roadrash
cycle chatterer
- Location
- sitting on the edge of wigan pier
and i wonder who gets to decide whether it is value for money ,quality gear or whether ridicule is deserved,.... sorry well deserved
Insanely expensive bikes
- Thread starter mpemburn
- Start date
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cougie uk
Guru
Pffft. Amateurs. I know of people who apparently spend 8k on a Spanish fortnights holiday. I have no idea how mind you.
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Should they be ridiculed as much or even more than the people who piss their money up the wall on alcohol?
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Whatever they want to. If people want to work until they're eleventy-eight to pay for frivolous consumer items then thats entirely their business. If that's their choice then good luck to them.
They don't judge me for buying Y fronts from the charity shop, or riding a Rudge Flying Tosser that I found in a ditch, but not having to work to pay for it all so I don't feel inclined to judge them in return.
Live and let live, life choices and all that.
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Fredo76
Über Member
- Location
- Española, NM
Just wait for Di2.3.1...
"Shifting is unavailable now. Would you like to brake instead?"
"Shifting is unavailable now. Would you like to brake instead?"
mustang1
Legendary Member
- Location
- London, UK
Can someone explain this to me:
In 2006, a single speed spesh langster cost £350. Circa 2015 it was £700.
The 2006 and 2015 frames were different - oh and it was aluminium!. I don't think they used wind tunnels for that bike. There was no groupset to talk of (no e-shifting etc). There was no new tech like hydraulic brakes (both 2006 and 2015 models used rim brakes).
Why the doubling in price (actually the price went up to £750 then down to £700 and then it went off the UK market)? Inflation? Carbon layup costs? Meh, hardly. Perhaps the market was ready to sustain a price hike. That's ok, it's business, Those guys aren't here for fun and I understand you have to make money regardless of whether its 5% or 500%, whatever they can get away with.
What i dislike is the use of the word "tech" and "R&D" costs when it comes to bikes. I think my noise canceling headphones have more tech than a bike. My phone has more tech, more software development costs (those programmers ain't cheap). But hey, everything is expensive. There is a rumour about perfumes really only costing £5 and the packaging accounts for £70. But hey, that's the overall experience of perfumes.
Anyway, like I mentioned in another thread somewhere in these parts, I won't complain about high bike prices. If it gets too expensive for me, I'll just go running. Say, have you seen the prices of some of those running shoes....
In 2006, a single speed spesh langster cost £350. Circa 2015 it was £700.
The 2006 and 2015 frames were different - oh and it was aluminium!. I don't think they used wind tunnels for that bike. There was no groupset to talk of (no e-shifting etc). There was no new tech like hydraulic brakes (both 2006 and 2015 models used rim brakes).
Why the doubling in price (actually the price went up to £750 then down to £700 and then it went off the UK market)? Inflation? Carbon layup costs? Meh, hardly. Perhaps the market was ready to sustain a price hike. That's ok, it's business, Those guys aren't here for fun and I understand you have to make money regardless of whether its 5% or 500%, whatever they can get away with.
What i dislike is the use of the word "tech" and "R&D" costs when it comes to bikes. I think my noise canceling headphones have more tech than a bike. My phone has more tech, more software development costs (those programmers ain't cheap). But hey, everything is expensive. There is a rumour about perfumes really only costing £5 and the packaging accounts for £70. But hey, that's the overall experience of perfumes.
Anyway, like I mentioned in another thread somewhere in these parts, I won't complain about high bike prices. If it gets too expensive for me, I'll just go running. Say, have you seen the prices of some of those running shoes....
I've been watching this thread for a couple of days now, wanting to contribute and not knowing what to say. Some of you will have seen my thread on buying a new titanium bike, specifically for long distance rides, particularly audax.
I've had a lifetime of being frugal, bringing up a family and making what money we had go a long way. I retired last year, and quickly decided I wasn't ready to stop completely, so took a part-time job with the NHS. Due to staffing pressures I got sucked in (you always do with the NHS) and took more responsibility than I intended and am working more hours than I planned.
