Tried-n-true vs new and improved?

[crosscountry]

Having been on ski talk long enough, one understands the N+1 etho. Perhaps I shouldn't ask this question at all.

But there maybe others like me...

I don't tend to buy new gears unless my existing gear had gone beyond repair. Example, my newest bike is from 2007, that's 15 years! In the mean time, bikes (especially gravel bike) had improved significantly. Improvements I could actually benefit from. My skis are over 5 years old now. I'm not sure if there's significant improvement over what I have. But I just don't feel very motivated to find out. I'm just plain lazy when it comes to changing my equipment.

It's not that I don't care about equipment. I spent a fair bit of time and money demo'ing before I bought my current pair. I have been hugely happy with it in majority of conditions I use them. It's just it's been a while, and eventually, it'll need to be replaced when I "use up" all the metal on the edges.

I feel I've figured out how to make my current equipment work for my purpose. Basically, adapted my technique to my equipment. Changing will entail doing that again. And it may, or may not, bring significant improvement in performance that I can actually FEEL! So, unless my current equipment is actually not working out any more, I've been extremely slow in replacing existing equipment to embrace new ones. A big part of it has to do with my dislike of the "adapting" process with a new, albeit improved, equipment.

This doesn't just apply to skiing. Biking too, as I mentioned above. My kayak was bought 15 years back as a used boat. And the design was even older than that. Even my previous model of iPhone, was 2 years past Apple's "support sunset" before I bought a new one!

(it's not about money either. I can afford buying new stuff more frequently. And I do tell myself "I'm worth it", given how much I use them and how much enjoyment I get out of them. But I'm just not motivated to chase after new models, preferring to stay with what I have as long as it continue to work)

Am I odd? Probably a bit? I do wonder from time to time, am I shortchanging myself by not trying new and "improved" equipment?

 

[BC.]

cue the King of NC skiing..... @crgildart....have you seen the pictures of all of his gear? You guys would get along well.

 

[crgildart]

Ignorance is bliss! If it was good enough (or the best available) in 2010 it's good enough for me now.

Exceptions.. More than 100 days on it gets retired.. Pre 2000 plastic boots and bindings a definite NOPE.

If I was skiing 25+ days a season I'd invest more in gear.. Paying $600 for a pair of skis that will only have 20 days on them over 4 years and be just as obsolete as my 10 year old skis with 50 days on them.. (in a quiver where other stuff gets skied too)?? It seems like overkill to me.

 

[scott43]

To each their own. I feel when a big enough change occurs it can be worth the jump. For instance rim brakes to discs. This immediately enabled roadish bikes with gravelish tires. Or slack geo in mtbs.

 

[Philpug]

I miss my albums and Bang & Olufsen turntable. A lot was lost going to CD's then digital libraries.

 

[Bill Miles]

I am thinking about getting some of those new-fangled skis with metal edges.

 

[crosscountry]

To each their own. I feel when a big enough change occurs it can be worth the jump. For instance rim brakes to discs. This immediately enabled roadish bikes with gravelish tires. Or slack geo in mtbs.

That's just it!

I felt like "jumping" when disc brake first came out. Being one of the early adopter of gravel, I struggled with rim brakes over wide tires. So I was ready for disc. But then I had to CHOOSE which kind, which wasn't clear at first. By the time I collected enough in-field experience from others who did the jump, tubeless and then electronic shifting came out in quicks succession. I was left trying to figure out whether I just go disc, or go all the way to e-shifting!

Part of my "problem" is I prefer to keep my equipment for a good while. So nailing the right features for what I use my bike/ski/kayak takes a fair bit of intelligent gathering and in field demo. When I nailed the exact feature/geometry/what-not right, my "marriage" to my "new" purchase would be a happy one for a long time, well into the "old age" of the equipment.

But there had been mistakes made along the way. Stuff that didn't exactly work out but just working ok'ish to get rid of, or too expensive to discard but not worth much to bother selling on Craigslist.

Hence, the lack of motivation to chase down the newly improved stuff when I'm still attached to my old trusted "partner" even though the honey moon should had long been over.

 

[Crank]

Having been on ski talk long enough, one understands the N+1 etho. Perhaps I shouldn't ask this question at all.

But there maybe others like me...

I don't tend to buy new gears unless my existing gear had gone beyond repair. Example, my newest bike is from 2007, that's 15 years! In the mean time, bikes (especially gravel bike) had improved significantly. Improvements I could actually benefit from. My skis are over 5 years old now. I'm not sure if there's significant improvement over what I have. But I just don't feel very motivated to find out. I'm just plain lazy when it comes to changing my equipment.

It's not that I don't care about equipment. I spent a fair bit of time and money demo'ing before I bought my current pair. I have been hugely happy with it in majority of conditions I use them. It's just it's been a while, and eventually, it'll need to be replaced when I "use up" all the metal on the edges.

I feel I've figured out how to make my current equipment work for my purpose. Basically, adapted my technique to my equipment. Changing will entail doing that again. And it may, or may not, bring significant improvement in performance that I can actually FEEL! So, unless my current equipment is actually not working out any more, I've been extremely slow in replacing existing equipment to embrace new ones. A big part of it has to do with my dislike of the "adapting" process with a new, albeit improved, equipment.

