£4.5k insurance payout!! What bike would you buy?

and change the bars.

and change the bars.

I would say that depends on
I would say that depends on whether you enjoy awful puns or not. Personally, I love riding a Wilier just because of the innuendo.

On a serious note though, I would put some of the money towards a cycling holiday and/or a more ‘everyday’ bike. I don’t like getting my Wilier wet, so actually end up spending more time on my cheap aluminium mountain bike for commuting, going to pick stuff up, see people etc.

Oh and obviously, you’d be best advised to wait a few months, as you will get much more for your money!

Anything as long as it’s
Anything as long as it’s red… http://road.cc/content/forum/158521-does-colour-matter

mike the bike

mike the bike wrote:

Personally I would take myself off to Berlin, find me a local girl with a taste for champagne and wake up a week later in Paris.
Any loose change at the bottom of your suitcase could be spent on a bike.

If you’re off to Berlin you may want to stick to the local Sekt rather than imported champagne, you’ll end up with a few more pence at the bottom of your suitcase for a bike… at least you’re more likely to have a way to get home 😉

No, please. You can have
No, please. You can have supper.

I’ve just heard the bike for life thing so many times and seen people disappointed. They (whoever they are…) used to say get a titanium bike, then they started cracking, they used to say get a 953 steel bike, then struggled to get it repaired, or watched it rust from the inside. Then the bike industry started behaving like the handbag industry and whatever you bought this year was outdated in 18 months.

It’s like shoes; buy something that your kids won’t laugh at and repeat when they get worn out.

It’s a turn of phrase that
It’s a turn of phrase that would have seen me buy about 5 bikes; the industry has changed, it’s a fashion led thing now and if you buy a bike for life, your life will be short or your bike will be outdated….

Although Stockport is at its
Although Stockport is at its most attractive at this time of year, the sun setting on the red brick viaduct;

The best way to buy a bike is to choose a frame which has been ridden at ProTour level and buy a groupset which has been well tested; don’t get the newest thing you can, go 1 or 2 years old tech. That way you know it all works and will carry on working.