[Closed] Why do people think that ownership of a decent bike makes somebody a crap rider!

Some folk believe you have to earn it.

Having started on a 87 Tufftrax, and overtaken folk on much fancier bikes on it, I have some sympathy for this point.

I've got an uber-expensive all-carbon boutique bike, and I regularly overtake neds on Halfords specials.

What's your point?

Jealousy, I'd hazard a guess at.

To earn it???????

I liken it to the same mentality that promotes people to levels of incompetence. Make of that what you will 😉

So if you were overtaken by 14 yr old on say a Grifter would you down grade?

What Houndlegs said.

I worry about me and not other people.

Its not jealousy at all it is a dig suggesting your bike is vastly superior to your level of skill /you dont need a bike that good for your standard of riding
I imagine it is true of many cyclists.

Its not jealousy at all it is a dig suggesting your bike is vastly superior to your level of skill /you dont need a bike that good for your standard of riding
I imagine it is true of many cyclists.

I most often think of buying new stuff when stuck in the office and it is cold and raining outside. If I am on my bike then thoughts of buying stuff do not come into my head.

Consumerism is a very strong influence that makes you buy stuff you do not really need. Hence people thinking that the 6 grand they paid for a bike is worth it when in fact, for example, there is not that much difference between a second hand good nick prophet for £600 and say a Santa Cruz Bronson for more than 3 grand. I have an old prophet and it is really not going to be that much worse than the Bronson.

If you have it I would say save it for a rainy day when you are old.

I think what people dont realise it that you might as well spend the money cos you cant take it with ya! Those few quid will not improve your standard of care when it comes to old and any decent family would rather see you enjoy your money than inherit a bit! If its what you enjoy doing who gives a monkeys how much you spend on it!

[I]for example, there is not that much difference between a second hand good nick prophet for £600 and say a Santa Cruz Bronson for more than 3 grand. I have an old prophet and it is really not going to be that much worse than the Bronson.[/I]

Says the man with an old Prophet rather than a new Bronson...

Its hard to recognise the difference between need and want...For example, I didn't really need the second bag of maltesers I just ate..

[i]suggesting your bike is vastly superior to your level of skill[/i]

I'll admit to that. Orange 5 here & it's a far better bike than I'll ever be a rider, but at the grand old age of 57 it aint half comfy (& I couldn't give a gnats chuff what anyone thinks!)

Yes but I can still go faster than lots of people and if you believe spending loads of money will make you go faster and have more fun you are gullible and stupid. Give you money away for all I care but you are just falling for marketing BS in my opinion.

If I got a Bronson how many seconds faster am I going to go and how much more fun is it going to be? To tell you the truth I would rather work less hard, take more holidays and ride my bike more.

Suspect they've seen me riding my nice bikes and just assumed that all other riders of such bikes are equally crap on them....

I dont think that.What i do think is that alot of people are over biked.Why take an 6" travel bike on a canal towpath or say the verdeerers trail down the FOD.Alot of wasted energy.Same goes for trail riding you see guys out on the lanes with KTM 400/450cc can control or use the power and wonder why people pass them on 250cc machines and are having more fun.

Just down to jealousy really, I certainly can't afford an expensive bike but doesn't really bother me if other people can.

I don't know how this could even happen. Surly one rides with people of ones own class. For Example a stumpjumper rider would never consider riding with someone with a bike acquired from Halfords, and of course a rider of a boutique brand would never turn a wheel with the Stumpjumper owner. One of course can change riding class by buying a more expensive bike and moving up.

Alternatively you could just ride whatever f... bike you have with your mates, fall off a lot and talk about in the pub afterwards Like what I do.

One thing I will say, I know one bloke with an expensive bike that sits in the garage unridden, but I know a heap of people with cheap bikes that never see the light of day.

could not care less what other people are riding, whether they are going fast or slow on cheap bike or expensive bike is not my business

what does bother me (as a bike mechanic) is when people buy pro-level bikes (carbon fibre frameset, Shimano Dura Ace, Zipp wheelset, high end finishing kit) and treat it like total shit, never clean or maintain and just run it into the ground.

