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Upgraditis - seasonal affliction or year round illness???

1K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  Kiwi_GR_Biker 
#1 ·
I bought a Scott Aspect 920 in October 2012 thinking it was the perfect bike for me with great specs for the type of riding I wanted to do. I was looking for a hardtail with a minimum of Deore gears and after a little shopping around this seemed to be the best value bike for the approx $$$ I was wanting to spend.

Since then I've upgraded the saddle (Specialised Henge), the fork (Rockshox Reba) and now the pedals (Wellgo V12 flats). There are some 510 Impact MTB shoes on the way but after that I think I am done. Or am I ??? I'm pretty happy with the rest of the bike now but I did read somewhere that XT rear derailleur helps prevent chainslap compared to Deore and that sparked my interest because I get a lot of chainslap even on pretty minor bumps. But that is only about a $75 upgrade if I do it and that can at least wait until next (NZ) summer.

So I was just wondering, is this upgraditis a seasonal thing that only affects us at certain times of the year (just like the colds and flus that afflict us each winter) or does it affect us year round? Also how many doses of upgraditis does it take to build a little immunity? :)
 
#3 ·
The only up grades I think about are measured in feet. I did replace my fork in the last few months, but that is because my old one was simply worn out.
 
#6 ·
Year round for sure. I am SUPER happy with my bike after swapping out the fork and pedals (Recon, Converts)...but I'm always looking for deals. I would LIKE to get a new wheelset soon, but do I NEED one? No. But I'm still constantly looking. Not sure why. Owning a bike is like having a hot girlfriend "She's hot but...that chick over there is also hot. As is that one. And that one. Maybe if my hot girlfriend had bigger boobs like that one." Just 'cause you're on a diet doesn't mean you can't look at the menu.
 
#7 ·
I was worried because I thought I would have the upgrade bug. I spent about 1K in upgrades on my tallboy ltc right after I bought it. (carbon wheels, dropper, shadow+, carbon bars, XT brakes). But after the things that mattered, I found I didnt really want to upgrade anything else. The carbon bars are the one upgrade that havent made any difference. Everything else was significant
 
#8 ·
Glad i wasnt the only one.I bought a trek 3700 disc in dec 2011 for 500 otd new.I figured i would give mtn biking a try if i didnt like it then i can still have a decent bike to ride around with kids.

Ended up liking it when i get out.decided to get new tires,and RS tekon silver forks,bike felt better then came carbon bars and new flat pedals.Liked it more decided to go with mavic crossride wheelset and then tubless.Put about 700 into a 500 dollar bike.My wife thinks it was only a couple hundy.

I like the way the frame fits me and the way the bike feels overall and someday if i get another frame i can swap parts.I also kept all my original parts too or get me another bike and my son can have my current one.
 
#10 ·
Glad i wasnt the only one.I bought a trek 3700 disc in dec 2011 for 500 otd new.I figured i would give mtn biking a try if i didnt like it then i can still have a decent bike to ride around with kids.

Ended up liking it when i get out.decided to get new tires,and RS tekon silver forks,bike felt better then came carbon bars and new flat pedals.Liked it more decided to go with mavic crossride wheelset and then tubless.Put about 700 into a 500 dollar bike.My wife thinks it was only a couple hundy.

I like the way the frame fits me and the way the bike feels overall and someday if i get another frame i can swap parts.I also kept all my original parts too or get me another bike and my son can have my current one.
LOL - I know what you mean! If you just drip feed them little bits of info at a time they won't know any better will they. :)

New tyres here, new pedals there, new grips "cos the old ones wore out" etc. Soon adds up doesn't it? Most small items they won't even notice but for a major upgrade like the fork you need smarter tactics. I don't like fooling my wife and TBH she is pretty cool about most of my upgrades but she might have balked at the cost of a Reba so I showed her a link to a sale on a Rockshox Recon Silver. I explained that I needed the remote lockout and that it was a significant upgrade over my old fork which I needed for "real trail riding". She was cool with that then I ordered the Reba. Let's face it, once it's on the bike she's not going to know the difference. :thumbsup:
 
#11 ·
I can only speak for myself but I find that my upgraditis has two root causes: not enough riding, and low spec parts. The cure for the former is not always easy as I travel often for work, and find myself more prone to buying crap if I spend too much time in front of the computer. With the latter, I find that when I reach the equivalent XT-level of component spec, meaning high end but not top spec, I am perfectly satisfied given my level of riding. I don't feel compelled to upgrade to XTR, Fox, Enve, CK, etc. when the stuff one level down works so well. With a typical first bike, every component is low spec (except possibly the frame) and therefore prone to getting upgraded. A lot of people here will suggest ditching the whole bike and starting over as more cost effective, and while that is true, it's not necessarily the most realistic nor enjoyable approach.

But it never ends. Once you top out your HT, then you want a FS, then a road bike and a commuter and ... on and on. Great fun!
 
#12 ·
I can only speak for myself but I find that my upgraditis has two root causes: not enough riding, and low spec parts. The cure for the former is not always easy as I travel often for work, and find myself more prone to buying crap if I spend too much time in front of the computer. With the latter, I find that when I reach the equivalent XT-level of component spec, meaning high end but not top spec, I am perfectly satisfied given my level of riding. I don't feel compelled to upgrade to XTR, Fox, Enve, CK, etc. when the stuff one level down works so well. With a typical first bike, every component is low spec (except possibly the frame) and therefore prone to getting upgraded. A lot of people here will suggest ditching the whole bike and starting over as more cost effective, and while that is true, it's not necessarily the most realistic nor enjoyable approach.

But it never ends. Once you top out your HT, then you want a FS, then a road bike and a commuter and ... on and on. Great fun!
Totally agree with this. There's a certain level where I know going any higher grade is utterly pointless. Sheesh ... I can't outride the bike I have now. :)
 
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