probably a matter of opinion
for a little over a year now i have been rather taken with the sport of mountain biking.

after handing over just under £500 for the first bike i have ever owned that has suspension (my previous bike was obtained in exchange for a mop with a mates dad) and certainly enjoying many fun sunny saturdays at
cannock chase i decide i could do with a better fork (apparently £500 gets you an ok entry level bike that is worth upgrade later according to a couple of magazines)

so last january i parted with £175 for a new, better fork though in my defense it was reduced from nearly £300 in the sale which sat in its box for over a month before i could afford some other bits and bobs needed to fit the bastard to my bike

followed a few months later buy new brakes (again in the sale though £100 reduced from £150) the whole time met with disapproving glares from my other half and parents.

combined with a few other small upgrades (spent £40 on a 2nd hand xt rear mech and shifter which has been in a box for 4 months because i dont have all the other parts needed to fit it) and i have easily spent another £500 on my bike while at the same time trying to build up another bike after buying a second hand frame off ebay (again received by girlfriend in particular with more scorn)

so as it stands i have a shed with 2 and a half bikes in it and very little cash. winter is coming and after what riding in the mud did to my bike last winter i doubt that the urge to ride it will over come my desire not to spend a whole day trying to get my gear cables to come unstuck again. and i will probably be a bit overweight and unfit my next summer (not that i am particularly fit and healthy now)

is it a waste of money? well after much time spent with my mates tooling around at cannock chase, a couple of camping trips in north wales and some scary but massive grin inducing riding in the south of france last july i can say that is has been worth every penny but not everyone shares my opinion

apologies for length/ lack of funnies
( Reme Philips laid an epic dump on, Sun 3 Oct 2010, 18:56, 5 replies)

can't let my nephew read this
he's recently started biking, which is why he currently has bruised ribs, multiple cuts and scrapes, 4 of his front teeth knocked loose and gravel rash on his face, poor little thing :(
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Sun 3 Oct 2010, 19:31, closed)

First rule of bikes
If something has "bike" in the title it can be sold for 2x the price.

Just wait until all those shiny expensive bits start breaking and need replacing too...
( thistle, Sun 3 Oct 2010, 20:04, closed)

I have a strong feeling you were sitting near me on the bus the other day and telling your mate all this.
Either that or all biking stories are the same.
(Falstaff's Spiritual Successor, Mon 4 Oct 2010, 8:03, closed)

I don't think
you've wasted any money at all mate, keep it up =]
(TaZ44, Mon 4 Oct 2010, 16:02, closed)

Seen somewhere...
If its got tits or tyres, its gonna cost ya.

fuck em all, its your dough
(shinypurplebit booked his tickets (yay) on, Tue 5 Oct 2010, 23:40, closed)