Not from being so hardcore that their high mileage prevents any maintenance, but because they just cannot be bothered and do not understand what their money has bought

then seemed surprised / wonder why their bike does not work, or the hub is damaged and they are facing a massive bill.

its sad really..no bike deserves that treatment, whether cheap or expensive!

I don't ride the "best bike" on the road, have a Specialized Tarmac with Shimano 6700 Ultegra and Hope road wheels, but certainly keep it well maintained which means it rides beautifully and costs less money to keep running

I don't have a problem with people buying expensive bikes, whether they can ride it well or not. What boils my piss however is people who assume that because my bike is 10 years old I am a rubbish rider. Which I guess implies that they assume that you have to have a new, shiny, expensive bike to ride well.

Maybe this is a way to look at it
You can buy a thing of beauty to look at and admire, in the case of a gorgeous bike after you finish looking at it you can go and ride it too.

Do people really worry about what other people think of their bikes and riding ability - surely personal satisfaction is the main concern

Luckily when my bike got pinched when I was 13 - my dad found me and my brother matching Moultons

They may have been something in smalled wheeled geek circles but they were the most uncool bikes for teenagers in the mid 80's (so uncool that someone stole the cheap combination lock I used at school - but left the bike!)

But I still rode it every day as being on two wheels was far more important than other peoples opinions and still is to me now.

I don't ride the "best bike" on the road,

I never understood why anyone would care about what bike someone else is riding (unless they were racing). My bikes have got "better" as I have got older but my riding skills have got worse as I now ride less and take fewer risks. I don't care if i am on my knackered singlespeed or my boutique bike - it's just good to get out.

It's an odd phenomenal this big bike shite rider. I ride a second hand giant reign 0 love it to bits and don't think about anyone else unless they a. have fallen off or b. are pussy footing down the trail in which case I just wait and give them some room. Live long and ride proper.

I do worry though about people riding inadequate bikes usually from Argos or halfords as I fear they will hurt themselves.

It's just folk whingeing - ignore it and ride what you like (as long as you can afford it without making anyone else in your life suffer for it)

A fair bit of the gear
The occasional idea
Absolutely no talent/skill

You rang? 🙂

Why do you care...

There are some massive chips on the shoulders of some posters on here. People earn money so let them spend it how they want. They are doing more for the economy than all of us that only buy secondhand parts.

My fs is much more than I need for some of my riding but at other times it isn't enough. Should I spend more money buying a 29er and a DH bike so I always have the right bike or should I just make do? I'm confused.

What boils my piss however is people who assume that because my bike is 10 years old I am a rubbish rider. Which I guess implies that they assume that you have to have a new, shiny, expensive bike to ride well.

Conversely I'm sure it can be equally annoying for someone to be on an expensive shiny new bike and have people assume that they're new to riding and have just gone out and spunked a load of cash on something they can't ride properly!

I really couldn't care less what other people choose to spend their money on, or whether they've somehow "earned" the right to buy such items. If you think otherwise you should probably get out and ride more.

Surely its all about people enjoying themselves, if I had the money I would have a 5 grand bike, I dont, however I do have a bike I really enjoy using. If you spend a lot on a bike and enjoy using it great, why not its your money. I prefer to see people riding than care a less about what they are riding.

crap rider / amazing bike is fine, why not - but crap bike / amazing rider is always cool.

I never understood why anyone would care about what bike someone else is riding (unless they were racing). My bikes have got "better" as I have got older but my riding skills have got worse as I now ride less and take fewer risks. I don't care if i am on my knackered s

inglespeed or my boutique bike - it's just good to get out.

Is that my old boutique bike bubs? How are you getting on with it now?

