If you had 4k... what would you buy!

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vickster

Legendary Member
Have they extended the warranty? Was only 5 years when initially launched (put me off straight away given the cost)
 

spiderman2

Über Member
Location
Harrow
Another vote for a 2020 Roubaix.
 

Domdom1980

Active Member
2020 Roubaix here as well. Got my comp for £2700, another 700 bucks for roval wheels and it's a stonkingly good bike.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I'd go for something completely unfamiliar. For my kind of riding, long distance trundling, I'm happy with what I have.

So I'd go the for things I'm ignorant of - carbon frame, disk brakes, tubeless tyres and electronic gears. Worst case is I'd end up wiser, and be able to hold informed opinions, best case I'd get a good bike. I'd want the ability to experiment with tyre sizes so possibly the word "gravel" might be bandied around.

But I don't have £4k to spend on a bike so it doesn't really matter.
 

BigMeatball

Senior Member
However, as everybody knows, high end bikes have a depreciation rate that rivals luxury cars. Essentially, you can kiss goodbye to half your money as soon as you take delivery of the thing.

All the depreciation talk is just bullcrap. If you buy a bike you like, chances are you're going to keep it for a decent number of years so all the depreciation arguments go out the window.
 

bitsandbobs

Über Member
I wouldn't bat an eyelid at spending £4k on something, if I thought is was sufficiently good value for money. Affordability isn't the issue. However, as everybody knows, high end bikes have a depreciation rate that rivals luxury cars. Essentially, you can kiss goodbye to half your money as soon as you take delivery of the thing. Now, if you intend to buy such a luxury item and keep it "forever", depreciation may not be an overriding concern.
Custom Steel and Titanium aside, bikes don't tend to be bought on a "forever" basis though, do they? Most of the type of cyclists who blow loads of cash on brand new high end bikes, are hopelessly addicted suckers for bike industry marketing, and will be back at their LBS window, drooling over the next latest model within a year or two of the last big purchase.



Absolutely true. I know several people who are soon going to be seriously in the shoot financially if this virus disruption lasts longer than a few more weeks. In some cases, it's simply a matter of never having earned enough to build a decent financial warchest, and having weekly hours slashed to their contractual minimum.
In other cases, it comes from having a blasé attitude to money. Easy come easy go, spending it as fast as it comes in, not saving, carrying a lot of debt, lulled into a false sense of security by low interest rates - never believing that the comfortable lifestyle they enjoy could ever be brought to an abrupt end.
When this virus thing is over, there will be a lot of people who thought they were untouchable looking around at the remains of their businesses, property assets, savings, fancy cars, fancy bikes, holiday villas and any other number of luxuries & creature comforts they took for granted. They will be shaking their heads wondering how it all went so wrong for them.

Damn. I bet your quite the hit at parties up and down the country.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
All the depreciation talk is just bullcrap. If you buy a bike you like, chances are you're going to keep it for a decent number of years so all the depreciation arguments go out the window.

All the evidence on here suggests that isn't the case, at least with carbon, with forum members regularly drooling over, and buying new fancy bikes - to replace existing fancy bikes that are often only 1-2 years old!
Either that, or a lot of people are spending a lot of money buying bikes they turn out NOT to like very much once they've ridden them a bit, and are quickly outing them afterwards. Either way, it's an expensive way to enjoy your hobby, and once the post-virus economic crunch hits, it won't even be possible for the majority either..
 

gzoom

Über Member
Damn. I bet your quite the hit at parties up and down the country.

I presume you mean Zoom parties in the current situation, though am not sure anyone should waste money of internet bandwidth needed for video chats, plain old SMS messages are free and much less wasteful way to spend money ;).
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
Have they extended the warranty? Was only 5 years when initially launched (put me off straight away given the cost)

Don't blame you, it doesn't exactly suggest the makers have got much confidence in their own product, which is premium and must have a decent margin on. You could buy a low end Raleigh and they would guarantee the frame for 15 years, so long as you registered the bike with the factory - even though they probably only made a tenner in profit on each one they sold.
Very few steel frames ever fail in normal use though, whereas the picture for Titanium is not so rosy considering what a niche product they are and the builders supposedly specialists in fabricating in that material. I'd expect a Titanium frame to outlast me at the price they are, and I'd expect the builder to offer a guarantee to that effect.
 

Soltydog

Legendary Member
Location
near Hornsea
One of these
https://www.jlaverack.co.uk/r-jack-disc-range/
I really think this will be my next bike. I've seen them at the bike show and when i'm serious, i'm going to go and have a test ride.
I went for a test ride a couple of years ago & they are very nice bikes, it was a bit 'head down, arse up' for me, had back ache after a 20 mile ride & yes I could have had a custom frame to rectify that, but with the spec I wanted, I think the price was upto nearer £5k without a custom frame :ohmy: I preferred the Enigma & the cost was more favourable 👍 although I think with the bits I've changed/added since ownership the cost of that must be close to £5k now (if not over :blush:)

Have they extended the warranty? Was only 5 years when initially launched (put me off straight away given the cost)
I'm sure when I looked the warranty was 10 years, 5 years would have put me off too 👍
 

jamin100

Guru
Location
Birmingham
I went for a test ride a couple of years ago & they are very nice bikes, it was a bit 'head down, arse up' for me, had back ache after a 20 mile ride & yes I could have had a custom frame to rectify that, but with the spec I wanted, I think the price was upto nearer £5k without a custom frame :ohmy: I preferred the Enigma & the cost was more favourable 👍 although I think with the bits I've changed/added since ownership the cost of that must be close to £5k now (if not over :blush:)


I'm sure when I looked the warranty was 10 years, 5 years would have put me off too 👍

that’s good feedback soltydog, like I say I can’t justify anything at the moment as I’ve only had my etap for 18 months and it functions beautifully.. of course it’s the rim brake version which in hindsight I should have not bought as this prevents me from moving it to a new bike as I think like most I’ll be going for a disc version
 
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