When Should You Replace Your Bike?
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?
Transcript
00:00 Recently I put out a video talking about the bike that I have sworn to never ever
00:04 sell and I stand by that I genuinely never will but once that video went out
00:10 it did get me thinking if I didn't have such a deep affiliation with that bike
00:14 what are the things that I might otherwise be ignoring and are actually
00:18 some pretty blatant signs that I should in actual fact change my bike. So here
00:24 are eight signs that you should probably replace your bike.
00:30 Much like cars bikes need maintaining and also like cars sometimes the cost of
00:39 maintenance is higher than the value of the bike itself. It's at the point at
00:44 which the repair costs more than the cost of maintenance that it doesn't
00:47 really make too much sense to keep ploughing money into something that is
00:51 only going to keep costing you more money. The caveat to this is that if the
00:56 cost of repair does exceed the value of the bike but the cost of maintenance
01:00 means that you will get a decent number of extra years then it could potentially
01:05 be worth it. Just be prepared for a similar service cost further down the
01:10 line. Now how far down the line purely depends on how well you look after your
01:14 bike and how much you use it. Depending on what is actually wrong with it
01:18 especially if it's something pretty fundamental buying a new bike will mean
01:23 that you rid yourself of any pesky gremlins and you'll start with a blank
01:27 canvas. This is also important to consider when buying a second-hand bike.
01:31 It may be new to you but it's not brand new so do be careful and when in doubt
01:37 get some advice from someone in the know.
01:44 In my early years of taking cycling seriously I absolutely loved racing. As
01:50 such an aggressive geometry is all that I wanted. A slam stem with turned in
01:55 hoods or narrow bars was the order of the day. However since I've now hung up
01:59 my racing wheels and I've turned my attention to taking on longer rides and
02:03 a fresh set of challenges a race bike is no longer the correct tool for the job.
02:08 Instead something which is a bit more suited to my new style of riding is
02:13 absolutely needed. A slightly longer wheelbase with wider tyres and a bit
02:18 more stack suited my needs perfectly. I guess what I'm trying to say here is
02:22 that since road bikes have been created to be perfect for every style of riding
02:26 out there then it's worth considering that you may be missing out on using the
02:30 right tool for the job. For example you don't really want to be using an
02:34 endurance bike for racing or vice versa. You'll get your most out of the time on
02:39 the road when you're riding the right bike.
02:43 Sometimes it's not your style of riding that changes but instead it's your body
02:52 that does. It's no secret that as we get older we lose some of our flexibility. Of
02:57 course if you stay on top of your stretching then you will be able to
03:00 maintain most of it. However if you don't then trying to stick with a bike that no
03:05 longer caters for your new set of bodily limitations will just make cycling
03:09 painful. Changes can be made to your bike fit. For example stems can be shortened.
03:15 Depending on your bike spaces can be added to the steerer tube underneath the
03:19 stem and you could possibly always roll the bars back. All of these things help
03:24 reduce the reach of the bike. However do be prepared for all of these changes to
03:29 result in your bike not feeling the same as it used to and maybe not for the
03:34 better. Much like my last point if you can no longer ride comfortably and
03:39 you're having to make lots of changes to try and get your bike to fit you maybe
03:43 that's the ultimate sign that your bike just isn't right for you anymore. In this
03:48 instance I would fully recommend getting a bike fit and learning the full extent
03:52 of what your limiting factors are and then finding a bike which is perfectly
03:56 matched to them. Plus when you go through that process alongside a bike fitter if
04:00 changes do need to be made they'll be able to make them in a way that doesn't
04:04 compromise what the bike is actually like to ride itself.
04:09 N+1 is a pretty well-known rule in cycling. The N of course stands for the
04:18 number of bikes you currently own and the plus one means that you always need
04:22 another. However we might not always need another bike. Quite frankly sometimes we
04:28 just want another bike and in my book that is a totally justifiable sign that
04:33 you should get a new one. Perhaps a new model of your current bike has been
04:37 released and you just want it. That's okay go and get it it's your money and
04:43 if you want to go and get yourself that new bike then do it.
04:47 Nothing beats new bike day and if there's something out there that you
04:50 just can't take your eyes off then do it. Treat yourself and go and enjoy it.
