New Bike!

I did something pretty impulsive today, which is very out of character for me. I bought a new bike, an expensive one, without weeks and weeks of research and analysis.

The story of this purchase really starts with an online merchant by the name of chainlove.com, which is a division of backcountry.com. Chainlove specifically is an online bicycle that sells bike gear and accessories at a significant discount in limited quantities. Here's how it defines itself:

What is Chainlove.com?

THE MISSION

Biking is your lifeblood, not your hobby, and you're not a millionaire (yet). You’re addicted, and Chainlove is here to help. We're the stone-cold pusher on your corner with the premium product at cut-rate prices. Our merchandise? Everything from the Tour to the North Shore, and we’re not afraid to take it off the back of a truck if our connect gets spooky. We’re talking completes, components, apparel, tools—just name your vice.

Here's how it goes down:

• We slap a primo piece of cycling gear on our site at a scandalous price.
• We sell it 'til it's gone.
• You leave feeling like a smooth criminal.
• The gear arrives fast and you're back in the saddle.

I've ordered several things from chainlove in the past, including Oakley MTB shorts and a jersey. The prices are amazing, the shipping is extremely fast, and the limited time nature of the sales alerts adds a sense of urgency, making every alert seem like a raging deal that you don't want to miss out on.

So today I'm sitting at my desk at work, drafting a motion in the Guatay case, and a chainlove alert pops up with a freaking 2008 Intense Spider XVP for $1,200.00. I just sold my FSR a week ago, and have been mulling the purchase of a lightweight XC rig even before I sold it. The Enduro has its uses, and I like it OK, but it is a pig to haul uphill, and I'm not doing any major hucking or stunts to take advantage of all that travel. I had actually gone as far as calling some local shops, and had spoken at length with a guy recently about a Santa Cruz Blur XC. He had good things to say about it, but recommended the Intense bikes more highly, if I was willing to pay the extra price. Since the Blur's were more than I wanted to spend, the Intenses were a pipe dream.

Until now.

As I stared at the chainlove posting, I started getting excited. My fingers flew over the keyboard, looking for reviews on the Spider XVP and comparing prices. There was no denying that the deal was killer. And the reviews were universally glowing, calling the Spider the ultimate XC bike. My biggest hesitation was the cost ($1,200 for a frame is still a freaking lot of money to me, regardless of how good a deal it is) and the fact that I would have to buy all the parts to build it up, and then install them somehow. But the deal was too good, the timing too perfect. There was no sales tax, and shipping was only $32.00. I kept refreshing my computer screen, nervously looking to see how fast they were selling. Because with chainlove, once they're gone, the deal is dead.

I couldn't contain myself any longer, and I logged into my chainlove account and let the cursor hover over the "buy now" button. I had selected the midnight blue color, which is probably my favorite color period. Then, in a moment of clarity, I hit the button, still uncertain if I would actually get it, because someone could have swooped in during my hesitancy and purchased the last one. There were only two blue ones available after all.

But then the confirmation page popped up, and I was the proud new owner of an Intense Spider.

My first emotion was elation, followed by panic. Had I really just spend $1232.00 on a MTB frame? How was I going to afford parts? How in the heck was I going to build it up, even if I could somehow get the parts? What parts did I need? My panic quickly subsided, but lingered in the back of my mind as I focused on the joy I felt in purchasing a bike from one of the top manufacturers in the world.

My apprehension led me to post a thread on STR, asking for a suggested list of parts that I would need to begin accumulating in order to build up my new XC machine. Within an hour, I had several helpful posts identifying the list of parts I'd need, and I started to feel a little better.

And then I got a PM and an email from Doug with some of the best news I could hope for. He asked what kind of frame I had purchased, and offered to help me build it up once I got all of the parts. I was blown away. My biggest concern was now not an issue, and I could begin the exciting process of accumulating parts and prepping for my build. Doug has like eleventeen bikes, and clearly knows his way around builds, so I was thrilled at his offer.

I created an Excel sheet with a list of all the parts I'll need, along with a list of my dream items and my budget. I figure over the next couple of months, between some side work I'll be doing and my birthday and Christmas, I should be able to get my new ride built up before the end of the year. I'll keep updating my progress here on the blog, and am really, really excited about this project. The frame should be here in less than a week.