 

Is just bollocks espoused by spiteful types.
Your bike is just a reflection of how much money you were willing to spend on a bicycle. Nothing more nothing less.
People on good bikes are generally no better or worse than those on crap bikes.

It's an entirely pointless argument, usually brought on by envy or reverse snobbery.

I'm more concerned about guys with fairly nice bikes, who have [i]have [/i]earned them, but don't always take advantage of available free time to ride them. What's all that about?

As for decent bike - crap rider? Don't care. Attitude to riding said bike though, is a different fish bucket.

How is this "earned the right" quantified. If I can overtake those who who feel you need to earn it, have I then earned it or do I need a page of KOMs, to have podiumed at a race..... What is a good enough rider?

If I had a 6k super bike I'd have to make sure I was the fastest rider around these parts. It's the same as the team sky brigade with matching socks, top, helmet ect ect, carbon super bike and a beer belly walking up hills.

Call it what you will but its not jealousy. I'd rather be a fast rider on a average/cheap bike than slow and unfit on an expensive one

I'd rather be on a bike.

I'd rather be a fast rider on a average/cheap bike than slow and unfit on an expensive one

If I had a 6k super bike I'd have to make sure I was the fastest rider around these parts. It's the same as the team sky brigade with matching socks, top, helmet ect ect, carbon super bike and a beer belly walking up hills.

Here here to wrecker and MarkLG.

Call it what you will but its not jealousy. I'd rather be a fast rider on a average/cheap bike than slow and unfit on an expensive one

So you would somehow be more worthy if you are a slow unfit rider on a crappy bike? 🙄

Some folk have cars that will go over 150 mph but don't drive much over 70mph.
Some have 4 bed houses but only sleep in 1 room.
Some drink 12 pints but are drunk on 6.
I don't have any of the above so can afford an expensive bike which is more than I need

you is all carp on you £6k monsta's man - got to keep it reels like...

if I could afford* a £6k bike I would, but the missus insists I pay the mortgage off more quickly.. Peaslake is like a show room these days for £6K+ bikes 🙁

edit@ to add I is better than all of you likes... 😛

*nakered old gspot with hand me down forks now in it's 8th year..

@davosaurusrex - ok, but I feel like I haven't earned it yet 😉
I have had to do less "earning" since I took off the Ti coil ccdb.

Nothing to do with being worthy or not, you just look a bit of a tit

Therag nicely put

If someone has to push a 6k roadie up a hill why should I care?

Maybe they are loaded and just starting out, perhaps next time they will ride half of it and in the meantime them buying that kit is funding the bike companies and product development and possibly keeping someone in a job.

What i do think is that alot of people are over biked.Why take an 6" travel bike on a canal towpath or say the verdeerers trail down the FOD.

Maybe they want to cycle down a canal towpath, but don't happen to own a dedicated canal towpath bike, so instead ride the one that they've got?

Nothing to do with being worthy or not, you just look a bit of a tit

Again 🙄

Luckily I doubt they give a sh*t about [u]your opinion[/u] of how they look.

a dedicated canal towpath bike

Doesn't everyone have one? 🙂

Who cares? Even if you can ride you'll probably be shit at something else (fighting or love making) so I'll happily stick to two out of three.

If I could afford a carbon blur trc I wouldn't hesitate. Do you think the opinion of a stranger would matter?

I didn't say that they would.. But what's wrong in buying a 500 hard tail and upgrading as your skills and fitness progress?

Its like the guy at work who's on 25k yet feels the need to finance a 30k Audi. I'd argue that the ones who need the fancy gear for no reason other than vanity have the problem.

My God, I agree with Hora.

Ride what you like.
A nice bike is a lovely thing to own.

Because they are a bit sad... tell 'em to faarrk off

Here here hora! Hmm one out of three isn't too bad 🙂

Its like the guy at work who's on 25k yet feels the need to finance a 30k Audi. I'd argue that the ones who need the fancy gear for no reason other than vanity have the problem.

