[Closed] Is the bike industry just taking the piss now

GT Xizang?

so if the frame was made in the US or here it would be worth that money then? makes no difference to me, you're paying for the brand, the design, the other overheads, the country it was made doesn't really factor into it for me.

not saying its worth that, just I don't care what country it was welded together in.

I imagine a factory frame from China/Taiwan to be better than a 'handmade' in Britain/America frame tbh, my Intense is crap quite frankly for the premium you get charged

Unlike the children in this thread, the country of origin is important to me. I think a manufacturer immediately cheapens their offerings by having them made by slave labour in China. Taiwan I can live with, they have a good standard of living, and fairly decent wages not too far removed from UK wage rates. However, I make sure I buy lots of Hope to keep some money in this country at least.

The reason why the UK and other countries like the USA are in the shitter, and so many of you will never be able to afford the kind of house your parents lived in, or have a decent job, or your children have decent jobs or homes is mostly because of this use of asian slave labour. That and high speed trading or gambling up an economy to a point where the gambling is 70 times bigger than the real economy...

So yes it does matter.

some of the prices out there, especially frame only fs are bloody eye watering.

Watch you don't fall off that high horse 🙄

£1700 sounds like a bargain for a frame. A Top Fuel 9.9 is £3500, an S-Works Epic is £3000.

Saw a road bike in Royles yesterday. £12,999.00 down to £11,999! Is any bike worth that much?!!

Catering for the Cheshire set there I think!

£1700 sounds like a bargain for a frame

What do you mean now? Been like this for years but they can do because we, Joe Public biker, are happy to pay that price...

All my frames over the last few years have been heavily reduced [~50%] - last years or discontinued models
Latest one was a Titus from on-one, before that it was a half price Yeti 575, I used it for 3 years and still got more than half my money back when I moved it on

Bottom line, stop chasing the latest models

stop chasing the latest frames.../quote]

+1

 

Bike sales are up, and so are prices. Supply and demand and all that. Plus the fact that bikes are luxury items and people are prepared to pay a premium.

Personally I think the price of bikes is getting ridiculous, but whilst people are prepared to pay silly money for bikes, and lets face it many people on here are, then they can charge what they like.

Personally what I dont get is that you can buy a MX bike that is far more capable than any mtb and better engineered for the same money as alot of mtb's these days?!?!

The quality of colnago road frames improved when they stopped being
built in italy and started to get built in Taiwan.

you can get cheaper bike that work just as well btw, just incase you over looked that point. I'm pretty sure I'd break a £3,000 bike just as easily as i break a £700 bike.

Is the Whole industry Taking the Piss?

Nah, just charging what they think the market will support for a given product; there are plenty of other brands with various products to meet your requirements including price point...

If it costs more than you want to spend.... Don't Buy it, Leave it for the Espresso machine and Audi Crowd.

As for the Circular, Hyperbolic point of origin Debate...
Pah! I like my Bike frames like I like my Cars/Coffee/Women/Computers etc.... Assembled by "Asian Slave Labour"...

I've said it before and I'll say it again; Nothing Cools a Weld Quite like the Tears of a nine year old Bangladeshi boy...

Nothing Cools a Weld Quite like the Tears of a nine year old Bangladeshi boy...

😆

@van cough cough - where do Hope's raw materials come from? Where do parts for their milling machines etc. come from? Chances are someone is getting screwed over in the supply chain somewhere so get off your moral high horse :p

Surely to have a lower labour overhead and then charge the going rate is a bit off?

[img] [/img]

£1500

bikes have never been better or cheaper.

(the YT shown above is just an example, other awesome bikes for less than a month's average pay are available)

"Surely to have a lower labour overhead and then charge the going rate is a bit off?"

Is that really a serious question?

On a different note, I would really hope that companies like Canyon are starting to worry other brands as you can plainly see just how much other brands are ripping off customers, where Canyon produce very good bikes for peanuts (relative)

Surely to have a lower labour overhead and then charge the going rate is a bit off?

all businesses are constantly looking to cut overheads and it's never done to give the buying public a better deal
It's done to keep the profits rolling in and to compete

The only reason they ever cut their sell price is because they have to

You pays your money and makes your choice. You can drive a Ferrari, or a Mondeo, or a Matiz.

Sure, top of the range is expensive. Do you really [i]need[/i] top of the range, or you just really really want it? Is there something wrong with the 2010 model?

Trek have dropped their prices this year.
My lbs has already sold quite a few of their cheaper hardtails.

The 1.5 road bike is down by over 10% for example.

Surely Spesh and Giant are going to have to do the same?

Shame Boardman have hikes prices for the new range.

There are companies that try it on and others that offer great value. Canyon and Boardman offer some fantastic deals and others seem to take the pee. It's the same in any market there was a DVD player I saw that cost around several thousand pounds turned out the workings were from a cheap philips player but put in a lovely case.

Like all things if you don't believe something is good value then dont buy it.

That YT looks ace.

What will a complete bike cost next year upwards of 8k ??

Only if you're soft in the head!

