MTBing hijacked by the big money brigade ?

Maybe it’s my age and I’m out of touch but I think the time has come for me to stop buying bike mags . Been with Singletrack from the beginning , riding since the mid 90s and still having a blast . But have watched prices go from a generally gentle uphill slope to a rocket propelled into orbit . Still think 3k tops should be the most anyone would need to pay to get a damn good bike , now 5k seems more and more the norm . Just looking at a rival mag they’ve got a 9K plus bike in there !!!! That’s about what we paid for our 1st house FFS !! It used to be you can get a car for that !I know the argument that if people have got the money etc and you can have just as much fun on cheaper kit ( I do ! ) It just seems like newly monied people are getting into MTBing and they are being pandered to making it bad for ordinary bods ?
It’s not just the bikes a helmet at £180 , shorts at£100 (and the stitching is coming apart ) forks at nearly a grand , most of this stuff is made in the Far East but the prices don’t reflect that . I think the time has come for me to stop buying mags and then I can ignore it until I need to buy anything . Haven’t bought a bike for 2 years and can’t see that changing anytime soon . Was kind of interested when Cove announced a new Hustler but £1600 just for the frame ? Think I’ll pass thanks .

[insert groundhog gif here]

silly-expensive mtb’s are nothing new.

ignore them, even the cheap stuff performs amazingly these days.

That will be £20, please. 🙂

That’s about what we paid for our 1st house FFS !

oldfart

You’re not kidding!

Anyway, just because you were there when farthings were worth something doesnt mean things are “too” expensive now.

It is getting more expensive. But you also have to take into account people’s wages also increasing. But again it is no where near the same rate as consumer products are rising.

I’m not planning to buy a bike for at least 5 years. It’s not going to stop me having fun, and I only read magazines for the adventures not the parts.

blh blah blah inflation, blah, mid range better than ever, blah blah, expensive as you want to make it, blah blah

Top end is getting more expensive, mid range is getting better for the same (actual) money.

This issue has been around for a bit…

2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014

…incidentally. Here is my new MTB:

£400 + £100 for 10 speed SLX/RaceFace upgrade.

Lol @Jamie

Yes, bikes are subject to inflation, so are your wages. it all works out in the end….

Yes.

‘Inspirational and aspirational’.

bfreeman0 – Member

It is getting more expensive.

it really isn’t.

Well to be honest as a teenager what I really wanted was a set of JUDY DH to go on my most awesome Balance hardtail frame (it was awesome really) and if I remember correctly they were £549.00. I was 15/16 and earned about £2 per hour as a pot wash. Ended up buying some off a friend a few years later when the Z1 Bombers came out and he upgraded his GT LTS DH (what a bike that was!!).

So I think now that I can pick up a set of Pikes for the same money and I earn a considerable amount more than £2ph I think it’s about right.

So all those people you see riding around on expensive bikes, not all just new MTBers with more money than sense, some of us who grew up in the 90’s now have the money to buy the bikes we wanted as kids!

There are plenty more things that are a lot more expensive now which have had no technical innovation over the same period.

Unfortunately it’s not just bikes – it’s everything.

The Guardian wrote yesterday (IIRC) that “the amount needed to cover a family’s basic needs had risen 46% since 2008, average earnings had risen only 9% in that time” (http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jun/30/couple-two-children-earn-basic-needs).

You’ll probably see that the biggest increase is energy – unfortunately this also affects industry and production.

My understanding of it is this:

When I left my last job (with a product distributor) the pricelist was changing daily due to a ding-dong between the pound, dollar and yen, and the cost of oil (which almost certainly affected aforementioned ding-dong). Not only does oil go into products such as rubber and plastic, but it also (obviously) goes into fuel, which directly affects logistics. Both of these unfortunately have a knock on effect, and will effect smaller production runs (such as mid-high end MTB kit) more due to the economy of scale.

I’m also happy to be corrected on this.

But yes, it has gone nuts. I’ve recently bought a £3k bike with Deore on it. To be fair it is genuinely impressive kit, but five years ago that would have been laughable.

It’s possible to spend huge amounts. But at lower budgets bikes are amazing value. For example:

£600: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-bizango-29er-mountain-bike-20

(which is the equivalent of a £450 bike in 2004 or a £350 bike in 1994. Or a £300 bike in 1990- I bought a £300 bike in 1990, it had a ****ing flexstem.

I remember in one of the (many, many, many) previous threads on this someone comparing the price of the most top end commercially available bike today and the same from the late 80’s – in real terms (once inflation was taken into account) they worked out unerringly similar in money. The only difference was that the present day one was many orders of magnitude more proficient.

