I’ve been agonizing over this 1st World problem for some time; which new bike should I buy. You will know the feeling, which hits some of you after only a couple of years, I’m sure. You look at the bikes that are coming out these days and see that they don’t look exactly like yours anymore. What will your friends in the club think if you don’t have a clean, cable-less frame with the ‘zzzip’ sound of electronic shifting? And that’s only the average MAMIL – I am a bike guide, who needs to keep up appearances even more than the average poser (I am a professional poser).
But the thing is, I keep looking at my lovely Colnago C59 and I can’t make myself turn it into ‘the 2nd bike’ just yet. So here’s my solution:
I outfitted my C59 with a Chorus gruppo way back in 2015, which was mostly a financial decision, having burned my budget on the frame set. Since then, though, I’ve always felt like the bike ‘deserved’ at least Record. I even have a client who has commented several times on my “Record”, just assuming that I would have it. Well Rich, now I do! The Colnago now sports a 12-speed transmission (same range as before – 11-29) and I can convince myself that I have a new bike. I got my shop to put the old Chorus on the Bianchi, which had an even older version of that groupset on it. Upgrades all around.
But the story is not over! I will be getting an actual new bike, which some of you will have a good chuckle at if you’ve been following my posts…but that’s for another time, once I decide on the color and wait the many months for it to be made and delivered.
The Vicious Cycle 
I feel much the same about cameras. You could always have a better one.
And obviously it would make you a better photographer.
Much better. I notice that many club golfers suffer from the same syndrome.
So here’s a thought – rather than trying to maintain the image of a super modern cycling tour guide, you could go Old School and be a super cool retro cycling guide! You could show up sporting a handlebar moustache and riding something slightly newer than a penny farthing. When you smoke your clients, you can casually say to them, “It’s not the bike…”
That’s a great idea, Steve. I actually know someone who races penny farthings, so could probably get a deal on one, if I wanted to really go retro.