New bike advice
jjpptt2
Posts: 5,650 Member
I'm about ready to buy a new bike... but what bike do I buy?
The one that will get the most use (a new road bike), or the one that will having the biggest impact on my riding (a new mtn bike)?
Backstory...
I've got a 56cm Specialized Roubaix roadbike that is roughly 12 years old. I've upgraded the wheels and drivetrain in that time, so it still rides well, but the geometry just doesn't fit me, and the older I get, the more of a problem it becomes. So the pro to a new road bike would be all about comfort.
I've got a 26" Yeti full squish (single pivot, long before their switch setup) and a 29" Waltworks steel SS. Both work well, but both are lightyears behind the current standard for mountain bikes. And 45yr old me doesn't like SSing nearly as much as 35yr old me did. So a new mtn bike would be all about the tech and having something better suited to what and how I ride now.
The road bike gets more use because it's far less weather dependent. The mtn bike is more fun.
What would you do?
The one that will get the most use (a new road bike), or the one that will having the biggest impact on my riding (a new mtn bike)?
Backstory...
I've got a 56cm Specialized Roubaix roadbike that is roughly 12 years old. I've upgraded the wheels and drivetrain in that time, so it still rides well, but the geometry just doesn't fit me, and the older I get, the more of a problem it becomes. So the pro to a new road bike would be all about comfort.
I've got a 26" Yeti full squish (single pivot, long before their switch setup) and a 29" Waltworks steel SS. Both work well, but both are lightyears behind the current standard for mountain bikes. And 45yr old me doesn't like SSing nearly as much as 35yr old me did. So a new mtn bike would be all about the tech and having something better suited to what and how I ride now.
The road bike gets more use because it's far less weather dependent. The mtn bike is more fun.
What would you do?
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Replies
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Honestly, I'd go with the mountain bike "Better suited for what and how I ride... is more fun", but I guess it also depends on how off the roadie feels. I mean an hour with a slight misfit is one thing, but multiple hours can just suck the joy out of riding.
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That's a tough one. For myself I guess it would depend on what kind of road riding I'm doing. I used to do a lot of endurance road cycling and spent hours in the saddle...in that case I'd go for comfort and as close to a perfect fit as possible. My road bike these days is mounted to my direct drive smart trainer most of the time and my time outside is usually on my 29er hardtail. If I take the roadie out, it's typically for no more than an hour so a little bit of a misfit wouldn't be a huge deal for me.
I also live in a semi-rural area so even if I'm not actually mountain biking I get a lot of use outdoors on my hardtail. It's easier to cruise my village on the hardtail than with the road bike as we have a lot of dirt roads and trails zigzagging through the village. For a good road ride I typically have to take my bike somewhere to ride unless I just want to do this very plain and boring 12 mile loop of paved road through the village.
I pretty much decided to get my hardtail a few years ago because of where I live and the nature of the terrain isn't conducive to a lot of road ride options. Most of my riding is more cross-country with mixed pavement and dirt than true MTB which is why I went with the 29er hardtail...though I try to get up to the mountain foothills most weekends for a few hours. The only reason I even have a road bike is that I really got into doing century and 1/2 century rides for a few years but I'm kinda over that now. So for me it would be the MTB but that is biased on my part given my own personal situation.
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I would shop for used bikes and get one of each!
Traded in my upgraded 2014 Specialized Roubaix last year for a barely used BMC Roadmachine that was massively discounted compared to the cost when new and it's surprising how things have moved on.
Di2 gears perhaps being the biggest difference but the whole bike has incremental improvements that make it both faster and more comfortable.
Got a decent price for my old bike despite having done a lot of miles on it.
I'm very much road focussed but it sounds like you are the opposite. I'd spend the majority of my money on the genre that you spend most saddle time doing.1 -
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Do you have any local bike shops? All of the local bike shops here have loads of pre-owned inventory right now and some really good deals. We're going this weekend to upgrade my 12 yo from his Scott 18" to a youth Specialized Hardrock 26". Hopefully it's still there...$200 is a good deal for that bike and we'll see what they will give us for trade in on the Scott.0 -
I was fortunate to have all my dimensions and measurements from a professional bike fit and got the bike shop to replicate them on the new bike before a test ride. Bar position is very slightly lower (highest setting is slightly lower than the Roubaix middle setting) but expected that as the BMC is from the more racy end of the endurance geometry spectrum and I adapted easily enough.
Might even have made me 0.01mph faster....
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
Do you have any local bike shops? All of the local bike shops here have loads of pre-owned inventory right now and some really good deals. We're going this weekend to upgrade my 12 yo from his Scott 18" to a youth Specialized Hardrock 26". Hopefully it's still there...$200 is a good deal for that bike and we'll see what they will give us for trade in on the Scott.
We have 2 shops, neither deal much in used gear. Occasionally something will show up on consignment, but that's about it. Craigslist is the best source for used stuff... and I've found a couple of options that could work but that I don't love. Trying to stay patient, and considering the weather is still a limiting factor, there's no real need to rush it.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
Do you have any local bike shops? All of the local bike shops here have loads of pre-owned inventory right now and some really good deals. We're going this weekend to upgrade my 12 yo from his Scott 18" to a youth Specialized Hardrock 26". Hopefully it's still there...$200 is a good deal for that bike and we'll see what they will give us for trade in on the Scott.
We have 2 shops, neither deal much in used gear. Occasionally something will show up on consignment, but that's about it. Craigslist is the best source for used stuff... and I've found a couple of options that could work but that I don't love. Trying to stay patient, and considering the weather is still a limiting factor, there's no real need to rush it.
Crazy...I don't know what the heck is going on here in my neck of the woods but everyone is overrun with pre-owned inventory. Every shop has been asking for volunteers to come in and help do maintenance and tune-ups. A lot of them are only 2-3 years old at most...like a lot of people went out and bought bikes during lockdown and now they don't want them anymore.0
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