My wife and I have decided to add Cycling to our work out routine. I’ve been cycling ever since I can remember, as a little kid our family used to play bicycle tag, we’d play around in parking lots not being used at night (mostly schools or churches) and play tag all night long. At first we started with trying to touch the other person… that didn’t work so well, neither did trying to hit the other persons tires with your own. So we settled for pulling up beside the other person for them to be “it” I’m the only one in the family that kept up riding though.
Anyways I’ve been riding my Trek 4900 since High School (Got it my Sophomore year) and lets face it the old thing is starting to show its age. I’ve already had to replace several parts on it, do tune ups, and really should of got the shocks rebuilt long ago. I crunched the original seat about two years ago doing some off road riding, bent the thing darn near in half. Now I don’t do near as much off road riding as I used to, it’s hard to find trails that allow it, and quite frankly it’s no fun in parks where riding isn’t allowed, especially when you’re dodging walkers/joggers the whole time, you just can’t get up to speed. Either way my once amazing $700 purchase that has lasted me years and held up to the abuse I dished out to it is being put into semi-retirement. The decision for me is easy, some time next year I want to save my pennies and get a Trek Elite 9.7 it’s about time I quit being afraid of the carbon fiber frames and accept that the only way I’m going to get a noticeably lighter ride is with all carbon fiber. I’ve always been afraid of breaking a carbon frame… which is why the old 4900 will only be in semi-retirement I want the aluminum frame for when I go to do some major off road riding until I am proven that the Carbon Fiber will hold up.
Anyways, the real decision is for my wife. Do I spend the $2,000 on a 8000 series for her, and hope she enjoys riding as much as I do, or start out with the 4000 series and save a little bank? Granted even the 4000 series is better than anything you’d ever find at Wal-Mart or Dick’s Sporting Goods I don’t want her to hate riding because of cheap components. On my 4900 I’ve had to change the chain, and cassette a couple of times because of the aggressive riding that I do they wear out and start jumping or skipping to other gears randomly when putting a lot of power down going up hills. I’m afraid annoyances like this would be discouraging to a beginner… but then if she doesn’t like riding or doesn’t ride more than a few times a year $2k is a lot for a bike.