05:00 There's no doubt that following a training plan is one of the biggest
05:03 contributing factors to getting faster. However if you've been training away on
05:09 your budget-friendly road bike and you're now hitting a plateau in your
05:12 speed and not really making any considerable steps forwards perhaps it's
05:17 now time to consider what you're riding. A new bike can make you faster in a
05:22 number of ways. This could be down to less weight, improved aerodynamics,
05:27 increased efficiency or even just the lowering of your rolling resistance.
05:31 Without knowing what your individual starting point is there could
05:35 potentially be a rather large gain to be had. Of course it's not just the speed
05:40 that may increase but better brakes will allow you to stop later and improved
05:44 gearing will mean that you can refine your cadence. Moreover if you find
05:49 yourself climbing off a bike which wasn't really designed with speed in
05:52 mind and then jumping on a bike that was it's very likely that you're going to be
05:57 put into a much more aerodynamic position and that will make a huge
06:01 difference to how much faster you can go. To reference some of my other points in
06:05 this video though just be sure you're not putting yourself in a position that
06:08 simply isn't right and if you're not sure what that is well then go and see a
06:13 bike fitter you will not regret it.
06:21 It's a very obvious thing to say but people ride bikes literally everywhere
06:27 on the road and off of it. Basically anywhere a human can go there's a solid
06:31 chance that a bike can go there too. This then poses the potential situation of a
06:36 rider wanting to change up where they ride their bike. Perhaps you first fell
06:41 in love with mountain biking but now you want to partake in the best discipline
06:44 in my opinion and join the vast number of lycra clad road cyclists. There's
06:51 a chance that if you ever did decide to switch disciplines altogether that you
06:55 may not want to ride your mountain bike for example on the road or maybe ever
06:59 again. So that means only one thing a new bike is in order. Don't get me wrong
07:05 though you can ride any bike you like wherever you like and it's of course
07:09 possible to make changes to your speed to help it perform better wherever you
07:13 decide to ride it but using the right tool for the job is always best.
07:20 If your bike has been reduced to a pile of snap tubes and scuffed up components
07:28 then this is probably the most visible sign that you need a new bike. That goes
07:33 without saying. Sometimes though in the unfortunate times when we do crash our
07:37 bikes don't always just explode into a number of different pieces. They may dent,
07:42 they may crack or they may just bend depending on what material they're made
07:46 of. If your frame is made out of metal there's a better chance that it won't
07:50 crack and any damage could potentially be repairable. This is obviously entirely
07:55 case-by-case dependent however with carbon you have to be a little bit more
08:00 careful. Cracks can sometimes be harder to spot and hairline fractures can
08:05 develop into something a little bit more sinister if they're not dealt with very
08:09 quickly. If you have crashed a carbon bike I always recommend making sure that
08:13 you get it looked at by a carbon fiber specialist to ensure that it really is
08:18 safe. This is why I'm personally a pretty big fan of metal frames. You know where
08:23 you stand with them. My advice here really is not to take any risks. If
08:28 you're unsure about the road worthiness of your bike then go and get it checked
08:32 out by a professional.
08:39 It's not uncommon for cyclists to own their bikes for a really long time. In
08:44 fact I know for sure that a lot of you will have owned your bikes for around 10
08:48 years, potentially even 20 plus. And in that time there will have been countless
08:54 innovations and upgrades to group sets, frames, wheels and tires. The list really
09:00 is endless. This results in one thing, that tech does become outdated. Now I'm
09:06 not here to say whether or not newer tech is better than what it's replacing
09:10 but if you subscribe to the idea that cycling tech is getting better then
09:14 you'll also agree that tech does get outdated. If you find yourself looking at
09:19 your bike and wondering what the current crop of bikes really do offer people
09:23 then head down to your local bike shop and give a bike a test ride. You might
09:28 find that you like what you ride and you could be in for a surprise with how much
09:33 things have changed. Perhaps those disc brakes that you've been complaining
09:37 about but have never tried might not be that bad after all. This video really is
09:43 just a bit of fun and it's totally up to you on when you want to buy a new bike.
09:47 It's your money and you don't need me or anyone else telling you how to spend it.
09:52 These are just a few reasons that are worth paying attention to that may
09:56 indicate that it's time to consider your options. Let me know down below what was
10:01 it that made you decide to buy your last bike. If you enjoyed the video then
10:05 please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content and I'll
10:08 see you again very soon.
10:10 (whooshing)