What is going on with new bike pricing!!

[Deleted User]

How much motorbike can you get for £1000 new? [I genuinely don't know, have never looked!]

Now't!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Yebbut who on a cycling forum actually wants a motorbike instead of an expensive pushbike?

Anyone with enough sense to realise that high end road bikes are really shite value for money whereas the same amount of cash will give you a far bigger bang for your buck if you spend it on something with an engine in it, and not just pedals!

 

[vickster]

I’m a believer that anyone can buy whatever they can afford and justify to themselves. Doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, especially perceived value for money or not, frankly it’s nothing to do with them (other than partners of course).

 

[Kajjal]

Buy what makes you want to get out there and ride within your budget, bike envy is as empty as bike snobbery. Currently UK bike prices are high due to demand significantly out stripping supply.

 

[cubey]

Not just bikes, look at the price of some of the clothing and kit.

 

[mattobrien]

If you don’t like the price then you don’t have to buy it. Top end anything is expensive, pretty much in any field, not just cycling. But we all have a choice and can buy what we like and not buy things we think are too expensive or not good value.
I do recall there being specific hikes in prices due to foreign exchange rates changing, which made some products significantly more expensive almost overnight. But these were are a result of the decisions made by the nation and ones that collectively we will have to live with.

 

[chris-suffolk]

Yes you can buy a motorbike or even a car for the price of a top end bike, but (as with most everything else) top end motorbikes and cars cost A LOT more than a top end bike.

https://www.motor1.com/car-lists/most-expensive-new-cars-ever/

Some seriously expensive cars in here.

 

[Cymro74]

You could buy a Chinese copy of a Honda cg125 for 1k until stock dried up recently The problem with motor vehicles is then fixed costs like insurance, mot etc even if fuel for a 125 is negligible with 100+mpg.
Personally I found Spa cycle bicycles to be besr value around. Solid design and components go a long way.

 

[PaulSB]

On Wednesday I jumped on my Cervelo for the first time in five months. At today's prices it would be £££££. Worth every penny. Find the bike that is right for you and it becomes an extension of your body.

A wonderful sensation.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

How/why have bike prices gone so mad??!

Because people will pay such prices.

 

[Mike Ayling]

There are a lot of improvements in bike design and technology which inevitably bumps up the price. Here are some features that bump up the price:
1. Internal cable routing. This improves aerodynamic and gives a cleaner look.*
2. Sloping top tube. This gives more seatpost thus giving compliance and a plush ride*
3. We now have wider tyres which means less rolling resistance and a more comfortable ride.*
4. We have Superformed and high tensile gubbins to give lateral stiffness and vertical comfort.*
5. The bikes are very aero now. They save a massive 5 Watts at 120mph.
6. Wind tunnel testing is not cheap you know.
7. Some bikes, like Canyon, give you two handle bars. And both of those bars are aerodynamic in profile. There are no bricks here.*
8. Disk brakes with hydraulic fluid gives enhanced braking power in all weather conditions.*
9. You now have seatposts disjoined from the rest of the frame for extra comfort (how long that'll last before it snaps is anyone's guess).*
10. Some bikes have those little flap things that come out from the headtube like on some Trek bikes. This is for better aerodynamics when you are going down a mountain at a mere 50mph - it really makes a difference compared to the large rider plonked on top of the bike. Honest.*

Key:
* This is a load of BS.

Yeah, bike prices are friggin' crazy. All that crap about low sales bumping up the prices is rubbish too, and the carbon layup costs, more BS). I have all the bikes i want and I'm done with N+1.

EDIT: oh yeah, here's a good one... light weight helmets are more expensive than heavier ones. Uhm, yeah coz they have _less_ material in them. So in effect, you really are getting less for more.

Di2 is cool though. A high perforamance, actually even a low peformance, motorcycle gear system still kicks any transmission on a bike and has to handle higher power, torque and revs than anything on the highest of high performance cycles.

We now have wider tyres which means less rolling resistance and a more comfortable ride.*
Not sure about rolling resistance but wider tyres do give a more comfortable ride!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Not just bikes, look at the price of some of the clothing and kit.

That's equally bonkers. Well you know the old saying about a fool and their money..........

 

[HMS_Dave]

I love cycling. But this sort of stuff is for cycling geeks which im not. I ride a cheap fat bike and i have an Elephant bike (which i thought was splashing out). When it comes to weight saving, the harder it is to save a gram or 2 or a fraction of a second, the more expensive it becomes. You only need to look at Formula 1 for that. It's no ones place but yours to tell you how to spend your hard earned, but even here, i'd say you have to live, breathe and sleep cycling to spend the kind of money the top end stuff demands...

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I enjoy cycling myself. In half decent weather, it can be a great way to get some fresh air, maintain some level of fitness, avoid putting on weight, and do everyday domestic errands all at the same time. For the second time in two days, I'm just about to pop out to pick up a small click & collect package. A bike is ideal as it's an 8 mile round trip and riding is almost as quick as driving by the time you've got your car out and put it away after.
i will enjoy the ride and tick something off my things to do list, but I don't need a fancy bike or fancy cycling kit at a fancy price to do it. The most fundamental thing in cycling is your legs, not your gear, and you can't "upgrade" those beyond just using them regularly.

 

[Smokin Joe]

If you think cycling can be expensive, try getting into Hi Fi or photography.

In truth, all hobbies and sports can be done on a budget that suits every pocket and if someone has a particularly deep pocket meaning that the latest and lightest gear costs no more than loose change then so be it. It doesn't stop the rest of us buying from the bargain bin.