Its as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it.
I've got a pretty high end Turner 5 Spot
I think it cost me £300 swap over price from the Blur LT it replaced.
The last completed bike I bought in 2003 was £600.
Sure I've spent a few quid on "upgrades" but I don't think I've ever forked out more than a few hundred pounds in one go and I've always had what most people would consider top end bikes.
Buy S/h, buy parts online, save thousands and still have nice bikes
No but the vat is payable on the RRP. They also pay the people who assemble the bikes a better wage in the UK compared to the job I saw advertised for their factory. It costs money to ship stuff to the UK, it costs money to distribute kit. I'd love to see the STW import & distribution collective do much better
three words; Direct Sales Model.
It is the way they should all go.
three words; Direct Sales Model.
Maybe. But where would you test them? Or get advice? Or get it customised? Or set-up properly? And what happens if there's a recall or fault? Not everyone can true a wheel or set-up a rear mech, let alone strip a fork.
While globalisation has made buying from overseas massively easier, it's still no match for face-to-face dealings. And mailing a bike back to the 'states because it's cracked sounds like a major ballache to me.
On a mountain bike that you're riding hard downhill, there is nowhere else I'd rather spend money than forks and tyres! A bling transmission is just bling but better suspension and tyres makes a real difference.
I don't deny that they make a huge difference, but fifty plus sheets for a tyre is a lot of money. Just look how expensive the current top flight Maxxis tyres are...they've gone up loads. A grand for a pair of forks is a lot of money especially when good frames can be had for £1,500. Even the 'budget' forks seem a lot to me.
Some of the cost of forks is driven by must have tech like travel adjust. The original Pike for example had a lot of adjustments and as cheap too. What's changed?
Some of the cost of forks is driven by must have tech like travel adjust. The original Pike for example had a lot of adjustments and as cheap too. What's changed?
The damping was a bit crap by modern standards and they were heavy, they'll feel agricultural compared to modern pikes
You can get Pikes for £600 - I think that's practically a bargain! They're in another world to my Fox 32s which were £300 secondhand (but unused). My £50 rrp tyres usually cost me £35 and they last for ages. Then again I put nice tyres on my old car too!
8 or 9 years ago i bought 130mm, qr revelations for ~ 220 quid.
last year i bought 150mm, 15mm maxle sektors for 230 quid. inflation my arse.
prices go up, prices go down. bought well, you won't be far out of pocket.
You can get Pikes for £600 - I think that's practically a bargain! They're in another world to my Fox 32s which were £300 secondhand (but unused). My £50 rrp tyres usually cost me £35 and they last for ages. Then again I put nice tyres on my old car too!True, which puts them back down to what top end Marzocchi's were a few years ago....which brings me back yo my earlier post; does anyone pay full price? Does that mean the forks are really with £600 (I.e. What they sell at rather than the RRP)?
I always put good tyres on my car too, but my 255 35 18's look good value compared to a Maxxis DH tyre and will last loads longer.
A 1998 SID Ti fork was £600, for 63mm of travel and no fancy damping. Expensive forks are nothing new!
Back in 1997 i bought a alloy cannondale with stxrc kit and pace 36 pro2 evo 90mm forks for abouth 1400 in total. My current bike is a alloy cannondale with a 90mm lefty and xt bits bought for 1600.
in 1993 i attempted to save up for a Pace fork.
they were £350, and, let's be honest, they were crap.
(that's £650 if we're inflation-correcting)
my current Xc32's cost me £130, and they're great.
it's one thing trying to explain how a £600 pike is really a bargain, but let's not over-look the stuff that's a small fraction of the price!
Serious questions - are you riding more? Or are you riding more in more challenging terrain? One thing I have noticed is that people are riding stuff now on 'regular' bikes that 10 years ago would have been the sole realm of a 'downhill' bike. We're also riding faster, because equipment is more forgiving and we can stop faster. To counter your above point, I'd suggest that all this wears kit out faster.
