koribeyer
Speeding Up
- May 29, 2008
- 409
- 5
buy a bike in San Francisco/Bay Area vs. buy a bike in Italy.
all other things being equal, what would you do?
perhaps this is a strange place to ask such a question, but you guys are my experts of choice... so, here it is anyways.
Bizarre and awesome circumstances have led to me having 3 weeks and a new boyfriend in Tuscany. The world is weird, and good.
Naturally, cycling must happen for at least half the time or until the poor/lucky boy tempts me off my bike with copious amounts of wine.
anyways. I can either rent a bike or buy a new one (the old one, a 2002 Bianchi Brava, has been ready to retire to a less ambitious rider for some time now, plus it is not logistically located in a way that I can really take it to Italy). OR, I can rent a bike in Florence ( http://www.florencebybike.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=67 )
I'm leaning toward buying rather than putting money towards renting a bike I can't keep. I'm planning on getting a professional bike fit in the Bay Area and then....?
Air France/KML says checking a bike is free if properly reserved/packaged/I don't check too much other stuff.
I'm inclined buy in the Bay Area because I don't speak Italian and with a budget of say... $1500-2000 (whole bike) I'm guessing the advantages of buying an Italian bike in Italy may be out of my price range anyway. And then there's the pain in the ass paperwork of customs stuff bringing it back to the states for a month or so before coming back to Japan in November.
(sweet sweet Tokyo, how I miss you)
then again, perhaps buying an Italian bike in Italy is much cheaper? I know people who do such things regarding BMW cars and nonsense.
thoughts? experience? suggestions?
and finally, though I am not necessarily decided on an Italian bike, my Bianchi was an excellent bike to start out on and did remarkable well considering how poorly I took care of it before I knew what I was doing. I've heard from a few places (including here) that Italian geometry is often good for female riders, though, of course, a bike fit will be more informative than anything else. so, an Italian bike may be the way to go again.
and as for style of bike, I'd say racing multi day brevets combines most of the aspects I'm looking for.
opinions?
thanks!
all other things being equal, what would you do?
perhaps this is a strange place to ask such a question, but you guys are my experts of choice... so, here it is anyways.
Bizarre and awesome circumstances have led to me having 3 weeks and a new boyfriend in Tuscany. The world is weird, and good.
Naturally, cycling must happen for at least half the time or until the poor/lucky boy tempts me off my bike with copious amounts of wine.
anyways. I can either rent a bike or buy a new one (the old one, a 2002 Bianchi Brava, has been ready to retire to a less ambitious rider for some time now, plus it is not logistically located in a way that I can really take it to Italy). OR, I can rent a bike in Florence ( http://www.florencebybike.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=67 )
I'm leaning toward buying rather than putting money towards renting a bike I can't keep. I'm planning on getting a professional bike fit in the Bay Area and then....?
Air France/KML says checking a bike is free if properly reserved/packaged/I don't check too much other stuff.
I'm inclined buy in the Bay Area because I don't speak Italian and with a budget of say... $1500-2000 (whole bike) I'm guessing the advantages of buying an Italian bike in Italy may be out of my price range anyway. And then there's the pain in the ass paperwork of customs stuff bringing it back to the states for a month or so before coming back to Japan in November.
(sweet sweet Tokyo, how I miss you)
then again, perhaps buying an Italian bike in Italy is much cheaper? I know people who do such things regarding BMW cars and nonsense.
thoughts? experience? suggestions?
and finally, though I am not necessarily decided on an Italian bike, my Bianchi was an excellent bike to start out on and did remarkable well considering how poorly I took care of it before I knew what I was doing. I've heard from a few places (including here) that Italian geometry is often good for female riders, though, of course, a bike fit will be more informative than anything else. so, an Italian bike may be the way to go again.
and as for style of bike, I'd say racing multi day brevets combines most of the aspects I'm looking for.
opinions?
thanks!