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An idea ("Fauxtour", pt.1 )
6 years ago
General
In the "Cheap Bikes" journal series, I mentioned that I ended up not returning the bike (still not sure if I should have or not...).
The bike... isn't the best. I know that it was rather cheap, as all "big box bikes" (Walmart and the like, as they are apparently called) usually are.
I knew that I'd likely have to upgrade many or all parts to get a decent bike, but as long as the basic frame was good and I could ride it now, that was fine.
When I am thinking of getting something, I often do research on it. How does it perform? Is it sturdy or will it last? What are the pros and cons?
Is it a good fit for me, or should I go with something else? That kind of stuff. I recommend everyone do this instead of getting the first thing they see or are sold.
After looking around a bit for something affordable and good (decent) quality, I decided on a Hyper Hydroform bike. KevCentral on YouTube was a major help.
(You can ignore everything in the quote box)
Now, when I was doing my research, I often came across channels that claimed dropping a thousand dollars was good to get a "decent budget" bike.
I'm sorry, but a thousand to me is not "budget". And if I'm dropping $1k on a bike, it had better be better than just "decent".
Looking around a bit more, I can kinda see why they say that. Some bike components get crazy expensive. There are some wheels out there that cost well over $2,000. JUST the wheel. Not even a tire.
Those kinds of tires are usually meant made of carbon fiber and meant for top-of-the-line builds or racers, but still.
That is insane, but it's a theme I've seen done in multiple industries.
Cars can get crazy expensive. Phones can get crazy expensive. Mattresses can get crazy expensive. And so on, and so forth.
It's not because they are expensive (up to a point), I think it's because some of these manufacturers and sellers know they can get away with these crazy price hikes.
Does it cost anywhere near the amount you pay for these things for the manufacturers to make? Heck no.
But that's not going to stop them from making and overpricing their products, and that's not going to stop people from thinking they have to buy them.
Some people will say that it's necessary. "If you want quality, you have to spend money". "You get what you pay for". And other such things.
I half agree. While I do think that you shouldn't just plop down with the cheapest thing you can find, I also think it's silly to go buy the most expensive version just because you can or because it's there.
Sure, you can go and spend $8k on a mattress. And I definitely agree that it will be comfortable, and heck of a lot better than a $100 mattress, but I think I'll be quite alright if I spent $300 to 600 on a mattress.
It might not come with every bell and whistle that yours does, but maybe I don't need all of that. Maybe I don't think that having few more options is worth that massive spike in pricing.
It's another theme I've often run into. People think that I HAVE to spend top dollar just to join The Club.
If I want to learn how to play guitar, I HAVE to go out and buy the latest Gibson or Ibanez and spend hundreds on a guitar teacher.
If I want to get into biking, I HAVE to spend well over a thousand on a good Trek or Cannondale, as well as many other accessories.
If I want to get a vehicle, I MUST go to a dealership and look up the lastest and greatest Chevrolet or Hyundai. And I had better be getting something sporty.
Getting a little offhand, if I want to maybe spice up my sex life, or was just curious, Dad Bragon is the only way to go.
(YES I KNOW THAT WAS A TYPO, lol. But it was funny so I left it.)
One philosophy that I've learned, that I don't see or hear too many people saying, and that I need to take to heart more often is that I don't have to do what others are doing.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH I SPEND ON SOMETHING. It doesn't matter that I didn't drop $1k on a bike, or $600 on a guitar, or $1,300 phone or whatever.
That's not what makes a pro. That's not what makes something good.
It doesn't matter if it's the "best" or not.
The best bike or guitar or vehicle or whatever is the thing that fits you the best.
And the thing that fits you the best will be the thing that fits all of your requirements and that you like.
My guitar didn't even cost me $100, and was used from a pawn shop. My bike didn't even cost me a quarter of a grand. My phone is from China. I got a fake weenie on Amazon. You get the idea.
Also something I have to understand and take to heart more is that this is MY product. MY property. I can do whatever I want with my property.
Most of the time I get something, I don't do much modding. Just as with the whole items must cost certain prices ideal, sometimes I think that items must remain a certain way.
No, you (I) should be allowed to mod things the way I want to. If I want to of course.
Sorry for that little (little?) rant.
I wanted to turn the bike I have now into a kind of touring bike. No, I rarely even get on the bike and it's probably dumb, but meh. I get a lot more rides all of a sudden.
