Do people enjoy their expensive bikes more than their cheap ones?

[screenman]

This has been a hard question as my bikes are like my kids, I do not like any of them more than the other.

 

[Oldfentiger]

I have a 1976 Claud Butler which stands me around £200. It makes me smile just as much as my 1500 quid carbon Merida, for different reasons.

 

[ryan_w]

CAAD12 gets abused daily and loves it. Definitely an awesome bike to commute on.

As for my S5: I love riding it, I love looking at it, I love cleaning it, I love everything about it... I wouldn't love commuting on it though.

Each bike has it's place and is loved for different reasons.

I don't see the point in owning a bike you don't love.

 

[mattobrien]

I certainly enjoy riding my more expensive bike more than the less expensive ones, but currently I have different bikes for different purposes, so they get used based upon conditions and purpose. Give me a choice and it would be a dry, warm day and on the more expensive / nicest bike.

 

[Milkfloat]

Even my expensive bikes are cheap, well that is what I tell the wife. I enjoy all my bikes, they each have a slightly different purpose and I use the correct one for the job. I do find myself riding my fixed gear more and more though.

 

[Brandane]

What is an "expensive" bike though? It's all relative. My best bike cost me £600 second hand. It's a Ridgeback Panorama and yes, it is nicer to ride than some cheaper bikes I have owned. Personally, that's about as much as I would spend on a bike. Much as I enjoy cycling, I have to admit that it is "just a bike".

 

[screenman]

Expensive is in my book anything you cannot afford.

 

[derrick]

Yes!! Definitely. I may look a nobber on my Cervelo but I pretend to myself that I'm Stevo Cummings soloing away to a TdF stage win. You have no idea how much pleasure that gives me.

I will lookout for a Cervelo when i am round your way.

 

[bikingdad90]

I have a Planet X Kaffenback which is great for commuting on as it has disc brakes, rack and guard mounts. It is a hoot to ride. It was built up from the frame. I can't bring myself to part from it.

I have a Cannondale Trail 7 which doesn't see much use and to be honest I have no attachment to it.

Currently looking at getting good a road bike for sportives. Quite like Orbeas offerings

 

[dim]

I've owned 12 bikes in 2016 and now have 3 .... I buy bikes, ride them a while, then sell for profit and buy better. (my first bike was a £40 Ridgeback Comet Hybrid... sold it for £120 ) .... this keeps the wife happy as I don't use food money to buy bikes

my current summer commuter is a Specialized S-Works with Campagnolo wheels and full Campagnolo Chorus Groupset .... I paid £500 for it and it's by far my best bike. (I will keep this one for a long time, and will upgrade the wheels to Campagnolo Bullet soon) .... this one is fast and fits me like a glove

My supposidly 'fast' bike is a Giant TCR carbon, but even though I paid a bit more for this one, I still prefer the S-Works. I'm seriously thinking about selling the Giant later in the year and perhaps getting a Scott Foil with Di2 which I'm hoping will be a 'keeper'

I owned a 1980's Condor (531 steel), and I really enjoyed riding this, but ended up selling it for a huge profit to someone in my village.... a lovely comfortable bike and I'm sad that I sold it

I owned a 1980's Koga Miyata Road Champ ... it was way too big for me and would love to get a Koga Miyata that fits .... I sold this one for 3 times what I paid

I owned a Surly Long Haul Trucker (bought it brand new for a bargain and sold it 2 weeks ago for £100 more than what I paid) .... I bought it with the intention to do Audax and LeJog, but it's just way too slow (I'd rather use a fast bike)

loads of other bikes (Carrera TDF, Bridgestone MTB, Gitane Tour De France (a very good bike IMHO) etc etc),

My latest bike (to sell on) is a 1980's Pinarello .... I'm hoping to double my money and get a 1980's Colnago or De Rosa which will be a 'keeper' and which will be my 'Sunday show off' bike and possibly ride a few L'Eroica events)

I'm also planning to get a vintage racing Tricycle such as a Bob Jackson or similar but that will have to wait until the 3rd quarter of this year

so.... the moral of the story is that it's not what you pay for the bike, it's how it fits you and how fast you can travel on it

 

[vickster]

I don't think I rode my most expensive bike last year, was a relatively thin cycling year all told. I'm attached to it and have no need to sell, so hopefully I'll get to use it in 2017

 

[ryan_w]

(BTW it's an R5 from the good people at Shorter Rochfords who did me a nice deal)

This will be my next purchase, to sit between the CAAD and S5... The grey and red looks stunning in the flesh!

 

[fossyant]

3 of my bikes never got used on the road last year (broke spine) Best bike is all locked up, one is on the turbo only and the fixed gear commuter is still at my mums awaiting the other party to inspect it following my accident. Having fun on a retro no-suspension MTB (Deore XT) and a new full suspension MTB.

All can be fun in their place. Can't say the turbo bike is fun currently, but it's a means to an end.

 

[smutchin]

I got a speeding ticket 27 years ago in a Citroen BX

I can trump that - the only speeding ticket I ever got was in an AX - as I told the police officer who stopped me, I was just amazed that the car could manage 90mph, even going downhill on the M62. He wasn't impressed.

As for bikes, I've ridden a Trek Edmonda SLR Custom (£7k) and a team issue Pinarello Dogma K8 (Elia Viviani's, to be precise) and they were both huge amounts of fun. But generally, what really matters is not the price tag but that it's the right bike for the right ride.

Current favourite bike is my fixie that cost me a total of about £400. Two reasons: one, getting back into fixed after a few years off; two, I built it myself, including the wheels. It makes me smile every time I go out on it.

 

[ColinJ]

I forgot to mention the singlespeed bike that I built recently from a donated frame/fork, my own stock of old bits & pieces, and just £60 worth of new components. I have done some very good rides on it. I can't ride it on the hilliest roads round here but it is great for flatter roads. I plan to ride it on nickyboy's Llandudno ride in May.

So, my best bike is my best bike, but I agree - it is definitely possible to enjoy riding inexpensive bikes.