Who's buying all these high end bikes?
06-23-17, 10:31 AM
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06-23-17, 10:54 AM
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Just wondering who do you think are buying all these high end designer/handmade type bikes? My guess is most of the folks in this particular forum (+50). I think most of us here can afford to get a Ti or custom steel frame if we really wanted to. Do you think the average Joe Biker can afford to get these? A young person with a family or at work trying to make ends meet wouldn't choose one of these so that leaves us old farts with enough disposable income to keep all these small business in business...
Personally, I would like a Ti gravel bike...
What do you think?
Personally, I would like a Ti gravel bike...
What do you think?
I bought my custom-built and customised bicycle when I was in my early 30s.
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06-23-17, 11:20 AM
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Paid off a long time ago
Those of us who are 50+ bought long enough ago in the Bay Area that we had the chance to purchase when pricing was not insane (30 years ago). A big reason I can afford custom bikes and other goodies now. I do feel for anyone trying to buy in the Bay Area now, however, I had neighbors who bought during the last upcycle (at what I thought was an absurd price) and they just sold and made a tidy profit. Keeps going up.
Those of us who are 50+ bought long enough ago in the Bay Area that we had the chance to purchase when pricing was not insane (30 years ago). A big reason I can afford custom bikes and other goodies now. I do feel for anyone trying to buy in the Bay Area now, however, I had neighbors who bought during the last upcycle (at what I thought was an absurd price) and they just sold and made a tidy profit. Keeps going up.
06-23-17, 12:13 PM
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Buy a bunch.
From American craftsmen.
Many US Ti builders = too many to list
Custom steel frame @ $1,000 .Curtlo Cycles - Handmade bicycles. Custom Mountain Bike, Road, Cyclocross, Tandem bikes. and Many others.
Handmade in US Carbon Fiber = www.calfeedesign.com. $2,400 Luna frame or custom available.
Don't know which age group buys the most $6,000 bikes? Interesting question...
From American craftsmen.
Many US Ti builders = too many to list
Custom steel frame @ $1,000 .Curtlo Cycles - Handmade bicycles. Custom Mountain Bike, Road, Cyclocross, Tandem bikes. and Many others.
Handmade in US Carbon Fiber = www.calfeedesign.com. $2,400 Luna frame or custom available.
Don't know which age group buys the most $6,000 bikes? Interesting question...
06-23-17, 01:08 PM
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Can't answer your question. Wasn't it a female builder?
My reference was to a company, south of Santa Cruz, CA that has been in the carbon fiber bike biz since the 80s. Also one of the first in bamboo. CF bikes 100% Made in California. Luna was Craig Calfee's dog and the name of bike line that continues to the present. Calfee Luna
My reference was to a company, south of Santa Cruz, CA that has been in the carbon fiber bike biz since the 80s. Also one of the first in bamboo. CF bikes 100% Made in California. Luna was Craig Calfee's dog and the name of bike line that continues to the present. Calfee Luna
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06-23-17, 01:56 PM
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I remember reading a Maynard Hershon article I think in Winning, where he interviewed a sales rep for some very expensive boutique brand of bikes... might've been Serotta. The rep told him that one of her main jobs was teaching the bike sales staff at the LBS how to sell these expensive bikes. She said you have to convince them that they've earned it and they deserve it. You don't say "these are for serious racers or triple century riders" you say "these are for people who appreciate quality and craftsmanship and have done well in life and are fortunate enough to own one... that sounds like you."
06-23-17, 02:08 PM
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06-23-17, 02:16 PM
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There's no particular demonstrable demographic other than "those that have the cash" (whether from deep pockets, begging, borrowing, stealing...).
06-23-17, 02:56 PM
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06-23-17, 03:18 PM
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06-23-17, 03:26 PM
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I was just at a bike shop in Playa del Rey. They had a beautiful Bianchi down there for $11,000. 
There are folks out there with the disposable income for that ... or people who couldn't care less about the car they drive, but want an awesome bike. It's all good.
The bike I've been riding as of late (and will likely ride this weekend on the double century) is an Schwinn frame I got for $80 from Nashbar, built out for maybe about a total of $500. It climbs well, descends well, and is reasonably comfortable. But it's not nearly as pretty as that Bianchi.
There are folks out there with the disposable income for that ... or people who couldn't care less about the car they drive, but want an awesome bike. It's all good.
The bike I've been riding as of late (and will likely ride this weekend on the double century) is an Schwinn frame I got for $80 from Nashbar, built out for maybe about a total of $500. It climbs well, descends well, and is reasonably comfortable. But it's not nearly as pretty as that Bianchi.
06-23-17, 03:28 PM
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Just wondering who do you think are buying all these high end designer/handmade type bikes? My guess is most of the folks in this particular forum (+50). I think most of us here can afford to get a Ti or custom steel frame if we really wanted to. Do you think the average Joe Biker can afford to get these? A young person with a family or at work trying to make ends meet wouldn't choose one of these so that leaves us old farts with enough disposable income to keep all these small business in business...
