The More Things Change.
It's probably the same for everyone in the civilized world.
Periodically Facebook dredges up old pictures from my timeline and asks me if I want to share them again, as if anyone really cares about what I did four years ago. I barely care about what I did yesterday, and I'm one self-centered bastard. Usually the pictures are of my kids that my wife shared on my timeline, and I reflect on how cute they were when they were that age (or whatever parents do when they get old and forget how much work the kids were back then).
The picture that popped up today was of a project cyclocross bike. A cheap Nashbar disc 'cross frame and fork just out of the box. Nothing but potential. I think I sold it within a year and moved onto another 'cross bike, which I built up and then sold within a year when I realized running into trees and falling down was killing me.
I very rarely make money on project bikes, but that's not the point. To be honest, I'm not really sure what the point is. I like building things. I like riding different bikes. Building bikes is like playing with Legos for me. I get to make something partial or neglected whole and functional again. Sometimes I tear them down just to build them up again in another configuration. Sometimes I build them up and immediately sell them, with no intention of ever riding the project. I generally lose money, and have neglected how much I've poured into bike builds that was subsequently flushed away when I sold them.
In addition to the new titanium bike that is underway, I'm also possibly getting another project. This is one of those ones I doubt I will ride. It's a neglected bike that has perfectly respectable bones, and hopefully will go to a new roadie who has been otherwise discouraged by the high price of admittance. I'm probably going to lose money or barely break even, but I look at it three ways. First, I get to play and satisfy that part of my nature. Second, I keep a good bike out of the trash before its time. Third, I get another person into the sport.
That, my friends, is worth the investment.
Periodically Facebook dredges up old pictures from my timeline and asks me if I want to share them again, as if anyone really cares about what I did four years ago. I barely care about what I did yesterday, and I'm one self-centered bastard. Usually the pictures are of my kids that my wife shared on my timeline, and I reflect on how cute they were when they were that age (or whatever parents do when they get old and forget how much work the kids were back then).
The picture that popped up today was of a project cyclocross bike. A cheap Nashbar disc 'cross frame and fork just out of the box. Nothing but potential. I think I sold it within a year and moved onto another 'cross bike, which I built up and then sold within a year when I realized running into trees and falling down was killing me.
I very rarely make money on project bikes, but that's not the point. To be honest, I'm not really sure what the point is. I like building things. I like riding different bikes. Building bikes is like playing with Legos for me. I get to make something partial or neglected whole and functional again. Sometimes I tear them down just to build them up again in another configuration. Sometimes I build them up and immediately sell them, with no intention of ever riding the project. I generally lose money, and have neglected how much I've poured into bike builds that was subsequently flushed away when I sold them.
In addition to the new titanium bike that is underway, I'm also possibly getting another project. This is one of those ones I doubt I will ride. It's a neglected bike that has perfectly respectable bones, and hopefully will go to a new roadie who has been otherwise discouraged by the high price of admittance. I'm probably going to lose money or barely break even, but I look at it three ways. First, I get to play and satisfy that part of my nature. Second, I keep a good bike out of the trash before its time. Third, I get another person into the sport.
That, my friends, is worth the investment.
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