I disagree with it being more expensive. Sure you can spend silly amounts of money, but if you shop around and do your homework the likes of Canyon, Cube, Rose and Boardman offer some brilliant bikes for less than 2k.
Even buying a frame and building yourown custom bike is fairly cheap with steel frames for £300.
Ebay and the www have made the choice huge. Just ride and be happy.

Most normal well adjusted bods ignore the tosh in “some” mtb mags (present company excepted) 😀

Look at it another way. There will be loads of cheap, immaculate, virtually unused high end bikes around, when all those presently mincing around llandegla car park on 8 grand Santa Cruz get into wake boarding, or whatever the next fad is

Every cloud, n all that…. “D

don’t forget that access to second hand bikes and parts is amazing these days with online forums, classifieds and eBay.
this means that you can recoup money on old parts more readily than in bygone days.

oldfart – Member

I think the time has come for me to stop buying mags and then I can ignore it until I need to buy anything

Ta Da. Problem solved.
I agree to some extent, but have always tried to buy kit when it’s on sale/end of line and you can find great deals. Depends how bothered you are about owning the latest and greatest.

I recently bought a road helmet – £60 Giro reduced to £37 from CycleSurgery and it’s the most comfortable helmet I’ve ever used.
My last pair of shoes were almost half price, I got a cassette that was heavily discounted to something like £26 and a new tyre for my road bike cost me £17.
I could have spend £100 on a helmet, £100 on shoes, £60 on a cassette and £50 on a tyre. But I would get no more enjoyment out of them.

Rather spend the money on fixing my car/redecorating the house beer…..

The way I see it is if you’re prepared to spend a few grand on a bike, you have the spare cash and your kids aren’t starving etc then why not.
The reason why they are so much is to support the cost of the same very same bikes they give free to pros. If you want to pretend to be a pro thats fine.

Top end bikes don’t sell in huge numbers that’s all there is to it. For every 7k uber “steed” there a dozen 1500 quid bikes. Buy stuff second hand or discounted if you’re skint (I do anyway and I’m not) and try to have fun on the trails. 7k doesn’t buy more fun after all, fun is free.

I think the trap is manufacturers shifting units at what people are willing to pay, rather than a hijack. Hijack of the mind maybe. It’s called progress apparently and there is a cost to it.

I have never bought a complete bike, I just swap frames and parts, as the options come up. I enjoy building my own bikes as I’m sure many other people on here do.

As a result i look at new bike reviews just out of interest, to see if something original has been developed.

So I do appreciate the “trickle down technology” and it suits my pocket too. Mind I also have the work flexibility to ride in the week, rather than be spending my Sunday following someone on their bling bike.

That’s about what we paid for our 1st house FFS !

F’in Peasant.

I’d have a modern £500 bike anyday over one from years ago.

I really don’t care what the most expensive bike costs

But I’m with the OP on coverage. I think the mags seem to focus on very high end bikes. This month was a good example with 3 £5000 bikes. Yes I know we some times get reviews of cheaper stuff. But I think if a friend flipped through my Single Track pile they would conclude that its a hobby that can’t afford

The cost of the most expensive bike may not have changed much but we do now have a multitude of types of bikes now and the whole n+1 thing going on. In the 80s and 90s top bikes may have been the same in real terms but that 1 bike would do it all, everything off road. Now many expensive bike are very specific. Even a really versatile FS trail bike is crap on the road or flat smooth trails and still be out of place at a downhill race

Good responses people ! I think it’s because I’m now semi retired and my buying/earning power is in reverse . But ask any of my mates and they’ll tell you oven ever paid full price for ANYTHING ever 🙂

most of this stuff is made in the Far East but the prices don’t reflect that

what?

what?

He said:

most of this stuff is made in the Far East but the prices don’t reflect that

Yes all of this is shit VFM

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/boardman-mountain-bike-team-full-suspension-650b-2014

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FROOCO/on-one-codeine-29er-frame

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FRTITELG29S/titus-el-guapo-29er-frame-with-rockshox-monarch-rt3-shock

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FROO45650B/on-one-45650b-frame

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ABR-Heats-Mountain-Bike-Aerolight-31-8mm-760mm-Handlebar-White-/310511914725?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item484bf3cee5

http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-slx-m675-10-speed-shadow-rear-derailleur-60109.html

http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-deore-m615-disc-brakes-front-rear-set-62194.html

http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-deore-m615-double-chainset-63270.html