As a result my finances are in better shape than they have ever been. Buying a £5k bike was a self-indulgence, one that I may never repeat, but one which will have no impact on my ability to fund my lifestyle. The only difference it may make is leaving £5k less when I die.
I was interested in the comments about a standard being applied to bikes and not to other things. Its not the only self-indulgence I've engaged in recently. I bought a new mirrorless camera at the point I retired. No-one has ever asked me what I paid for that. I say I got myself an expensive camera when I retired and comments are often:- "Do you take a lot of photos?", or "What do you take photos of?", rather than cost. With the bike a small number of people will outright ask what a fancy new bike cost, but a lot of others will hint at it:- "That must have cost a lot."
I've also leased an electric car, mainly to have a second vehicle for my wife when I'm working. People do ask about the costs of that, mainly because many of them regard electric vehicles as out of reach, but without the judgment that is there when they are discussing the bike.
I didn't go from £200 bikes to a £5k bike however. There has been a gradual process of desensitisation to the costs of cycling since I started in 2010. My expenditure on things cycling related has gone from second-hand and Aldi clothes to £150 shoes in that time. My bikes have gone from a Specialized Allez at £560 for a 5 month old £900 bike, to a 2015 tarmac bought with insurance money after being knocked off my bike, which was a £2000 bike I got for £1800 because my LBS messed up and were owe me a favour, and a steel genesis equilibrium for audax with upgraded wheels and a dynamo hub.
I once read an article by a guy who gave financial advice to lottery winners. He said they all end up in the big detached house in its own grounds with the duck pond, but some of them take a couple of moves to get there, because they don't think that big to start with. If they are in a semi, they'll buy a detached house first and then relatively quickly move again. Their thinking is often just one step ahead of where they are.
While I'm not in that league, the same principle of several steps to get there applies to me. Buying an allez elite for £560 was as far as I dared go in 2010, but it was the start of a slippery slope. Astonishingly I've just found one on ebay at £550 - amazing for a bike that was £915 new at the time and I got practically unused 5 months later for £560.
I still find it difficult to comprehend the money some people I know spend on TT bikes, these in particular seem to turn into an arms race, but then that is up to them........
I've had a lifetime of being frugal, bringing up a family and making what money we had go a long way. I retired last year, and quickly decided I wasn't ready to stop completely, so took a part-time job with the NHS. Due to staffing pressures I got sucked in (you always do with the NHS) and took more responsibility than I intended and am working more hours than I planned.
As a result my finances are in better shape than they have ever been. Buying a £5k bike was a self-indulgence, one that I may never repeat, but one which will have no impact on my ability to fund my lifestyle. The only difference it may make is leaving £5k less when I die.
I was interested in the comments about a standard being applied to bikes and not to other things. Its not the only self-indulgence I've engaged in recently. I bought a new mirrorless camera at the point I retired. No-one has ever asked me what I paid for that. I say I got myself an expensive camera when I retired and comments are often:- "Do you take a lot of photos?", or "What do you take photos of?", rather than cost. With the bike a small number of people will outright ask what a fancy new bike cost, but a lot of others will hint at it:- "That must have cost a lot."
I've also leased an electric car, mainly to have a second vehicle for my wife when I'm working. People do ask about the costs of that, mainly because many of them regard electric vehicles as out of reach, but without the judgment that is there when they are discussing the bike.
I didn't go from £200 bikes to a £5k bike however. There has been a gradual process of desensitisation to the costs of cycling since I started in 2010. My expenditure on things cycling related has gone from second-hand and Aldi clothes to £150 shoes in that time. My bikes have gone from a Specialized Allez at £560 for a 5 month old £900 bike, to a 2015 tarmac bought with insurance money after being knocked off my bike, which was a £2000 bike I got for £1800 because my LBS messed up and were owe me a favour, and a steel genesis equilibrium for audax with upgraded wheels and a dynamo hub.
I once read an article by a guy who gave financial advice to lottery winners. He said they all end up in the big detached house in its own grounds with the duck pond, but some of them take a couple of moves to get there, because they don't think that big to start with. If they are in a semi, they'll buy a detached house first and then relatively quickly move again. Their thinking is often just one step ahead of where they are.
