Buying A Bike

In 2012, after a year of scrimping and saving, I bought a 2008 Orbea Orca racing bike.  I loved that bike the way all men love machines which give them a sense of space and freedom. I loved its curvy lines and the way its black and gold paint gleamed in the sun. 

In June of 2014, a young man stole my bike out of my garage.  I grieved it's loss for a short while, yet once the possibility of it being recovered dried up, I set my mind to replacing it.  The dear people of my congregation took up a secret collection, and I found myself armed with the funds to really shop for a bike.  I rode many bikes, and in the end I bought the one I liked the best, a Franco Balcom S.  But that isn't the point of this post.  I wanted to share what I learned.

First of all, I learn that you shouldn't believe everything you read when it comes to bikes.  Each one of us is different: we are shaped differently, have different body compositions and different degrees of flexibility.  Each of us looks for something different in a bike based on our levels of fitness, coordination, and yes, our sense of style.  So, when a magazine gushes about a particular bicycle...well, that bike may not be the bike you want or need.  My case in point: If I had gone by what the magazines were saying, I would have ended up on a Cannondale EVO, Synapse, or a Specialized Tarmac.  These were the bikes the magazines all raved about.  However, of all the bikes I rode, these three were my least favorite.  The Cannondale bikes felt awkward and clumsy beneath me.  The Specialized rattled and bucked across any imperfection in the road.  Having said this, the 2014 Orbea felt right and familiar, even though it had scored poorly in magazine tests.  Similarly, a magazine had deemed the Franco Balcom S to be stiff and unforgiving, yet I found its ride far more comfortable than the EVO or the Tarmac.  The magazines aren't necessarily wrong; they simply have their own biases based on their experiences, expectations, and physical traits which are different from yours.

Secondly, I learned that the Conejo Valley is a great place to shop for a bicycle.  I had great experiences at each shop, with Franco, Serious Cycling, and Newbury Bike Shop giving me great input, service, and respect without being overly pushy.  I had a great experience at US Bike Company in Camarillo too.  The folks at Michael's Bike Shop are some of the nicest people you will ever come across, but you will want to talk to Michael himself.  My salesperson wouldn't let me test ride anywhere outside the parking lot.  I have also experienced going in to replace something only to have a salesperson say that kind of thing isn't made.

Thirdly, be prepared to spend time riding bikes.  Many times you will find that the latest or trickest features and designs simply don't add to the enjoyment factor.  I thought I wanted all internal cabling...but I bought a bike that has eternal shifter cables.  I thought about electronic shifting, but the mechanical shifting is so good anymore, why would you want to be required to plug you bike in or be worried about having a battery run flat while you are riding?

It took me a month and I ended up with a bike that wasn't really on my mind when I started...I ended up with a bike that probably has the lowest resale value of all I considered...but I bought the bike I liked the best, which in the end, should be the only reason for buying a bike.