Is buying a better bike worth it?

StanInTheVan

StanInTheVan

Member
I'm here to answer that question, not ask it. My answer is YES.

I started MTB with a Walmart bike with a turned-around fork (the fork was damaged so I turned it backwards to clear the frame and I thought I could "get by"). The JORBA guys at Allaire told me to never ride that bike again. The next bike was a Sam's club bike bought used for $50. It is still my "path" bike, but it's not a mountain bike. The third bike was a Haro Flightline (26"), which was a contest bike from Monster drinks that I bought off of eBay. It is a basic beginner level MTB, but as much as I loved it, it was nothing special.

Not too long ago, at Johnny Utah's and Mike C's suggestion, I bought a used Salsa El Mariachi (29") from another MTBNJer. It's older but has decent components. It's also 6 pounds lighter than the Haro. I am surprised at the difference both in what the bike can do and in what I can do on the bike. Granted, I ride easy trails at an easy pace but both the trail difficulty and pace have picked up recently. I know I will never be a racer but I have a lot more fun.

If you are lurking out there and wondering if you should get a better bike, do it if you are at all serious about riding.
 
I was in the market for a new bike to replace my 10 yr old Trek. I looked at the Trek FS bikes and I wanted Fox suspension. I looked and looked, different shops, etc. Then I realized that for a relatively small % more, I could get a freakin awesome bike that I really love to ride. That's how I bought a Pivot. And YES it was definitly worth it.

I do not have a Harley, or a boat payment, or a car payment, or a drug addiction. A lot of my friends have those things. It's all relative.....
 
Yes! Nice post!

the quality of bike available for a "reasonable investment" has increased dramatically compared to 10yrs ago, too.
 
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