Do I live in a different world?

[gavroche]

Every time I read the adverts in cycling magazines, I am astounded at the price of cycling gear. Do some of you really pay £89.99 for a pair of glasses? £34.99 for gloves and thousands for bikes?
I certainly don't as;
1- can't afford those prices.
2- most of my gear comes from Liddle or Aldi and I am very satisfied with it.
I occasionally buy from my lbs or on-line but never pay those magazine prices.
My biggest expense was my bike ( £539) and that was on interest free credit.
Cycling can be an expensive hobby if you make it that way and have the means to support it, but it can also be very affordable if you don't go for the latest gear and just concentrate on enjoying it and ride.

 

[nathanicola]

Pride of ownership thing, some people are pasionate about there hobby and want to spend there hard earned money on the the most expencive bits they can afford. Its a bit like cars if your happy driving an old banger thats fine or you might want to push your budget to the limit, they both do the same job though. I bet the next bike you buy though will be the next model up the price bracket. I spent over 2k on my bike but i cant bring myself to spend money on expencive clothing.

 

[MontyVeda]

totally agree... 'gear' is over priced and much of the claptrap that comes with it to justify the cost is little more than made-up science.... saying that, my £7 gloves bought from aldi a couple of months ago have started to fall apart.

 

[snorri]

...as long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

 

[Noodley]

...as long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

Bloody hippy!

 

[Moodyman]

Like you, I'm also a Lidl/Aldi fanboy, and am often shocked by some of the prices.

But, a lot of affluent middle-aged folk have migrated to cycling in recent years and for them cycling is often seen as a lifestyle statement. I there are people out there that want/can afford this stuff otherwise retailers wouldn't stock it.

There is the also small argument of fit. Some cyclists will swear that they can feel the difference between Oakly and Bolle's safety glasses.

 

[gavroche]

I suppose, like many other sports/hobbies, there is a lot of snobbyism attached to it and people with money will always try to go one better than others, but I am glad to say. it doesn't make them any better than the commun mortal. ( although I don't regard myself as commun, same as I don't believe in "v.i p's ").

 

[Lee_M]

There's also a lot of inverted snobbery involved too, with people feeling superior because they can survive using cheap kit, instead of more expensive.


As it happens my £80 shorts are vastly superior to my £20 decathlon shorts, and generally everything expensive I have bought is better than the cheap version.

Could I survive with the cheap gear? Of course I could, but if I have the money why can't I spend it on what I want, without having the "I can do it cheaper so I'm better than you" brigade going off on one?

Each to their own I say, and despite spending lots on my gear I am still a common mortal

 

[MrJamie]

I don't spend much, although I find myself moving away from the Lidl/Aldi stuff in favour of end of season discounts. I bought some Skins compression tops recently all about 80% off, one of the thermal ones was about £10 down from £85, the quality and performance is vastly better than the one i got from Lidl last year. My Lezyne pump and multitool, Smart Lights were about half price and so much better than the cheaper stuff.

I tend to scroll through this link every other day or so http://www.hotukdeals.com/search?action=search&keywords=cycling

 

[400bhp]

There's also a lot of inverted snobbery involved too, with people feeling superior because they can survive using cheap kit, instead of more expensive.


As it happens my £80 shorts are vastly superior to my £20 decathlon shorts, and generally everything expensive I have bought is better than the cheap version.

Could I survive with the cheap gear? Of course I could, but if I have the money why can't I spend it on what I want, without having the "I can do it cheaper so I'm better than you" brigade going off on one?

Each to their own I say, and despite spending lots on my gear I am still a common mortal

I more or less agree with you. Up to a point there [important] can be a material difference. Then, it's the law of diminishing returns.

It's relatively easy to tell in a shop like decathlon where they have different levels of clothing costing different amounts. E.g they have 3 types of pads in shorts. The more you pay the longer they will stay comfier in the saddle.

But, like car ownership, there's a lot of BS banded about.

 

[Lee_M]

Not going to disagree with you there, 400bhp. Shorts pads in particular though get significantly better with more money spent

 

[Nearly there]

I was thinking the same thing after reading on bikeradar the best winter glasses and the prices for some of this gear is obscene,Im a budget shopper and the most expensive piece of clothing I have is my jacket @£40

 

[Andrew_P]

I am a spender, but I get very good use out of my purchases. My bikes have now all paid for themselves and most of my other kit. I am "saving" at least £150-180 a month just on fuel without the cost of Tyres and servicing coming in to it, so as long as I spend less thna that a month on the bike I am happy! (Plus take in to consideration the added benefit of fitness I am quids in)

Serious note though, a lot of things you do get better quality or fit or feel for the ££'s some is a waste of money. I bought mid to bottom of the range longs year before last half way thoruigh they were losing shape and the reflective branding was rubbing off and the ankle zips started to unzip while riding.

My current ones have started their second season still looking pretty new.

 

[lulubel]

I think, up to a point, you get better quality by spending more, in the sense that the kit you buy is better suited to purpose and/or lasts longer. But, as 400bhp said, it is subject to the law of diminishing returns.

I've always been a bit miserly when it comes to buying cycle clothing. It's either Lidl/Aldi or other cheap brands, or end of season sales. But last autumn, my partner decided to spend about £100 on a Gore Windstopper jacket, and she's totally in love with it. It isn't waterproof, but it keeps her warm, even when it's wet through. If I thought something similar would suit me - it wouldn't because I'd get too hot in it - I wouldn't hesitate to spend that kind of money for something that good. I am considering spending £30+ on a pair of Gore gloves, though ... if I can't find anything cheaper that I think will do the job!

 

[Cyclist33]

There's also a lot of inverted snobbery involved too, with people feeling superior because they can survive using cheap kit, instead of more expensive.


As it happens my £80 shorts are vastly superior to my £20 decathlon shorts, and generally everything expensive I have bought is better than the cheap version.

Could I survive with the cheap gear? Of course I could, but if I have the money why can't I spend it on what I want, without having the "I can do it cheaper so I'm better than you" brigade going off on one?

Each to their own I say, and despite spending lots on my gear I am still a common mortal

By contrast, my Decathlon shorts are way better than the Alturas which cost more than twice as much, and have lasted longer over many more 1000s of miles usage, too.

I don't think it's a case of "I'm cheaper therefore better", just a case of trying to open some eyes to the fact that laying down huge amounts of dosh does not necessarily mean better kit. Half of the price tag is marketing and packaging anyway. I make my own bread, it costs about 50p a loaf and is both satisfying to make and very, very tasty.

Stu