the dali lama in the 'art of happiness' has an interesting view on seeking happiness through acquisition. something like: the pursuit of happiness through material items can actually have the complete opposite effect in the med to long run.

for instance, if spending gets out of control, which is is for many americans (even if they don't know it now) the downside is huge.

2 of my 3 aunts (separately) lost everything in their 50's. and they had german cars, vacation homes, italian sunglasses, blah blah blah.

i have struggled with it a bit. i remember buying a 40g ipod. the next week the 60g came out. arrrr... and if i'd purchased the 60 the photo came out, then the video, next the toe jam remover? same with laptops.

i guess i could have purchased an ottrot but i went with a concours. more than enough bike for my slow old arse. in fact it's too nice for me.

rock on fixed.

andy.

[vaxn8r]

yes, but...if an object brings joy, then getting it is ok, i believe. and how about people who have a passion for eating and food, and who search out new restuarants and chefs, and seek new eating experiences? except in scale, is riding all that different? i'm not advocating mindless, endless consumerism, but objects aren't either good or bad. fewer isn't more noble, necessarily, than more. it is the spirit of the search that truly matters, i believe. searching is part of the human character. a bit of hunger, a bit of yearning, a dollop of dissatisfaction is the flint of discovery. finally, and most crassly, it's all relative, isn't it? my parents would have plotzed (sp?) at paying $100k for a house. now there are kitchens that cost close to that. there are stoves that cost what a honda does. that's insane right? not to someone who lives to cook.
I don't think any material object can bring joy. Maybe a certain satisfaction that you chose or purchased wisely. Not joy.

[e-RICHIE]

i won't do him justice as i don't have the book here to quote exactly but the dali lama in the 'art of happiness' has an interesting view on seeking happiness through acquisition.<cut>


in the sunday ny times zine several years ago, the dee-elle
also noted that it's okay to scratch the itch if_you_itch, but
to learn the signs so as to make getting the itch easier to
control. er, he was not talking about bicycles or twins.

hey - thanks for reading.

[jerk]

in the sunday ny times zine several years ago, the dee-elle
also noted that it's okay to scratch the itch if_you_itch, but
to learn the signs so as to make getting the itch easier to
control. er, he was not talking about bicycles or twins.

hey - thanks for reading.


huh? if it wasn't twins or bicycles what was it?

cheers bro.

[e-RICHIE]

huh? if it wasn't twins or bicycles what was it?

cheers bro.



well like tina said:

You see we never ever do nothing
Nice and easy
We always do it nice and rough
So we’re gonna take the beginning of this song
And do it easy
Then we’re gonna do the finish rough.

so, jerk-issimo...
you figyer it out imho.

[bluesea]

Planning, buying, and setting up a new bike will rock your world. All of us. But I'm the type that has some weird feeling for the bike like I do for my best carpentry tools that have been with me for a while and served me well. These inanimate objects take you places (and I don't mean locations). Its hard to explain. I've never had more than one RB at a time.

[malcolm]

another place to spend money.

[oldguy00]

bro I see your point I don't mean to be judgemental and I don't write very well my point is if you have the best of brand a why sell for a loss to get the best of brand b and you didn't have the money for the best in brand a in the first place .I've been down that road too and i just want to help my bro 's from some of the things I have done cheers
:beer:

Fixed, its simple, they do it (switch bikes) because they enjoy trying new stuff. As simple as that. Part of the fun of this sport is getting to try all this different cool equipment. Its not about 'finding inner peace', its about a hobbie that people enjoy. For those who can afford it, why not if its fun and interesting?
If we were to never get more than we need, we'd all be eating Kraft Dinner every night, wearing the cheapest possible clothes that fit, driving the cheapest car we could find, etc etc.

[Len J]

in addition, for me, it's also about realtive cost. I can buy a new bike every year and still spend way less than I ever spent when I was hooked on golf.

For me, it's also about trying different bikes, discovering what works and what doesn't, what i like & what i don't. I don't know how else you can do this but by putting the hours in the saddle on a bike. We can talk about it, we can think we know something, but until we've experienced it, how will we really know what works for us? I find the whole process to be intellectually stimulating as well as just pure fun.

