My PACE RC303 is now five years old, perhaps even six. In mountain bike terms that's pretty ancient and my LBS slags it off as old skool and they laugh at me. So I've been looking at new bikes - mainly to be built up around a Cotic Soul frame. I've no real interest in full suspension bikes, although I like the tech. I can just remember my first foray into full suspension as being an exercise in spending once pivits start to wear out or the rear shock goes AWOL. In my mind once the rear shock goes, then you may as well start all over again and dump the bike on somebody via eBay.
But......
The Cotic is £500. Just for the frame. So realistically, with new forks and re-using the wheels and finishing kit from my PACE I could probably build a bike up for £1,100 if I really re-used and didn't buy new. At that level one then starts thinking "Boardman from Halfords for £850" or such. And then the demons start in again. Boardman!? That's for MAMIL's, not me, a hardened mountain biker! Oooo, but I can't do jumps, manuals or, well, anything that involves lifting my wheels off the ground, so who am I kidding? The Boardman will be fine. I'll get that.
But......
My PACE, old as it is, is as good as the Boardman in many ways so why change? I'll just go and polish it, perhaps take it for a quick spin. My isn't it a nice bike? Sure it needs new cables, and the Magura Julie brake is ancient, but it does for me.
Prevarication and being tight with money rules the day. My PACE is indeed ancient, and I know that any new bike at £850 and above would improve my ride no end. I've an Orange Clockwork and Klein Mantra sitting around; they are horrible to ride yet prior to buying the PACE they were lovely. A 2012 bike would be the same kind of jump in performance; new gears, new geometry, better brakes, etc..
But.....
I just don't feel that spending around a grand on bikes would bring any benefits over and above what I already have. Sure a new bike would be better, and I'd notice it instantly, but at the end of the day I've just ridden a big mountain in Wales no worries, and the bike got me around Coed Y Brenin happily enough. Plus I know full well that for £50 I could blag a £3k demo bike from my LBS for a day, and that's stunningly good value. Why drop £3k on a bike that'll be worth 40% of that in a year's time?
Sorry, I'm boring myself now so I'm going to tootle off and put those new cables onto my bike.
But......
The Cotic is £500. Just for the frame. So realistically, with new forks and re-using the wheels and finishing kit from my PACE I could probably build a bike up for £1,100 if I really re-used and didn't buy new. At that level one then starts thinking "Boardman from Halfords for £850" or such. And then the demons start in again. Boardman!? That's for MAMIL's, not me, a hardened mountain biker! Oooo, but I can't do jumps, manuals or, well, anything that involves lifting my wheels off the ground, so who am I kidding? The Boardman will be fine. I'll get that.
But......
My PACE, old as it is, is as good as the Boardman in many ways so why change? I'll just go and polish it, perhaps take it for a quick spin. My isn't it a nice bike? Sure it needs new cables, and the Magura Julie brake is ancient, but it does for me.
Prevarication and being tight with money rules the day. My PACE is indeed ancient, and I know that any new bike at £850 and above would improve my ride no end. I've an Orange Clockwork and Klein Mantra sitting around; they are horrible to ride yet prior to buying the PACE they were lovely. A 2012 bike would be the same kind of jump in performance; new gears, new geometry, better brakes, etc..
But.....
I just don't feel that spending around a grand on bikes would bring any benefits over and above what I already have. Sure a new bike would be better, and I'd notice it instantly, but at the end of the day I've just ridden a big mountain in Wales no worries, and the bike got me around Coed Y Brenin happily enough. Plus I know full well that for £50 I could blag a £3k demo bike from my LBS for a day, and that's stunningly good value. Why drop £3k on a bike that'll be worth 40% of that in a year's time?
Sorry, I'm boring myself now so I'm going to tootle off and put those new cables onto my bike.
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