The price of bikes.

[Dogtrousers]

Not this again.

Waaah boo hoo. I see that the most expensive bikes are very expensive! It's terrible! £12k for a pro race bike! I can't afford one!

Let's face it, this is a cycling forum. We all, or at least the vast majority of us, have at least one bike, and just a single arse. So we have no need of buying a new bike. And if you really must buy one, for whatever reason (eg theft, crash damage), there are plenty of affordable options, so stop whining about the ones you can't afford.

Forget the consumerist N+1 cult. You don't need a "fleet". You don't need an "N+1". Just shut up and ride your bike.

 

[Venod]

Boardman Team Carbon with 11-speed 105 is £1,250 according to Google Shopping, which generally means it's in stock. The Boardman website doesn't work on a phone, though.

This is a more of sensible price and a decent bike.

Planet X prices have risen (slightly) but they are still in the sensible non rip off range.

Edit @Blue Hills mentioned Spa, still sensible prices there also.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Even without Covid, price have been heading north as more people are prepared to pay for colours, designs and gadgets. There is also the need to keep up with the cycling Joneses.

What struck me were the number of young custom steel bike builders that have come up in London recently and the price they charge £3.5k starting. There is custom steel bike builder in Italy that has a 1 year waiting list. Signs of affluence. And we all know the geometry is universal as it will withstand any lawsuit.

Latest fad is gravel bikes and if look at the componentry, it is clearly overpriced because people want the latest. The Gravel bike is the new SUV. I have been watching Katie Kookaburra Youtube and its telling. She works for Ribble and has a Ribble gravel bike and she goes into absolutely unridable mud filled terrain to prove a point about Gravel bikes. Look at the custom colours. Why would I venture into mud unless I am into cyclocross.

The industry is going to milk the demand.

I remember Katie going up Studley Pike on her gravel bike, I'd been up there a week before and had taken my MTB and it was too muddy for that really, you had to mind how you went. I know for a fact that a standard gravel/tourer type tyre doesnt do well in very muddy conditions.

 

[rogerzilla]

I have so many bikes because they are the results of restoration projects. I haven't bought a new bike since 2015, and that was an £850 Boardman Team Carbon. Before that, it was a new Brompton in 2008.

 

[biggs682]

Haha, brand-new bike, what's one o'they then?

It's what me and you buy 10 year's plus down the line

 

[Arrowfoot]

won't Spa still sell you a decent bike for a grand?
With a more than half decent frame?

Its marketing and above line advertising. We in CC are familiar with Spa, SJS, Merlin, etc but those new to biking have little clue.

 

[Blue Hills]

Its marketing and above line advertising. We in CC are familiar with Spa, SJS, Merlin, etc but those new to biking have little clue.

here's hoping that Spa don't get taken over by a bunch of venture capitalists.
who will then inflict a load of glossy ads on us leveraging the yoirkshoireness.
telling us how down to earth and functional everything is
and charging a substantial premium for it.

 

[Kingfisher101]

I wouldn't deal with Spa again after a very bad experience with some wheels they messed up.
They also have a lot of negative feedback generally, so irrespective of it being reasonable I wouldn't use them again.

 

[Venod]

I wouldn't deal with Spa again after a very bad experience with some wheels they messed up.
They also have a lot of negative feedback generally, so irrespective of it being reasonable I wouldn't use them again.

I have heard of the negative feedback, but I have had nothing but friendly excellent dealings from them, I can say the same about Planet X too, which is another retailer some people have problems with, and while I am dishing out praise the mechanic I have dealt with at our local Halfords is a friendly knowledgeable guy.

 

[gavroche]

Bikes, cars, houses, Tvs, they are all going up like mad. I hope my pension will be able to keep up with this madness.

 

[vickster]

Bikes, cars, houses, Tvs, they are all going up like mad. I hope my pension will be able to keep up with this madness.

Do you need any of those however (don’t you have a car, a house, more than one bike (upthread you say you just bought one and are very happy with it), and a TV (those are actually getting cheaper if you don’t want brand new top of the line)?
If not, your pension won’t be impacted by them going up in price

 

[Chief Broom]

My next door neighbour who is an occasional cyclist when his car breaks down or his wife's using it gets his bikes from the local tip/recycling. Not long ago he had a puncture and instead of repairing it he got another one from the tip!

 

[vickster]

Boardman Team Carbon with 11-speed 105 is £1,250 according to Google Shopping, which generally means it's in stock. The Boardman webshite doesn't work on a phone, though.

You pay a huge markup for a more prestigious brand name.

Halfords are the sole retailer for Boardman bikes, you can’t buy direct from Boardman Their site should work on a phone
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/road...-road-bike-2021---s-m-l-xl-frames-365462.html

 

[Mo1959]

I wouldn't deal with Spa again after a very bad experience with some wheels they messed up.
They also have a lot of negative feedback generally, so irrespective of it being reasonable I wouldn't use them again.

I found them great to deal with. My frame size wasn't in stock but he phoned me with updates and let me know when it came in and talked through specs with me. Very friendly. Bike arrived perfectly set up.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've dealt a lot with Spa and never had a problem, in fact they've been quite helpful and patient with me, but I've read of people who have had trouble with them so I guess I've been lucky. I can imagine that they would dig in and refuse to budge if they were in the wrong, thinking that this was charming Yorkshire bluntness.