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

I often here this, “all the gear no idea” belief, often espoused by people who aren’t exactly, Wiggo/Vos/Schurter material themselves. At what level do people think that ownership of a 6k bike is justifiable. Personally I feel if you got the means then why not.

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.

And a great many car owners.
And a great many pc owners.
And a great many house owners.
etc., etc., etc.

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!

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.

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..

suggesting your bike is vastly superior to your level of skill

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,

Eh? Where do you ride it then? I presume a bike mechanic can’t afford a mansion with long enough corridors to ride it in? 😀

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 have 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?