New bike day is always a great day, but knowing when the right time to go out and grab yourself a new one is, might not be so obvious. A new road bike is something to be celebrated so Sam Gupta has rounded up 8 reasons why you should consider when deciding on when you should purchase your next one. Let us know, what was the reason that made you want to go and buy your last bike?
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Recently, I put out a video talking about the bike that I have sworn to never ever sell
00:05and I stand by that, I genuinely never will.
00:09But once that video went out, it did get me thinking, if I didn't have such a deep affiliation
00:14with that bike, what are the things that I might otherwise be ignoring and are actually
00:18some pretty blatant signs that I should in actual fact change my bike.
00:23So here are 8 signs that you should probably replace your bike.
00:34Much like cars, bikes need maintaining and also like cars, sometimes the cost of maintenance
00:40is higher than the value of the bike itself.
00:43It's at the point at which the repair costs more than the cost of maintenance that it
00:47doesn't really make too much sense to keep ploughing money into something that is only
00:52going to keep costing you more money.
00:54The caveat to this is that if the cost of repair does exceed the value of the bike,
00:59but the cost of maintenance means that you will get a decent number of extra years, then
01:04it could potentially be worth it.
01:06Just be prepared for a similar service cost further down the line.
01:10Now how far down the line purely depends on how well you look after your bike and how
01:15much you use it.
01:17Depending on what is actually wrong with it, especially if it's something pretty fundamental,
01:22buying a new bike will mean that you rid yourself of any pesky gremlins and you'll start with
01:27a blank canvas.
01:28This is also important to consider when buying a second hand bike.
01:32It may be new to you, but it's not brand new.
01:35So do be careful and when in doubt, get some advice from someone in the know.
01:45In my early years of taking cycling seriously, I absolutely loved racing.
01:50As such, an aggressive geometry is all that I wanted.
01:53A slam stem with turned in hoods on narrow bars was the order of the day.
01:58However, since I've now hung up my racing wheels and I've turned my attention to taking
02:02on longer rides and a fresh set of challenges, a race bike is no longer the correct tool
02:07for the job.
02:09Instead, something which is a bit more suited to my new style of riding is absolutely needed.
02:15A slightly longer wheelbase with wider tires and a bit more stack suited my needs perfectly.
02:21I guess what I'm trying to say here is that since road bikes have been created to be perfect
02:25for every style of riding out there, then it's worth considering that you may be missing
02:29out on using the right tool for the job.
02:32For example, you don't really want to be using an endurance bike for racing or vice
02:37versa.
02:38You want to get your most out of the time on the road when you're riding the right
02:41bike.
02:48Sometimes it's not your style of riding that changes, but instead, it's your body
02:52that does.
02:53It's no secret that as we get older, we lose some of our flexibility.
02:57Of course, if you stay on top of your stretching, then you will be able to maintain most of
03:01it.
03:02However, if you don't, then trying to stick with a bike that no longer caters for your
03:06new set of bodily limitations will just make cycling painful.
03:11Changes can be made to your bike fit.
03:13For example, stems can be shortened.
03:15Depending on your bike, spacers can be added to the steerer tube underneath the stem, and
03:20you could possibly always roll the bars back.
03:23All of these things help reduce the reach of the bike.
03:26However, do be prepared for all of these changes to result in your bike not feeling the same
03:32as it used to, and maybe not for the better.
03:36Much like my last point, if you can no longer ride comfortably and you're having to make
03:40lots of changes to try and get your bike to fit you, maybe that's the ultimate sign
03:45that your bike just isn't right for you anymore.
03:47In this instance, I would fully recommend getting a bike fit and learning the full extent
03:52of what your limiting factors are, and then finding a bike which is perfectly matched
03:56to them.
03:57Plus, when you go through that process alongside a bike fitter, if changes do need to be made,
04:02they'll be able to make them in a way that doesn't compromise what the bike is actually
04:06like to ride itself.
04:13N plus one is a pretty well-known rule in cycling.
04:17The N, of course, stands for the number of bikes you currently own, and the plus one
04:21means that you always need another.
04:23However, we might not always need another bike.
04:26Quite frankly, sometimes we just want another bike.
04:30In my book, that is a totally justifiable sign that you should get a new one.
04:36Perhaps a new model of your current bike has been released and you just want it.
04:40That's okay.
04:41Go and get it.
04:42It's your money, and if you want to go and get yourself that new bike, then do it.
04:47Nothing beats new bike day, and if there's something out there that you just can't take
04:50your eyes off, then do it.
