Jul 9th, 2008
A New Bike Won’t Make Me a Better Cyclist
My sport of choice is bicycling; I was a cyclist as an undergrad in college and into graduate school, and after a long time (and a lot of pounds added) I decided that it would be a big part of the way I would get my health in order. I went from 265 pounds in 2002 (my doctor’s note says 272, but I think that’s more about their scale and my being in full work clothes rather than just underwear weighing myself at home) to 185 pounds today. I picked up a used Cannondale road bike from a friend of mine I worked with for $200 about three years ago and outfitted it mostly with leftover parts from the early 1990s when I was totally into the sport. It’s a mishmash of components from Shimano (which is like the Microsoft of bicycling), Campagnolo, Suntour, Mavic, and some unnamed Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers. It’s also a relic by modern standards–cycling technology changes fast, and like cars, there are new models with new features every year. And like with cars, it’s far behind the cutting edge and falls farther and farther every year.
Yes, I am tempted every time I run by the local bicycle store to get myself a new bike.
But I don’t.
Here’s why, besides the obvious issue of frugality: a new bicycle is not going to make me a better cyclist.
Even if a new bicycle is five pounds lighter with 6 more gears than the one I’ve been riding the last three years, those are not going to make a huge difference in my cycling. Yes, they would be welcome, but they’re not going to make me faster or able to ride longer. The gearing might make a small amount of difference, but I can get that without buying a new bike (I’d just need a new cassette and hub for my rear wheel if I was willing to rebuild it, or a new cassette and rear wheel if not). I’d also be far better off losing five pounds off of my ample waistline rather than losing five pounds off my bike. That wouldn’t just help my cycling, it would help my occasional back and joint pain.
None of this means that my current ride is better than a newer one; far from it, at least technically. But my old stead is still working and working well enough for me to be going for a third straight year of the Honolulu Advertiser Century Ride. It carried me through a metric century (62 miles) earlier this year, and it’ll take me through a 65 mile ride in the morning, weather permitting. It fits me pretty well (and actually a lot better than an off the shelf new bike is likely to, as I’ve made so many adjustments and added a different stem and bars than would come with one of this size, since I have somewhat odd body geometry). The ride is nice, stiff, and as comfortable as I’d expect a road bike to be.
Would I like to get a new bike? Sure. Just as I’d like to get a new computer or a new truck or a new house. But what I have will get me through, and while a new computer might help me become somewhat of a better programmer (speed and capacity does count for something), a new truck might (but I doubt will) get me better gas mileage than my nearly seven year old Tacoma, and a new house might need a bit less maintenance than the one I live in now, a new bike doesn’t offer enough advantages for me to spring the dollars for it, and no matter what, it really won’t make me a faster cyclist with more endurance. The only thing that will is training, and I have a bike more than adequate for that purpose.
LOL! A few years ago, my (very wealthy) father in law bought himself a custom made set of golf clubs. My brother in law asked him one day how much he paid. $4,500. After picking his jaw up from the floor, my brother in law asked, “So how has your golf game improved, Dad?” . . . “It hasn’t son, but it’s MY money to spend the way I want,” came the terse reply!
I just keep quiet in those situations…
Yes, but one reason it won’t is because you started with an extremely good frame. Cannondales frames are solid, well-made, with attention to detail. (And pretty darn light too!)
If, however, you started with a steel Huffy from WalMart, a new bike might make all the difference in the world.
[...] Uncommon Cents’ A New Bike Won’t Make Me a Better Cyclist [...]
[...] of Frugality is up at On Financial Success. I really enjoyed the post from Uncommon Cents about how getting a new bike won’t make one a better cyclist. I have three siblings who are competitive cyclists, and regularly win races on bikes that cost a [...]
Do you think getting a road bike over a mountain bike would make a big difference? I currently bike with a hand me down mountain bike. It’s a Trek, so it’s pretty nice. I only bike in the city, so I was thinking about getting a road bike to make it easier on myself.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Good for you! I know how we can get attached to our frames. I have a 8 year-old Gary Fisher hard-tail that I absolutely love. The parts may change from time to time, and one day far in the future I may get a full suspension bike, but I will never ditch my orange Fisher that fits me so perfectly.
My husband does a lot of bike tune-ups for our friends and neighbours, and people have been amazed at the results when he convinces them to fix up a quality older bike, rather than going and buying a cheap one from a department store!
Sincerely,
Amanda
[...] Cents wrote a post that I agree with: A New Bike Won’t Make Me a Better Cyclist. I will never abandon my bright orange [...]
[...] A New Bike Won’t Make Me a Better Cyclist at Uncommon Cents. The post talks about being satisfied with what you’ve got. This quote says it all: “Would I like to get a new bike? Sure. Just as I’d like to get a new computer or a new truck or a new house. But what I have will get me through.” [...]
I am so-o-o-o-o delinquent in responding (sorry, been really swamped):
Ron:
I think your story is far funnier than mine.
Hayden:
I agree with you–to a point. Lance Armstrong or Greg LeMond would kill me if they were on a Huffy and I were on a Serotta.
However, yes, I have a decent foundation of a bike from the start–that was the play. I guess what I’m saying here is, “pretty decent is often more than enough.”
calgirlfinance:
If you want to be faster (I have a mountain bike too), yes, a road bike will make a difference, but mountain bikes tend to be way more comfortable in lots of situations (fat tires soak up bumps pretty decently).
Amanda:
I don’t know if I will keep this Cannondale forever–but I will keep it for a long time.
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