Riding the same terrain, but a blit slower these days, although I'm on 'better' bikes. And I know plenty of people who are riding the same challenging terrain on fs bikes, as they used to on fully rigid bikes with 1.75" tyes etc. Fster? Maybe, but not by that much. Anyway; people are missing the pint. I have no issue with development of technology, just the actual quality of components. With a smaller market, stuff was made from better materials, and needed to last. R+D wasn't beong driven by a marketing machine intent on making money, it was being done by people who simply wanted better kit. Whislt stuff like XT may be lighter and more 'advanced', it isn't as well made. I've probabbly taken more bikes aprt than most peope on here, and the older stuff holds up better than the more recent kit. And for those of us that want simplicity nad reliability, current kit isn't as good as the older stuff. But then, if you change your components faster than you change your pants, because themarketing tels you you have to have the latest thing,then you don't need longevity in stuff.
The original Pikes? Fox of that era blew them into the weeds on damping!
But I think Pike won because they looked good, were sturdy and simple.
I always put good tyres on my car too, but my 255 35 18's look good value compared to a Maxxis DH tyre and will last loads longer.
If I drove my car like I ride my bike then I doubt my tyres would last half as many hours as my bike tyres do!
I'm surprised by the amount of people defending the price of MTB gear. I find it extremely high. If you look at the actual cost to make some of the parts, the mark up is incredible. I've had a few hobbies, and this one is the most extreme for over pricing. It's downright off putting to anyone trying to get into it if they have a look at some of the costs of things.
You have to laugh really at adverts for a MTB priced at £7999. What niche of a niche is that even targeted at?
Other things that are ridiculous:
MTB clothing. i.e. shorts for over £100
Dropper posts for £300+
Tiny bits of metal like seat post clamps for £50+
MTB Tyres generally
etc
I actually will one day soon buy a dropper post. It's going to hurt me inside but I probably will.
On Newsnight last night they had a cycling-themed studio discussion with some predictably lame questions from the presenter.
Trying to paint cycling as a middle class hobby, the presenter scoffed that MAMILs were spending "as much as a thousand pounds" on a bike.
If only she knew.
coursemyhorse, that's like saying "This Hennessey Venom costs a million quid, cars are far too expensive".
You have to laugh really at adverts for a MTB priced at £7999. What niche of a niche is that even targeted at?
Other things that are ridiculous:
MTB clothing. i.e. shorts for over £100
Dropper posts for £300+
Tiny bits of metal like seat post clamps for £50+
MTB Tyres generally
etc
I actually will one day soon buy a dropper post. It's going to hurt me inside but I probably will.
Yeah, I laugh at ads for £7999 bikes. Why spend so little? 8)
£50 for a seat clamp? Link? The ones on my 2 (rrp) £8k+ Santa Cruzes weren't anything close to that...
Anyway, must dash, off to the lbs to look at a £16,000 Specialized/McLaren. TTFN.
Seems this has hit a nerve as there are some very defensive answers here 😆
I happen to agree with the OP and think there is far too much fashion in cycling (and I don't mean clothing), like people who remove a perfectly good triple to go 1 x 10, buy silly wide bars with tiny stems etc. The theory is all fine and well but for most of us "normal UK cyclists" it will make bugger all difference other than to your wallet.
The biggest improvement most of us can make is to shed a few kg's of fat and ride our bikes more to pick up a bit more fitness and skill.
Wide bars do make a massive difference 😕 But also, seems to miss the point of the thread a little as they're no more expensive than "normal" bars.
If you look at the actual cost to make some of the parts, the mark up is incredible.
*yawn*
Unless you can back this up, please stop knocking out unfounded conjecture.
If you compare the percentage mark-up on an XTR mech to that on a pair of Topman trousers, you can understand why there's no rich bike shop owners and why Phillip Green has left the UK to avoid paying tax.
I think the Zimtstern Luan €60 T-shirt in this week FF Goods is proof that it's not the case.
I mean you'd have to be poverty stricken to not spend a mere £55 on a T-Shirt surely...