(You can ignore everything in the quote box)
Though... that's yet another theme / pattern I've come across. When I had to walk everywhere, and I still do for the most part, rides were scarce. Though people said they didn't mind, I've spent most of my life learning to read between the lines.
Of course they hate(d) it. I get (have long since gotten) tired of their double-talk and passive-aggressive undertones when I asked for or needed a ride. Mind you, I rarely ask for favors. Rarely. It's because I don't like to aggravate anyone, or have to depend on others.
So I got a bike. Now everyone wants to give me a ride, and I'm getting so many of them lately.
Not limited to that, of course. When I looked for and needed a job, no one would hire me. I have a [worthless] college degree, and I couldn't get a job at McDonald's. When I finally got a job, everyone wanted to hire me. It was strange.
I have never had a mate. Not even once. When I tried to give it a try, I had a bad time every time. But when I finally started talking to someone at least, all of a sudden everyone wanted to treat me "special", including someone I met offline a few times (mistake).
I've had other such similar things happen, but this wasn't supposed to be a long journal, and I've already went off on quite a long tangent already. Bleh.
When I was looking into scooters and motorcycles, I almost always looked up the touring variants. The ones meant to hold a load and drive for a long while.
I even went so far as to try and talk to a few people about their motorcycle. Unfortunately I think I was going to get scammed, so I just put all my effort into this bike instead.
Since this is a bit of a project, and a personal one at that, I figured I would name it.
I have decided to call my bike project "Fauxtour". I'll get to that in a minute. Not sure if I'll change the name, but so far this is sticking.
Now for what I have chosen and what I plan to do in the future:
I've chosen trekking / butterfly bars. I'm not sure yet how I'll set it up, but trekking bars are what I'm going for.
Not sure if I'll wrap them or not. I'm sure I will, but I want to get used to the base bars before I upgrade the upgrade, heh.
When looking for a bar, I came across something called handlebar tape. Before then, I don't think I've heard of it.
I figured at first I would leave it alone and come back to it another time, but after looking up info about it, I figured I would go ahead and get some.
I came across 2 tapes I like. Well, 3, but I didn't want to stray too far from the color scheme, but the third one was a nice orange.
I went with 2 kinds of tape. One kind that is supposedly grippy (what you want) and somewhat matches the bike color.
The other one that has bad reviews because it's very slick (NOT what you want), but is a reflective tape that looks nice when lit.
I figured I'd wrap the bar mostly in the grippy tape, and put the reflective tape in out of reach and other areas of the bike.
The seat has to go. The included one is just too narrow. It hurts whenever I ride on the bike. Like, pain for hours afterwards.
I would have upgraded / switched out the seat a long while ago, but wasn't sure if I was going to keep the bike, and I was doing research.
Since the return date passed, I figured I'd go ahead and do something with it.
I found a nice wide seat a while ago (read: "big booty seat"), but I've decided to get something akin to a touring seat. Usually a bigger seat with a back rest.
I only found 1 or 2 backrests, but they were too expensive and mostly meant for something else. But there are a few seats that have backrests.
Though I wanted something comfortable, and I think I got something, I ~AM~ still thinking about weight and price, thus my choice.
When I went looking for stuff, I just wanted to look around and do a little research. Before I knew it, I had gotten quite a few things already.
This was supposed to take a few weeks to a month or two for the full build, but it's probably already halfway done.
Of course the other half is the real hard part...
So the top part of the bike is practically done. Just gotta wait for the stuff to show up and hopefully fit.
In addition to handle bar stuff and a new seat, I had also gotten a back rack, some panniers, a[nother] light, etc.
I don't think there will be much more for the top of the bike. Maybe a few things. But the real hassle will be for the bottom...
The wheels are probably the hardest thing to upgrade. And definitely the most important and more expensive upgrade on the bike.
What I'm wanting is to change my axle from a quick release to a thru-axle. I want to get tubeless aluminum wheels.
I don't yet know if I'll have to change my suspension. At the moment it's fine, but I don't have the money for both of them anyway.
I can shave off a few pounds, and that's good, but it will cost hundreds to do that.
And of course the big one, a motor...
Seeing as though this is a mountain bike that I'm reforming into a kind of touring bike, maybe you can see why I called it "Fauxtour". That is to say, a "fake touring" bike.
But upon first glance, you might look at this and think "foxtaur" (for years, I always thought "faux" was pronounced "fox"), which will be the kind of mascot for this bike.
When I am done with everything on this bike, I plan to make an emblem for it. I don't see emblems on too many bikes.