While I'm not in that league, the same principle of several steps to get there applies to me. Buying an allez elite for £560 was as far as I dared go in 2010, but it was the start of a slippery slope. Astonishingly I've just found one on ebay at £550 - amazing for a bike that was £915 new at the time and I got practically unused 5 months later for £560.
I still find it difficult to comprehend the money some people I know spend on TT bikes, these in particular seem to turn into an arms race, but then that is up to them........
mustang1
Legendary Member
- Location
- London, UK
Nah I see that comment all over the place:
Computers (why did he buy an Apple instead of WhateverBrand, he has more money than sense).
Cars (why did he buy a ferrari when my modified WhateverBrand is faster, he has more money than sense).
etc etc...
I hear it a lot less these days probably because everyone I hang out with is friggin' loaded!
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Think of it this way - the people who make the most noise along the lines that mustang1 describes are usually those that can't afford such things themselves.
If you can afford it and want to, go for it. If you can't afford it, or can afford but simply do not desire to, then go for it. Its a freeish country.
I would only add one cavaet to that. Don't spend frivolously on unnecessary items and then claim to care about the planet, environment, climate change, ants, lemmings, etc. Don't be like John Kerry, owning your own private jet and part owning a company that leases private jets, then land yourself a job as a climate envoy and preach to the rest of us about consumer restraint. Don't be that twot.
If you can afford it and want to, go for it. If you can't afford it, or can afford but simply do not desire to, then go for it. Its a freeish country.
I would only add one cavaet to that. Don't spend frivolously on unnecessary items and then claim to care about the planet, environment, climate change, ants, lemmings, etc. Don't be like John Kerry, owning your own private jet and part owning a company that leases private jets, then land yourself a job as a climate envoy and preach to the rest of us about consumer restraint. Don't be that twot.
cougie uk
Guru
I figure that by the time you factor in maintenances after a crappy winter and a possible slip on a winter roads - you're better off getting a decent winter bike. Plus that will take full guards so it will be a nicer drier ride.
Mo1959
Legendary Member
- Location
- Perthshire,Scotland
There's nothing nicer than being able to splurge on something later in life if you have struggled for money earlier. I've bought a few reasonably expensive things the last couple of years with my inheritance from my dad. Sadly, he never seemed to like spending money and could have made his life much more comfortable and treated himself if he wanted, but it wasn't in his nature. Damned sure I'm not going to the grave with it lying in my bank account!
vickster
Legendary Member
maybe they want to ride their super bikes all year round and don’t care about being splattered with crap (Or the cost of new parts if they don’t clean their bike every time out).
Personally, I’m unlikely to have any one to leave my cash to, and I’ve not spent several hundred k bringing up children so why not spend on myself
bonzobanana
Guru
I think the point about Cervelo is they are not a manufacturer, they are a brand and rely on other factories to make their products and which factories they use may vary depending on factory pricing. Typically the brands that make the best carbon fibre frames and forks are actually manufacturers, they control the quality processes. Canyon for example used to have their frames made by Giant and when Luescher Technik analysed a Canyon frame made by Giant it was probably the best quality frame he had come across but now Canyon have their CF frames made by Quest Composites who are a lower end factory with inferior quality and also quite poor working conditions for their workers. Giant has become too expensive for OEM work for a lot of brands although some still use them for their very high end models. I can't deny that you find Cervelo the best bike to ride perhaps with the best geometry my point is the actual quality of that frame is very poor typically and inferior to much cheaper brands like Giant and Merida. The probability of the Cervelo frame or forks failing is much higher which could lead to injury or death.
cougie uk
Guru
Maybe. Or maybe they have spent so much that they can only afford the one bike. Like I was when I was a kid.
Now I'm wiser. It's so much nicer with full mudguards in the rain. And a lot less kit to be washed.
vickster
Legendary Member
I don’t disagree but it’s up to them (as long as they’re not riding in front of me covering me in crap too
)
