Cheating on your bicycle

[GirishH]

Hello and happy new year to all..

Is this is a rhetorical question, or a real one?

Do you ever feel so attached to your bike that riding another feels like cheating?

I know many people here own multiple bikes and are perfectly fine with that. I ride just one - MisterGordo aka my fatbike. So, last week borrowing a friend’s bike for a few days felt like betrayal.

My dilemma was simple: "cheat", or lose the chance to see a new place and get some exercise along the way.

Just curious—how do you navigate these feelings with the machines/rides that have simply become part of our identity?

Thanks

[SPINMAN]

That's funny. I took two new bikes out for a test ride from my local bike shop. They were not measured right ,but It felt nice to get on a new/different bike

[Flowrider]

Interesting thought @GirishH , we do get something of an emotional attachment to our bike, and we even give them names.

I think, especially for the reliable ones, they've got us through so much without much drama, like, I guess, your MisterGordo. Anything that gives us ('unconditional') support and that we're very familiar with, we get attached to.

I would guess you'll never sell MisterGordo. Why not? It's just a bicycle, an inanimate object that has no feelings.

But you do...

[JJMarsh]

(01-01-2026, 09:30 AM)GirishH Wrote:  Hello and happy new year to all..

Is this is a rhetorical question, or a real one?

Do you ever feel so attached to your bike that riding another feels like cheating?

I know many people here own multiple bikes and are perfectly fine with that. I ride just one - MisterGordo aka my fatbike. So, last week borrowing a friend’s bike for a few days felt like betrayal.

My dilemma was simple: "cheat", or lose the chance to see a new place and get some exercise along the way.

Just curious—how do you navigate these feelings with the machines/rides that have simply become part of our identity?

Thanks

It’s not cheating - it’s just exploring! Riding other bikes can deepen your love for your own. Your fatbike will be there when you return, ready for more adventures.

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

Only cheating on my bike by riding my other bikes ^^;

[JJMarsh]

(01-01-2026, 09:30 AM)GirishH Wrote:  Hello and happy new year to all..

Is this is a rhetorical question, or a real one?

Do you ever feel so attached to your bike that riding another feels like cheating?

I know many people here own multiple bikes and are perfectly fine with that. I ride just one - MisterGordo aka my fatbike. So, last week borrowing a friend’s bike for a few days felt like betrayal.

My dilemma was simple: "cheat", or lose the chance to see a new place and get some exercise along the way.

Just curious—how do you navigate these feelings with the machines/rides that have simply become part of our identity?

Thanks

Get that "cheating" feeling with bikes. Think of it as a fun fling that makes you appreciate your main ride even more.

[GirishH]

Haha, @JJMarsh and @Flowrider...when I started this thread, I was too attached to MisterGordo. But after cheating twice—with two different cycles—I’ve realized I’m more attached to cycling than to any one bike.

It’s the pure freedom and adrenaline that cycling gives me.

It could be MisterGordo or a clunker borrowed from my nephew—it doesn’t matter.

As for selling MisterGordo, I’d never considered it. Now, though, I do think about getting a used bike when I visit Rajasthan—the Indian state famous for its camels, deserts, and palaces. Since MisterGordo is back in Nepal and I want to explore Rajasthan on two wheels, I don’t really have a choice but to rent or buy a second-hand bike.

And since I’ve already “cheated” on MisterGordo twice, I feel much more comfortable cheating with a third bike—even though MisterGordo would have been the perfect ride for the deserts of Rajasthan...:-)

[Flowrider]

Ultimately, @GirishH suggests that MisterGordo is a bike he's very familiar with and highly dependable, having travelled extensively together over challenging terrain. It has reliably accompanied him without many issues.

In a way, he's personified the bike, as these are qualities we often look for in a person, especially in a partner.

[GirishH]

@Flowrider, "personifying" cycles—or I might like to "cycle-fying" a person…

For some 3 months, I rode with cycling buddies during my South America trip. We all rode at different speeds because the three of us had very different types of bikes. I was the slowest, but I had the most fun bike..


We, the humans, weren’t always reliable or dependable in the way the other may have expected.

But our cycles never failed or disappointed us. They stayed with us no matter what we threw at the poor “cycles.”

We humans fought like cats and dogs at times… but our cycles never lost their "balls"..

I guess whether it’s a partner or a riding buddy, it’s hard to find such a calm, “understanding” person. But in a cycle? Yes.

Maybe that’s why I was—and still am—so attached to MisterGordo, even though I cheated twice over the last two months and probably will again soon. MisterGordo will still be the one: reliable, steady, and it's gears still held together by that humble keychain ring..

