I love my bike even though it’s not expensive or fancy

[RobynE]

This is a thread for folks whose bikes aren’t the latest/most modern/bling/expensive, but who love their bikes and wouldn’t change them. I’ll go first. 
 

Mine is a circa 2014 Giant XTC Advanced SL with American Classic rims and hubs, Magura MT4 brakes, Rockshox SiD World Cup fork, Shimano XT/SLX drivetrain. And to add some pizazz, I use a Cane Creek Thudbuster seatpost 😂 and a cheapo spiderweb saddle off Temu. 

It’s fast, light, easy to ride and inspires massive confidence. It’s also super reliable. 

I bought it from Robert Whitehead in 2023 and it doesn’t matter what bikes I see at races or on the trails - I just LOVE my bike and wouldn’t swap it for anything. 
 

I’ve done plenty of events on it including 94.7, Magalies Monster, Trailseeker, and loads of trails and coffee rides. 

 

 

[Zebra]

Ok, mine is a 2005 S-Works 26”er, which i bought from the late Willie Engelbrecht (RIP); it was HIS Epic bike, until he fell training, broke his clavicle, and he sold it to me, for Epic 2006 & 2007…

Broke my leg on a m/cycle in the mountains of Maseru, so converted my ‘worthless’ 26”er to a home-made eBike (for 'active recovery' )7 or 8 years back, never looked back!

It is now used to deliver laundry to my Mom in her old-age-home, for quick, local shopping trips, and for hard rides around Cape Point with a sub- 3 hour CTCT mate, on his analogue bike, and i REALLY get a PROPER workout, in low-power settings!
 

Epic Brain suspension (much derided) works well for me, since it is basically locked-out for road miles.

I have the funds now, for a R-E-A-L eMTB, but enjoy this bike too much! (Until the DJI AMFLOW hits our shores, anyways!)

Edited 1 hour ago by Zebra

[Eugene]

I feel the same, mine is a 2007 Raleigh Team..... It started off life as a Specialized Tarmac. I was hit by a car and the Tarmac's frame was toast. I bought the Raleigh as a frame, swopped out the parts and have never looked back. 

It is in pristine condition, not a mark or scratch anywhere. 

I've often thought of replacing it, but just cannot. 

Here it is ready for the 51'50

Edited 19 hours ago by Eugene

[Rudii]

That's all that should matter; that you love YOUR bike and love riding it. That's what cycling is about! 

[Dexter-morgan]

I must be honest, I loved my Scott Genius I had, then, I thought, it's time for an upgrade, bought the latest trek and I am still missing my Scott.

[gerriemtb]

This is a lekker thread!

When I started cycling, I purchased my Momsen AL329. I started on the Momsen with the idea of upgrading if the cycling bug bites. 

Well, I have been bitten, but the Momsen is still here.

Nearly 25 000 km later on the bike, it is still going strong. 

[RobynE]

20 minutes ago, gerriemtb said:

Nearly 25 000 km later on the bike, it is still going strong. 

That is so cool! 

[Mike Dewing]

Scott Speedster 10 Gravel alloy.. 

What an awesome first bike, I miss it so much.. recently got into a carbon synapse and had to trade the old goose in😭😭.. 

that being said, I am loving my Cannondale.. 🥳

[NotSoBigBen]

Would have to be this bike for me .... started life as a rigid single speed MTB then prior to the gravel bike 'craze' it was converted to a monstercross as they were referred to. Have done over 18000k's on it and even did the very first Race To The Sun on it, was a cracker day out!

Has had a paint refresh and many other changes over the time and is now waiting desperately for someone to please please help with an adapter to fit the Gen1 Lefty standing in my bike room 🙏

[BuffsVintageBikes]

As a bicycle restorer, threads like this make me happy 😄 Old bicycles still have so much too offer riders, both new and old. It always fascinates me that new riders will drop tons of cash on a new bike when they have no idea if they'll even enjoy the sport. There are so many old bikes around to be bought for absolute bargains and the replacement parts like chains and cassettes are a fraction of the price on the newer stuff.

