Why do you buy a new bike?

[Sadlonelygit]

Trying to justify buying a new tredder.
Got an old (neolithic) trek 4300 with some bomber air forks fitted. Had it now for 15 years.
Mainly use it for walking the dog and a bit of general fitness.
Too old now for throwing myself at the scenery or leaping gorges, handy to get on it on a Sunday evening and cycling down to the local bar for a swift half.
Just wondering whether or not a more modern bike is worth lashing out 4-500 notes on, or will the venerable trek serve me well into arthritis?

[weeksy]

In simple terms it's like asking why you buy a newer car, fridge, washing machine, toaster, anything. Modern stuff just performs better due to advances in technology, materials, etc

But for a quick cycle to the local on back lanes it won't much matter.

Only reason you could argue is that if something breaks there may not be spares available now, like 1" straight steerer forks etc

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I buy new things because I want them, I gave up justifying purchases years ago.

[ChrisW]

No reason not to - modern bikes are ace. I still have, and occasionally use, an MTB I bought in 1991 but really only for nostalgia's sake.

Buy the new bike!

[Mr Moofo]

with MTBs it was when I saw something that fitted a need I thought I had.
The FlareMax did that for a long time - with a HT as back up.
Then I wanted a longer travel bike for Morzine - so the Privateer arrived
And then I realised I was officially old and never going to be a Bike Park Hero - so the Trek Eeb arrived

I don't honestly need to much intellectual thought - I bought my first two Cotic frames accidentally on a flight to Australia. And I bought a RoadRat because I thought I wanted a single speed commuter for Brighton life. I still have that - but riding it is rare but it did go out yesterday.

And I have a Bfe HT (in fact 2) - even I wonder why I bought the last one - but it was a lockdown purchase

[mboy]

Given the current over supply of bikes on the market, £500 gets you a lot of bike on the 2nd hand market right now... It's going to be noticeably better than your ageing Trek 4300 in many ways, it's more of a question whether or not you will notice it or not though...

@weeksy's point about spares being available or not is valid too. As is the fact that on a bike that old, a good service in a bike shop could cost quite a bit more than the bike is worth!

15yrs is a long time in the bike world... I've been riding MTB since 1990 and honestly, if I was to step back onto an old 26" wheeled hardtail with steep angles, short reach, V Brakes, skinny tyres, narrow bars, long stem etc... I'd give it up and find something else to do instead, like play Golf! I picked up a Cannondale Trail SE 3 off Facebook marketplace for £450 a few weeks ago, ridden once! It was a £1250 bike new that the owner had bought on C2W scheme, ridden it and decided unassisted MTB's definitely weren't for him, so sold it on for £450 as that's about all the market would support for it! Came with 11spd Deore, tubeless ready rims, a dropper post, great geometry etc... Yes, I have other bikes worth many, many times this, but if I only had a very limited budget with which to enjoy MTBing, right now your money buys more performance than it ever has done, especially when you factor in depreciation on all the COVID lockdown purchases!

[formula400]

Because

Why not, currently looking at a S-works Roubaix frame set

[MingtheMerciless]

Whyte PRST-1 (first proper MTB), upgraded to an Marin Attack Trail for burlier stuff, upgraded that to a Rocky Mountain Element as I test rode one and it was sportier than the Marin. Then sideways purchase of a Trek 8500 ally framed HT for racing, nicknamed the "polystyrene bike" as it was so light, also another sideways purchase of a second hand Marin Quake for DH, being an idiot duties.

Happy with this lot, then I was in race and realised my mates HT 29er just rolled so much better than the Trek. So a secondhand Trek Superfly Elite 29er HT was purchased for XC and smashing forest Strava segments. Just so fast every where (I set some cracking times around Cannock with it). Pretty much rode it into the ground with the carbon headset cup eventually delaminating.

Rocky was pensioned off as it was slower then the SF on pretty much everything I rode. Bought a Specialised Enduro Elite 29er full suss for trips to Wales, Dartmoor and the Peaks. Great bike.

New job 5 years ago allowed me to build a forever dream bike with a crazy budget, a Curtis AM9 HT to replace the SF. Still have that and its a fantastic machine, flatters everywhere and only gets out of its depth when its really rowdy, couple of times descending I've started bouncing all over the place and its when I look at the data realise I'm in 45-50mph territory or on stupidly rocky stuff.

Epocalypse EBike was purchased as work commitments and some silly injuries crucified my fitness over the last few years and going out with my mates I was continually tail end Charlie.

Can't see a reason for a new bike on the horizon but the Curtis may get some new forks and the Epocalypse may get treated to a second battery for grand days out.