In our garage:

Kona King Kikapu
Full 775XT down to the pedals, Hope/DT swiss, King, Rebas, Schwalbe
£1600

On One C456
2011 150mm Revs, X9/XT, Hope/DT hubs on Mavic 717, Magura Louise Carbon
£1200

Spesh Pitch
Lyriks, X9, Magura Louise, Hope/SUN wheels, High Rollers, Cane Creek 110
£1300

Andf that's what I've actually paid for them, as close as I can work it out. None of those bikes are anywhere near cheap or shabby, but every one could easily have cost me £1000 more than I actually spent.

It's about being clever, not just chucking cash around...... 🙂

Watch you don't fall off that high horse

[b]thedevelopmentengineer[/b]:
If indeed it is the GT Xizang that you are refering to then i must tell you that it is handmade in Taiwan, by adults, and not China.

Also, you cannot compare a direct to retail brand like Canyon or Boardman with the likes of Trek, GT, Giant etc. The direct bikes come straight from the factory to the shop floor or even the front door in some cases.

The traditional manufacturers have to import and sell to IBD's so there is an extra margin involved there, it just means that Canyon and Boardman are great value which is great for us, the end consumer, but like 'Cougar' says: "You pays your money and makes your choice. You can drive a Ferrari, or a Mondeo, or a Matiz". The £1500 Boardman Carbon bike is mega value and looks great but lets be honest, its not that nice a frame.
Almighty

Surely not long now before one of the big supermarkets start selling decent quality bikes?
Can't see them passing up the opportunity.

Why is the Boardman frame not 'nice'?

Just out of interest.
Never read a bad review.

The Pedalforce frames used by Ribble on the Sportive models appear on some very pricey bikes too.
Are they better or worse frames because of the name on the downtube?

Maybe they reached a high point last year....as said trek have reduced some prices and the carbon remedy 9.7 is now £3200, £4000 last year.
Compared to the £2200 the alu remedy 8 was in 2009. A better year for VFM as I recall.

Too many of us chasing diminishing returns at the very high end I reckon. But if hundreds of middle aged men with lots of disposable keep paying "for the R&D" then why wouldn't they put on huge margins.

Can the kids get a decent bike for not too much money though? That's what would make me sad.

The Boardman is nice, in fact its very nice, but if you compare the frame to a Trek or similar then its not as nice.
My point was backing up Cougar, you pay your money, you get your bike.

There has been a massive upswing in pricing over the last seven or eight years. For example, back in 2004, an S-Works Enduro frame retailed at £999. The 2005/6 S-Works Enduro was £1,100.

That said, Santa Cruz is knocking out Butcher frames at a reasonable price.

Not all the Treks have come down, the TF9.9 is up £500 to £6500. Then again, the S-Works Epic is £7200.

SRAM XX Cassette 10sp rrp £325

WTF

About 12 years I bought a Gt Zasker for about £1200 on sale an was top of the range then, Sids, XTR v brakes etc.

Now a days you don't get a bike with those parts (labels) for that money.

IMHO I'd rather ride a modern version for £1200 which would likely come with Recons and deore/alivio and Hydro discs. you may not like the fact your bike costs more and says "alivio" on it but it will work a damn sight better than what was around 10 years ago because the technology has come on so much more.

And so what if the Taiwanese are charging more for the frames they produce they are as much entitled to the same money as a westerner for the same amount of work in my eyes. They have worked hard and the production quality has come on miles.

When I read the post im pretty sure a GT employee said its made in china and they have a history of working with that factory.

I stand corrected it is actually taiwan.

I suppose I'm wondering how long it will be before someone sets up manufacturing in the UK as the prices aren't that dissimilar anymore with the exception of Orange off the top of my head I can't think of anyone else mainstream that is,with the exception of the custom folks.

Ethically I'd rather deal with Taiwan than China

The Xizang is made in the same place as quite a few other Ti frames in TW.
Also, the EU doesnt buy from China.

It's all labels, labels, labels isnt it.. just like the £4 vs £100 pair of jeans debate.. if your a label whore and really need that xx equipped carbon rocket for & 7k and your wallet can take it then your asking to have the piss taken... considering the law of diminishing returns you dont need to spend more than 2-3k to get something that will ride 90% as well as anything.... oh and I would much rather a frame from one of the best frame shops in the world (Taiwan) than some of the wonky old stuff welded up in this country..

Dunno about complete bikes anymore, just sent a stroppy e-mail to the shop I bought one of my bikes from saying I want my money back as after 10-15 rides the list of failed components is beyond a joke!

-headset
-rear brake
-rear hub bearings
-rear hub freehub
-bottom bracket

It's been July/August FFS, if you'r components can't survive 4 weeks riding at this time of year why the f*** are they attached to a bike with an RRP of £1800!

The first few failiures I could live with, just chalked it upto being an American in California specing a loose bearing headset etc, but the rear brake pulling to the bar for no apparent reason and the rear wheel turning it into the worlds first 18 speed fixed gear freeride bike mid way down 'the abys' in Guisborough were the final straws.

Also, the EU doesnt buy from China.

The ammount of stuff labled 'made in china' would diagree with you.

wasnt there a thread the other day saying a giant cost more for the bike than all the parts at RRP? that's taking the piss. Top end stuff is gettin gpricey but I guess the lower down stuff is getting better too so start buying xt instead of xtr, x7 instead of x9 if it's too pricey.