[Closed] The Cost of Mountain Biking.

I frankly don't care about the cost, as long as I get good usage out of the products. In fact I prefer the idea of quality over cheap. Bring it on.

Also, if posh bike keeps you going out more and more and your quality of life increases. It's a tiny amount of money. Very little other spend brings so much pleasure and health.

I was looking at replacing the wife bike after 10 years the same model of bike has, on average, had a 5% per year inflation rate if you go by the current price. Quite frankly that is taking the piss.

Just reading Ton's post from earlier, and it rings true.
Yes I spend a fair bit on bike bits, but I don't really drink, non-smoker, wear jeans and t-shirts until I have to buy a new set, etc.
I have mates who go to the pub most evenings, smoke, and like to dress in 'labels'. They raise their eyebrows at the cost of my bikes, but don't even blink at the fact they probably spend £100+ a week just on beer and fags.

All my bikes are at the cheaper end of the spectrum, and I don't pay an LBS to maintain them either. I suppose being a cheapskate has been bred into me since birth... Buy there's always been people who have more money and a need to buy goods/services a cut above the rest...

The thing is I don't believe I get any less pleasure from riding my cheap, second hand, old bikes when compared with some fool who's had to work three times as many hours to afford a bicycle that's as much of a status symbol as an item of sporting/leasure equipment...

If you can afford it, good luck to you, but do stop bloody complaining about the [i]"rising cost of Mountain biking"[/i] it's discretionary spending nobody's holding a gun to your head...

As Mr Taylforth said:

Too many ex golfers with too much cash.

I can't blame the media for making hay, but the Singletrack article a couple of years ago suggesting that £2000 was now the baseline amount people should spend on a first bike was the tipping point for me.

Combined with standargeddeon, I now regard the MTB industry as pretty much just that.
I'll give them money if I must, but to smaller companies and secondhand if possible.

Rusty Spanner - Member
As Mr Taylforth said:

Too many ex golfers with too much cash.

🙂
A good point.

I can't disagree.

The benefits of the increased popularity of cycling far outweigh the disadvantages.
Bike choice and value have, in many cases, increased immensely.

But there are negatives.

But there are negatives.

was cost my enjoyment, fitness and great friends? Priceless.

Choose your future. Choose life, choose mountain biking!

[url= http://radventure.cc/mountain-biking-is-the-new-golf/ ]Too many ex golfers with too much cash.[/url]

MTB has always been expensive if you let it, it's deciding whether or not you're going to allow yourself to be sold the idea of the latest, greatest doodad to make you faster (compensate for lack of skill and/bravery*) or the ride more enjoyable or to 'slay' gnarlier trails, or not, that's key to making it cheaper!

* I recently bought myself some skill and bravery.

after 10 years the same model of bike has, on average, had a 5% per year inflation rate if you go by the current price. Quite frankly that is taking the piss

And obviously you've compared every element of specification, and taken into account exchange rate changes for those 10 years before being outraged?

Dave - Member
Too many ex golfers with too much cash.

😀

It's a good article, but I don't agree.

I like 'new' geometry, big tyres, wide bars etc.
Never tried a dropper, but they sound like fun.

I have nothing against genuine progress.

My next bike will probably have all of those.
Tubeless too.

It won't be Boost.
It won't have 650b wheels.
Or hydraulic discs.
Or flat mount.
Or suspension.
Or a press fit BB.
Or any other pointless, unecessary, cynical toss either.

I do like suspension forks and hydraulic brakes.
But Rockshox and Shimano currently expect me to pay more for a product seemingly less reliable than the one it replaces.

It won't be Boost.
It won't have 650b wheels.
Or hydraulic discs.
Or suspension.
Or a press fit BB.
Or any other pointless, unecessary, cynical toss either.

I wouldn't consider a bike with any of the above, apart from hydros and possibly suspension.

And then it would depend.
Deore hydros? Possibly.
XT, no.

How long am I going to be able to get replacement forks for a short lived standard?
Not looking good is it?
I'd probably go rigid with a bigger tyre.

Why not? What if it was a great price?

It won't be Boost.
It won't have 650b wheels.
Or hydraulic discs.
Or flat mount.
Or suspension.
Or a press fit BB.

Of those you list, only the PF BB has no real consumer benefit, it's there to help framebuilders reduce costs.

Suspension and hydraulic brakes have VERY real points and Boost will almost certainly replace the myriad other standards for MTBs, which to me seems a great thing.

I'm fully 29er and have owned a 650b, but for my type of riding it has no advantage over 26" and significant disadvantages over 29.

Suspension and hydraulic brakes have VERY real points

I know.

But, as above, the current stuff seems to be less reliable (Shimano hydros) or a simplified, less reliable, cheaper to manufacture version of older stuff (Rockshox).

Add in the fact that we live in a post standards world, cable discs and a rigid fork seem very appealing.
And I doubt that I'd have any less fun.

I've never had a problem with Shimano Deore brakes. Been using them on a few bikes over the last 3 years and never once had a problem. I can't really imagine using any other type of brake for mountain biking.

My old Avid brakes were horrendous though, had no end of trouble with them.

Suspension can go wrong and costs money to maintain, but depending on what you ride it's probably worth it. Still, I see the appeal of a rigid bike with big tyres.

0% has made a big difference, people get finance and don't look at the 'RRP' they just look at the monthly cost.

I knew back in 2008 when I started ridding I liked the 'top end' bikes but could not afford/justify such a cost. However careful buying and selling 2nd hand has allowed me to end up with 3 what would have been more or less top end bikes in 2012/13. Yes I'm still on 26" but £2 - £2.5k has given me probably what would have been £9 - £10k worth of bikes.

I may not have the 'latest' and 'greatest' for 2017 but in 2013 my bikes were considered some of the best...not sure they're crap now just because there are new 'better' bikes out!

I've never wanted a better bike than the ones I have.

I'd like some more, different bikes, obviously, but my do it all road bike and MTB are pretty much my perfect, ideal spec and cost less than £1400.

I like simple, well made stuff that will last.
And I suppose I just don't have very expensive tastes.
🙂

MTBing "costs" very little. Some people choose to spend a lot of money on it though.

MTBing is cheap, compared to the long-term impact of getting fat.

Two of us were out today, everything from mud to 6" snow (20 miles and +3000ft). Went into a café and there was a bloke there, about our age (50's) and I'd say he was heavier than the pair of us, together (and then some).

I'm glad someone mentioned Deore disk brakes… proof that, if you choose wisely, many of today's bargain components piss all over those fitted to "top end" bikes of yesteryear. Might not look blingy, but do a great job.

You can buy a 2grand bike for £60/month over 3 years.

That's cheaper than gym membership, a satellite telly subscription, a month's worth of cigarettes, booze, shiny car, etc. etc.

You [i]can[/i] spend as much as you like, like any hobby, there isn't an upper limit. But it's not compulsory...

I just bought a Specialized Rockhopper (1996), off Gumtree for £115.00 new cassette and chain fitted for £30 and a Crud catcher for £6.00 I have had about an eight year break. This bike had been stripped, resprayed new factory stickers, Marzochi bomber forks added. Clarks v brakes. It's a cracker. More importantly it has gotten me back out into the woods and mud. If you know what to look for you can get into it with fairly decent kit for under £150.00 I'm all excited to be out again. Going to hit Alkrington Woods this week for first time in 8 years. Hope I don't end up going for a swim.

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Bikes are as expensive as you want them to be, and always have been.

£600 for Judy SL's in the mid late 90's adjust for inflation and i am guessing that is over a £1000 today.