I am in the market to buy a new bike for myself for my upcoming birthday. Seems simple enough, right? NOPE! Unlike running gear, buying a bike is like entering a never-ending maze of shit and more shit! Perhaps I have never tuned-in to bikes and their relative cost at all but when did generally GOOD bikes become worth in the thousands and crappy bikes worth about $400-$500. What happened?! Excuse the language but that is such bullshit. I frequented several forums to get an idea of a good, reliable bike and all I see everywhere is this saying, "You get what you pay for". That is doublespeak alert for people who don't think and just follow along what everyone tells them. Come on! I can buy a solid used car for 2-3 thousand dollars, and although I am not a bike athlete I still want a solid bike. But what I get more and more from these forums is that IF you want a generally good bike you need to pay in the thousands. No wonder running is my sport. I can't afford to be a bicyclist anyway.
I will continue to chip away online and get some more reliable information to make my selection but the mounting frustration is no fun to deal with, plus, I am starting to not like bicycle people that much anymore. They come into each forum with so much jargon and snootiness.....and again, they so fully believe THE ONLY way to get a good ride is to hand over thousands of dollars. That will sadly not be me. I will find a way to get a good bike, but I be dishing out any more than $500. Whether one has that kind of money to burn or not, it is still absurd to think a typical working class American is going to afford to dish out $1000+ per family member, if so, than no wonder we have such a credit issue.
Getting ready to go for a 6 mile trail run. Will try to get bikes and these dumb forums out of my head.
So my 9-year old mamacita wants to be in the Tour De France! we often listen to audiobooks in the car when we travel and this time on our way to and from NY we were listening to Matt Fitzgerald's How Bad Do You Want It book on the radio. A week later she asks me to take her on a bike ride. Thought nothing of it. Then she asks for a new helmet. I began asking questions and she announces, "I want to win the Tour de France". Nothing wrong with big dreams....nothing at all.
