So seeing this week’s fresh goods has reminded me of a strange imbalance I have in my spending habits.

Amongst other stuff the smith helmets have drawn comment because of their price. I can’t say I disagree but what strikes me is that I’d “happily” spend £800 on a suspension fork where in I’ll likely never notice the difference over a £400 fork or £200 an end on brakes even though my old ones don’t leak and still stop me. Yet I resent spending 100 on pedals even though I definitely do notice them – I ride CB pedals so obviously they’re a throw away item… – I wouldn’t spend 250 on a helmet which, in the event it gets bust, hopefully saved something worth significantly more, it might not be better than a cheap one but in the event it gets tested it might make a difference.

Is there anything else that fits into the “I’m not paying that much (but I probably should)” category?

Er my cb pedals are completely rebuild able. Not much I resent spending on I just pick things that last, are good value or that can be fixed. My previous lid didn’t last a month but that’s life.

Inner Tubes, I know they keep me upright, but I get so many punctures round my way that it’s a bit of a PITA.

The cost of modern tyres is frankly ridiculous to me, but what choice do we have? Cheap tyres are terrible, more expensive soft compound tyres wear out quickly. I really resent the cost involved.

I would love to be proved wrong on this.

OP – why the hell are you spending £200 an end on brakes?

Pedals.

Because I want a set of flats for commuting and my business partner keeps telling me he has some I can have then constantly forgets to bring them in to the office.

👿

brake pads, and why does no-one stock pads for M810’s?

Cleats for my roadie, I’m used to MTB cleats that last forever.
Brake pads, I feel I can get them for cheap so I should despite more expensive ones stopping me better.
Bar tape. Cheap stuff works fine, why but Lizard Skin DSP when cheap PS stuff does the same?

Edit, tyres as they are so expensive. However, I now buy them cheap from online places and accept that I’m generally not good enough to notice the difference. Thankfully, the most expensive of the lot are generally Continental and I really don’t like Conti tyres for road or MTB.

Not too much tbh, I’m a serial bike builder so all the bits and bobs to finish can become tiresome (chain/BB/cables etc) and I do think some bike clothing is going a bit spendy, especially(decent looking) road stuff. Actually now I think about it my 29+ tyres are going to cost a bit and the rims weren’t cheap either.

Tyres here too.

Flat pedals – perfect example – how is a flat pedal more expensive than a high end spd which has multiple moving parts, complex assembly and the same axle and bearings as is flat counterpart with I dare say as much or more machining.

Re the brakes, they were shiny and my old ones weren’t, also they needed new rotors and adapters as I switched from centre lock wheels at the same time. Oh and I bought them from a real shop with people in it, that tends to come at a premium.

Suprised no one has said ‘lbs labour’ yet.

Everything, basically. All parts should last for ever. In fact… they should magically upgrade themselves as I ride. Then I can blow all my money on coke and hookers instead 😀

Oddly tyres don’t bother me in the same way – I’ll run them till they die to avoid buying new ones but mostly because I’m convinced there is nothing wrong with them until I can see the threads through them.

Clothing is madness, 100+ for a pair of baggy shorts?!? I could buy non bike ones and a hell of a hangover for that and still have money left over

Flat pedals – perfect example – how is a flat pedal more expensive than a high end spd which has multiple moving parts, complex assembly and the same axle and bearings as is flat counterpart with I dare say as much or more machining.

Good point – and people asking for silly money for them on Ebay too – £15 for scuffed up second hand ones when they are only about £22 new.

Binners, if you stopped buying the hookers and just bought the coke you could probably convince yourself things did upgrade as you rode.

Contact lenses. Only use them for riding, £50 for a box of 30 and I’ve just run out again, gah!

clothes
The prices are shocking

i once rode in my misuses leggings/tights..long story not involving cross dressing- and they performed as well as my expensive water repellent kit

they were £4 from the market apparently.

same with top £50 + for lycra basically – madness.

Parts most of them tbh are a rip off and nothing springs to mind that is reasonably priced

New standards.