[meamoantonio]

I chanced upon a latest and greatest Tarmac SL8 vversus my steel neo vintage bike, I’d probably get one if I was liquid enough and could pedal 50kph for an extend number of hours then sure . So i guess to answer your question, probably no, but it does feel good to dream

[GirishH]

Feels good to dream..:-)? @meamoantonio

I am already living that "dream" life of cheating on MisterGordo and it's been an uneasy but a good transition.. mentally and physically...:-)

(01-31-2026, 08:17 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  I chanced upon a latest and greatest Tarmac SL8 vversus my steel neo vintage bike, I’d probably get one if I was liquid enough and could pedal 50kph for an extend number of hours then sure . So i guess to answer your question, probably no, but it does feel good to dream

[Flowrider]

..."or I might like to "cycle-fying" a person…" Classic @GirishH ! well put

[meamoantonio]

Dreaming about the latest and greatest bike haha I believe its also important to chase something too so we can work hard and get what we want

[froze]

I have no real emotional attachment to a bike, it's just a thing not my wife, a friend, my dog, just an innate object. When I use to collect vintage cars, I had some attachment to those, but nothing major, when it came time to sell them all I did without blinking too much, there's one car I wished I could have kept but only because I liked the looks of it and the reliability was very high, that was a 63 Studebaker Avanti R2, a fantastic car, not so much emotional attachment as it was I just liked the car. I had the cars stored in a climate-controlled pole barn that my friend had, to many for me to keep at my house so they went there; he died about 7 years ago and the wife was going to sell the place, so I had to sell mine and she had to sells his. I didn't want to pay for small warehouse to put them in, so they got auctioned off.

[Mr. Beanz]

Funny topic! I'm a loyal kinda guy. I feel like I have to give some credit to those who have been faithful to me. My two current roadies. Still riding the 1997 Cannondale and my Madone. The wife ran into a nice chunk of change as an inheritance. She kept bugging me to buy a new rig, maybe a Pinarello or similar. Spending $10,000 on a bike as she suggested would just ain't me. I know I'd have buyer's remorse after enjoying these two so much over the years. The Cani prolly has 20,000 and the Madone has over 30,000 miles. Why would I want to cheat on my faithful companions?

   

   

[Flowrider]

Yeah, I agree that $10K on a bike is way too much for me.

I've always wondered just how much more does a $10K rider gets over a $2K bike?

In mountain biking, there is a difference

- No suspension
- Hardtail
- Dual suspension

Dual is superior, but you don't have to spend $10 000 for a great value bike imo

[Mr. Beanz]

(07-15-2026, 04:39 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  Yeah, I agree that $10K on a bike is way too much for me.

I've always wondered just how much more does a $10K rider gets over a $2K bike?

In mountain biking, there is a difference

- No suspension
- Hardtail
- Dual suspension

Dual is superior, but you don't have to spend $10 000 for a great value bike imo

Ya know, (I love telling this story)............Back in 2005, I was a regular on a couple cycling forums with a few local SoCal cyclists. One guy from Northern Cal was a big time long distance rider, 1000 centuries, several sub 5 hour centuries, 5 time finisher of RAM (Race Across America).

He had at that time, an $8,000 carbon Colnago. Everybody on the forums would follow him along on rides (some kind or tracking on the net on certain rides). I would ride all my flat rides to the coast with my wife who is actually pretty strong. 40 to 60 mile rides on flat trails to the coast. He saw this and started commenting on how I had bad training habits, a low end bike, bad nutrition, blah blah blah. He had been to France, Europe, and BFE to compete. Heck, I barely left my driveway. 😁

He said he had special climbing low gears, super light wheels, special descending gears, a 56 vs standard 53 and 11 in the back.

I had, still have and ride my $1,000 Cannondale CAD3. He had top of the line components and my freakin' shifter went out about a week before my ride. Pressed for funds and time, I installed bottom of the line SORA shifters and a rear derailleur. About $20 for the der, nothing special but shifted the bike ha ha ha!

He posted on the cycling forums, the SOCal section where I pretty much knew everyone, that if he had a BAD day and I had a good day, I MIGHT keep up with him. 🫩

He continued razzing me on the forums for about a month before the event. OK, I'm a confident guy and had been climbing 40,000 ft every month for 6 months preparing for the event, 100 miles with 10,000 ft of gain. Some reason, he only gave attention to my flat rides with the wife.

