The bottom end of the market is great value for money. a couple of hundred will buy a functional MTB. £500 buys a decent bike that will be plenty for 90% of mtbers. I would say that was value for money

I get a load of stick from my colleagues and friends about what I spend on cycling and equipment, however unlike one of my colleagues I'm not having to find £30,000 a year to put my children through school, so I don't really care, and unlike others I don't want a flash car or particularly like eating out every day.

I really, really don't believe that there's a conspiracy ripping us all off with bike/ component prices – I just ask myself whether I consider the price worth paying for items and if I don't then I don't buy them – just be pragmatic about things.

I have today bought 2 cx tubs at £65 each though…

Can't think of any companies off the top of my head who make nice £500 singlespeeds? Care to give us an example? Preferrably a neon orange one?

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/vitamin-117071608/

Anyone fancy a go at the Scott V Decathlon conundrum above?

That just proves that there is no rip off – if you think the Decathlon is the best value bike for you then go and buy it and be happy. Or buy a Planet X SL as maybe that's even better for the money? Or maybe it isn't.

This is one reason I like singlespeeds. With some good quality tyres and a simple reliable fork and disks, you have a bike that will last well and be easy to maintain. Supposing you can resist temptation to fiddle and upgrade.

I think the idea that cycling seems to have become more expensive is actually a problem of expectations. Our ideas of what constitutes a good bike have risen ever higher, while our wallets, unsurprisingly, have not. Maybe we should learn to be happy with what we have, and campaign for better public transport to the trail centres?

That just proves that there is no rip off – if you think the Decathlon is the best value bike for you then go and buy it and be happy.

That's not actually answering the question. To be fair, I don't expect anyone to actually do so, because if we're all being honest, we know that the Scott is a rip-off by comparison. I we're really, really honest, deep down.

So, it seems that bike companies charge inflated prices for stuff because they know people will pay it. Fair enough. Market forces and all that. But that's the only reason. Anything else is BS. And the thing about Bullshit is, if you swallow enough, you eventually get used to the taste.

Is it the manufacturers fault? They are making money from stupid people IMO.

You see so many people on £2k+ bikes and are overweight and havent a clue how to ride a bike. There are too many of these people nowadays IMO. They think, "Oh, Im going to get into biking so I need all the top gear"

Its all sprung from the plastic money. Leeping up with the jonesys. They spend a fortune on gear and dont use it.

we know that the Scott is a rip-off by comparison.

Well it's expensive but not sure why that means it's a rip-off; I considered Trek Madone 5.2 the best value for me when I wanted a decent road bike – maybe I should have got the Decathlon one?!

Prices were getting way better for a while there… I bought an Avanti Ridge Rider in 92 for $800 – rigid, all steel, with cantibrakes and the "new" SLX. A mate bought an Avanti Ridge rider in 07 -Ally hydroformed frame, coil rockshox, deore, and hydro discs for $750. I feel ripped off for buying in 92! Same bike now is about $1500. Guess there's been a few changes in the big old world over the last few years…

Is cycling a poor value for money?……..

well, when you talk about top end, heres some info that may make you think about it…….

buy an absolute top of the range mountain bike, best of the best – £7500

for this you can go mountain biking, ride on the road, ride where ever you like i spose!!!!

or…..

buy…

A BRAND NEW CAR – Perodua Kalisa 1.0 EX – £4026
A BRAND NEW MOTOR BIKE – suzuki dr125 – £2899
A BRAND NEW CAPABLE MOUNTAIN BIKE – Specialized hard rock sport disc £400

TOTAL – £7325

so for less than the top of the range push bike, you can have a brand new car AND a brand new motor bike AND a brand new mountain bike!!!!!

when you look at it like that it does seem a rip off, ok the car, motornike and mountain bike may not be anything speacial, but i bet theres a lot more RandD that goes into cars/motor bikes.

Having said that, as previously said, who will actually buy the flagship models??? not many, andit really is about what is and isnt attainable.

when i was into mountain biking in the early 90's i had a raligh discovery, it was an ok bike at the time Reynolds 501 tubing, rigid forks and i think the new cost then was £399 (although i got it second hand of my dads mate for considerably less) i used to lust after more expensive specialised and marin bikes, but none the less used to have a blast on mine and could keep up with anyone else on more expensive bikes.

nowadays…..

i have fairly recently got back into it, after having a fair few years of not cycling atall and putting on a few llbs!!!!
i ended up buying a specialised hardrock sport. its a £400 bike is super light (compared to the discovery i used to have) has more gears, suspension, disk brakes, better gears.

so basically its the same price as i could have paid for my discovery but i have loads more for the money. i am very happy with it and am sure it will last me for some time!!!!

if no one had brought the high end bikes with new features in the years a stepped out, i probably wouldnt have a lightweight bike with disk brakes and suspension and more gears for the same money.

If people are prepared to pay for it, its not a rip off, theres no way i'd pay thousands for a bike (at the moment) but when i have more money and they are more attainable, and i feel i am worthy of spending more on a bike, then maybe, just maybe i will!!!!

if you think the clothing is to expensive, then go to asda and buy some shorts from there, that is of corse unless its the "status" you want, in wich case you have to pay for it

thats my opinion
jon