Your latest bike purchase?

My most recent bike purchase was my disc-brake road bike project that started last fall and wrapped up late winter. It took awhile to find (and afford) the parts I wanted, build the wheels, decide what stickers to put on it, etc. :)
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I tend to do large bike-related expenditures once a year at most. (Luckly my wife and I have an allowance system so I can be as indulgent as I want [can afford] without risking my marriage.) I had only ridden my previous road bike for 2k miles or so, so I think 2,000 miles is plenty of time to decide you want something new & shiny. :-)

For me, I'm space constrained, so I can't just n+1. Technically, I could fit one more bike in the shed right now (before both kids need bikes), but I think 3 bikes is sufficient for my riding styles (road, cx/commuter, ss mtb). So any +1 must be accompanied by a -1. It makes me really appreciate versatile bikes like my commuter/cx bike. I am thinking of putting 1.8" tires on it (or 42mm rear, 1.8" front) and racing it in MTB field at Wakefield this year.

A month ago, I bought a used '99 Litespeed Owl Hollow from a friend of mine and used it to replace my full suspension MTB. That MTB served me well for the four years that I owned it, but it was time to get something more fitted to the terrain of the area. I was ready to build up a Soma B-side, but with a great offer to buy a titanium frame, I could not refuse. Now I don't have to buy another mountain bike for a very, very long time. And it appears I'm like everyone else with a road bike, mtb, and commuter/beater bike.

I too have caught that fever of looking for a new bike after I started commuting to try and find the perfect blend of bike. For me, the best commuter turned out to be an old steel frame MTB from 1994 that I put slick tires on and a rigid fork, and its worked brilliantly since i made the conversion. So don't worry, you're normal for wanting something new so quickly. Just don't get one of those ElliptiGOs. Then something's wrong.

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Originally Posted by vvill

I do think more "story" is needed for really explaining recent purchases since many of us have several bikes. So, for me: about a year before I bought my SS/FG I bought a disc brake equipped Kona Jake. I've done a couple of CX races on it, and a bunch of memorable gravel grinders - both of those are a ton of fun and this is definitely the bike I would not give up if I could keep one! In hindsight I would've preferred a tapered head tube and better FD routing but those are minor points, not real issues. Before this I bought a folding bike with full fenders for multi-modal/rainy commutes and use as a travel bike. Mid 2012 was when I got my first road bike - before then I had a hybrid and a beater MTB, both from 2005/6.

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Just curious, what is it about a tapered head tube you would prefer? I know there are advantages (stiffness, strength) but I would have considered those the province of frame designers and mechanics. Are there tangible ride-quality or usability benefits to you?

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Originally Posted by hozn

My most recent bike purchase was my disc-brake road bike project that started last fall and wrapped up late winter. It took awhile to find (and afford) the parts I wanted, build the wheels, decide what stickers to put on it, etc. :)
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I am thinking of putting 1.8" tires on it (or 42mm rear, 1.8" front) and racing it in MTB field at Wakefield this year.

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Is this an open mold frame? It looks fantastic! I've been considering building up a disc brake road or cross bike based on an open mold frame and would love any input you might have.

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Originally Posted by vvill

I think FG is *really* fun but I haven't found it practical enough (for my poorly developed FG skillset) to commute on.

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What is it about FG that you find less practical than SS? Honest question, as I'm just curious about your preferences/experiences...not trying to challenge your thinking or anything.

This is pretty fantastic stuff, folks! I have learned/confirmed a few things:

1) This forum is just great.

2) Apparently I'm not crazy for thinking I need a new bike, less than a year after my last new bike. (Or, in fact, *everyone* on here is crazy, and I fit right in. Either way is fine. :) )

3) I really appreciate the stories behind these bike acquisitions (I'm just sorry that so many of them seem to involve theft as the reason for needing a new bike).

I've already been to Bikenetic once and test-ridden some things, and I will definitely be back there in the next week or so. Last visit I learned, to my surprise, that I love steel frames! I'm enough of a hard-core commuter that I'm less interested in going really fast than I am in being uber-prepared for anything (And I love braze-ons. It's practically a fetish.), and the smooth ride of steel was magical (though I really liked the Jamis Nova Race a lot, too). I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead and get the Bikenetic folks to drag in a Surly Straggler for me to try (I even like the purple glitter).

My last bike purchase (my first bike purchase since the Carter administration) was in December of last year. For those who did not follow along, at that time we owned one bike, a cheap, old MTB (with oddly small wheels) that we had picked up on free cycle. I wanted something better for virtually all purposes other than mountain biking (which I don't do) and bought a Kona Dew at Bikenetics.

So far I have enjoyed the Dew very much. Now that I have finally enticed my wife to join me on a weekend ride, the old MTB is back in the picture again. So we may start thinking about another bike. It might be nice to get a road bike, but I'm not ready to hand the Dew off to my wife, and I don't think she wants to ride a road bike. So the next bike will probably be another hybrid of some sort. But we aren't really looking now.

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Originally Posted by dkel

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead and get the Bikenetic folks to drag in a Surly Straggler for me to try (I even like the purple glitter).

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Purple bikes are awesome!
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Originally Posted by dkel

I've already been to Bikenetic once and test-ridden some things .... I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead and get the Bikenetic folks to drag in a Surly Straggler for me to try (I even like the purple glitter).

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Bikenetic rocks (as we all know) but be oh so careful with their "we'll get one in and you can try it, no problem" deal. They did for me with my Ogre, then let me take it for a LONG test ride after which there was no way I wasn't going home with it!

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Originally Posted by KayakCyndi

Bikenetic rocks (as we all know) but be oh so careful with their "we'll get one in and you can try it, no problem" deal. They did for me with my Ogre, then let me take it for a LONG test ride after which there was no way I wasn't going home with it!

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Going home with the Straggler may be a foregone conclusion anyway. I'm mostly concerned with fit; I already love the thing, and I've done copious amounts of research.