00:00Recently I put out a video talking about the bike that I have sworn to never ever sell and I
00:05stand
00:06by that I genuinely never will but once that video went out it did get me thinking if I didn't
00:12have
00:12such a deep affiliation with that bike what are the things that I might otherwise be ignoring
00:17and are actually some pretty blatant signs that I should in actual fact change my bike.
00:23So here are eight signs that you should probably replace your bike.
00:33Much like cars bikes need maintaining and also like cars sometimes the cost of maintenance is
00:40higher than the value of the bike itself. It's at the point at which the repair costs more than the
00:46cost of maintenance that it doesn't really make too much sense to keep plowing money into something
00:51that is only going to keep costing you more money. The caveat to this is that if the cost of
00:56repair
00:57does exceed the value of the bike but the cost of maintenance means that you will get a decent
01:02number of extra years then it could potentially be worth it. Just be prepared for a similar service
01:08cost further down the line. Now how far down the line purely depends on how well you look
01:13after your bike and how much you use it. Depending on what is actually wrong with it especially if it's
01:19something pretty fundamental buying a new bike will mean that you rid yourself of any pesky gremlins and
01:26you'll start with a blank canvas. This is also important to consider when buying a second-hand bike.
01:32It may be new to you but it's not brand new so do be careful and when in doubt get
01:37some advice from
01:38someone in the know. In my early years of taking cycling seriously I absolutely loved racing. As
01:50such an aggressive geometry is all that I wanted. A slam stem with turned in hoods or narrow bars was
01:56the order of the day. However since I've now hung up my racing wheels and I've turned my attention to
02:02taking on longer rides and a fresh set of challenges a race bike is no longer the correct tool for
02:08the job
02:08instead something which is a bit more suited to my new style of riding is absolutely needed.
02:14A slightly longer wheelbase with wider ties and a bit more stack suited my needs perfectly. I guess
02:21what I'm trying to say here is that since road bikes have been created to be perfect for every
02:25style of riding out there then it's worth considering that you may be missing out on using the right tool
02:31for the job. For example you don't really want to be using an endurance bike for racing or vice versa.
02:37You'll get your most out of the time on the road when you're riding the right bike.
02:48Sometimes it's not your style of riding that changes but instead it's your body that does.
02:53It's no secret that as we get older we lose some of our flexibility. Of course if you stay on
02:58top of
02:58your stretching then you will be able to maintain most of it. However if you don't then try to stick
03:04with a bike that no longer caters for your new set of bodily limitations will just make cycling painful.
03:10Changes can be made to your bike fit. For example stems can be shortened. Depending on your bike
03:16spaces can be added to the steerer tube underneath the stem and you could possibly always roll the bars
03:22back. All of these things help reduce the reach of the bike. However do be prepared for all of these
03:28changes to result in your bike not feeling the same as it used to and maybe not for the better.
03:36Much like my last point if you can no longer ride comfortably and you're having to make lots of
03:40changes to try and get your bike to fit you maybe that's the ultimate sign that your bike just isn't
03:46right for you anymore. In this instance I would fully recommend getting a bike fit and learning the
03:51full extent of what your limiting factors are and then finding a bike which is perfectly matched to them.
03:57Plus when you go through that process alongside a bike fitter if changes do need to be made they'll
04:02be able to make them in a way that doesn't compromise what the bike is actually like to ride itself.
04:12N plus one is a pretty well known rule in cycling. The N of course stands for the number of
04:19bikes you
04:19currently own and the plus one means that you always need another. However we might not always need another
04:25bike quite frankly sometimes we just want another bike and in my book that is a totally justifiable
04:32sign that you should get a new one. Perhaps a new model of your current bike has been released and
04:38you
04:38just want it that's okay go and get it it's your money and if you want to go and get
04:44yourself that new
04:45bike then do it. Nothing beats new bike day and if there's something out there that you just can't take
04:50your eyes off then do it treat yourself and go and enjoy it.
