Regrets

[Damien]

In my seemingly endless search to optimize my bike collection, fill gaps, and try new and cool bikes, I recently realized how many bikes I've had in my life and how many questionable decisions I've made. There are a number of choices I've made, for better or worse, to sell bikes in order to make room for other bikes, downsize, or simply because I felt they weren't getting the use they deserved.

My question to the group is: what bike or bikes do you most regret selling, trading, or giving away?  

For me, as you may know, I absolutely regret selling my Roadini, and an old Marinoni touring bike that I originally thought was too big for me (I realize now how wrong I was, and am currently in the process of replacing it!).

Would love to hear what regrets others here have!

<3

Damien

[Robert Blunt]

Ooh. This is an easy one for me. I sold my Bleriot around 2011, but just bought one from Brendan in good shape and am now riding it around the Hopewell Valley in NJ. Regrets, yes, but I got a second chance to own a Bleriot.

Robert Blunt

Pennington, NJ

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[lucky...@gmail.com]

I’ve had a few, but the ones that keep me scouring Craigslist (for no reason, don’t need them!) were both older rigid steel Specialized mountain bikes, one a Rockhopper in the lovely purple to indigo colorway with yellow writing (my son’s outgrown bike replaced with a giant chunky 29er Rockhopper), and the other a matte gray Stumpjumper, both early 90’s bikes. 

I love older Specialized mountain/cross bikes and now they’re increasingly more collectible/desirable...especially in the fun 80’s/90’s colorways. They make great pseudo Riv or Riv inspired rides as I’m sure you all know.

I still have one, all black rigid Stumpy with pink lettering, done up with pink and turquoise doo-dads, Pelago rack and basket, black pseudo-Albatross, and Surly Extraterrestrials. 

On May 20, 2021, at 12:56, Damien <damien....@gmail.com> wrote:

In my seemingly endless search to optimize my bike collection, fill gaps, and try new and cool bikes, I recently realized how many bikes I've had in my life and how many questionable decisions I've made. There are a number of choices I've made, for better or worse, to sell bikes in order to make room for other bikes, downsize, or simply because I felt they weren't getting the use they deserved.

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[lconley]

I regret selling my Masi Gran Criterium in 1987, bought it used in 1981. It was my last year of my second five years in college (total of 10). I was broke and needed the money. I did keep my 1973 Schwinn Paramount P-15, and still own it. There was a time when all I owned were my Paramount, my clothes and my textbooks. No shoes - I rode the Campagnolo pedals barefoot to class. Priorities!

Laing

Delray Beach FL

[Patrick Moore]

Good question and interesting thread. My own situation has been slightly tangential: always trying to make an imperfect bike into the perfect bike, spending far too much given the worth of the starting point, and then selling at a loss. However, the process did refine my understanding of what I really want, and in the last few years I've been getting bikes that, if not perfect, are certainly close enough (the 2 Matthews, for example) and getting rid of other bikes that didn't fit my unique categories of perfection or use, such as that 1958 Herse or the ~2010 Sam Hillborne, both of which are among the few that I might have considered keeping, "even though." There are others like this -- ~1990 Diamond Back Axis Team, 1991 Stumpjumper Team, 1989 Falcon, initial 1995 26" wheel Riv road custom; but I can't really think of any that I have more than very mild regrets selling off.

So, upshot, my regrets are minor ones, except for all the money I spent before I learned to pay up front for what you really want instead of trying to do perfection on the cheap or quick.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Brendan Willard]

Glad it found a good home!  Enjoy!

Thanks,
-Brendan Willard

Owner/Winemaker

Phantômé Cellars

phantomecellars.com 

Speaking in Thumbs 👍

On May 20, 2021, at 1:02 PM, Robert Blunt <rwbl...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[reynoldslugs]

I regret selling a lovely Woodrup touring bike in 1983.  I was broke and needed money for grad school.  That wasn’t smart.

I regret the loss of a really pretty grey Trek, sweet grey color with Columbus tubes, that was crushed by an errant Chevrolet in 1980.

I do not regret saying “goodbye” to a number of bikes a gave away.  The ones I gave away went to good homes, and were loved and used.  I’ve given away two Colnagos ( a Masterlight and a pink Super),  a 1980 Mercian KOM,  and a Quickbeam.  All of them went to friends who really like them, and they get ridden and appreciated.  I gave the pink Colnago to a young mechanic at the LBS who took it all over the world when he was in the service, rode the heck out of it.   

Max Beach

Santa Rosa CA

[Joe Bernard]

My light blue first-gen Appaloosa. My vague recollection is I was going through all the things at the time and sold for emotional and financial reasons, but I'd take that decision back. In the long view my custom now makes that bike irrelevant for me, but I still miss it. 

Joe "cuz it's a bad idea" Bernard

[Kainalu V. -Brooklyn NY]

This 64cm Sam Hillborne- https://photos.app.goo.gl/oe7AdWXzUKB8NF8dA

but it's in a good home.

