6th May 2011, I brought home my brand new Avanti Giro 4 road bike.

At the time of typing this blog post, it has done a credible 21,746kms. In that time I have never dipped below 94kgs, so they haven’t been the easiest kilometres for the predominantly aluminium frame, especially given the state of the local roads.

It has got me “Around the Bay” in 2011. From Adelaide to Geelong in 2012. Was ridden in the middle of no where in 2013 and so far in 2014 has had me sitting on the wheels of at least 2 UCI Pro teams. I love my bike.

It has gone from the stock standard bike that Avanti shipped to the LBS, to the orange and blue “clown” bike that it is today.

I broke the original Shimano wheels that were on it. The saddle gave out after 12,000kms of my fat arse bashing away at it. It has been through tyres, chains, cassettes, bar tape etc etc. It has been called the worlds noisiest bike. Rob Arnold from RIDE cycling review couldn’t believe how heavy it is. And again, there are the universally disliked colours. But, I love my bike.

A reoccurring comment over the past year or so is “You should get a new bike norbs”. My response is nearly always “Why?”. Is there really anything wrong with my bike? As far as I am concerned, it is more than enough bike for me.

Luckily, I have been in the position to ride some truly stunning bikes. Giant, Cervelo, Cannondale and Trek amongst others. A sub 6kg Scott complete with the latest SRAM 22 kit. Yes, it was fantastic. Yes, it would probably up my average speed on rides by a kph or 2. Yes the gear changes seemed to be magic. None of this continually moving the shifter trying to find a gear. But it also might break under 95kgs and on the local roads. It is also way beyond my price point. And, it doesn’t fit the criteria I have in my head for my next new bike, which includes :

– Disc brakes. I have had them on the old flatbar and loved them.

– Ti or steel. As great as CF is, I would really love a Ti bike next up.

– Call me old fashioned, but I would love a bike with a horizontal top tube. From what I have seen, that may not be possible.

– A bright orange frame would be a massive bonus.

So, as you can see, that bike may indeed be fictional (if you do know of one that fits the bill, please don’t tell me, my wallet couldn’t cope). It is also difficult to justify when I have a bike that is doing the job already. Add to that the fact that I don’t like to waste things and am a well known tight arse, and it all adds up to me sitting on top of an aging Avanti Giro 4 for some time yet.

So if you see me out enjoying my not quite 3 year old bike, don’t hassle me about replacing it. Look at the places it has taken me.