So ride day came, a 3 hour window starting period. He started an hour before I did. I guess what he didn't think about is doing a 5 hour century with a pack of 25 riders is a little different than doing a solo century in 5:45, which was me. Several times, 23 centuries in one year I did.

The first 62 miles is pretty much up the mountain. Then a 40 ish mile downhill. I passed him at about mile 50 ha ha ha! Introduced myself. I stopped to let him get ahead once more as the toughest 7 mile section of 7% was just ahead. I had already passed him so up the road, I pulled over and started chatting with my wife as he rolled by. She drove along just to enjoy the event. When he rolled by, I was leaning against my truck hugging my wife and made to say hi when he rolled by. I gave him a couple minutes to head up the final mountain section. I knew I had him beat catching him from behind.

So I got back on passing him once again. He said that he would catch me on the downhill with his special descending gears. Yeah, OK, I'm a pretty good descender myself so we'll see. Not to mention that I hit the peak 8400 ft a few minutes before he did. Then a 40 mile downhill at mostly 40 mph. Straight sections were easy as my training grounds were 20 mile descents with constant switchbacks and a little section at 42 mph.

I hit the last few miles, about 6 and no sign of the guy. I knew I had smoked him. Funny thing that he had mentioned on the forum that he was going TO LET ME ride his bike across the parking lot so I could see the difference between a good bike and a low end. OKAY!

So I checked in and he later showed up. I sat at the post ride BBQ with my wife under my arm and another very pretty friend on my other side, enjoying my BBQ looking over at him with a smirk on my face. ☺️ just to rub it in. He was throwing me some very hard looks, throwing daggers as the call it. But hey, my cheap azz bike smoked his fancy rig. That is when I figured out that the bike doesn't make a difference. I had often thought about a Colnago myself till that point but luckily learned that I'd save a bundle of money if I just rode my bike without a need to boast about my super duper super expensive bike.

It was actually pretty cool though, watching him get back on the forums saying, "I don't know what happened, but Mr. Beanz smoked me on the ride!". At least he admitted it!

We met on another fun ride, 124 miles 7200 ft gain but he chose to ride along with the girls on the flat 100 miler. I invited him to ride along with me and a buddy but he passed on the offer. 😁

Since I have acquired a carbon Madone but honestly, I don't see much difference and the Cannondale is just as much fun to ride.

My old cheap bike, Giant Slayer. 😆 that cured my bike envy. 10,00 ft on a standard crank, 53/39 and a 12/26 cassette in the rear. No need for special gears and stuff.


   

The event. I completed it 4 times total within a 10 year span. He refused the offer to ride it again. 🤪

   

[GirishH]

@Mr. Beanz, wow...what a story...:-)

I am with you..To me, a bicycle is just two wheels; it's the rider's heart and body that make it go place or climb mountains and everything in between...

   

As I write this, once again I’m "cheating" on my fat bike—this time with a friend's MTB. I didn't have my padded shorts, frame/handle bar/saddle bags, or even an emergency kit. I just shoved everything into a 20L Decathlon tote backpack, laced up my old hiking shoes, threw on regular shorts, and hit the road for atleast a couple of thousand kilometres trip..:-)

   

I’m even missing gloves, which I realize are pretty essential if you fall. I left all my cycling gear back in Nepal, but I just couldn't miss this opportunity to ride and go meet some friends some 600 kilometres away..

Whether I have Mister Gordo with me or not, I am having a absolute blast.

Whenever I meet folks saying how they don't have the right bike or gear, i tell them..look at me, i am riding a friend's bike and in regular shorts, shoes..:-)

(07-15-2026, 04:23 PM)Mr. Beanz Wrote:  

(07-15-2026, 04:39 AM)Flowrider Wrote:  Yeah, I agree that $10K on a bike is way too much for me.

I've always wondered just how much more does a $10K rider gets over a $2K bike?

In mountain biking, there is a difference

- No suspension
- Hardtail
- Dual suspension

Dual is superior, but you don't have to spend $10 000 for a great value bike imo

Ya know, (I love telling this story)............Back in 2005, I was a regular on a couple cycling forums with a few local SoCal cyclists. One guy from Northern Cal was a big time long distance rider, 1000 centuries, several sub 5 hour centuries, 5 time finisher of RAM (Race Across America).

He had at that time, an $8,000 carbon Colnago. Everybody on the forums would follow him along on rides (some kind or tracking on the net on certain rides). I would ride all my flat rides to the coast with my wife who is actually pretty strong. 40 to 60 mile rides on flat trails to the coast. He saw this and started commenting on how I had bad training habits, a low end bike, bad nutrition, blah blah blah. He had been to France, Europe, and BFE to compete. Heck, I barely left my driveway. 😁

He said he had special climbing low gears, super light wheels, special descending gears, a 56 vs standard 53 and 11 in the back.