I popped the seatstay top braze off and had the joy of talking with Richard Schwinn about fixing it better than new, which he did for free. Once I had it back I was busy riding a Quickbeam and a Clem H, and felt weird about it having broken for some crazy reason, and sold it for a song...

-Kai

On Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 3:56:06 PM UTC-4 Damien wrote:

[alan lavine]

I totally agree with Patrick's comments, I could have written it myself.  I'm learning, slowly...

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  

What a weird expression that is!

Alan

NYC

[Joe M.]

Damien, what size and color Roadini do you regret selling?

[Damien]

Hey Joe, I had a 50cm Orange Roadini...but if I'm being honest, if I had any of the colours, I would have regretted selling those equally.

[Evan E.]

Univega Gran Rally circa 1986. I think the official color name was coral but it was shimmering, pearlescent pink. Chromoly frame, nice and lively, with diamond cutouts on the lugs. A tad small, so I sold it. But once in a while, when I hear "When You Were Young" on the radio, it all comes back. :)  

[Ian A]

For me: 1) An Apollo Gran Tour built with Tange 2 that fit me like a glove. I hadn't considered converting to 650b at the time and passed it on after I decided 28mm tires were too narrow. It was a bike I used for everything when I livedi n Vancouver and am always looking for another in the same size and colour. Good times.

2) A Kona Explosif. The owner wanted it out of the garage and it was very cheap. Full XT and a segmented rigid fork. It rode very nicely. A work aquaintance who was supporting a large family had mentioned he wanted to improve his fitness and buy a bicycle, so I sold it to him for what I paid for it hoping a nice bike would help him achieve his fitness goal. He did not appreciate what a wonderful bike it was and basically never used it. Never thanked me for helping him was even quite rude to me when I asked him if he was making use of it. 

3) Giving away my old Sekine. No idea what tubeset it had, but I regularly used to pass people on far nicer bikes on long climbs. It had a bit of magic to it and strangely enough, was a nerd magnet. Many friendly chats with strangers due to that bicycle. The new owner used it somewhat, but never loved it like I did!

But, despite the few regrets I am happy with the current stable. My trusty Marinoni Turismo which took me to the tip of South America, a much abused 1980's Rocky Mountain grocery getter/winter bike and my two rSogns which get used for distance riding. I feel like the two rSogns could be slightly better optimized for fit, but when I finally nail that aspect they'll be close to ideal bicycles.

IanA Alberta Canada

[EricP]

Well, I haven't been through the number of bicycles like I have musical instruments, so there is not as much regret here. Possibly the one I think about the most was an early Salsa Fargo.  Was the bike I did my first century on and also my only 100 mile gravel road race (where I was the sweep). It could do anything. But in the end I was going away from drop bars and wanted something else. 

But now I swing my leg through the Clem (or over the Hillborne) and am quite satisfied with what I have.

Eric Platt

St. Paul, MN

[Patrick Moore]

How fat a tire can a modern Fargo take? I owned an earlier model, and don't know if they have changed, but I don't think my earlier (2008?) model could.

Current specs say that Fargos except for XS* can take "29+" tires, but does 29" include true 3" or 80 mm? They don't say.

But if the modern Ti Fargo can take 3" actual tires with sufficient air gap, it might be a very good replacement for the Monocog. 

'Nother question: Would I be right in assuming that you can get a =/< 160 mm Q on a modern Fargo, particularly the ti Fargo?

* Salsa says this is to avoid toe overlap. Wimps. Whoever let toe overlap interfere with a desired feature?

Patrick "the Matthews 1:1 has-and-I'm-not-kidding 3" of toe overlap with 80 mm fenders, but I actually do understand others' hesitation" Moore

[reca...@gmail.com]

I've not regretted getting rid of almost any bike I've had as I learn more and as my riding style and preferences change, but the only bike I regret selling was a Jitensha Studios Shula. 

On Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 3:56:06 PM UTC-4 Damien wrote:

[David Person]

Nice post by Igor at VO regarding his "forever bike" and all the adventures and memories the bike has for him.  He rarely rides it these days, but knows if he sold it, he would soon regret it.

https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2021/05/lets-talk-forever-bikes.html?mc_cid=da12a3dbd7&mc_eid=52b5303d5c

[Christopher Cote]

I regret selling my first nice mountain bike, a 1996ish Trek 930, mostly for nostalgic reasons. I doubt I'd ride it much if I still had it. Same for the Heron Road that I had. Beautiful bike, but the Rambouillet I replaced it with is much better for my needs. I really regret having cantilever bosses brazed onto a scruffy old Bob Jackson bike and having it painted. The bosses were too narrow to allow the brakes to be set up well, the painter completely botched the look I wanted with the new paintjob, and there really was nothing wrong with the DiaCompe centerpull brakes I had on it before. I sold it in disgust. I have way too many bikes now, but I like them all and know if I sold any of them, I'd regret it. For now, I have the space to store them, so I'll hang on to them all.

Chris