Bike kit you happily empty your pocket/bank account for?

Ok, so no ones really happy emptying their wallet/purse, but what stuff are you happy to shell out for?
I baulk a bit at consumables but seem to readily splash on tyres and shoes.

Maps

Good shout Stoner.

I’m happy to spend money on quality tools, being a mechanic to trade i value the satisfaction that comes from using decent kit, and bike clothing – i initially baulked at spending over £200 on my showers pass refuge jacket but it has proved it worth many times over as has the rest of their kit. I’m been eying up a pair of Kitsbow 3/4 shorts as well but i’ll wait till i get a discount code or similar.

Decent clothes and shoes.
Saddles, tape/grips.
Luggage.
Decent tyres.
Tools.
And maps, good one.

On the bike, I like decent wheels that suit the job.
Apart from that, basic is fine.
Not that fussed about frame tubing or material – doesn’t influence my frame choice, more interested in how it rides.

None of it has to be expensive or be from a particular brand, just to work well, last and not be unnecessarily heavy or ugly.

Tubulars for racing.
I use mid-to-high components in general but tubs are the only thing I go for the absolute best in.

Tyres, brakes, saddles, rain jackets, helments.

Nothing specific, all of it 😐

Padded shorts, lights.

Looking at my bikes, the only gear above slx is cassettes. Apparently I will pay more for lack of faff- hope headsets, decent hubs, good suss bearings, should all minimise fixing time.

In future I think it will be winter gloves- I’ve bought two pairs of gores cheap lately, one windproof, one waterproof and I think I’d pay full price for those!

Oh, and winter jackets. Possibly winter kit in general.

Waterproofs & Winter riding kit , brake pads, cables, rear mechs & cassettes (always XT). As demonstrated by how much enjoyment I get from riding by on-one fatty vs my Alpine 160, everything else doesn’t actually make much difference.

Hope kit..it just works
Xt group
Odi longneck grips

Things that don’t let you down. Reliable components, good quality tyres, decent clothing and good places to ride in.

Nothing, I hate paying RRP for anything & always wait for sales

The right kit for the job…
Decent tools, decent lids, decent clothes?

When I look at cost per use it’s tiny so that keeps me happy.

Tyres. They make such a difference to how a bike feels that they’re worth paying for.

Helmets, good padded shorts. santini suit my ar$e, it’s like having it cradled by the hands of an angel

Headsets
Anything that relies purely on the bearing seals will turn to mush in months…yet a nice one with good seals can outlast a bike.

Never understood why you have to pay double or triple just to have a seal on the crown race – its so bloody obvious.

Never understood why you have to pay double or triple just to have a seal on the crown race

Because they don’t get repeat business.

Because they don’t get repeat business.

But who buys the same one again after it disintegrates in a few months?

Bottom brackets

I get 7-12 months out of a hope one, and 2-3 weeks out of a shimano one, and thats on a road bike FFS

And replacement bearings on hope brackets aren’t too expensive either

What do you do to them to get that short a lifespan? That’s for both Hope and Shimano BTW.

I’ve had a Hope BB on my road bike since the original Shimano died about four years ago and do 6000Km PA on it and it’s as good as new. I remove, clean and regrease twice a year but that’s it. The Hope BB on my MTB has been there for over a year and 4500Km of riding, again no problems.

nothing much, the shimano has done a few summer rides (yes british summer, so wet and some flooding, but nothing deeper than the bottom of the chainrings) in the last month, about 900 miles

Only got it as it was cheap and was waiting for stock of hope bearings.

Will whip it out and see whats actually up with it, but it had the tell tell signs of creaking yesterday, although it has quietened down after this mornings wet riding

Oakleys
Tyres
Shoes
Helmets

Gloves, shoes, lid and bib shorts. Oh and tyres.

I also really like the Hope brakes I treated myself to, I’m now contemplating a set for the other bike as well.

Saddles and suspension, I think they’re the only thing I’ve consistently spent money on top end kit, everything else is just a weight/£ trade off really.

I looked again at the Kitbow short reviews but another brand popped up in my review searches that seemed worth a look at – 7mesh Recon short, i was a bit wary about sizing as i’m a 33″ waist so i emailed them and a few minutes later ( 😯 wow, that was quick) i got a reply from the sales directer with details regarding the sizing and recommending i go for a medium as one of his colleagues is the same waist size as me and the medium fits perfectly.

10 minutes from my initial email to getting a response is pretty damn good so i’ve ordered a pair and we’ll see if they are as good as the reviews say when they arrive t’morn.

They didn’t quite empty my bank account as i sold a forgotten about old pair of Hope wheels yesterday to one of the boys in the town so they only really cost me £25, #easilyjustifiablepurchase 😉

very subjective this.
when you use a bike every day, what seems expensive to some, isnt to yourself. everything is cheaper than a car and it’s running costs.

so, handbuilt wheels, good quality tyres, comfy saddles, good clothing.

Waterproofs & Winter riding kit

+1. Good gloves, boots and jacket make a huge difference to winter riding, both for mtb and road.

Hope stuff which over its life span ends up being cheap. I like to buy the right thing the first time and don’t just buy stuff because it’s cheap. I have made that mistake in the past with the likes of shimano bottom brackets and anything from superstar.

I don’t buy kit that is ‘best for the money’ I buy kit that is ‘best’.

I also spend lots in my lbs, it pays over time.

Shorts and shoes. I went through years of gradually spending a little more each time I bought either until the point I arrived at Assos shorts and the high end Sidi shoes and doubt I’d go back to cheaper versions now.

Chris King headsets, first item that goes on any new build bike. I’ve not had to replace a CK headset yet.

Good suspension, wheels to an extent (always buy on discount), carbon handlebars.

Would pay more for good tyres, but they are usually easy enough to get cheap-ish.

Suspension is the main one for me, riding really good shocks & forks is so nice.

A flat in peebles

Handlebars

Interesting, but unsurprising, to see so much ‘contact point’ stuff (inc tyres) on the lists. How about frames? Or does that always require serious shopping about/sales.

Exposure lights. Reliable, and no loose cables and batteries flapping around in the wind.

Good shout tenfoot

Paid £140 for an e-13 9-44t cassette, but it works for me.

Bought Hope lights and Hope brakes before that work no better than other makes, but are very well made