I ride my bikes lots and lots and lots. I like owning nice bikes. I like owning stuff that works well and lasts a long time. I own a couple of bikes that would probably have RRPs in the region of £8k. They're exactly what I want with nice kit on them (XTR drivetrains, DT wheels, Formula brakes, Rockshox Ultimate suspension etc).
BUT
I'm not a psychopath. No bike is worth that much to me. It's a bicycle. I've never paid more than £2k for a bike. If I even thought about it I'd want to be sectioned. I buy second hand, through bike to work, build from the frame up and buy bargains when they're what I want.
My head works pretty much like this.
I also do think there’s also a value of having a bike that you enjoy and rides lots that makes sense in the fitness/health sense rather than the price so if riding a more expensive bike motivates you to do so then it’s better value to you than something cheaper but not used.
My outlay limit for a bike is probably €2-3k but tbh I’m still happy with my 3T exploro which has got to be going on over 7 years old and my scalpel that was 1/2 rrp.
Im not busting a gut to replace either in a hurry and tbh as much I like the idea of an electric bike, I can literally get a second hand rieju 125 marathon pro for under €3k (and only 3k km on the clock) which although yep there are other yearly costs my view is that if I’m not going to bother pedalling may as well have something with real bang per buck 🙂
I spent much more than £8000 on a custom titanium and carbon Seven Cycles road bike. It was just after my dad died, we’d had a difficult relationship and it was 100% a crutch to get me out and back on the bike again. That was in 2021 and it totally worked. Did I need to spend that much on a bicycle? Absolutely not, did the fact that I had make me go out and ride it more? I’m not sure, but I definitely told myself I had to ride it more because I had.
I'm more interested in what someone does with a bike than how much they've spaffed on it.Most of mine have been absolutely ground into tiny pieces doing several thousand miles each per season. The road bikes got even more (ab)use.
Specialized / Trek release their latest & greatest superbike at £12,000, Shimano release their latest Dura-Ace at £4000... Within a few months, they're on "special offer" at 25 - 40% off.TBH, the volumes of those actual halo bikes is so small it doesn't really impact the bottom line of the manufacturer, it's the shops that get shafted unless they have very good deals with the wholesaler/importer!
I dunno how it stacks up with all manufacturers, but the last big one i dealt with was making their halo bike (top end carbon inc wheels, Boutique built, top end SRAM wireless, grand plus for forks) at a rate of about 1 per 2000 compared to the best selling version of that model (Carbon/SLX level). And something like 1 in 8-9000 to all versions of the model name (starting at about 12-1400 quid, topping out at £13499 IIRC).
Four years ago today we travelled up to Fort William to buy a very little used S Works Turbo Levo for less than half price. Double what I'd ever paid for a bike new or used. Spent the weekend riding the trails and have had a big grin ever since.
Probably the best deal I have had on a bike with smiles for miles