05:00There's no doubt that following a training plan is one of the biggest contributing factors
05:04to getting faster however if you've been training away on your budget friendly road bike and you're
05:11now hitting a plateau in your speed and not really making any considerable steps forwards perhaps it's
05:17now time to consider what you're riding. A new bike can make you faster in a number of ways this
05:24could
05:24be down to less weight improved aerodynamics increased efficiency or even just the lowering of your rolling
05:30resistance. Without knowing what your individual starting point is there could potentially be a rather
05:36large gain to be had. Of course it's not just the speed that may increase but better brakes will allow
05:42you
05:42to stop later and improve gearing will mean that you can refine your cadence. Moreover if you find
05:49yourself climbing off a bike which wasn't really designed with speed in mind and then jumping on a
05:54bike that was it's very likely that you're going to be put into a much more aerodynamic position and
06:00that will make a huge difference to how much faster you can go. To reference some of my other points
06:05in
06:05this video though just be sure you're not putting yourself in a position that simply isn't right and if you're
06:10not
06:10sure what that is well then go and see a bike fitter you will not regret it.
06:22It's a very obvious thing to say but people ride bikes literally everywhere on the road and off of it
06:28basically anywhere a human can go there's a solid chance that a bike can go there too. This then poses
06:35the potential situation of a rider wanting to change up where they ride their bike. Perhaps you first
06:40fell in love with mountain biking but now you want to partake in the best discipline in my opinion and
06:46join the vast number of lycra clad road cyclists. There's a chance that if you ever did decide to
06:53switch disciplines altogether that you may not want to ride your mountain bike for example on the road or
06:58maybe ever again so that means only one thing a new bike is in order. Don't get me wrong though
07:05you can
07:06ride any bike you like wherever you like and it's of course possible to make changes to your steed to
07:11help it perform better wherever you decide to ride it but using the right tool for the job is always
07:17best.
07:23If your bike has been reduced to a pile of snap tubes and scuffed up components then this is probably
07:29the
07:29most visible sign that you need a new bike. That goes without saying. Sometimes though in the unfortunate
07:36times when we do crash our bikes don't always just explode into a number of different pieces. They may
07:42dent, they may crack or they may just bend depending on what material they're made of. If your frame is
07:48made out of metal there's a better chance that it won't crack and any damage could potentially be repairable.
07:53This is obviously entirely case by case dependent however with carbon you have to be a little bit
07:59more careful. Cracks can sometimes be harder to spot and hairline fractures can develop into something
08:06a little bit more sinister if they're not dealt with very quickly. If you have crashed a carbon bike I
08:12always recommend making sure that you get it looked at by a carbon fiber specialist to ensure that it
08:17really is safe. This is why I'm personally a pretty big fan of metal frames. You know where you stand
08:24with them. My advice here really is not to take any risks. If you're unsure about the road worthiness of
08:30your bike then go and get it checked out by a professional. It's not uncommon for cyclists to own
08:41their bikes for a really long time. In fact I know for sure that a lot of you will have
08:47owned your
08:47bikes for around 10 years potentially even 20 plus and in that time there will have been countless
08:54innovations and upgrades to group sets, frames, wheels and tyres. The list really is endless.
09:01This results in one thing that tech does become outdated. Now I'm not here to say whether or not
09:07newer tech is better than what it's replacing but if you subscribe to the idea that cycling tech
09:12is getting better then you'll also agree that tech does get outdated. If you find yourself looking
09:19at your bike and wondering what the current crop of bikes really do offer people then head down to
09:24your local bike shop and give a bike a test ride. You might find that you like what you ride
09:30and you
09:30could be in for a surprise with how much things have changed. Perhaps those disc brakes that you've been
09:36complaining about but have never tried might not be that bad after all. This video really is just a
09:43bit of fun and it's totally up to you on when you want to buy a new bike. It's your
09:48money and you don't
09:49need me or anyone else telling you how to spend it. These are just a few reasons that are worth
09:54paying
09:54attention to that may indicate that it's time to consider your options. Let me know down below what was
10:01it that made you decide to buy your last bike. If you enjoyed the video then please do drop it
10:05a like,
10:06subscribe to the channel for more content and I'll see you again very soon.