I like bikes and hence spend a lot of time on rides talking to other people about their bikes. Generally find that people with nice bikes really appreciate what they have and get a lot of enjoyment from owning it, regardless of their riding abilities. I've not met anyone who's just walked into a shop and brought the most expensive bike they could as some sort of "vanity" purchase. As RustySpanner says, a nice bike is indeed a lovely thing to own.

Oh and...

But what's wrong in buying a 500 hard tail and upgrading as your skills and fitness progress?

Nothing at all wrong with that. If someone's new to cycling and asked my opinion it's along the lines of what I'd suggest.

But do you not get the feeling that its consumerism gone mad? The magazines just pedal this stuff and the next week it's there on the trails..

Guys bobbing around in £100 cycling tops and £100 shorts... What's wron with just chuCking a t-shirt on and riding your bike?

But the vanity is assumed. Maybe the chap with the 30k Audi lives at home and really likes cars (and Audis are nice in some respects).

[quote=therag ]Some folk have cars that will go over 150 mph but don't drive much over 70mph.
Some have 4 bed houses but only sleep in 1 room.
Some drink 12 pints but are drunk on 6.
I don't have any of the above so can afford an expensive bike which is more than I need
Excellent!

Still I'm probably not the most balanced on this issue due to spending my childhood pulling bikes out of the scrap metal skip and doing them up.

A nice bike is nice to ride no matter how shit you are. If you have the money to chuck at a high end mountain bike then go for it. Whether you an give the athertons a run for their money is irrelevant. It's nobody else's business what you spend your money on or how well you can use the things you spend it on. If it gives you enjoyment who am I to tell you otherwise.

I don't mind people who spunk mega bucks on this years latest must have bikes/wheelsets etc regardless of their ability, people like this keep the industry going, fair play if you can afford nice bikes then why the hell not, the people who simply must have this years model/colour are the also the ones that keep the rest of us benefitting in the classifieds section. I've always had a sh@t car/nice bike vibe going on, works for me 🙂 my bikes aren't ultra bling, mid range dependable kit that I keep in the best working order that I can by looking after it.

My comprehensive survey, based on the hundred odd MTBers I've ridden with over the past few years, suggests that better riders are often on nicer bikes - probably because they do that weird thing of spending some of their disposable income on a hobby that they enjoy. Then again, I only ride with people who actually ride bikes! The beginner riders on cheaper/older bikes are usually having just as much fun (and crashing equally frequently) despite going slower...

Who cares? Would you prefer that they give that hard earned money to charity instead and ride a £500 hardtail?

Lots of old men drive Porsche's. Should they drive a Fiat Panda instead?

No. Stop being negative-Charlie's.

But do you not get the feeling that its consumerism gone mad? The magazines just pedal this stuff and the next week it's there on the trails..

Yup. It's the same with any product. Brands work hard to make themselves desirable, and the ones that succeed often carry a premium price tag.

Guys bobbing around in £100 cycling tops and £100 shorts... What's wron with just chuCking a t-shirt on and riding your bike?

Sweaty back 🙂

' Oh look its all the gear'

...says the 'cant afford/didnt listen at school no gear'.

It annoys the **** out of me when I see a really expensive car with a crap bike on it.
You're rich, buy a nice bike.

It annoys the **** out of me when I see a really expensive car with a crap bike on it.
You're rich, buy a nice bike.

Or possibly... you can barely make the loan repayments on the car so can't afford a nice bike to put on it!

I guess it's the problem with making assumptions about peoples wealth/riding ability/success/penis size based on their material possessions.

There's a tendency for strong riders to use ropey bikes for their training which plays to the stereotype. Like if you were on a group ride and a guy turned up on some on-one horror they'd pulled from a skip, what would you think? I'd prob assume, on first impressions, that they were an experienced rider who knew what they were doing. Whereas bloke on a 5k FS could be anything really.

