Re: Ever built a no expense spared bike?
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 11:43 am
Well, since you ask... no, not really
https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/
Ever built a no expense spared bike?
https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=18474
Page 3 of 3
Re: Ever built a no expense spared bike?
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 12:37 pm
Re: Ever built a no expense spared bike?
Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 12:55 pm
I would love to buy a package bike from Canyon, or some similar value option as that is definitely the best way to maximise bang for buck. But it just doesn't work for me, partly because my dimensions are not in the middle of the bell curve (so I don't fit the standard components specced - eg crank lengths; 170-175 is not optimal for a lot of people), but also because I know what I like and hate compromise, especially with fit.
So I am forced to go down the bespoke route, which can be very tedious as I am too tight to pay MRP for anything. My bike builds become projects that take months to accumulate all the right parts at a reasonable price (and selling the bits that come standard but don't work for me). But it is very satisfying when you finish with exactly what you want. The trouble is the bike market changes so quickly these days (mostly driven by fashion), the resale value of the finished bike very quickly falls off a cliff, especially as it is designed for my specific requirements, which are not normal. So I hoard bikes that are unfashionable but mean a lot to me, far more than I would get for them on Fleabay.
I often find smaller brands (like Mt Zoom / JRA wheels, etc) provide products at least as good as the big players at a much reduced price, so it is possible to build a very nice ride without going bankrupt. I also find that the 'latest & greatest' that the industry whores in the cycling press wet themselves over almost always turn out to be very disappointing - I regrettably discovered this again with Shimano GRX - the most expensive downgrade I ever put on a bike...
I could easily have spent much more on all of these bikes and ended up with something that was less pleasing to ride, so they are definitely not 'no expense spared', but they have required a large investment of my time, which is definitely a cost, but one I will always commit to the hobby I love.
So I am forced to go down the bespoke route, which can be very tedious as I am too tight to pay MRP for anything. My bike builds become projects that take months to accumulate all the right parts at a reasonable price (and selling the bits that come standard but don't work for me). But it is very satisfying when you finish with exactly what you want. The trouble is the bike market changes so quickly these days (mostly driven by fashion), the resale value of the finished bike very quickly falls off a cliff, especially as it is designed for my specific requirements, which are not normal. So I hoard bikes that are unfashionable but mean a lot to me, far more than I would get for them on Fleabay.
I often find smaller brands (like Mt Zoom / JRA wheels, etc) provide products at least as good as the big players at a much reduced price, so it is possible to build a very nice ride without going bankrupt. I also find that the 'latest & greatest' that the industry whores in the cycling press wet themselves over almost always turn out to be very disappointing - I regrettably discovered this again with Shimano GRX - the most expensive downgrade I ever put on a bike...
I could easily have spent much more on all of these bikes and ended up with something that was less pleasing to ride, so they are definitely not 'no expense spared', but they have required a large investment of my time, which is definitely a cost, but one I will always commit to the hobby I love.