Ummmmm. That New Bike Smell...

April 06, 2012

The Infamous Test Ride

By Bonnie Ridesalot

We are bike addicts and not ashamed to admit it. We are in good company here so I think that is not only a safe statement but a common understatement amongst our fellow athletes. So there we were, checking out the latest and greatest bikes. We mulled and toiled over gear, upgrades vs. a new bike, stiffness, kilograms, shifters and on and on. My husband is very happily married to me. Anyway, we decided to go for a test ride, you know- that fatal moment when the sky becomes the limit because you just laid your eyes on a carbon beauty that is sure to make you the faster than ever before from a turbo combination of pride and excitement. The universe has no bounds for what that baby can do for you. Price? Hah! Money can’t buy happiness unless it has two wheels...

and all the latest upgrades a bike-aholic can ask for. Ching! We walk out of the store in a daze of excitement. Who cares that the kids can’t eat breakfast because their breakfast is now shaped like a derailer. Who cares that the house is up for sale because mortgages are for suckers and the garage was too small to house the fleet of bikes stuffed inside it anyway.

What is an athlete supposed to do? There are constant upgrades, better technologies, cooler designs, awesome colors and price tags that scream “I must be quality- you get what you pay for!”

For starters there are bike swaps around the Twin Cities if you want to get rid of your current bike or make a trade. Craig’s list and eBay have loads of bikes for sale. A few of my friends have purchased and sold bikes through these venues with great success and saved themselves thousands of dollars. We like to give our slightly used bikes to our kids to justify our newest bikes. It eases the guilt and makes us feel like better parents. We are still working on the breakfast cereal thing though.

If you really are trying to just stay within your budget and not upgrade beyond the mortgage, play it cool. Take a look at last year’s models and components. I love new technology and have become very attuned to what was once a subtle difference in my gear. Right now there are some brilliant sales on last year’s stuff that will save you lots of dough. And if you’re not quite in the market, don’t worry- next year will bring even newer technology that will make this year’s nearly obsolete and you can scoop it up at a huge savings.

And for Pete’s sake, if you aren’t ready to buy, don’t go for a test ride!