I don’t really understand peoples thinking. Generally the rule of buy cheap, but twice runs true.

There will be some that say the cheap stuff works fine but read the bike stand thread and it seems the cheap lidl ones work but are a compromise.

Seems strange that people who spend hundreds and thousands on bikes get into such a state of excitement when some cheap gloves/shorts/stands/multitools become available.

Maybe buying the cheap accessories/gloves etc, allows them to spend more on the bike?

Maybe the people who buy cheap accessories also have cheap bikes?

Maybe I’m cheap…. 😕

Bike stuff costs stupid amounts. I’ll take the cheap wherever I can.
Had my Lidl workstand a couple of years now. Brilliant. Also ride in the Aldi ‘special pants’ all the time. Bob on.

Some of the Aldi/Lidl stuff is OK. The lined pants are great for commuting and I’ve a stack of socks that just won’t die. However, some of it really is just cheap crap – e.g. zips have a habit of falling apart.

lots of quality gear at discounted price see start cycles scott stuff, outstanding plenty of great stuff in decathlon….some expensive tat as well never again will buy some premium brands overpriced twish

I think Vondally nails it. You can buy cheap and not compromise on quality. Just need to shop around, or maybe not buy the latest colorway.

Isn’t everything a compromise unless money is no object?

If you’re an occasional rider who doesn’t do huge amount of maintenance with one bike…why fork out hundreds for a stand?

Buying expensive doesn’t always mean a good economy either. Seen loads of threads about endura stuff that hasn’t lasted more than a couple of months for example. At least with cheap stuff you know it may not last and aren’t paying a premium.

I can tell the difference between cheap and expensive:
Tyres
Suspension Forks/shocks
Brake pads

I cannot tell the difference between cheap and expensive:
Inner tubes
Sun glasses
Rigid seat posts
Etc

I try not to buy cheap stuff….but I try to buy stuff cheap 🙂

Patients + sales + discount codes = value for money & a bike/kit far below RRP

I’ve just hot some “cheap stuff” clothing from cycle store,I wish I had the money to splash out on new gear constantly,got a pair of mavic gloves for £20 the other week that’s expensive for me,truth is they probably won’t last as long as my £6 pair from tk max……..yes tk max I said 😳

Why would you pay more for something which does EXACTLY the same job?

Do you like picturing the smug brand name owners laughing their way to the bank after having stamped their name into an item made in the same chinese factory as something half the price…

Oh and I’m a tight fisted cornishman 😆

I’ve had a range of stuff over the years.

I still have 2 pairs of Sombreo shorts from about 06/7 that are great and some RaceFace ones from about the same time. They were about 80 quid a pair back then and must cost about 1p/ride these days. Same with some tops too. I try and choose kit that looks well made and treat it well. The starting price is fairly irrelevant in many ways, it’s the value that counts.

There are some cheap things that are good value and there are some expensive things that are too. There is also cheap tat and overpriced crap too.

One of the things that the internet has landed us with is not knowing what something is like before paying for it. Having a good look at stuff and seeing if it looks well made.

I don’t think it’s about cheap vs expensive, it’s about perception of value.

Some people would be happy to spent twice as much on a bike part that only delivers marginal improvement over the cheaper alternative – whereas there is a group who subscribe to the “binary” assessment of performance (“it works, so why pay more?”).

It’s the same with cars – some people argue “it gets me from A to B, so why do I need anything fancier than my ’95 Clio?”

I guess it comes down to affordability vs perceived benefit.

I suppose we all have our own value threshold. Personally, I think mine sits at Hope/XT level. I’m willing to pay a little more over entry level for bling factor/quality….. but I’m not going to be buying anything CK/XTR anytime soon.

Aldi own brand Pringles are minging as is their 30p chocolate, we call it dog chocolate. That the sort of thing you mean op? 😉

It’s all getting a bit monty python in here….

Why would you pay more for something which does EXACTLY the same job?

Because if you did that you would have no nice things, which makes for a dull existence.

Because if you did that you would have no nice things, which makes for a dull existence.

Agreed….. there is a particular type of person that only aspires to achieve the “minimum acceptable standard” in everything they do. unfortunately I seem to work with most of them 🙁

The others can be found in Waitrose, drinking their free coffee.

