The Bike You NEED Vs The Bike You WANT!

Do you have the bike you NEED or the bike you WANT? 🤔 Let us know in the comments! 👇

A friend of mine spent many thousands of dollars to save grams, yet he's 40lbs overweight.

"If you need to buy top spec components, you probably don't need them." Agreed!

Great to see GCN pushing this stance. 👍 Small cost tweeks to your setup, can keep your existing bike relevant to your needs, or buying 2nd hand top of the range rim brake bikes from 5-10yrs ago, for next to nothing. Cost of new bikes over last 3-4 years is ridiculous, really poor bang for buck. I've kept my 2016 Boardman Pro SLR relevant to my needs and capability. As This video shows, running GP5000's with latex tubes (and fitting decent rim tape), immersive hot waxing my chain (a game changer), and fine running my position on my bike, getting lower. You don't need to spend your hard earned cash on a new (ridiculously priced) bike. Best bang for buck performance improvements are with the lump sitting on top of the bike 😉

When I was looking to buy a bike last year, the first bike I tried was the cheapest in the Specialized Diverge range. It ticked every box and I was ready to buy until the chap in my local bike shop convinced me to try a more expensive Diverge model too. I ended up taking a week to think about my purchase because the cheaper model did everything I needed, but the more expensive one was noticeably nicer to ride. I ultimately bought the cheaper model and haven't regretted it.

I've been riding the Decathlon's Triban RC120 for a few years now, covering over 13,000 km on solo adventures. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with this bike, but curiosity got the better of me recently, prompting me to join group rides. To my surprise, I've discovered that I can keep up comfortably with pack 2, although I do find it a bit challenging to stay with pack 1 in terms of performance. One of the remarkable aspects of this bike is the element of surprise it brings to my fellow riders. They often turn their heads, expecting me to fall behind, but I manage to hold my own. This has allowed me to forge friendships more quickly within the group.

First class video. For the ‘average’ rider, what can beat a basic bike with good frameset, good components, and most important of all, generally easily serviceable at home. 👍👍👍

Always enjoy Alex’s positivity. Great presenter

I feel like the Shimano 105 groupset would be even more interesting to bring this point home, because apart from the weight, there isn't that much difference between it and DuraAce. While Tiagra and Sora are good for somebody who starts out and wants to check out if this whole cycling thing is for him/her, other groupsets are objectively better. But for someone who sticks to cycling the argument can be made that apart from the weight, there isn't that much benefit from upgrading from the 105 to higher end groupsets. The same argument can be made for Campagnolo Chorus vs. Record and Super Record. Feels similar, shifts similar, brakes similar. But it's lighter. Now I would argue that most of the subscribers, me included, could save more weight through bringing their body weight down before the expensive weight saving of a better groupset makes sense. All that being said, I gotta wrap this comment up because it's Sunday and I'm on my way to ride my Super Record EPS equipped Italian aero bike 😅 (TL;DR it isn't reasonable, but it's so much fun)

Nice to see GCN producing this style of video. Far too many people think they need 105 or better components when it is just what they want. My cousin recently purchased a Trek Domane with Sora specked components and she loves it.

Thank you from a guy who has a bike he needs. I really enjoy the videos where you talk to the other 99% of us "enthusiasts"

I built my own, very first and only road bike up from scratch. I purchased an 2010 trek 2.1 alpha frame and forks for £80 and built the rest up around it. I stripped it back to bare aluminium and painted the forks matte black which gave it a modern feel. I then went for the Shimano 105 groupset and purchased every part off eBay, some new 105 parts and some older. the most expensive was the newer version shifters which were £120 for the pair. I built it up and then got it properly serviced and set up and it is absolutely fantastic to ride. it surprises me evrytime I ride it just how fast road bikes are and this was for under £600. plus the added bonus of it being very personal and had me learn a lot along the way. to add to the point of this video, I can honestly say that everytime I look to upgrading it, it is purely out of want, not need. I think if the right deal comes along, I will look at a newer more modern frameset. but purely out of want! bye

That Endurance AL is definitely the sort of bike i need and want. Easy to maintain, parts will be cheap to replace, more versatile.

I purchased the Canyon Endurace CF7 Disc (about $2000, carbon and Shimano 105) and have since added my preferred saddle (Gilles Berthoud Galibier) and a set of Roval Alpinist CL II wheels with Continental GP5000 tires and TPU tubes. I'll continue to make component upgrades here and there but I am extremely satisfied with this and would have no plans to change the 105 groupset and will likely not need a new bike for a long time. My goal is, as the Endurace name suggests, a fast endurance bike that is comfortable on long rides and lightweight for climbing (lots of hills in my area.) As the bike sits now, it weighs 7.9kg, but that Gilles Berthoud saddle is leather and weighs 5-7oz more than your typical carbon saddle, however, in terms of comfort (and looks!) I am willing to take the weight penalty. With additional component upgrades going forward (not in a big hurry,) the bike will likely end up around 7.5kg. Of course I am not a professional, but I am a serious amateur focusing on building my skill, speed, fitness and endurance, and I do like to get into the weeds with tweaking the bike with upgrades, etc. Obsessing over that stuff brings its own fun and interest, just be mindful of your wallet and don't go beyond your means - not to mention, it can teach you to work on, maintain or build your own bikes. Didn't mean to write a book here but oh well.

I’m looking to buy a new bike next spring. I needed to see this content. Thank you. Ride to the level of your smile. 🚴‍♂️😃

I started with a cheap Alu endurance bike… first I upgraded the wheels, then saddle, handlebars, group set and finally the frame. Really happy with it!!

Loved the vid as it really demonstrated the point of need vs want vs joy of riding. I've upgraded over the years as I've gotten into road cycling in part needing better equipment as well as being able to afford better equipment like I've done in other hobbies. When you reach a certain point when you can take advantage of better equipment you need it. Now that I'm older(57yrs) I've appreciated that while I no longer can truly take advantage of levels of quality, it is nice to have because I can afford it and appreciate on what it provides given my current state of affairs. In truth for most of us it will be a balance of want vs need with need overruling more often that not 😜

Good to see GCN keeping perspective on what "average riders" (if there is such a thing!) need/want. I'm only a few months back in to cycling haven't not ridden much since my teens on a steel road bike with downtube shifters. £650 is pretty cheap by bike standards, but that got me a Sora equipped gravel bike that is perfect for my current needs and the terrain I ride on. Plus on my local park loop the first time I rode it I went 10 minutes quicker than I had done on the borrowed MTB I had been riding before that!

Endurace was my gateway drug into carbon frames and electronic shifting. Loved it - but not as much as I love my S-Works Crux 😂

I’m really digging the honesty in this video! Kudos to you all I really enjoyed it and agreed with a lot!