Originally Posted by
smakcanada
Well, I bit the bullet and laid down a thousand dollars for a bicycle which is about 3 times as much as I imagined I'd be paying!
Welcome. Adults getting in to this sport frequently are used to seeing Target and Walmart bikes for low prices, and don't recognize the difference in quality.
Once you've been around a while you learn to appreciate why real bikes cost more than toys. You got a very nice, entry level bike.
Ever seen a kayak in Target? Kayaks look like they go for $800-$1200 and they don't even have any moving parts.