I also tend to find that I don’t pay more for things that do exactly the same job, my bearings come from a bearing shop, not a little bag saying bike specific much cheaper and either the same or better.
I never bought into bike socks as an idea but I have a few nice pairs now and they are much better.
I run X0 shifters because they are better than the X9 ones.
I tend to wear bike specific clothing as it fits better for biking.

Another example is the England football shirt, there is a replica version and an exactly the same as they give to the team version. the expensive one looks the same but is made of a different material which is much more suited to running round a lot.

Maybe it has more to do with disposable income, priorities and other commitments?

Maybe it also has more to do with how we individually define quality? ie the provision of the right product or service, at the right time at the right price and in conformance to customer requirements? The conformance to requirements being the key bit for most of us.

Within the biking frame of reference, personally I tend towards vgc used components such as X0 shifters, mechs etc rather than new X5/7 stuff. Unless I’m particularly flush with disposable income…

It’s good that there is a broad selection of kit at different prices, means those with less cash can still buy stuff.

I tend to concentrate more on whether it does the job I want it to than how much it is. If something suitable for its purpose that I’m happy with costs buttons, I’m happy to have saved some cash but also if it costs an arm and a leg I’ll buy it if I think the price is justifiable ( to myself, anyway!)

It really all comes down to:

“Cycling is the new golf” “Fives on the roof of an Audi” etc, etc…

Hooray for people with money, especially those who “don’t really understand peoples thinking” in not having as much disposable income as themselves. I’m sure you are warm empathetic types, I’d love to buy you a pint and hear all about how I should be pissing more money away on my pastimes…

Cookeaa pretty much nails it.

I may have old kit but I’m probably faster and definitely have just as much fun.

I have old kit and new.

I’m probably slower than you.

But I’m definitely having fun.

Depends on the item, some of the so called quality items are actually not much better than the cheaper ones but with added marketing and branding. This obviously isn’t the case for everything.

There is also stuff that is over-engineered for what I need.

I am not a pro cyclist so I don’t need £100 gloves when the £5 sports direct ones will do fine, I dont need 5:10’s when hiking shoes with a stiff sole will do, I don’t need a £100 cycling jersey when a £10 sports direct one holds my stuff just the same etc.

On the other hand, I will spend decent money on good padded shorts, tyres and helmets because these do make a difference to me and how I enjoy my cycling.

“Cycling is the new golf” “Fives on the roof of an Audi” etc, etc…

Hooray for people with money, especially those who “don’t really understand peoples thinking” in not having as much disposable income as themselves. I’m sure you are warm empathetic types, I’d love to buy you a pint and hear all about how I should be pissing more money away on my pastimes…

Nice bit of reverse prejudice there in your rush to miss the point.

Firstly, so what if some bloke who’s lucky enough to have a nice Audi, chooses to stick an Orange on the roof? I’m sure he rides it and to coin a phrase STW loves so much ‘it’s all riding, isn’t it?’.

My OP has nothing to do with having more money than anyone else, it’s about buying quality cycling equipment and then getting in a lather when some cheap tat becomes available to accessorise it with.

I’m sure 99% of STW’ers have quality machinery in the form of their bikes, whether it cost £5000, or £500 from the classifieds. I just don’t understand the excitement whenever Lidl has an offer on – half of the time it’s complete tat. I saw some winter gloves advertised and mentioned on here when it was cold – as one of the major contact points on a bike, they looked frankly awful.

About a saddle bag containing tools….

The toolkit in the saddle bag is indeed made of cheese. The patches only have a 50/50 chance of staying where they are put.

The bike stand – holds a bike, but I’ve read it struggles to keep it secure, the clamp needs considerable force and it feels like it will shatter into a thousand pieces.

I rarely pay RRP for stuff and agree, some expensive stuff can be crap too – shorts being the major thing I’ve had trouble with. My bike, as nice as it may be, was paid for years ago on the tick, had around a grand knocked off and is now 6 years old just for the record. I’ll happily buy from TK Maxx, but it has to be something worth buying. I love a bargain as much as anyone.