This doesn't just apply to skiing. Biking too, as I mentioned above. My kayak was bought 15 years back as a used boat. And the design was even older than that. Even my previous model of iPhone, was 2 years past Apple's "support sunset" before I bought a new one!

(it's not about money either. I can afford buying new stuff more frequently. And I do tell myself "I'm worth it", given how much I use them and how much enjoyment I get out of them. But I'm just not motivated to chase after new models, preferring to stay with what I have as long as it continue to work)

Am I odd? Probably a bit? I do wonder from time to time, am I shortchanging myself by not trying new and "improved" equipment?

Wait a minute here... Are you me?

 

[scott43]

Wait a minute here... Are you me?

 

[crgildart]

I've still got all my LP albums from high school through college. Cassettes, which I had way more of, got replaced with CDs. I have two Technics turntables within reach, one connected to a receiver with proper ground, one for spare parts.

As much as I love the sound of a needle singing, I haven't bothered flip albums in probably about 3 years.. Maybe spend one afternoon mid COVID spinning wax for fun.

Having everything I want, pretty much unlimited everywhere I go with Amazon Prime feels like it's the whole world for free...

 

[scott43]

That's just it!

I felt like "jumping" when disc brake first came out. Being one of the early adopter of gravel, I struggled with rim brakes over wide tires. So I was ready for disc. But then I had to CHOOSE which kind, which wasn't clear at first. By the time I collected enough in-field experience from others who did the jump, tubeless and then electronic shifting came out in quicks succession. I was left trying to figure out whether I just go disc, or go all the way to e-shifting!

Part of my "problem" is I prefer to keep my equipment for a good while. So nailing the right features for what I use my bike/ski/kayak takes a fair bit of intelligent gathering and in field demo. When I nailed the exact feature/geometry/what-not right, my "marriage" to my "new" purchase would be a happy one for a long time, well into the "old age" of the equipment.

But there had been mistakes made along the way. Stuff that didn't exactly work out but just working ok'ish to get rid of, or too expensive to discard but not worth much to bother selling on Craigslist.

Hence, the lack of motivation to chase down the newly improved stuff when I'm still attached to my old trusted "partner" even though the honey moon should had long been over.

I kinda just analyze what I need or want. Like, I'm not going for e-shifting. The price jump just doesn't make sense to me. Discs were a no-brainer when I started looking at more of an all-rounder road bike. I'm doing more riding up north and the roads can turn from paved to gravel and back again every few kms. So that was a great idea to me. Tubeless came along with the new bike but I'm sticking to tubes for now. In MTB, I'd go to slacker geo for my bike but I'm not ever going to full suspension. I'd also do a 1x drivetrain on my mtb. So I just dumped my old-school (2012!!!) XC mtb with an eye to moving to slacker XC with 1X. I'd do that. So I pick and choose..but I won't stay doggedly with something that is not working or that has been superseded by much better technology. I'd sooner eat broken glass than use downtube shifters again.

 

[Bad Bob]

I am starting to get over some of the hang on to it mentality. The record collection i toted around the last 40 years made a classic record store very happy. The old Nordica HellDivers are going to Goodwill they have been the rock skis the last 4 years and aren't even good for that anymore. Bike is another tail, it just getting used as a neighborhood cruiser. Maintenance tires, cables; good enough.
If it doesn't meet your needs or get used, make it go away and get something that works.

 

[François Pugh]

I bought a brand new motorcycle. I had a wide choice of bikes with new tech. I bought a 2023 Suzuki GSX-R750, the same bike as the 2011 GSX-R750. My skis are about 15 years old, 20 years old, and three-ish years old (except for the antique).
If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[crosscountry]

I am starting to get over some of the hang on to it mentality.

I don't hang onto things past their usefulness. But there's a gray area when something still "works as before" whilst newer models MAY have improvement that would be nice to have.

Some of us are on the slow side when it comes to "taking advantage" of those "new and improved". Maybe even borderline resistant to change?

 

[crosscountry]

I feel when a big enough change occurs it can be worth the jump. For instance rim brakes to discs. This immediately enabled roadish bikes with gravelish tires. Or slack geo in mtbs.

I'm sold on disc for gravel. Just still trying to nail down the rest of the bikes so it will satisfy my need for the next decade or two.

But on the mtb front, that's a more complicated issue. I used to do a lot of it. Single track with rocks and roots put a smile on my face every time. But that was more like 10 years back. Since then, I've done less and less. Even though each time I went out, it was still fun. But I got out of the habit of driving to ride, when I can just jump on my gravel bike and ride from my door. Still, a better geometry might change all that and makes it a lot more fun...

I can't get motivated to drop $5000 for a bike that I may only use a few times a year. On the other hand, a "better" bike might reignite my interest in riding obstacles. Except I wouldn't know until I get the bike!

 

[Tricia]

Interesting that we are always on new gear because that's what we do, but @Philpug has also done some video reviews for throw back skis that have stood the test of time.