B) Powertap + significant work on current road bike
I have a 11yo Lemond Aluminum frame, it’s been a great bike but it’s showing it’s age. I’ve got some money for bike related things and I’m thinking of the 2 options above. If I keep the current bike as my road bike I’d like to get a new headset, stem, fork, bottom bracket, cables and touch up the paint on the frame. I think the drive train is in pretty good shape. The thing is I like the bike but a new carbon bike sounds nice and I don’t want to turn my current bike into a money pit and end up getting a new one soon anyway. Unfortunately new road bike + powertap is not an option immediately anyway.
It depends on your goals and focus. A powertap gave me a whole new way of looking at training shifting from “train as much as you can” to measure your progress and train accordingly. I used an aluminum bike for 20 years and finally sold it when I bought a new bike in 2007. It was fun to have a new bike, but if you asked me whether I would go back and trade the $4000 bike for a $1000 PT there would be no question–buy the power device and start training with a purpose. My road bike is a tool for training and a break from the tri bike.
When you say your bike is “showing its age,” are you just saying it just doesn’t look pretty anymore? The items you mentioned to replace very rarely wear out. Buy the Powertap wheel and train. Now if you are not really that serious about training and want a pretty bike to show you friends then you should buy the new bike.
Buying a PT is just delaying the inevitable. Your bike is 11 yrs old. The day after you install the PT, you’ll still want a new bike.
Quit fooling yourself and start shopping for a new ride…
Brad
Gotta agree with Brad here. Once the “new bike” bug bites, it is pretty tough to squash that desire.
Plus, with the end of the year sales, you may find a good bike on clearance and still have the cash to buy one of the PT wheels on sale over at Competitive Cyclist right now.
Get the new bike and ride the hell out of it. Been riding 35 years and still getting stronger by the year. Last year, I threw away the heart rate monitor, stopped looking at the Garmin, and just &*^%$#$% rode everyday. You don’t need some fancy-ass meter to tell you how weak you still are.
The Lemond 853’s were some of the best handling, best riding bikes I’ve ever ridden. Considering I’ve ridden Felt, Kestrel, Trek, QR, Specialized, Softride and one or two more brands that I can’t drag up out of the fog, if it’s one of those go for the PT.
Actually you should go for the PT before a new bike. One’s a tool one’s a toy, one is designed to make you look faster one is designed to make you faster.
The Lemond 853’s were some of the best handling, best riding bikes I’ve ever ridden. Considering I’ve ridden Felt, Kestrel, Trek, QR, Specialized, Softride and one or two more brands that I can’t drag up out of the fog, if it’s one of those go for the PT.
Actually you should go for the PT before a new bike. One’s a tool one’s a toy, one is designed to make you look faster one is designed to make you faster.
So go fast or look fast?
Agree, the reynolds steel lemonds were great bikes…my wife has one of the last ones made (actually purchased NOS almost a year after Trek cut them loose…I think Trek fire-saled them to a local shop) and its the envy of many of our riding friends. But the OP’s is aluminum I think he said, same Lemond long-n-back geometry but not the sweet steel ride quality I’d venture. I haven’t been on one of the alloy ones though so who knows?
What’s weird is that the drivetrain is in good shape. How recently have you changed out your cogs/chain/chainwheels? Should be on your 3rd set by now if you are laying it down. I think the problem really is that the OP isn’t riding enough
The powertap is easy to move to your new ride which it sounds like you are already contemplating. Go for that and a tuneup and start saving for your next rig. Pick up some brochures while you are at the shop for the tuneup and start salivating.
Thanks for the input everyone. As it turns out, it’s like you all are like the various thoughts bouncing around in my head on this.
To be honest I’m actually kind of trying to justify keeping the current bike and getting the PT but I would hate to be riding along one day and have my frame or fork crack because they are too old. Is this an issue?
To the poster who implied I might not be riding enough: you are probably right ;-). But I have replaced portions of the drivetrain as needed over the past several years.