04:53Treat yourself and go and enjoy it.
05:01There's no doubt that following a training plan is one of the biggest contributing factors
05:05to getting faster.
05:06However, if you've been training away on your budget-friendly road bike and you're now hitting
05:11a plateau in your speed and not really making any considerable steps forwards, perhaps it's
05:17now time to consider what you're riding.
05:20A new bike can make you faster in a number of ways.
05:24This could be down to less weight, improved aerodynamics, increased efficiency, or even
05:29just the lowering of your rolling resistance.
05:32Without knowing what your individual starting point is, there could potentially be a rather
05:36large gain to be had.
05:38Of course, it's not just the speed that may increase, but better brakes will allow you
05:42to stop later, and improved gearing will mean that you can refine your cadence.
05:47Moreover, if you find yourself climbing off a bike which wasn't really designed with speed
05:52in mind and then jumping on a bike that was, it's very likely that you're going to be put
05:57into a much more aerodynamic position, and that will make a huge difference to how much
06:01faster you can go.
06:03To reference some of my other points in this video, though, just be sure you're not putting
06:07yourself in a position that simply isn't right.
06:10And if you're not sure what that is, well, then go and see a bike fitter.
06:14You will not regret it.
06:22It's a very obvious thing to say, but people ride bikes literally everywhere, on the road
06:28and off of it.
06:29Basically, anywhere a human can go, there's a solid chance that a bike can go there too.
06:34This then poses the potential situation of a rider wanting to change up where they ride
06:38their bike.
06:39Perhaps you first fell in love with mountain biking, but now you want to partake in the
06:44best discipline, in my opinion, and join the vast number of lycra-clad road cyclists.
06:51There's a chance that if you ever did decide to switch disciplines altogether, that you
06:55may not want to ride your mountain bike, for example, on the road, or maybe ever again.
07:01That means only one thing, a new bike is in order.
07:05Don't get me wrong, though.
07:06You can ride any bike you like wherever you like, and it's, of course, possible to make
07:10changes to your steed to help it perform better wherever you decide to ride it, but using
07:15the right tool for the job is always best.
07:21If your bike has been reduced to a pile of snap tubes and scuffed up components, then
07:28this is probably the most visible sign that you need a new bike.
07:33That goes without saying.
07:34Sometimes, though, in the unfortunate times when we do crash, our bikes don't always just
07:39explode into a number of different pieces.
07:42They may dent, they may crack, or they may just bend, depending on what material they're
07:46made of.
07:47If your frame is made out of metal, there's a better chance that it won't crack, and any
07:51damage could potentially be repairable.
07:54This is obviously entirely case-by-case dependent.
07:56However, with carbon, you have to be a little bit more careful.
08:01Cracks can sometimes be harder to spot, and hairline fractures can develop into something
08:06a little bit more sinister if they're not dealt with very quickly.
08:10If you have crashed a carbon bike, I always recommend making sure that you get it looked
08:14at by a carbon fiber specialist to ensure that it really is safe.
08:19This is why I'm personally a pretty big fan of metal frames.
08:23You know where you stand with them.
08:25My advice here really is not to take any risks.
08:28If you're unsure about the roadworthiness of your bike, then go and get it checked out
08:33by a professional.
08:40It's not uncommon for cyclists to own their bikes for a really long time.
08:44In fact, I know for sure that a lot of you will have owned your bikes for around 10 years,
08:49potentially even 20 plus.
08:52In that time, there will have been countless innovations and upgrades to group sets, frames,
08:57wheels, and tires.
08:59The list really is endless.
09:01This results in one thing, that tech does become outdated.
09:06I'm not here to say whether or not newer tech is better than what it's replacing, but if
09:10you subscribe to the idea that cycling tech is getting better, then you'll also agree
09:15that tech does get outdated.
09:18If you find yourself looking at your bike and wondering what the current crop of bikes
09:22really do offer people, then head down to your local bike shop and give a bike a test ride.
09:28You might find that you like what you ride and you could be in for a surprise with how
09:32much things have changed.
09:34Perhaps those disc brakes that you've been complaining about but have never tried might
09:39not be that bad after all.
09:42This video really is just a bit of fun and it's totally up to you on when you want to
09:46buy a new bike.
09:48It's your money and you don't need me or anyone else telling you how to spend it.
09:52These are just a few reasons that are worth paying attention to that may indicate that
09:57it's time to consider your options.
09:59Let me know down below, what was it that made you decide to buy your last bike?
10:04If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more
10:07content and I'll see you again very soon.