It will be the last thing I put on the bike, and provide the finishing touches.
Here's hoping for a successful project.
The bike... isn't the best. I know that it was rather cheap, as all "big box bikes" (Walmart and the like, as they are apparently called) usually are.
I knew that I'd likely have to upgrade many or all parts to get a decent bike, but as long as the basic frame was good and I could ride it now, that was fine.
When I am thinking of getting something, I often do research on it. How does it perform? Is it sturdy or will it last? What are the pros and cons?
Is it a good fit for me, or should I go with something else? That kind of stuff. I recommend everyone do this instead of getting the first thing they see or are sold.
After looking around a bit for something affordable and good (decent) quality, I decided on a Hyper Hydroform bike. KevCentral on YouTube was a major help.
(You can ignore everything in the quote box)
Now, when I was doing my research, I often came across channels that claimed dropping a thousand dollars was good to get a "decent budget" bike.
I'm sorry, but a thousand to me is not "budget". And if I'm dropping $1k on a bike, it had better be better than just "decent".
Looking around a bit more, I can kinda see why they say that. Some bike components get crazy expensive. There are some wheels out there that cost well over $2,000. JUST the wheel. Not even a tire.
Those kinds of tires are usually meant made of carbon fiber and meant for top-of-the-line builds or racers, but still.
That is insane, but it's a theme I've seen done in multiple industries.
Cars can get crazy expensive. Phones can get crazy expensive. Mattresses can get crazy expensive. And so on, and so forth.
It's not because they are expensive (up to a point), I think it's because some of these manufacturers and sellers know they can get away with these crazy price hikes.
Does it cost anywhere near the amount you pay for these things for the manufacturers to make? Heck no.
But that's not going to stop them from making and overpricing their products, and that's not going to stop people from thinking they have to buy them.
Some people will say that it's necessary. "If you want quality, you have to spend money". "You get what you pay for". And other such things.
I half agree. While I do think that you shouldn't just plop down with the cheapest thing you can find, I also think it's silly to go buy the most expensive version just because you can or because it's there.
Sure, you can go and spend $8k on a mattress. And I definitely agree that it will be comfortable, and heck of a lot better than a $100 mattress, but I think I'll be quite alright if I spent $300 to 600 on a mattress.
It might not come with every bell and whistle that yours does, but maybe I don't need all of that. Maybe I don't think that having few more options is worth that massive spike in pricing.
It's another theme I've often run into. People think that I HAVE to spend top dollar just to join The Club.
If I want to learn how to play guitar, I HAVE to go out and buy the latest Gibson or Ibanez and spend hundreds on a guitar teacher.
If I want to get into biking, I HAVE to spend well over a thousand on a good Trek or Cannondale, as well as many other accessories.
If I want to get a vehicle, I MUST go to a dealership and look up the lastest and greatest Chevrolet or Hyundai. And I had better be getting something sporty.
Getting a little offhand, if I want to maybe spice up my sex life, or was just curious, Dad Bragon is the only way to go.
(YES I KNOW THAT WAS A TYPO, lol. But it was funny so I left it.)
One philosophy that I've learned, that I don't see or hear too many people saying, and that I need to take to heart more often is that I don't have to do what others are doing.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH I SPEND ON SOMETHING. It doesn't matter that I didn't drop $1k on a bike, or $600 on a guitar, or $1,300 phone or whatever.
That's not what makes a pro. That's not what makes something good.
It doesn't matter if it's the "best" or not.
The best bike or guitar or vehicle or whatever is the thing that fits you the best.
And the thing that fits you the best will be the thing that fits all of your requirements and that you like.
My guitar didn't even cost me $100, and was used from a pawn shop. My bike didn't even cost me a quarter of a grand. My phone is from China. I got a fake weenie on Amazon. You get the idea.
Also something I have to understand and take to heart more is that this is MY product. MY property. I can do whatever I want with my property.
Most of the time I get something, I don't do much modding. Just as with the whole items must cost certain prices ideal, sometimes I think that items must remain a certain way.
No, you (I) should be allowed to mod things the way I want to. If I want to of course.
Sorry for that little (little?) rant.
I wanted to turn the bike I have now into a kind of touring bike. No, I rarely even get on the bike and it's probably dumb, but meh. I get a lot more rides all of a sudden.
(You can ignore everything in the quote box)
Though... that's yet another theme / pattern I've come across. When I had to walk everywhere, and I still do for the most part, rides were scarce. Though people said they didn't mind, I've spent most of my life learning to read between the lines.
