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So following this thread: https://singletrackmag.com/forum/bike-forum/sonder-camino-or-sedona/#post-13620685
I've pretty much decided the best out there for me at the moment is a Sonder Camino.
This will be a general purpose bike used for commuting, gravel, road and bike packing.
However now I'm in a bit of a quandry whether I should just upgrade my old bike (which has some issues that need sorting out)
The old bike is a PlanetX Pickenflick from about 2016. It's been a fantastic bike, and after poring over the geometry numbers last night it's actually still pretty current for a more road-leaning gravel bike (which is what I want).
In fact, the Pickenflick might have arguably better geo than the Camino I'm looking at....
However
There are some things about it that are broken or worn out:
1. Front shifter is bust so I'm temporarily using a bard end one, which is annoying.
2. Also the chainrings are worn and the groupset is past its best as a whole
And there are also some things that are annoying:
1. Fork brake mounts are out of alignment. It makes it a right faff when changing wheels.
2. Old standards everywhere (post mount brakes, QR axles)
3. Lack of mounts for mudguards and luggage, so it's always been a bodge.
I've done some sums and I reckon I could sort most of the resolvable issues for maybe £500, but I'll still be left with some problems (like lack of mountings and old standards) that are always going to be a bodge. Plus also, I don't know when another big outlay might be coming
On the other hand, I can get a fully blinged up ti Camino which resolves all the issues, with a 2x shimano GRX groupset, carbon wheels, dropper post etc for under the £3k bike to work limit which will be a cost to me of about £1700 given tax savings.
Oh yeah, and one other reservation about buying the Camino is that once I've got it I just *know* I will be very tempted to keep the Pickenflick anyway, built up as a road focussed winter bike, and go and spend the £500 on it anyway!!!
I really don't have the space in the cellar to keep both!!!!!
Tell me what to do!
If you’ve had nine years use out of the old one, I’d replace
I'd get the Camino because new bikes are nice.
On the look out for a new bike myself as after working out what 'd want to change on my full suss it just made more sense to me. I started life as a 2016 bike so plenty of parts had served their time.
New crankset from Merlin £50.
Chuck it on the turbo.
Buy new bike.
Buy a new bike and upgrade it. Best of both worlds.
Whole new bike. Get rid of the old one, you won’t be riding it.
After getting my first new bike in about 10 years I think I understand now why some folks get a new one every few years. They get better and the old one isn’t too outdated to sell or pass on.
Tyre clearance would be the big issue for me. My old Diverge maxes out at 38mm. It's hard to get those tyres now
I really don't have the space in the cellar to keep both!!!!!Try harder.
Better storage solutions.
Buy the new bike, shop around for second hand bits to fix the old one.
I've done that, several times.
I've recently bought a second hand bike. A bunch of bits have needed replacing. Discovering these has ruined several rides.
A new bike would have seen me enjoy several rides more.
If you are going to upgrade the old one, why not go through while hog
-replace/ renew all the moving bits
- get more mounts welded on
-Repaint the frame.
All that will still come in cheaper that a new bike, you get a shiny new (paint job) and you get the geometry you want.
I had a similar issue with my old PX London Road, nowt wrong with it, but a decade old frameset that’s served lots of gravel/road applications over that time.
new bike I wanted to have more current standards for axles and brakes (not all positives IMO) but what to do with the old bike?
simple answer is fit a permanent pair of guards, robust road tyres give the drivetrain a spruce with new parts where needed and it becomes the winter road bike. That is its only task now in Semi-retirement, and it suits the job TBH.
means the new bike doesn’t get dragged through road salt and rain and in summer the old one can have some TLC without so much time pressure to be rolling.
I have been having similar thoughts about my 2006 Avalanche.Ut is in good Nick but the angles are all wrong and it rides like a piece of wood..Not sure whether to just give it away or keep it.
New bike is always the answer once the seed has been planted.
^They do cost a few bob though.