I’ll pass on the pint though, I prefer Peroni to Fosters 😉

my aldi merino baselayer has been used very heavily for the last few years, thousands of miles of whiff free commuting!

think it was a tenner, their newer one didnt seem as good quality, but probably still worth a punt

likewise got some great Scott clothing from start cycles for peanuts

cheap doesnt = crappy, you just have to be careful

My OP has nothing to do with having more money than anyone else,

Of course its not…

I just don’t understand the excitement whenever Lidl has an offer on – half of the time it’s complete tat…

How would you know if its complete tat if you don’t buy it?

And if you don’t understand the excitement… who cares? just ignore the PSAs…

…I saw some winter gloves advertised and mentioned on here when it was cold – as one of the major contact points on a bike, they looked frankly awful.

Funnily enough my £5 Aldi Winter gloves are probably one of the best purchases I’ve ever made for riding, and have remained intact for three winters worth of use now. I’ll agree they do look a bit naff but they actually work quite well for their intended purpose, you know- riding when it’s cold and dark and there’s nobody about to inspect the logos on your gloves a set of compromises I can live with… I’ve read poor reviews of better looking, Branded winter gloves too so it isn’t too much of a stretch to say that spending 4-5 times as much doesn’t always deliver the quality you expect.

Like many I mix the “Cheap tat” with the Branded gear and I ride bicycles of varying “Quality” is it really that controversial to mix “proper cycling brands” with a bit of “Crane” and “BTWIN” nobody gets hurt…

I wasn’t actually aware there was any guidance available on what level of investment to make in riding kit, relative to the value of your Dandyhorse. Is there an approved ratio? say 5% if your bike cost £5000 then you’ve got to be wearing at least £250 worth of Branded, MBR endorsed, clothing before you even dare to ride it…

What I don’t really understand is the Lifestyle brand whoring that seems to accompany cycling for some people, which is then justified as buying “Quality” when what they mean is buying “Aspirational displays of wealth”…

Maybe I do suffer a little “reverse prejudice” but I really don’t like the mindset that equates an involvement in MTBing with an imperative to spend, it serves to put off newcomers and IMO damages the sport by making it seem like an inaccessible diversion for flush, middle class, males…

/Rant

Maybe I do suffer a little “reverse prejudice”

Yeah singletrack is full of it, that DH course (Cairns) is too easy, what you need a full sus I ride Fully Rigid biatch, my £3 top is as good if not better than yours etc.

what you need a full sus I ride Fully Rigid biatch

On the flip side, I often use this to explain to people that perhaps they might not need to spend as much as they think to ride the local trails and that it’s not all about the kit.

I was following a post on one of the local FB groups the other day where some chap was asking for advice about some cheap disc brakes he was thinking about getting, and there were several people chipping in saying they would be totally useless and he’d better not be attempting anything trickier than the local blue routes as they really wouldn’t be up to the job etc.

I was tempted to jump in and say that he’d be fine, and in fact even a decent set of V brakes are fine for most of the local trails but didn’t in case I got accused of reverse snobbery. You see it for suspension more than anything, people poo-poohing cheaper forks and shocks because they don’t have the latest doodad or twiddler knob, which for the vast majority of riders would be more than adequate, or people getting recommended a £1k+ full sus as their first MTB because everyone knows you need full sus for X or Y trail.

No idea what he bought in the end but sometimes the buy cheap brigade are just trying to open peoples eyes to the fact that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy your riding.

People forget that decent good value kit is actually remarkably good and for most people, does the job just fine, a lot of the Aldi/Cheaper kit is fine and who cares if you mix cheaper kit with more expensive, especially on consumable gear.

Deore’ll do.

half of the time it’s complete tat…

Half the time it isn’t!

I’ve picked up some base layers from Decathlon that have survived all sorts. Different sports too. Can’t complain. I’m sure some cheap stuff is bobbins, but you don’t need to spend lots to have good stuff.

Mrs Labsey bought a bike that cost less than my riding jacket. For a town bike, it’s never let her down.

I don’t think it’s about cheap vs expensive, it’s about perception of value

This ^^^^ says it much better than I can.

My Aldi bamboo base layers, socks and winter gloves are just as effective, if not better, than branded stuff I’ve tried, certainly better value.

But my (second hand eBay bargain) Rapha jersey is a much nicer fit and thought out garment than some of the cheaper tops I’ve had.

Depends how much money I have to spend when I need to buy the item, and what else I need to spend it on, like car tyres, kids school uniforms etc.