The Bike Purchase Trifecta

As anyone would agree, the sport of cycling ain't cheep. It requires considerable resources, which often leave me considering if I'm in way over my head. Just to put it in perspective, what would someone just getting into the sport have to purchase? There's you're fixed cost investments such as:

• bikes, kits, helmet, shoes, bike lights, computer, saddle bag, bottle cages, bottle, camelbak, HRM.

Maybe those aren't all purchased at once, but you can see how all that stuff quickly adds up whether it's a hybrid, entry level mountain bike, or svelt road race machine.  Now throw into the mix normal wear and tear:

• tires, tubes, wheel truing, drivetrain adjustments, drivetrain parts, batteries for computers and HRMs, etc.

Think about the the last time you replaced a cassette and chain. Not exactly cheap right?
Now lets take that a step further by adding into the mix the racer/weight weenie mentality and the costs goes up exponentially.  First, figure the cost of race registrations, travel expenses, team kits, licenses which have to be added to the annual costs. Then, you might buy lighter weight stuff (such as Dura-Ace instead of Ultegra) which will cost more. Then there's another problem, wear and tear also increase. Racers are harder on equipment because you train more frequently and at levels of intensity which increase friction and thus eqiupment wears quicker.  So you get dinged from both sides, your equipment wears quicker thus replacement intervals are shorter and you're maybe buying more expensive equipment.  So boom its expensive right?

Now factor all this in and I'll tell you, I don't buy bikes often because the fixed cost investments are so high. My last road bike a 2006 Cannondale Caad8 lasted for 5 years before getting replaced. My 2nd mountain bike, a 2004 Gary Fisher Superfly was in service till 2009. I like to make sure my equipment is well used before its replaced, I guess thats the economist in me. Beginning with the 2010-2011 CX season this whole process was somewhat upturned. I've found myself in a situation now where I've come into possession of 3 new bikes in the span of 1 season.  How did that happen?

Bike #1: Ridley Crossbow

The flood gates opened with the urge to try cross for real last season. I know I could have raced on my mtb much like others have successfully done. However, I had almost all of the spare parts lying in the garage so my objective was to find a frame for cheap and build one on a budget. The solution came from competitive cyclist in the form of a 2008 Ridley X-Bow frameset for $500 bucks shipped. With that and about $300 bucks in parts (cx tires, crank, chain, cassette, and cables) i was into CX season for $800.  I raced that bike for 3 months and trained on it in the spring and fall. Not bad for its first season. This year that bike will go on a diet and recieve new parts to make it even more race worthy.

Bike #2: Velo Vie

Bike number 2 came early this season when my desire for carbon, along with my compounding fear of the caad8 cracking soon came to a head. Now having just built a bike and raced CX season, a new bike wasn't in the budget. Surely I would have loved a brand new Madone but it just wasn't in the cards. Enter budget racer build number 2; a Velo Vie Vitesse 300R frameset. Gloss white with black lettering (I think the same paint that Cervelo uses actually). So after some sweet talking of the wife and putting down 750 buckaroos, the frame and fork shipped to the Cook household. After that it was as easy as transfering my essentially new Force group from the Caad8 and  I was once again on a new bike.

Coming soon to a Trail Near You Bike #3

After that I'd thought I was done. Certainly given the costs of the sport outlined above plus the money I'd already spent in a constrained cycling budget another bike just wasn't going to happen. Right? Wrong! About a month and a half ago an opportunity presented itself. My beloved Cannondale Taurine frame had cracked. Cannondale in their graciousness had gifted the frame with a lifetime warranty. Boom, brand new frame. So, what to do? Ebay, the frame, fork, and various parts. I spent the better part of May selling stuff and raising funds so that I could purchase a Trek Paragon new.  The glorious thing is that bike 3 was done at essentially no expense. My fixed costs are equal to the value of parts sold. I even had enough funds to even buy a new helmet in the mix.

So there it is I've completed the 2011 new bike Trifecta.  Now as anyone knows me, I'm a self confessed weight weenie and the stock 2011 Paragon won't cut it...so I'm optimizing upgrades...but thats another post...stay tuned...