Your latest bike purchase?

[Subby]

I feel like I talk about my “story” on here all the time, but my first ever road bike ride was New Year’s day 2013. I was hooked and few months later I bought a 2006 Orbea Onix off of Craigslist. Lots of happy rides and commutes followed, but after my second major crash and 4th broken bone/1st damaged organ, my wife insisted I get a more commuter friendly bike. So I bought a 2007 Kona Major Jake CX bike off of eBay. I had a love/hate relationship with it, but after getting the shitty canti brakes replaced with mini-Vs and putting on new wheels, the bike is an absolute DREAM for commuting. It goes fast enough running 32s and has both brifters and bar interrupter brakes which is nice for going through the city. I can put 38s on it and go gravel grinding with Dirt and Friends and I can hopefully use it to CX Cat 5 with guys like vvill and vince.

As for my next bike, I have caught FG/SS fever and am going to get a PureFix as soon as I can scrape some money together.

Specifically, I want this: http://purefixcycles.com/products/the-coolidge-crmo-fixed-gear

[83b]

In ’09 I had most of my bikes stolen. An old Trek 2200, an older Gary Fisher mountain bike, and my wife’s nice new Trek 7.3. The only thing they missed, to my great relief, was my ’98 Litespeed Unicoi, which was a stripped down frame at that point.

I’ve since rebuilt the Litespeed as a city bike with decent cargo capacity. About two years ago it got an electric assist and became my daily commuter. It’s nickname is “the Embarrassment of Riches.”

My wife got a Civia Loring to replace her Trek.

And finally, I picked up a ’04 Lemond Poprad off of Craigslist that’s serving as my all-purpose recreational bike. It’s gotten a few new parts like a carbon fork, mini-v brakes, and a compact crank, but is otherwise running the cobbled together 9 speed drive train that the previous owner bolted on. I really like this bike, but have been tempted to try something carbon for a while now. I’ve also never owned a bike with disc brakes and covet the ones on the Civia. But there can be no n+1, we’re in a small house and no more bikes will fit in the living room.

[Greenbelt]

Have been resisting the urge to buy a new bike; instead, adding cargo capacity to current fleet.
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[KayakCyndi]

@Greenbelt 83748 wrote:

Yummy … Pizza.

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[vvill]

@Subby 83746 wrote:

As for my next bike, I have caught FG/SS fever and am going to get a PureFix as soon as I can scrape some money together.

Specifically, I want this: http://purefixcycles.com/products/the-coolidge-crmo-fixed-gear

I think FG is *really* fun but I haven’t found it practical enough (for my poorly developed FG skillset) to commute on. Right now both my one geared bikes are running SS, although that may change sometime. Luckily it only takes about 5 minutes to change.

You should also consider a SSCX imo because you can then race SSCX (I think dcv and I may try that this season), or do a gravel grinder single speed (or FG like Dirt/Bilsko if you want), or ride studded tires SS (or FG if you’re Dirt), or even… plan to ride the entire C&O on one gear in one day. I think they’d make great low maintenance commuters too.

I do think more “story” is needed for really explaining recent purchases since many of us have several bikes. So, for me: about a year before I bought my SS/FG I bought a disc brake equipped Kona Jake. I’ve done a couple of CX races on it, and a bunch of memorable gravel grinders – both of those are a ton of fun and this is definitely the bike I would not give up if I could keep one! In hindsight I would’ve preferred a tapered head tube and better FD routing but those are minor points, not real issues. Before this I bought a folding bike with full fenders for multi-modal/rainy commutes and use as a travel bike. Mid 2011 was when I got my first road bike – before then I had a hybrid and a beater MTB, both from 2005/6.

[hozn]

My most recent bike purchase was my disc-brake road bike project that started last fall and wrapped up late winter. It took awhile to find (and afford) the parts I wanted, build the wheels, decide what stickers to put on it, etc.
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I tend to do large bike-related expenditures once a year at most. (Luckly my wife and I have an allowance system so I can be as indulgent as I want [can afford] without risking my marriage.) I had only ridden my previous road bike for 2k miles or so, so I think 2,000 miles is plenty of time to decide you want something new & shiny.

For me, I’m space constrained, so I can’t just n+1. Technically, I could fit one more bike in the shed right now (before both kids need bikes), but I think 3 bikes is sufficient for my riding styles (road, cx/commuter, ss mtb). So any +1 must be accompanied by a -1. It makes me really appreciate versatile bikes like my commuter/cx bike. I am thinking of putting 1.8″ tires on it (or 42mm rear, 1.8″ front) and racing it in MTB field at Wakefield this year.

[Kaboose]

A month ago, I bought a used ’99 Litespeed Owl Hollow from a friend of mine and used it to replace my full suspension MTB. That MTB served me well for the four years that I owned it, but it was time to get something more fitted to the terrain of the area. I was ready to build up a Soma B-side, but with a great offer to buy a titanium frame, I could not refuse. Now I don’t have to buy another mountain bike for a very, very long time. And it appears I’m like everyone else with a road bike, mtb, and commuter/beater bike.