Northwind - Member
seems to miss the point of the thread a little as they're no more expensive than "normal" bars.
They are when you take off the perfectly good bars that came with the bike and put new ones on 😉
You have to laugh really at adverts for a MTB priced at £7999. What niche of a niche is that even targeted at?
They aren't stupid. They wouldn't have one at that price if no-one was going to buy it.
If you look at the actual cost to make some of the parts, the mark up is incredible.
Whenever anyone says this it's very rare that they've considered the cost of designing, testing, manufacturing, distributing, marketing, retailing and supporting the parts.
just gone rigid 29er ss.
got sick of buy buy buy.
you know what - it's more fun, cheaper and makes you work harder.
Chunky monkey 2.4 is a thing of wonder up front.
Join the revolution;-)
DC
Do fancy a carbon Tallboy though!
Who cares !!!!
Still cheaper than a drink/drug habit(just) 😉
just gone rigid 29er ss.got sick of buy buy buy.
Irony. You don't like having to buy new stuff so you bought something new 🙂
I have three FS in the garage, bought on insurance in 2007. If it weren't for the theft I'd still be riding on a 2001 and a 2005 🙂
Molgrips - you spotted the irony and not the big picture!
Jesus. It's still going. All sorts of things have all sorts of price points for all sorts of customers. Pick the thing at the price that suits you and forget about the rest. FFS!
Whilst some may look on in envy at the fleet of Orange 5's at (insert any Welsh trail centre) when unloading their 2007 Spesh Hardrock, there are those that smile at the thought of roughing them up and leaving them behind on a bike costing a tenth of theirs. Be one of the latter, you'll be happier 😀
BOL - to be fair this one was always going to run and run!
ryan91 - MemberWhilst some may look on in envy at the fleet of Orange 5's at (insert any Welsh trail centre) when unloading their 2007 Spesh Hardrock, there are those that smile at the thought of roughing them up and leaving them behind on a bike costing a tenth of theirs.
I was downright disappointed when I put my rigid carrera on the innerleithen uplift truck, not one person was a dick about it, so I didn't get a chance to show them up 😆
Skipped to the end.
People buy sessions & saint, I get Deore.
Happy.
What if you have a bling bike and are also a fast rider?
I'm still having great fun (4 hours in the pouring rain at AFAN today) on my 5 year old full sus, but it is without a doubt more expensive when things wear out.
Like for like - tyres are 45% more expensive than 4 years ago.
hooli - Member
I happen to agree with the OP and think there is far too much fashion in cycling (and I don't mean clothing), like people who remove a perfectly good triple to go 1 x 10, buy silly wide bars with tiny stems etc. The theory is all fine and well but for most of us "normal UK cyclists" it will make bugger all difference other than to your wallet.
Still running cantis and non indexed shifters?
Perhaps bikes for off road riding based on concepts of road bikes turned out not the be the best idea. Perhaps bikes are now more fit for purpose?
Is it OK if my bike comes with the right width bars (or I choose them when I'm building the bike) or the right length stem for fit? I assume with your logic swapping "Silly Wide bars" for something narrower is also wrong?
They are when you take off the perfectly good bars that came with the bike and put new ones on
It's depressing to see people wanting to limit what other people can buy and making judgements about them based on what bike they have.
Whilst some may look on in envy at the fleet of Orange 5's at (insert any Welsh trail centre) when unloading their 2007 Spesh Hardrock, there are those that smile at the thought of roughing them up and leaving them behind on a bike costing a tenth of theirs. Be one of the latter, you'll be happier
No Orange 5 but who cares, do you have a little reward spank in the bushes to celebrate? Do you have to pass a certain value of bike to get properly excited?
an SLX equipped, bottom end revalation fork'd and crossride wheeled aluminum hardtail will still ride amazing.
you don't have to spend money to get a great bike. the bottom end is well good these days.
I'd rather people dropped big money on top end bikes than porsches and golf clubs, which, if you think about it are the alternative hobbies for that demographic.
