Expensive bikes

[Mr Haematocrit]

I so often see the term 'expensive' bike used on this forum but have never seen it clarified at what price point does a bike become expensive and is there a sliding scale?
So im curious regarding at what point is a bike no longer cheap, no longer a bargain and at what point does a bike become expensive...
Does any of this depend upon who makes the bike, the specification of the bike, or the material that the bike is made from?

 

[vickster]

Presumably it depends on the budget of the person buying it - £500 might be expensive to some when you can get the lauded Triban for £300

£2k might be expensive to someone else, or 5k, or 10k. I don't think you can generalise on a price point

For me, with anything, expensive relates to MY perception of value for money - price vs features / spec. Aesthetics don't really come into it for me generally. I think Specialized and Trek bikes are expensive for the kit you can get, as compared to say a Giant or a Cannondale. The brands also do nothing for me, which also lowers my positive perception of the bikes

 

[lejogger]

Good question. Surely it's all relative?
My two bikes both cost around £1k before you start adding pedals, rack, panniers etc.
To some, (especially non cyclists) that's 'expensive', whereas to others it's 'cheap' in comparable terms to what can be spent.

To put that into perspective, my £1k carbon best bike costs 1/3 of the price of some of the titanium 'winter' bikes in my club.

Maybe the question is more about value for money depending on running cost and usage?

 

[Pale Rider]

An expensive bike is any bike you cannot afford.

 

[Sandra6]

I would say it depends on how much disposable cash you have.
I think "affordable" is up to £500, although I accept that for some that is considered expensive.
I would class anything in the over £1000 bracket as too expensive (at the moment!)
Cheap bikes to me are usually the ones in supermarkets for under £100.
But I also think the carrera tdf is an expensive bike when it's at it's "official" price of £599, because you can get it for half that at most times of the year.

 

[jdtate101]

Most cycling Mags seem to imply the "normal" price of bikes that sell the most is £1000 which makes sense as it's the BTW break point. Therefore I'd value anything over £1500 as being "expensive" in most people's eyes. But as vickster said it's subjective depending upon the wallet power of the buyer.

Also if you asked the avg non cyclist I'd bet they would give a much lower figure, whereas some of us here would spend the price of small car on a bike.....

 

[David Haworth]

I think as far as magazines go, the term is relative to what you get for your money. A £700 bike specced with ultra-low end components, a so-so frame and with some rattles would probably be deemed expensive.

Whereas a carbon racer with a great frame, great finish and a di2 group set for £1500 might be classed as cheap...

Dave

 

[MattHB]

Anything more than you earn in a month

 

[Cycleops]

An expensive bike is any bike you cannot afford.

It all depends on your disposable income as Sandra6 said but the above has to be the definative answer, especially to cyclists.

 

[Svendo]

I'd say two months earnings, and anything over £1250 (which seems to be the new £1000). To non-cyclists it's probably >£300. But also you need to distinguish 'expensive' meaning a lot of money relative to income or just a lot of money and 'expensive' meaning over-priced. I think the OP means the former.

 

[Lee_M]

two months earnings?

Whoop Whoop, I'm going shopping!

 

[GrasB]

What's an expensive bike? A bike where you start having to justify spending the money to your self.

So on your typical £500 bike I'm going 'hum, I don't think I should get it because the shifters feel weak...' at £5000 I'm going 'Okay this like perfect but, £5000?...'

 

[sidevalve]

The expensive one is the one you have to justify every time you look at it along with a twinge of guilt, the cheap one is the one you enjoy and ride just for the pleasure of riding it. £50 - £5000 if you love it it's worth it, if you don't it's expensive.

 

[Ningishzidda]

Is a bike you bought, but then wished you hadn't.

Toys-r-Us MTB. Now there's one EXPENSIVE bike.

 

[Cycling Dan]

I would say expensive becomes the point where you stop paying for the components but rather you pay for the brand and the look of the bike.
SPECIALIZED S-WORKS VENGE DI2 2013 for example. They themselves say that people pay for the look rather than the components. £8,500.00 price tag with only around 3/5 accounting components. Although there are other costs associated aswell.
Although personally if i had the money i would get one ha(saving for one ).