Bike imports into UK fall to 10 year low

[Blue Hills]

They say they are lighter, I say they could make a threaded one of similar weight
using Aluminium where they could, or titanium, but even a steel one will at least
be solid and you won’t loose any input due to flexing / creaking.

I like solid

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I would be interested to know what percentage of bike sales are kids bikes.
Most kids still get at least one or two bikes during their childhood, and if those purchases aren't dropping, then the drop in sales must be in the sales of adult bikes.

The percentage of kids bikes has got to be pretty high. For a start, kids grow out of their bikes, which limits their useful life before they become hand-me-downs or end up in the scrap. That isn't the same for adult bikes, and once you have got one that fits you well, it could be made to last a lifetime.

 

[Shadow121]

Children here are glued to iPhones, very few bikes in their yard, except for the
ones who can’t afford or are not allowed phones, and that’s a small number.

Every trip to the doctors amazes me, wall to wall woman and children
staring at their phones, the zombie apocalypse has arrived, it’s just in a
different format than we expected, phone in one hand, neck bent with
eyes locked on to a screen as they limp their way around obstacles / navigate.

 

[screenman]

Nearly all the bikes I see on the roads here are expensive ones, children
of non cyclists are the only ones who have the cheap bikes, thus I rarely see
a cheap bike that did not start life as an expensive one.

Maybe you live in a more affluent area, seldom see anybody ride an expensive bike to work or school etc in this area.

 

[Shadow121]

Maybe you live in a more affluent area, seldom see anybody ride an expensive bike to work or school etc in this area.

Not too many ride any kind bike to work here, it’s mainly sportier people
who are health conscious, and they do have expensive bikes.

The rest of us are not well off, but it’s the same mindset that are on the bikes,
the rest are on iPhones.

 

[screenman]

Not too many ride any kind bike to work here, it’s mainly sportier people
who are health conscious, and they do have expensive bikes.

The rest of us are not well off, but it’s the same mindset that are on the bikes,
the rest are on iPhones.

but as we can see but the average price of bikes sold, the top end makes little difference. Out of interest what area are you and how the hell do you get to see how expensive the bikes are, I have cycled or driven past maybe a hundred+ bikes today without knowing what they are worth.

 

[Shadow121]

but as we can see but the average price of bikes sold, the top end makes little difference. Out of interest what area are you and how the hell do you get to see how expensive the bikes are, I have cycled or driven past maybe a hundred+ bikes today without knowing what they are worth.

Well I get to price a lot of what I can’t afford, a lot of bragging goes on too.

 

[screenman]

Well I get to price a lot of what I can’t afford, a lot of bragging goes on too.

What percentage of bikes out there do you think are expensive one's, what is expensive? How do you mean you get to price them.

 

[Shadow121]

What percentage of bikes out there do you think are expensive one's, what is expensive? How do you mean you get to price them.

Well am only reporting what I see as I pass the day, can’t afford to set up a poll to
give exact figures, and expensive means just that, your looking for information no ordinary
person possesses, my comments are only based on what I see, beyond that, I can’t help you.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

We have an obese rider who has started riding our CTC social evening rides. Yes he has the lightweight carbon bike, yes he has a wheel with low spoke counts, yes his wheel was out of true first time he came. The wheel went the other week, and needed repairing. But do you know what he's good company, loved seeing my recumbent last week and he's out riding. You can only be welcoming to new riders you encounter. Be wary of offering advice unbidden, an easy way to put someone off. If something becomes a problem I am sure they'll welcome advice from someone who has been friendly and welcoming to them.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

What percentage of bikes out there do you think are expensive one's, what is expensive? How do you mean you get to price them.

Most people would probably consider something as expensive if it is outstandingly more costly than a utilitarian benchmark, therefore does not appear to represent good value for money.
For example, I could buy a perfectly practical 1 litre new car as a runabout and have change left over from £10k. If someone tries to convince me to pay £20k for a different model of 1 litre car that is going to do exactly the same job, I am going to consider it expensive for what it is. More price without much, if any, more functionality.

 

[Dogtrousers]

but as we can see but the average price of bikes sold, the top end makes little difference. Out of interest what area are you and how the hell do you get to see how expensive the bikes are, I have cycled or driven past maybe a hundred+ bikes today without knowing what they are worth.

A good point. I see someone riding on a road bike, I generally don't know - or indeed care - if it's a £300 Halfords or Decathlon Claris bike or a £2.5k fancy DI2 job.

To price something takes a. market knowledge and b. close examination, which requires you to be a. well informed and b. a bit weird.

 

[Blue Hills]

So a cyclist laughing at another cyclist for not obeying his rules, and we wonder why less people are taking it up. Why should a heavy person not ride a nice light bike, I would love to know.

Loosen up and see where my comment came from in the thread.
Am not trying to discourage anyone from cycling at all - hell i have lead loads of open access rides for a london cycling group where all sorts of folks, experienced cyclists and not, dressed in all sorts of ways (one guy on a london brighton ride i lead turned up in flipflops and made it fine) on all sorts of bikes. All welcomed. But i reserve the right to smile at fashion victims, entirely reasonable.
The dangers of momentary fashion for bike sales and continued cycling are also one of the themes of this thread. So loosen up, ride your bike.

 

[Shadow121]

Loosen up and see where my comment came from in the thread.
Am not trying to discourage anyone from cycling at all - hell i have lead loads of open access rides for a london cycling group where all sorts of folks, experienced cyclists and not, dressed in all sorts of ways (one guy on a london brighton ride i lead turned up in flipflops and made it fine) on all sorts of bikes. All welcomed. But i reserve the right to smile at fashion victims, entirely reasonable.
The dangers of momentary fashion for bike sales and continued cycling are also one of the themes of this thread. So loosen up, ride your bike.

I smile too, every time I see the guys in the field below me, with up to 5
very costly modern tractors burning hundreds of gallons of diesel, when the last
owner of the land spent less time with his 37 hp tractor planting and saving the same crop,
these guys even turned up in the pouring rain Three days ago and put out fertiliser.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I smile too, every time I see the guys in the field below me, with up to 5 very costly modern tractors burning hundreds of gallons of diesel, when the last owner of the land spent less time with his 37 hp tractor planting and saving the same crop, these guys even turned up in the pouring rain Three days ago and put out fertiliser.

The well-worn phrase "all the gear, no idea" applies to pretty much every walk of life and every trade. You need a certain level of aptitude to successfully do anything, regardless whether your kit is old and ratty or new and shiny. Splashing the cash on new gear doesn't miraculously turn a clueless person into a competent one.