New Bikes

My TT bike is close to 4 years old now. Which, to me, doesn't seem very old. However, I've recently been told I should get rid of the bike after 5 years. I look around and yeah, most everyone I know has bought a new bike since I got this one. I have a tendency to think that many type A, competetive, obsessive-compulsive, psycho triathletes simply buy new bikes because they're better, not because there is anything wrong with their current bike. Manufacturers make small improvements and advancements each year and if you don't keep current and keep buying new bikes, well, then you must be at a disadvantage!

I remember when I was picking out my bike, I showed a picture of it to a co-worker. He laughed and said, "You're going to spend all that money on a bike and it doesn't even come with pedals?" Right. Now my brother is buying a new, top of the line bike which should be arriving any day! This is his first road bike and he still hasn't picked out pedals yet. I helped a friend of his pick out some things to get him for Christmas (all for the new bike, of course). Basically, it's a lot of stuff he needs but doesn't know he needs it yet! These things are bottle cages, a bag for the bike, spare tubes, patch kit, levers, etc. He has no idea what the levers are for. I cannot wait to go out riding and show him what all this stuff is for and why he needs to carry all this stuff. The rides he's been going out on - on a mountain bike - have been 20+ miles. He's been doing this WITHOUT a spare! Yikes!