I've raised 2 siblings, 4 children of my own, supported two wives and generally taken care of everyone else in my life, my whole life. I can afford to experiment, and I enjoy doing it. It keeps my riding interest fresh, and I learn something with every bike I try.

Maybe I'm a poseur...I don't think so, but you know what, I don't care either....I enjoy it, I learn from it, it keeps me fit and it's fun......what's not to like?

I say....whatever keeps you out there on the bike and doesn't hurt someone else is OK by me.

Len


BTW...smoothest bike I've ever ridden is my Ottrott ST with Open Pros laced with 32 spokes and dressed in 25 mm tires......with my butt snug on a Brooks swallow saddle.

[Climb01742]

as len says, we learn something by each new experience. at least one hopes. the second mrs climb will be a better fit than the first (pleeeeease). :beer:

[Len J]

as len says, we learn something by each new experience. at least one hopes. the second mrs climb will be a better fit than the first (pleeeeease). :beer:

much happiness wishes coming your way from me in your marriage.

And the second Mrs Climb will fit better than the first if............you know yourself better.

Len

PS Would have sent the wishes sooner, but wasn't sure I was reading the signals right

[MartyE]

Not to lose sight of Fixed's original point more time
in the saddle would work to make these serial purchasers
faster/stronger/fitter moreso than upgrading
bikes/components/jerseys yearly. That said, I really appreciate
these folks, for one they keep the LBS as well as the good people
like Ben, e-Richie, Curt and Dave etc. in business.
secondly there are some really good bargains to be had when they
tire of their Ottrott ST and have to get the Meivici (or C-50 or Luna).

I'm a recovering Audioholic as well and it's curious the relationship
between good sound and good bikes, seems to go hand in hand.
But then its always been all about the tubes (2A3s and Serotta C4s)

Marty

[Dave B]

I too have gone through many items in search of the perfect thing. I think we as a society are taught to want what we cannot have. This is why we have advertising, right!

One thing that always gets me is the inability to try certain things. Hey can I try these great new carbon....not with out buying it.

A few moments ago I was trying to decide why should I keep my Fierte and not go after a madone.

The funny thing is when I got home and really looked at my bike I began to think of the things I had done with her. Wait that didn't sound right, the times I had riding. This is the bike I did my first 50 mile, 62 mile and 100 mile ride on.

It is the bike I had when my wife got pregnant and my daughter came (6 months old)

The reason I am not trying to unload her (bike not daughter) anymore is that I cannot get what I have already had with something new.

Yeah I am going to put some new things on her very soon, but my true joy is not really in just the bike, but what she repesents. The friends i have made, the freedom I feel when I ride her, and the joy I own a bicycle. She will not be my last bike ever, but she could surly be a great one.

We buy things for many reasons, and to each of us we justify this. It is only when someone else tells us we are wrong do we second guess the feeling we had.

Allow people to share their opinion, but remember that you are the one who gets to ride her or I suppose him depending on your persuasion! :)

[Wayne77]

I'm a recovering Audioholic as well and it's curious the relationship
between good sound and good bikes, seems to go hand in hand.
But then its always been all about the tubes (2A3s and Serotta C4s)

Marty

Interesting analogy. So I wonder what cross-section of cyclists correlate with those fanatical audiophiles that spend hundreds per linear foot on cable, elevate the cables off the floor with little "cable supports", color the edges of their cd's with green marker, put little vibration damber thingies under their cd players, and "weight" their speakers? (Admittedly, I've experimented with some pretty expensive cable in my time, but never went much further than that in the audio/voodo/snake oil department.)

On another, somewhat related note, I've always been much more facinated with the hidden gems (bikes, audio, etc) that present an outstanding value/price proposition compared to the examples at either extreme (dirt-cheap or super expensive)

Hidden gems: nOrh, Magnepan speakers / Carl Strong, Curtlo, Steve Rex, Kogswell, Heron frames, etc