A fool and his money are soon parted

Got overtaken today riding to work on my Transition Double (not a great commute bike) by a woman riding a hybrid not wearing a helmet, it was really funny, she was out of breath with the effort to pass me and when I said good morning she could not even answear me, the bike I was riding.. really cant type what im trying to say, cheers and gone

A fool and his money are soon parted

Buy cheap buy twice 😉

When I turn up somewhere with my Mojo I do feel a little self conscious for the exact reasons above, even though it's 5 years old and I bought it secondhand.

BTW it goes on the top of a Focus, I firmly believe the bike should be worth more than the car.

I quite like how the whole thing unfolds when you ride with new people, from the "slight out the corner of your eye" checking out their ride as it comes out of/off their car, to what gear they have on, how "fat" they look 😉 how they sit on it, what sort of riding position do they adopt etc. In fact, you can generally spot the better riders before they have even swung a leg over their £6k SC..... 😉

I've ridden with superb riders on average bikes, and average riders on superb bikes, but funnily enough, generally, really crap bikes are not ridden by decent riders (because they are good enough to realise the bike is holding them back) and it's rare to find really terrible riders on superbikes (because they realise it's not worth them spending the money on a superbike)

Get a bike, any bike, get out and ride it!

You'll quite often find me riding my 6" bike on the towpath, mainly because i enjoy riding it. If i wanted to go super fast, i'd ride my sub 10kg race hardtail instead 😉 (and probably finish my ride feeling like i've been beaten up...........)

When I turn up somewhere with my Mojo I do feel a little self conscious for the exact reasons above, even though it's 5 years old and I bought it secondhand.

When riding with new groups I have been known to dig out my tatty cheap winter bike and the oldest most non-descript bits of kit I can find in the bottom of my kit box for much the same reasons.

My friend and I have both recently got back into mtbing. I did several events last year on a 10year old £200 GT. He did a couple on hired bikes.

He decided to buy what he considered to be a mid-range bike and spent around £500 on a Carrera hard tail.

I threw caution to the wind- I knew what I wanted, a light, fast, full suspension xc bike and whilst initially I wanted 26" wheels, a go on a 29er convinced me and I blew £3k on an un discounted Scott Spark.

My gears work flawlessly- his have almost entirely been replaced by Halfords.
My brakes work flawlessly- his seals went and the brakes have almost entirely been replaced by Halfords.
My forks actually stopped locking out but were repaired under warranty- his stopped working and have been replaced by Halfords.
My wheels are light, fast and strong- his have needed rebuilding and have now almost entirely been replaced by Halfords.
My entire bike rolls silently along- his creaks and groans and clicks and grinds unless perfectly clean and adjusted.

I've been inspired to ride more and more and lost a stone in weight and am now well into xc racing- he rarely rides.

I couldn't give a monkeys what people think- it's my money and I'll buy what I want thanks!!

(Although you have to be more inventive with your excuses 😉 )

I don't have a problem with crap riders having nice bikes. Maybe because I'm one of them but I know two people with nice bikes that have ridden them once or twice and now the bikes languish in their sheds. I did get a bit angry though when one of them walked his spesh pitch down the weirwolf drop at Cannock.

I was always under the impression to buy the best bike you can afford.

I struggle to understand people's concern with other people's 'skill' levels & the way the choose to spend their hard earned on Bikes, Cars etc...

Lot of people are clearly jealous but try & say they aren't by spouting utter bollocks about required bike/kit levels for skill set etc 🙄

When I see a £6k super bike I'm straight over to look at it, not for a moment do i resent it's owner, I always think fair play for putting the graft in to treat yourself to a nice bike. Same with nice cars.

That said even your normal bikes like my Orange 5 get my attention, I like seeing other peoples bikes & im not alone, even a fetching blondie at Ladybowers earlier this year liked my filing cabinet 😉

I can't afford to spaff 6 grand on a bike but if I could then you bet I would spaff alright.