I had, still have and ride my $1,000 Cannondale CAD3. He had top of the line components and my freakin' shifter went out about a week before my ride. Pressed for funds and time, I installed bottom of the line SORA shifters and a rear derailleur. About $20 for the der, nothing special but shifted the bike ha ha ha!

He posted on the cycling forums, the SOCal section where I pretty much knew everyone, that if he had a BAD day and I had a good day, I MIGHT keep up with him. 🫩

He continued razzing me on the forums for about a month before the event. OK, I'm a confident guy and had been climbing 40,000 ft every month for 6 months preparing for the event, 100 miles with 10,000 ft of gain. Some reason, he only gave attention to my flat rides with the wife.

So ride day came, a 3 hour window starting period. He started an hour before I did. I guess what he didn't think about is doing a 5 hour century with a pack of 25 riders is a little different than doing a solo century in 5:45, which was me. Several times, 23 centuries in one year I did.

The first 62 miles is pretty much up the mountain. Then a 40 ish mile downhill. I passed him at about mile 50 ha ha ha! Introduced myself. I stopped to let him get ahead once more as the toughest 7 mile section of 7% was just ahead. I had already passed him so up the road, I pulled over and started chatting with my wife as he rolled by. She drove along just to enjoy the event. When he rolled by, I was leaning against my truck hugging my wife and made to say hi when he rolled by. I gave him a couple minutes to head up the final mountain section. I knew I had him beat catching him from behind.

So I got back on passing him once again. He said that he would catch me on the downhill with his special descending gears. Yeah, OK, I'm a pretty good descender myself so we'll see. Not to mention that I hit the peak 8400 ft a few minutes before he did. Then a 40 mile downhill at mostly 40 mph. Straight sections were easy as my training grounds were 20 mile descents with constant switchbacks and a little section at 42 mph.

I hit the last few miles, about 6 and no sign of the guy. I knew I had smoked him. Funny thing that he had mentioned on the forum that he was going TO LET ME ride his bike across the parking lot so I could see the difference between a good bike and a low end. OKAY!

So I checked in and he later showed up. I sat at the post ride BBQ with my wife under my arm and another very pretty friend on my other side, enjoying my BBQ looking over at him with a smirk on my face. ☺️ just to rub it in. He was throwing me some very hard looks, throwing daggers as the call it. But hey, my cheap azz bike smoked his fancy rig. That is when I figured out that the bike doesn't make a difference. I had often thought about a Colnago myself till that point but luckily learned that I'd save a bundle of money if I just rode my bike without a need to boast about my super duper super expensive bike.

It was actually pretty cool though, watching him get back on the forums saying, "I don't know what happened, but Mr. Beanz smoked me on the ride!". At least he admitted it!

We met on another fun ride, 124 miles 7200 ft gain but he chose to ride along with the girls on the flat 100 miler. I invited him to ride along with me and a buddy but he passed on the offer. 😁

Since I have acquired a carbon Madone but honestly, I don't see much difference and the Cannondale is just as much fun to ride.

My old cheap bike, Giant Slayer. 😆 that cured my bike envy. 10,00 ft on a standard crank, 53/39 and a 12/26 cassette in the rear. No need for special gears and stuff.




The event. I completed it 4 times total within a 10 year span. He refused the offer to ride it again. 🤪

[Mr. Beanz]

(07-18-2026, 11:26 PM)GirishH Wrote:  @Mr. Beanz, wow...what a story...:-)

I am with you..To me, a bicycle is just two wheels; it's the rider's heart and body that make it go place or climb mountains and everything in between...



As I write this, once again I’m "cheating" on my fat bike—this time with a friend's MTB. I didn't have my padded shorts, frame/handle bar/saddle bags, or even an emergency kit. I just shoved everything into a 20L Decathlon tote backpack, laced up my old hiking shoes, threw on regular shorts, and hit the road for atleast a couple of thousand kilometres trip..:-)



I’m even missing gloves, which I realize are pretty essential if you fall. I left all my cycling gear back in Nepal, but I just couldn't miss this opportunity to ride and go meet some friends some 600 kilometres away..

Whether I have Mister Gordo with me or not, I am having a absolute blast.

Whenever I meet folks saying how they don't have the right bike or gear, i tell them..look at me, i am riding a friend's bike and in regular shorts, shoes..:-)

[/quote]

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