Parting with a frame that you really love...

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

There are reasonable reasons to sell a treasured bike: you no longer ride, it no longer fits, you need the money, you need the space, you've decided to live a life free of material attachments, you feel emotionally burdened by possessing it, you want to try something different that speaks to you and that will take the bike's place. I've let go of alot of nice bikes, and there are times of nostalgia for some of them but for the most part, I don't look back.

There's one reason for selling though that doesn't resonate with me in the least: the idea that you "don't deserve it or need it" as expressed in the bike snob column and therefore the smart thing to do is to downgrade from Dura Ace to Ultegra yada, yada strikes me as letting others play on your psyche with some weird guilt trip. That downgrade - by the time you sell the existing bike and buy a new lesser model, you've probably saved at best an insignificant amount of money all to assuage some false sense of guilt.

I prefer to. focus on the purpose of "kondo'ing the sh*t out of things" not the mechanics.

Thought provoking response. Kind of a fine line between the two things in bold, no? For me personally, I caught a severe case of "Pacelinitis" when I joined. I'm only just recovering.

There are a few Forumites here (I think Joosttx comes to mind) who only have one road bike. I admire that. I have four road bikes. That is my absolute limit. I'm actually grateful I reached it. Chasing happiness through metal tubing is illusory.

If I had to do it all over again, I would get a Ti disc bike from Alliance with room for slightly less tires size (say 40 instead of 45) and call it a day. As it is, my gravel bike will be the one bike that stays with me.

[R3awak3n]

No answer with parting with a bike you love but parting with a bike you don’t love, now thats a good feeling.

[zambenini]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

There are reasonable reasons to sell a treasured bike: you no longer ride, it no longer fits, you need the money, you need the space, you've decided to live a life free of material attachments, you feel emotionally burdened by possessing it, you want to try something different that speaks to you and that will take the bike's place. I've let go of alot of nice bikes, and there are times of nostalgia for some of them but for the most part, I don't look back.

There's one reason for selling though that doesn't resonate with me in the least: the idea that you "don't deserve it or need it" as expressed in the bike snob column and therefore the smart thing to do is to downgrade from Dura Ace to Ultegra yada, yada strikes me as letting others play on your psyche with some weird guilt trip. That downgrade - by the time you sell the existing bike and buy a new lesser model, you've probably saved at best an insignificant amount of money all to assuage some false sense of guilt.

I prefer to. focus on the purpose of "kondo'ing the sh*t out of things" not the mechanics.

That's a nice take on the BSNYC thing. Counterpoint: I stand to pocket almost a grand for by downgrading the bike I just sold, and could envision doing that a second time with my MTB. I am sure I will see that money back some day when I get something Italian.

I am against puritanism in all forms, so yeah, I'm not about to smash any Dura Ace or Campy icons - it's really fun for some things to be nicer than they need to! I am OK with gilding the lily. But, as self-applied to my specific circumstances, I am also OK with Dad's bike getting downgraded. Edit: I wonder if BSNYC was going through the same thing at the time, lol.

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

Thought provoking response. Kind of a fine line between the two things in bold, no? For me personally, I caught a severe case of "Pacelinitis" when I joined. I'm only just recovering.

I hear you. And it is a fine line. I at times think that I have too many road bikes as they all fill the same niche. But there's more to it, for me, than utilitarian function.

Bikes are one aspect of my life where I can afford to be promiscuous

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[smead]

I've picked up 4 beautiful vintage steel frames here in the last 10 years and I'm really surprised a prior owner has not lamented about selling one of them.

'95 Merckx Corsa 01
Early 90s Moser Leader AX
Late 90s Fondriest X-Status
Full Columbus Genius Jeff Bumby (there's one you won't see often)

I will add to this thread at some point in the future because at some point I will need to downsize. I really can't imagine parting with any of these, they are all near mint.

[NHAero]

I'm only sentimentally attached to the Bob Jackson, which was my only drop bar bike most of the past fifty years, made for me in 1972. I had it repainted recently, just for the satisfaction of seeing it look new again, it wasn't a must-do. It's too long for me, so these days it has a really short stem. I still like riding it, so it wears modern STI instead of the Campy NR in the drawer. I'll put the Campy on if it ever becomes wall art!

I have others I love riding more, but am not attached to. The Firefly is awesome, best bike I've ever ridden, but one that was custom made for me would nudge this one out the door. I'd probably be most likely to regret selling the ‘88 Nagasawa fixed gear road trainer, but I can't envision wanting anything else for that riding use.

I sold the frame that Sheldon Brown rode when we met in 1971, the OTB, after I had it fully restored and built up as a fixed gear, homage to him. I'd bought it from his wife (we were friends before she met him). I knew it was too big for me, and when the Nagasawa arrived, I had to choose to either pass it on or make it wall art. It was on the one hand a memento of a long friendship, but on the other hand, I felt it should get ridden, so away it went, to someone happy to have it. No regrets!

[mhespenheide]

On review, I've not yet sold a bike/frame that I loved. By the time I'm ready to sell it, it's been supplanted or otherwise fallen out of favor. That's not to say that I don't regret some of the sales later, but at the time I was okay with letting them go.

[zambenini]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

I hear you. And it is a fine line. I at times think that I have too many road bikes as they all fill the same niche. But there's more to it, for me, than utilitarian function.

Bikes are one aspect of my life where I can afford to be promiscuous

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

A guy in the jewelry business once told my Dad "John, Jewelry's cheaper than alimony."

[ultraman6970]

True!!!

Originally Posted by zambenini

a guy in the jewelry business once told my dad "john, jewelry's cheaper than alimony."

[sparky33]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Yes. It's just a thing. Sell it and move on to new experienced. Marie Kondo the hell out of it.

I sold a Weigle 650b rando grail bike a few years back - oddly, it wasn't sparking joy.
what are you doing??
That tough decision made room for other bikes that did.

Since then many very special bikes have come and gone, and I far more enjoy the variety of serial bike ownership and experimentation. This isn't exactly in line with the Kondo method, but I am firmly in the headspace of a strict joy-standard when it comes to deciding how long to keep a bike.