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Insure
You've not dealt with many insurance companies I take it?
I ride because I like riding, not because I have a shiny thing sat in the corner. I'm not Chris Froome, ie. I'm not looking at the bike while I'm riding it.
If anything, my cheaper, more worn bikes get ridden more because I'm less fussy about keeping them pristine.
hippy-
Correct; thankfully never. And all of my bikes are insured.
I get it, bikes are tools for you. I'm not saying to buy the fancy thing because it's fancy, I'm saying if it builds desire to ride, then that's a good enough reason.
Shiny doesn't have to mean delicate. My AC Macho Man is steel and four years old. I've thrashed the shit out of it in that time, it still has a wicked -subtle- paint job (nowhere near pristine) and some nice looking (well priced) parts. I'm not saying it's pr0n but I like how it looks and it makes me want to go skid through some mud, fuck around in the woods and do adventures.
monkdagola
Insure the Stigmata and cane the fuck out of that too.
Hurrhurr. Everyone has their own requirements for their bikes, mine happens to fall heavily on 'If I just look at my bike, does it make me want to ride it'? If not then what's the fucking point of it? Otherwise I might was well ride a toaster.