I happen to agree with the OP and think there is far too much fashion in cycling (and I don't mean clothing), like people who remove a perfectly good triple to go 1 x 10, buy silly wide bars with tiny stems etc. The theory is all fine and well but for most of us "normal UK cyclists" it will make bugger all difference other than to your wallet.
I'm off to Whistler (other locations are available) in a few weeks, are you saying I should use a 120mm stem and a 580mm wide, flat, bar because there was nothing inherently wrong with them (they weren't bent or broken)? While I'm at it, should I use my (also not broken) rigid, 3x7 hardtail?
Utterly ridiculous statement.
its all relative boys, no one really cares. I personally wouldn't dream of spunking 5 grand on a brand new bike, but i would spend 5 grand building one from scratch. Madness I tells thee.
Back in the dark ages around '92 I bought a Raleigh Dynatech Quantum and it was over a grand which was a massive amount of money for a lad just out of college! Yet today a grand would buy you a stonker of a bike and would be lightyears ahead of the tech of that bike.
Of course there is fashion element as all walks of life, but as someone who has been riding bikes for over 30 years off road, a modern bike is a joy to ride but still no more fun than the bikes we rode as kids, because fun cannot be bought you create that yourselves.
So quit whining and just ride what you have and remember that solid gold feeling you got when you first rode a bike and hold onto it for life.
The thing that I loved when I was getting into mountain biking was how it let me explore and traval great distances in the wilds. Nothing to do with gnar or xc racing. It was more about self reliance. Cut to now and I spend far to much time building trails then riding them as loops with a bit of strava thrown in. Seeing this thread reminded me i should have a break from the stuff that is more marketable and exciting in a adrenalin kind of way. Such as jumping, railing corners, being the fastest and other stuff which "needs" the latest kit.
So on Wednesday I biked to the train station and got the train to the middle of the forest and then biked round one of the national trails here in Sweden back to my house. 168km in total, it took 11hours with stops. I felt totally spent but great when I got home.
The thing is this kind of adventure is not really about kit or skills so nobody is going to make any money from it and to be honest riding a huge amount of miles and exploring is a bit boring for others. Gnar tech sells though.
Wowser never expected this to run and run ! This has been my most replied to topic EVER ! My early riding was centred around mile munching which I thought important at the time , then one day I realised it had gotten too focused on that . So I went for less miles on the page ( I keep a diary !) to more smiles on the face . In response to tomhoward I went to Whistler in 2008 with a HT with 120mm travel and that got some looks on the chairlift ! Admittedly it was a Cove Hummer which one of the bike shop mechanics told me was much sought after there , they were like hens teeth despite being based just down the road . When I went back in 2010 I did it on a 2k Spicy which I've had ever since and it's been a brilliant bike . Which takes me back to my original point .
I always get bike envy in the CP but it disappears as soon as I start riding. Moral of the story? Spend more time on the bike and less in the CP. Simple really.
But OP, yes! I am generally gobsmacked at what people seem prepared to pay to ride down a hill. But happy for folk to decide what they want to do with their money. None of my business other than the stuff I would like to buy becomes more expensive.
I'm happy with folks buying top end bikes every 2 or 3 years . They drop in value like Rolf Harris painting .cracking value in the second hand market.
I will add shorts are daft prices and never seem to have a good zip up pocket on them.
They drop in value like Rolf Harris painting
Very good. Topical. Bit too soon though? 😆
I will add shorts are daft prices and never seem to have a good zip up pocket on them.
Yep I hate buying expensive shorts, thankfully I don't do it very often as they seem to last forever. Great value once again.
If you could only buy £5k bikes i'd agree that they were getting too expensive. But you can buy a brilliant bike for £500 these days. So spend your money as you see fit, buy what ever makes you happy! 😉
(lets face it, lots of people spend well over £10k a year playing golf, and that my friends is pretty much the equivalent of giving money to the devil himself........ 😉