I too have caught that fever of looking for a new bike after I started commuting to try and find the perfect blend of bike. For me, the best commuter turned out to be an old steel frame MTB from 1994 that I put slick tires on and a rigid fork, and its worked brilliantly since i made the conversion. So don’t worry, you’re normal for wanting something new so quickly. Just don’t get one of those ElliptiGOs. Then something’s wrong.

[krazygl00]

@vvill 83750 wrote:

I do think more “story” is needed for really explaining recent purchases since many of us have several bikes. So, for me: about a year before I bought my SS/FG I bought a disc brake equipped Kona Jake. I’ve done a couple of CX races on it, and a bunch of memorable gravel grinders – both of those are a ton of fun and this is definitely the bike I would not give up if I could keep one! In hindsight I would’ve preferred a tapered head tube and better FD routing but those are minor points, not real issues. Before this I bought a folding bike with full fenders for multi-modal/rainy commutes and use as a travel bike. Mid 2012 was when I got my first road bike – before then I had a hybrid and a beater MTB, both from 2005/6.

Just curious, what is it about a tapered head tube you would prefer? I know there are advantages (stiffness, strength) but I would have considered those the province of frame designers and mechanics. Are there tangible ride-quality or usability benefits to you?

[83b]

@hozn 83757 wrote:

My most recent bike purchase was my disc-brake road bike project that started last fall and wrapped up late winter. It took awhile to find (and afford) the parts I wanted, build the wheels, decide what stickers to put on it, etc.
[…]
I am thinking of putting 1.8″ tires on it (or 42mm rear, 1.8″ front) and racing it in MTB field at Wakefield this year.

Is this an open mold frame? It looks fantastic! I’ve been considering building up a disc brake road or cross bike based on an open mold frame and would love any input you might have.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@vvill 83750 wrote:

I think FG is *really* fun but I haven’t found it practical enough (for my poorly developed FG skillset) to commute on.

What is it about FG that you find less practical than SS? Honest question, as I’m just curious about your preferences/experiences…not trying to challenge your thinking or anything.

[dkel]

This is pretty fantastic stuff, folks! I have learned/confirmed a few things:

1) This forum is just great.

2) Apparently I’m not crazy for thinking I need a new bike, less than a year after my last new bike. (Or, in fact, *everyone* on here is crazy, and I fit right in. Either way is fine. )

3) I really appreciate the stories behind these bike acquisitions (I’m just sorry that so many of them seem to involve theft as the reason for needing a new bike).

I’ve already been to Bikenetic once and test-ridden some things, and I will definitely be back there in the next week or so. Last visit I learned, to my surprise, that I love steel frames! I’m enough of a hard-core commuter that I’m less interested in going really fast than I am in being uber-prepared for anything (And I love braze-ons. It’s practically a fetish.), and the smooth ride of steel was magical (though I really liked the Jamis Nova Race a lot, too). I’m pretty sure I’m going to go ahead and get the Bikenetic folks to drag in a Surly Straggler for me to try (I even like the purple glitter).

[lordofthemark]

My last bike purchase (my first bike purchase since the Carter administration) was in December of last year. For those who did not follow along, at that time we owned one bike, a cheap, old MTB (with oddly small wheels) that we had picked up on free cycle. I wanted something better for virtually all purposes other than mountain biking (which I don’t do) and bought a Kona Dew at Bikenetics.

So far I have enjoyed the Dew very much. Now that I have finally enticed my wife to join me on a weekend ride, the old MTB is back in the picture again. So we may start thinking about another bike. It might be nice to get a road bike, but I’m not ready to hand the Dew off to my wife, and I don’t think she wants to ride a road bike. So the next bike will probably be another hybrid of some sort. But we aren’t really looking now.

[americancyclo]

@dkel 83767 wrote:

I’m pretty sure I’m going to go ahead and get the Bikenetic folks to drag in a Surly Straggler for me to try (I even like the purple glitter).

Purple bikes are awesome!
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[KayakCyndi]

@dkel 83767 wrote:

I’ve already been to Bikenetic once and test-ridden some things …. I’m pretty sure I’m going to go ahead and get the Bikenetic folks to drag in a Surly Straggler for me to try (I even like the purple glitter).

Bikenetic rocks (as we all know) but be oh so careful with their “we’ll get one in and you can try it, no problem” deal. They did for me with my Ogre, then let me take it for a LONG test ride after which there was no way I wasn’t going home with it!

[dkel]

@KayakCyndi 83771 wrote:

Bikenetic rocks (as we all know) but be oh so careful with their “we’ll get one in and you can try it, no problem” deal. They did for me with my Ogre, then let me take it for a LONG test ride after which there was no way I wasn’t going home with it!

Going home with the Straggler may be a foregone conclusion anyway. I’m mostly concerned with fit; I already love the thing, and I’ve done copious amounts of research.

[Author]

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