- cross-posted to:
- bikecommuting@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- bikecommuting@lemmy.world
E: Let’s all talk about what bikes should or shoudn’t cost
I refuse to believe hobbyists are spending $10K on bikes, or commuters are spending $1K.
I can barely accept that the going rate for used bikes is over $200.
If you want an electric bike, the price goes up fast.
If you want one with a belt so that it won’t take crazy maintenance not to degrade over the winter, it goes up faster still.
If you want storage for your purse and whatnot, a bit more expensive still. A good large basket is more expensive than you’d think.
I can easily believe a commuter ebike hits a grand.
I just never assume anything with a motor when I encounter the word “bicycle”.
Where I live, 1k gets you a decent commuter bike without a motor. Doesn’t even matter much if used or new. Then you spend ~200 on parts every year. It’s outside 24/7, I don’t have a garage.
Oh yeah it took me years to finally find an apartment where the landlord would allow me to get a storage shed. I’m glad I can finally own a bike.
Leaving the bike outside all the time was always taught to me as a no-no that’ll pretty much instantly ruin your bike, so I hadn’t considered it.
Now though I’m moving this year or next year and I’m unsure how we’ll manage with my shed. Can it be moved? Will someone buy it? 🤔 Eh, I guess I’ll see.
Even lower-midrange level road bikes are now at least $1k. Its a ridiculous market.
As someone that has a $11k bike I can clarify some things.
I have a Wilier Granturismo SLR. About ~90% of the components are carbon fiber. Carbon Fiber, especially high end carbon fiber isn’t cheap. Besides the bike; my wheels, pedals, parts of the cranks, handlebars, saddle, saddle post, and probably some other things are carbon fiber.
I always hear people talk about getting carbon fiber components for cheaper because you have a shit tin of Chinese companies come in and steal these bike companies IP and make shit frames. Look at Chinorellos, shit ton of Chinese companies steal frame designs and re-make them with shit metal and the bike falls apart after a year.
Another thing…why does any give a fuck how much my bike costs? My dad is an audiophile guy and my bike costs as much as 1 (not a pair) of his speakers, and he has a mid-range system. Cycling is something that I love, I ride almost everyday and will spend hours and hours on the bike. I’d gladly pay less than $11k on my next bike but when you get into the higher end market you’re going to pay more, that’s true across almost ALL sports or hobby activities
You and your dad have extravagant hobbies and live in a world most people cannot relate to. The vast majority of people on earth will never enjoy spending so much money and free time on their hobbies.
We’re not millionaires or make a significant amount of money. I saved money aside for my bike and my dad did the same for his stereo system. If you want to look at hobbies that cost a lot of money, looking at boating. People spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for boats and nobody blinks an eye. The cost of my bike wouldn’t cover the yearly maintenance for a boat
Look I get it, I love cycling and own a few nice bikes ($1-4k) but let’s not pretend that the value is there at $11k. Outside of world tour riders, there’s no way you’re actually faster or more comfortable at $11k than about $5k. You already get carbon frame/wheels and near top of the line components for $5k-ish. So to OPs question, to me that’s the upper limit for what fancy bikes should cost for actual normal humans. Realistically 2k for road/gravel, maybe 3k for MTB is jusy barely slower and almost imperceptively less nice than 5k bikes. “High end” is only meaningful if there are actual tangible benefits that come along with the price tag. I support anyone out there on bikes, i just think $11k is a bit silly in a world with this much wealth inequality. I’m sure some folks think the exact same thing about me and my bikes tbf. Have fun and be safe out there.
You’re username matches your perspective on life
Yeah, it’s just a silly meme. I would spend a lot of money on a bike if it was my hobby. But here I am getting shamed for spending as much as 1k for a bike, which I thought was the bare minimum for a daily driver.
Sorry I didnt mean to come off as abrasive towards you. If someone is giving you shit about the cost of you’re bike then tell them to fuck off. I’ve been cycling and competing for 7 years now, and cycling culture is about the ride, not the bike the rider is on. Some bikes cost $15k, others $1k, and all these expensive components can help you get faster, but at the end of the day, what really makes you faster isn’t the bike, it’s the rider.
Some bikes cost $15k, others $1k
This really makes me want to show up to a cycling event with a $200 Huffy
Hey man, show up to the group ride with whatever you want, just keep up with the pace
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