2 years ago I bought a hardly used, 2014 carbon Scott 29er hardtail here on the forum for a great price. It still has a 3x XT up front and 10 speed cassette at the rear. I raced that bike to WP colours in my age group (Marathon MTB) and a podium at the 361 Half.
I'm not trying to be windgat, just pointing out that older bikes still have so much to offer and yet so many get pushed into a corner in the garage or have to be upgraded to the latest and greatest 12 speed groupset.
I still regularly ride my vintage steel racing bikes in the bunch rides in the evenings or weekends as well. The regulars are used to seeing me on a steel Classic but it's always entertaining to see the new riders reaction when you're sitting in the bunch with them when the pace is on and they realize the old ballie is on a bike that's as old as what he is 😄

I'm not saying we should ignore the advancement in technology but we do need to realize that the market segment that draws full benefit from those technical improvements is minuscule in the greater scheme of things.
You don't drive a Ferrari to the office in rush hour traffic so why do you need a Factor VAM for a PPA funride in group F?
With the rise in prices of high end bikes, this will become less and less of a thing in the future but as a poor 3rd world country, Saffers total fascination with their attraction to expensive bikes and vehicles is rather strange. No were else in Europe will you find this, not even Italy. Here you hardly see anyone on a 26er MTB anymore, over there lots of people are still riding them. It's weird 🙄 

Anyway, enough rambling, each to their own I guess, as long as we're all enjoying the sport and we're out there on our bikes, both old & new 😉🤙

[fanievb]

#varkart: 2014 Giant XTC Comp

too many upgrades and changes to mention, only the frame, seatpost, stem, and crank is original

Strava says we've done 24795km together

 

 

[rock]

10 year old steel bike with no gears - not even a 29er 😁

[Naidy]

This was really a cheap build and love it. 

[Shebeen]

19 hours ago, Eugene said:

I feel the same, mine is a 2007 Raleigh Team..... It started off life as a Specialized Tarmac. I was hit by a car and the Tarmac's frame was toast. I bought the Raleigh as a frame, swopped out the parts and have never looked back. 

It is in pristine condition, not a mark or scratch anywhere. 

I've often thought of replacing it, but just cannot. 

Here it is ready for the 51'50

I like many others used to SH@%^$ on Raleighs as hyperama bikes while malcolm and the microsoft boys were cleaning up on the road and KevEv doing likewise on the dirt.

A few years later and a frame failure meant I was looking for something new. A mint RM X.0 carbon hardtail frame came up here cheep cheep, I swallowed my pride and built everything over. A few weeks later, and some skollie jumped my wall and swiped it in broad daylight after I'd just washed it. Luckily I was properly insured, and the payout got me something lekker that i still ride today. I figured karma was telling me something.

I do wonder if those thousands of Raleigh's out there will ever be considered classics, but there are surely just too many in the wild (and they are still crap bikes - just had to say that!)

 

 

 

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, BuffsVintageBikes said:

As a bicycle restorer, threads like this make me happy 😄 Old bicycles still have so much too offer riders, both new and old. It always fascinates me that new riders will drop tons of cash on a new bike when they have no idea if they'll even enjoy the sport. There are so many old bikes around to be bought for absolute bargains and the replacement parts like chains and cassettes are a fraction of the price on the newer stuff.

2 years ago I bought a hardly used, 2014 carbon Scott 29er hardtail here on the forum for a great price. It still has a 3x XT up front and 10 speed cassette at the rear. I raced that bike to WP colours in my age group (Marathon MTB) and a podium at the 361 Half.
I'm not trying to be windgat, just pointing out that older bikes still have so much to offer and yet so many get pushed into a corner in the garage or have to be upgraded to the latest and greatest 12 speed groupset.
I still regularly ride my vintage steel racing bikes in the bunch rides in the evenings or weekends as well. The regulars are used to seeing me on a steel Classic but it's always entertaining to see the new riders reaction when you're sitting in the bunch with them when the pace is on and they realize the old ballie is on a bike that's as old as what he is 😄

I'm not saying we should ignore the advancement in technology but we do need to realize that the market segment that draws full benefit from those technical improvements is minuscule in the greater scheme of things.
You don't drive a Ferrari to the office in rush hour traffic so why do you need a Factor VAM for a PPA funride in group F?
With the rise in prices of high end bikes, this will become less and less of a thing in the future but as a poor 3rd world country, Saffers total fascination with their attraction to expensive bikes and vehicles is rather strange. No were else in Europe will you find this, not even Italy. Here you hardly see anyone on a 26er MTB anymore, over there lots of people are still riding them. It's weird 🙄 

Anyway, enough rambling, each to their own I guess, as long as we're all enjoying the sport and we're out there on our bikes, both old & new 😉🤙

love this line of reasoning.

The okes who buy the new SWerks every year keep the 2nd hand market topped up of quality bikes.

You can buy excellent rim brake road bikes and non boost mtbs because the masses got sold a concept that seemed like a huge technology leap (but the actual gain is debatable). Perfectly good bikes became "obsolete", and therefore cheap cheap for those who know where to look.

[Naidy]