Pretty much everything. Mostly because there’s plenty of good stuff to be had 2nd hand or massively reduced online. Can I add internet forums 😈

Forks,

I just cannot in my head justify their cost, the extent that although I probably have the mony in the bank to buy some super dooper ones, I’d rather ride a rigid bike.

Often the forks chassis is shared with forks costing £100, if not then they don’t have any more high tech, it’s a magnesium lower casting, aluminium tubes, forged crown, etc on a Sektor and a Fox 36. The £100 fork has internal gubbins too, maybe not as complicated, but they’re there. That leaves a frankly obscene margin between Sektors and offerings from Fox, Bos, etc.

It’s an example of the market being prepared to pay n+1 for any upgrade, where n is the actual cost of making any fork, the cheapest or the most expensive in the range, then every upgrade is charged at an incremental rate regardless of whether it actualy costs any more to make.

Rant over.

Unsexy items like BBs and chains. I’m glad that Shimano sell them for reasonable prices. Suspension servicing, I’ve no idea if it’s good value but paying 15% of the value of a fork and 25% of the shock is steep (4 services and you have a new shock FFS).
The price of tyres is ludicrous. Clothing wise; jerseys can be picked up fairly reasonably but shorts have got very expensive.

All of it.

…but then I am freeloading scum.

Stans

ISIS cranks and bottom brackets.
Thankfully sold on now so no more, but £60 for a BB that wore out in 15 minutes? No thanks…

Bloody specific items with no alternatives. My rear Fulcrum wheel’s basically written off because they charge £125 for a bastard rim. And I think £5 a spoke if you’re lucky enough to break one of those.

Decent MTB baggy shorts some are £70-£100 I refuse to spend that much when one little off can result in them being ruined!

Also tyres are bloody expensive too, although I do appreciate the grip of a decent tyre.

Contact lenses. Only use them for riding, £50 for a box of 30 and I’ve just run out again, gah!

I feel your pain brother. 😥

Chains. Every time I buy one I get a tiny bit upset about how much they cost.

The cost of parking at some trail centres, 9 quid odd for all day parking at whinlatter!!!

The wife 😀

Each time I get new bits for the bike, the wife gets a similar amount spent on her. Good job I manage to lose 50% of the real cost…. 🙂

+1 for tyres. Since when does an mtb tyre cost almost the same as a car tyre. I mean really!!

Also hydration packs. I had a look at one of those 16l evoc “enduro” ones the other day and it’s about £125 for one without a bladder which is another £30.

Totally agree shorts are a rip off these days too.

Dropper posts that cost more than a front fork when all it is is a glorified office chair mechanism

650B..

when the time comes and I can’t get wheels or fork for my 16 month old 26’er. That I will really really resent 👿

I’ve no idea if it’s good value but paying 15% of the value of a fork and 25% of the shock is steep (4 services and you have a new shock FFS).

+1

Cleats the cycling equivalent of printer ink.

All the fabric items seem to be daft money these days.
Gloves circa £30
Shorts circa £80
Backpacks £100

Then they wonder why everyone waits for special offers.

Sui – Member
brake pads, and why does no-one stock pads for M810’s?

Not cheap, but ere are ALWAYS cheap alternatives

DiscoBrakes, UberBike and any number of other sites sell 4 pairs of excellent pads for 20-30 quid. Bargain.

Tyres – Schwalbe from German sites, excellent tyres for 30-35 euro a pop.

Gloves – whatever’s cheap on CRC – sometimes get pairs for 5/6 Euro

Shorts – Ditto CRC

Backpacks – Merlin and other sites flog Camelbaks for half nothing.

Tubes – GO TUBELESS

9 quid odd for all day parking at whinlatter!!!

its free to park at the car park below it and the blue trail exist the car park to link up with the red ! Perhaps 1 milish of [ niceish but gnar free]riding through the forest – not sure as my kids are very slow

Another personal one – tubeless valves. How are they more expensive than a whole inner tube? (is it bad I cut the valves out of old innertubes and use those just fine?)

Crank Bolts.
Don’t know why it irks me so much.
“I’d like four crank bolts please”.

“£13” please…. Ok then.