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/rockshox-revelation-rl-solo-air-forks-15mm-2014/rp-prod117689

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/x-fusion-sweep-rl2-fork-2014?gclid=CjgKEAjwuMmdBRDljdfi2_qQpxkSJADDCRwsIrG7LSFK1ebL4u8d3XlAvzYYiQzu56cy2-whoId-i_D_BwE

Mid-90’s fuel was 40% of what it costs today and I was earning 30% of what I earn today, so for me at least stuff is relatively cheaper, unless you have to have the latest bells & whistles, in which case you’ll pay through the nose.

frOsty125

That doesn’t really answer the OPs point though. No one is saying that you can’t MTB on a budget or that there isn’t good value.

The best example you linked to is the Boardman as it is available from a National chain and is a versatile off road machine. I think that people aren’t going to by attracted to the sport by being able to buy cheap bits online. I think by that point you have already hit enthusiast

My concern is that between mags, shops and trails full of expensive big travel machines is that it gives the impression that things can’t be done on the cheap

I’ve seen posts from people on here asking if this or that MTB will be upto the job at a trail centre. That’s not surprising when the mags describe a £5000 bike as the ideal trail centers bike. Or when they get on their on a hard tail and think that they are struggling as they don’t have an expensive enough bike.

Of course FS isn’t needed for Rocks at a trail centre. I followed some one on here’s son over said rocks. He was fast and on a 24″ wheel rigid kids MTB..

Whining about people with ‘new money’ just sounds like you are jealous you cant afford a more expensive bike. They have always been expensive and largely followed inflation.

Of course FS isn’t needed for Rocks at a trail centre. I followed some one on here’s son over said rocks. He was fast and on a 24″ wheel rigid kids MTB..

That’s as mibbe,the young loon has youth and energy on his side. I’m shite and need a skills compensator to assist me.

ampthill – Why do you care about what other people ride? As far as I can see the sport is as inclusive as it has ever been, even sponsorship (that lady on-one sponsored for enduro)

Hmmm. Actually, I think I should apologise to the OP. He’s pontificating about the mags only reporting on high end gear, and not just only high end gear being available.

Must learn to read.

It’s always been a sport for people with at least a few quid. You never hear of kids cycling their way out of the ghetto.

most of this stuff is made in the Far East but the prices don’t reflect that

what? [/quote]

Ha, I wrote that exact post, then thought I couldn’t be arsed to go there! But yes… what?

That’s as mibbe,the young loon has youth and energy on his side. I’m shite and need a skills compensator to assist me.

So Do I!!

ampthill – Why do you care about what other people ride? As far as I can see the sport is as inclusive as it has ever been, even sponsorship (that lady on-one sponsored for enduro)

On one level i don’t. I like a bike ride and have a bike to ride end of

But a small part of me worries that the sport could contract. Like windsurfing. The kit got better but the sport got less and less popular. I asked a guy in 1990 who always had the right size sail what do you spend on the sport. He said £3500 a year. Its not like MTB wrong board and sail and your just not sailing however good you are. Oh and finally I think you are right at the moment the sport is diverse inclusive and interesting. But some times the mags don’t show it like that

Mountain bikes have if anything kept below inflation price-wise. But there is a new top-end that didn’t exist in the past – although unless you are racing competitively, there’s no point venturing there.

My main gripe about the MTB industry is the gradual encroachment of commercialism. We live in a throwaway culture and no more is this apparent than in the world of cycling. I’ve been mountain biking for ten years and still have the same bike, with a service once a year, and new shorts, t-shirts, etc, I probably spend £300 a year max.

Manufacturers charge and have always charged ‘whatever the market will withstand’.

Recent pricing suggests there’s been an upsurge in the number of people with large disposable incomes for whom price is pretty much irrelevant.

Iv,e been biking over 30 yrs, im now 53, what ive noticed is that most older bikers start to look up the ladder as they get older, thus they start to notice the 3k + bikes, mostly down to wanting better kit but also having more income to spend on a hobby, the trick is to know where the cut off point is for you, i found mine years ago, absolutely no point in me spending 7k on a bike that i wouldnt get the benefit from even when i can afford it,you will always get the people that just have to have the best kit out there, that will never change, its the same in most hobbies. btw, i think bikes are far better value for money now than they were years ago, depends were n when you buy it from of course.

If you think mountainbikes are expensive have a look at road bikes. They’re worse than hareleys, warmed over nineteenth century designs with a comedy price tag.