Please Tarck, I implore you, help me make all my bike decisions

My GT has on it right now what I can only describe as “skinny 38s” because it’s a “gravel bike” that can’t fit anything larger

fuck this is both bikes in one, will be fun and folds smaller than a coupler bike.
if there is a right answer, its this.

I found a shop in NYC that’s a Ritchey dealer - they’re inquiring about frame availability. If I spring for it do I:

  • Have them build it
  • Have a shop I like more build it
  • Build it myself

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If I build it myself, I’d have to buy a stand and tools but I could spread the cost over more time.

I’m really not a geometry expert.

The bike I have that fits well is a 58cm with 627mm stack and 383 reach. The Ritchey seems longer and lower in comparison. I was assuming I’d be a large, but the XL has a lower stack and the medium has the same reach. How do I make sure this fits?

Ritchey:

GT:

what’s the STA on your current bike? That will have an impact on how long the bike feels, in addition to reach numbers

I have a stand and tools you can use my friend.

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72.5 vs 73 on ritchey. 120mm stem and some setback on the seatpost

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You definitely don’t “have to” spring for a stand. Sure it’s easier but definitely not required.

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it sure is nice to have though

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eh yeah that difference (5mm for most regular sadle heights) gets eaten up by other component selections

Bought a stand at the REI sale today. Folds up well enough to stash.

Any of you work in a shop that carries Ritchey frames? Trying to find a way to get out of paying both shipping and sales tax.

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Maybe I’ll just do the old “change my billing address to Oregon” trick.

Okay, according to my bank I’m now a resident of Portland, Oregon, which should save me about $217.

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Isn’t sales tax collected based on shipping address?

Generally billing. Discovered this trick when I was in Wyoming and shipping something to Wyoming but getting charged NY sales tax.

So I just tested this by putting in a Oregon address for billing and my address for shipping and sales tax definitely popped up. Kudos for posting about tax fraud on the internet tho lol. Just borrow my stand!

Depending on the ecommerce platform, there’s a mix of sales tax based on billing address, sales tax based on shipping address, and not collecting out of state sales tax at all.

I found a site that has larges in stock and doesn’t charge sales tax, but only sells completes… thinking about it.

I thought that we were talking about REI specifically. I see now that you are talking about the frame. Good luck!

I said fuck it and put a deposit on a complete. I still need to decide the brakes. I decided I’d go with something cable actuated to be able to use the splitters - any advice? Yokozuna Motoko, Growtac Equal, TRP HY/RD, and Paul Klampers are the options. Kinda leaning towards Growtac. They’re only available in red ano but I think that might look cool.

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all signs point towards growtac. definitely NOT hy/rd

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