Of course they hate(d) it. I get (have long since gotten) tired of their double-talk and passive-aggressive undertones when I asked for or needed a ride. Mind you, I rarely ask for favors. Rarely. It's because I don't like to aggravate anyone, or have to depend on others.
So I got a bike. Now everyone wants to give me a ride, and I'm getting so many of them lately.
Not limited to that, of course. When I looked for and needed a job, no one would hire me. I have a [worthless] college degree, and I couldn't get a job at McDonald's. When I finally got a job, everyone wanted to hire me. It was strange.
I have never had a mate. Not even once. When I tried to give it a try, I had a bad time every time. But when I finally started talking to someone at least, all of a sudden everyone wanted to treat me "special", including someone I met offline a few times (mistake).
I've had other such similar things happen, but this wasn't supposed to be a long journal, and I've already went off on quite a long tangent already. Bleh.
When I was looking into scooters and motorcycles, I almost always looked up the touring variants. The ones meant to hold a load and drive for a long while.
I even went so far as to try and talk to a few people about their motorcycle. Unfortunately I think I was going to get scammed, so I just put all my effort into this bike instead.
Since this is a bit of a project, and a personal one at that, I figured I would name it.
I have decided to call my bike project "Fauxtour". I'll get to that in a minute. Not sure if I'll change the name, but so far this is sticking.
Now for what I have chosen and what I plan to do in the future:
I've chosen trekking / butterfly bars. I'm not sure yet how I'll set it up, but trekking bars are what I'm going for.
Not sure if I'll wrap them or not. I'm sure I will, but I want to get used to the base bars before I upgrade the upgrade, heh.
When looking for a bar, I came across something called handlebar tape. Before then, I don't think I've heard of it.
I figured at first I would leave it alone and come back to it another time, but after looking up info about it, I figured I would go ahead and get some.
I came across 2 tapes I like. Well, 3, but I didn't want to stray too far from the color scheme, but the third one was a nice orange.
I went with 2 kinds of tape. One kind that is supposedly grippy (what you want) and somewhat matches the bike color.
The other one that has bad reviews because it's very slick (NOT what you want), but is a reflective tape that looks nice when lit.
I figured I'd wrap the bar mostly in the grippy tape, and put the reflective tape in out of reach and other areas of the bike.
The seat has to go. The included one is just too narrow. It hurts whenever I ride on the bike. Like, pain for hours afterwards.
I would have upgraded / switched out the seat a long while ago, but wasn't sure if I was going to keep the bike, and I was doing research.
Since the return date passed, I figured I'd go ahead and do something with it.
I found a nice wide seat a while ago (read: "big booty seat"), but I've decided to get something akin to a touring seat. Usually a bigger seat with a back rest.
I only found 1 or 2 backrests, but they were too expensive and mostly meant for something else. But there are a few seats that have backrests.
Though I wanted something comfortable, and I think I got something, I ~AM~ still thinking about weight and price, thus my choice.
When I went looking for stuff, I just wanted to look around and do a little research. Before I knew it, I had gotten quite a few things already.
This was supposed to take a few weeks to a month or two for the full build, but it's probably already halfway done.
Of course the other half is the real hard part...
So the top part of the bike is practically done. Just gotta wait for the stuff to show up and hopefully fit.
In addition to handle bar stuff and a new seat, I had also gotten a back rack, some panniers, a[nother] light, etc.
I don't think there will be much more for the top of the bike. Maybe a few things. But the real hassle will be for the bottom...
The wheels are probably the hardest thing to upgrade. And definitely the most important and more expensive upgrade on the bike.
What I'm wanting is to change my axle from a quick release to a thru-axle. I want to get tubeless aluminum wheels.
I don't yet know if I'll have to change my suspension. At the moment it's fine, but I don't have the money for both of them anyway.
I can shave off a few pounds, and that's good, but it will cost hundreds to do that.
And of course the big one, a motor...
Seeing as though this is a mountain bike that I'm reforming into a kind of touring bike, maybe you can see why I called it "Fauxtour". That is to say, a "fake touring" bike.
But upon first glance, you might look at this and think "foxtaur" (for years, I always thought "faux" was pronounced "fox"), which will be the kind of mascot for this bike.
When I am done with everything on this bike, I plan to make an emblem for it. I don't see emblems on too many bikes.
It will be the last thing I put on the bike, and provide the finishing touches.
Here's hoping for a successful project.
Good luck on the license.