So, as a recent converted neophyte of the Church of Mustachianism, I've been looking for a way to work a bike into my lifestyle. I've been lurking here and on other forums, doing Google searches, and generally figured out what I want out of a bike, and why:
- steel frame -- Smoother ride and inexpensive
- drop handlebar -- As my fitness level improves and I take on longer rides, I anticipate wanting a more aerodynamic drop position available.
- wide tire clearance -- Denver winter includes snow and wet, my commuting and trips may take me over patches of dirt trail
- braze-on mounts for racks and fenders -- cargo capacity FTW, backsplash from the tires in the winter FTL
- disc brakes -- retaining stopping power during inclement weather; increased stopping power is a must-have for safety if electrified in the future
Research on the Internets and asking local bike shops points me in the direction of a touring bike or similar. The short list of candidates at this point are the Salsa Vaya and Kona Rove (though I am open to other suggestions).
Now I realize that the disc brakes feature pretty much limits me to brand-new bikes, as it appears that used touring bikes are uncommon on the Denver Craigslist and ones with disc brakes simply don't exist there. Plus, it seems finding a bike in what's estimated to be my size (medium-large range, 53-55cm) is a bit of a crapshoot. Finally, a benefit of buying a bike new from the local bike shop is that it will come with fitting and adjustment at time of purchase, so I can be pretty much guarantee that the bike will fit me comfortably and shift & brake well -- incentive to actually use it. Alas, the cost of a new bike is going to have to wait as I simply don't have a few thousand dollars on hand at the moment, and there's a hospital bill that needs to be paid off first.
However, a thought occurred to me today. As I ride more and get more familiar with biking, my needs & wants will likely change. I'm likely going to end up tweaking the configuration of my bike and swapping out parts so it better suits me. If I do that with a brand new bike, then I'lll have to sell the old parts on Craigslist, and likely at a loss. However, if I took the time to patiently troll Craigslist and wait for good deals, I could gather the parts needed to assemble a bike myself, and if a bit of it turned out to not meet my needs, I could turn around and resell them, hopefully at no loss at all. Building a bike from parts will necessarily teach me skills needed to maintain the bike -- skills that will serve me well down the road, hopefully.
What do the more experienced cyclists amongst you think? Is this foolishness? Is there another tack I should take?