Forum menu
I'll start - instant coffee. First off, pipe down coffee-knobbers, if you don't like it don't drink it, but I don't mind instant coffee, it'll do.
However, there has been a slight profusion in more expensive instants in fancy metal tins that purport to be all fancy-schmansy and like 'actual' coffee. They're absolutely not worth the extra money though, they're indistinguishable from 'normal' instant.
Any more?
I’d extend the OP to just ‘coffee’
Bottom brackets.
I was going to order a very expensive ceramic bearing jobbie from the LBS and he said ‘to be honest with you mate, just buy the cheapest Shimano, because the expensive one won’t last any longer, especially not around here’
Having tried much more spendy options in the past, he’s right. So I bought the cheapest Shimano. It didn’t last long, but then they never do, and it was only 12 quid
Damn beaten to it
Paracetamol, Ibuprofen etc. Active ingredient is exactly the same in supermarket generic own brands as in the expensive stuff on the next shelf.
Paracetamol, Ibuprofen etc. Active ingredient is exactly the same in supermarket generic own brands as in the expensive stuff on the next shelf.
Yeah, it boggles my mind that people actually buy Nurofen
So many things. Food staples like oats, rice, flour obviously. Medicines - anyone who buys "Nurofen" over supermarket ibuprofen is daft. Same for loads of other branded medicines - get the Boots or supermarket generic version. Brake cleaner - buy a 5L jug of isopropyl alcohol from Amazon and put some in a spray bottle. About 5000 (ish 😉) times cheaper than stuff from a bike shop and useful for loads of other stuff.
Edit: Must learn to type quicker. Apols for being an echo!!
Further edit: Coffee w****r here, biting his lip so hard it's going to bleed!
Alcohol - why bother with ChateauNeuf-de-PooPoo when you can just drink rubbing alcohol?
Brake cleaner - buy a 5L jug of isopropyl alcohol from Amazon and put some in a spray bottle. About 5000 (ish
) times cheaper than stuff from a bike shop
I'd extend this to any bike-specific cleaning product. Between isopropyl alcohol and washing up liquid you're covered for all bike cleaning needs.
Flooring.
Some of the really big names such as 'Amtico' probably are worth the money, however other makes are just ripping you off. You can buy a 'Karndean' lookalike which is as good and much cheaper.
Dogs, and probably cats
I dunno, there are breeders that sells labradors, bred and trained to be beautifully behaved gundogs, but they cost £££££s. I sometimes look at our barky dickhead and think "if I had the money..."
You might save a few grams but you do not necessarily get a better product IMO.
- Stems
- Seatposts
- Bottle cages
- Saddles
Everything else bike related you always get diminishing returns once you get past the mid range products, it doesn't however stop us wanting the latest and greatest products though.
OP - you're wrong about coffee!! 🙂
Cars people in Ferraris get stuck in traffic jams same as me in my Dacia
Halloween tat decor.
No need for that hand crafted Etsy work of art, it's all heading for landfill anyway.
cycle or outdoor clothes.
decathlon quechua stuff is as good or possibly better than any branded cycle clothing.
So so wrong about coffee. I thought I'd hit rock bottom drinking Nescafe red*. No, there's Amazon basics. Life can always get worse.
* supplied by a previous employer, I took to taking my own coffee in after a week.
Not a big coffee drinker, caffeine really affects me. However, we buy Ringtons (NE legend) tea and instant coffee, both are slightly more expensive than typical brands but both are significantly better. YMMV.
Regarding Nurofen/ibuprofen and other branded medicines, a pharma guy on here, posted that there are some differences between the various types, mainly to do with the speed of effect.
Bicycle specific lubricants and oils. Just buy perfectly good general stuff ie don't bother with the tiny expensive bottle of sram fork oil, just use a much cheaper one branded for motorbikes
Going for a walk or ride to appreciate the natural world without being off your tits on drugs?
Going for a walk or ride to appreciate the natural world without being off your tits on drugs?
Mushrooms are free
Dogs, and probably cats
Arguably you could argue they not only "no better" they're often considerably worse.
My mongrel looks like a fancy mutt for a fraction of the price.
OP - you're wrong about coffee!!
What, you think that posh instant is better than normal instant?
It really is though. Well more specifically instant coffee can taste very very different. They're all pretty terrible but there is a definite "drinkable" and "**** that" range.
Caveat.
If you are talking about the Starbucks etc where they include the dust from the roast house floor. Then i agree it taste no better than the best straight instant.
Cars
I have to disagree with that. Drive 6hrs in your Dacia then 6hrs in a posh Mercedes, compare how you feel afterwards.
decathlon quechua stuff is as good or possibly better than any branded cycle clothing.
Nah there is usually a difference. You might not notice it, which is great for you (really, you are way better off if you don't) but it's there. It might not be worth the money either, that's a different question.
Mushrooms are free and part of the natural world
FTFY!
Goretex etc.
I still end up a hot sweaty mess.
'Coffee knobber' 😁
Oi! I resemble that remark 🙃
I predict this will quickly descend into a typical STW discretionary spend row. 'How much for ABC? You could get a car for that...' etc 😐
Farmfoods for their steakybakes 2 for a £1 or even the curried ones, has to be one of the best food shops around
Generic Viagra for about the same price as the steaky bakes
I might be wrong but M&S boxer shorts don't last any longer than ones that are less than half the price, same with socks
I might be wrong but M&S boxer shorts don't last any longer than ones that are less than half the price, same with socks
I would disagree with that. But i do think socks in particular are foot dependent. Cheeper sock the back of the heel goes much faster i find.
Yeah, it boggles my mind that people actually buy Nurofen
Mate, go to Canada - there's nothing but the branded stuff. When I lived there I used to stock up on the Boots/ Tesco own-brand 20p a pack stuff.
Saddles
mmm... I get your point that more money doesn't necessarily equal more comfort; but it's definitely not the case that cheap is 'just as good' as expensive. It depends.
Mobile phone networks/ contracts. O2, Vodafone, EE vs Tesco etc. When you're in the middle of London, none of them seem to work much anyway!
Toothpaste and toothbrushes.
double post
Is this not the whole principle behind Sales \ Marketing \ Branding? People will pay more for a brand they associate something good with. Doesn't matter if that headache tablets, breakfast cereal or cars.
But sometimes the branded items are worse than the generic item and depend on the perceived quality to convince buyers to pay the premium price. Whole brand lifecycle thing in Marketing so at the end of the life cycle the quality goes to shit to get the last drop out of it before it disappears (or gets sold to Sports Direct).