Personally, I would like a Ti gravel bike...
What do you think?
Personally, I would like a Ti gravel bike...
What do you think?
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06-23-17, 03:42 PM
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Cycling has been a fact of my life the past 40+ years. I raced. I had a clubmate build me a custom when I finished. A decade later a cousin thrust an early (good) ti mountain bike in my hands and told me to ride it. I knew from that 1/2 mile that a custom ti road bike was for me as soon as I could afford it. 18 years and a good job later, I could. Had it built. 5 years later, another one with a very different focus. In the process., I developed a relationship with that framebuilder. He has also built stems and seatposts for my other bikes plus done several repairs and modifications so he now has a real hand in all of my 5 bikes.
Not a cheap way to ride. I'm guessing $8-9000 has gone from my bank account to his. It does make my wallet a little thinner. But as a betterment of my existence here on earth, yeah!, big time. I don't regret any of this one bit.
Yes, I am an over 50 (over 60) rider who can (not all that comfortably) afford multiple multi K bikes. But it is also a simple choice as to what is really important to me. Cycling is. So I ride bikes that put a grin on my face. All of them. (Even my $80 frame workhorse fix gear, ~$500 total. That now has a repair costing most of that total. But best bike for that application in my 40 years of riding those bikes. First of 5 frames that is a keeper.)
Ben
Not a cheap way to ride. I'm guessing $8-9000 has gone from my bank account to his. It does make my wallet a little thinner. But as a betterment of my existence here on earth, yeah!, big time. I don't regret any of this one bit.
Yes, I am an over 50 (over 60) rider who can (not all that comfortably) afford multiple multi K bikes. But it is also a simple choice as to what is really important to me. Cycling is. So I ride bikes that put a grin on my face. All of them. (Even my $80 frame workhorse fix gear, ~$500 total. That now has a repair costing most of that total. But best bike for that application in my 40 years of riding those bikes. First of 5 frames that is a keeper.)
Ben
06-23-17, 03:47 PM
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Hell ... maybe I'll get a matching pair!
I think this is it ... pretty sweet bike.
Oltre XR4 Super Record EPS | Bianchi USA
I think this is it ... pretty sweet bike.
Oltre XR4 Super Record EPS | Bianchi USA
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06-23-17, 03:51 PM
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06-23-17, 03:52 PM
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A lot of it has to do with arranging priorities. When I bought, I wasn't making a lot of money. I skipped vacations and used other cost-cutting measures to increase my mortgage payments. It is different now for folks buying into the market; there are barely any starter homes left. But my neighbors ARE teachers, mechanics, professors and doctors - they aren't leaving - they are buying homes with two incomes and deferring children for a while (or altogether). The homes in my community are now $1mill+ and nothing stays on the market more than two weeks. It's astounding how quickly homes are selling. But this thread isn't about real estate ;-)
06-23-17, 04:21 PM
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There's a definite housing crunch, that's for sure. Unfortunately, the entire country is swamped with both legal and illegal immigration, driving up prices (and crime) to preposterous levels.
So, "middle class people" are forced to "the suburbs" where they have to pay a king's ransom to avoid "social problems."
So, "middle class people" are forced to "the suburbs" where they have to pay a king's ransom to avoid "social problems."
06-23-17, 04:39 PM
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06-23-17, 04:45 PM
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06-23-17, 04:51 PM
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06-23-17, 05:09 PM
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There are at least 30 million ILLEGAL immigrants in the US. That's in ADDITION to legal immigration. Only an idiot would argue that their presence has no effect on housing prices. No one who's not a moron believes that the increase in housing stock has in any way shape or form kept up with the increases in illegal, permanent and short terms legal immigration, as well as migration internally (not immigration as you refer to it). Immigration is obviously driving up housing prices, especially in the areas in which they are most numerous, such as California, to astronomical levels.
There are tens of millions of immigrants in the US illegally, permanently and on short term work visas. California suffers the brunt of housing price hikes due to the presence of silicon valley, already established Mexican and Latin American and Asian populations post 1965 and mild weather.
I'm in California and every city I've visited or lived in has had a huge increase in automobile traffic. Without mentioning specific cities, it's not uncommon to see 6 or 7 of every 10 drivers and occupants who are hispanic.
No one is ignorant enough to believe the flood of legal and illegal immigration has no impact on housing prices, both homes and apartments.
There are tens of millions of immigrants in the US illegally, permanently and on short term work visas. California suffers the brunt of housing price hikes due to the presence of silicon valley, already established Mexican and Latin American and Asian populations post 1965 and mild weather.
I'm in California and every city I've visited or lived in has had a huge increase in automobile traffic. Without mentioning specific cities, it's not uncommon to see 6 or 7 of every 10 drivers and occupants who are hispanic.
No one is ignorant enough to believe the flood of legal and illegal immigration has no impact on housing prices, both homes and apartments.
06-23-17, 05:24 PM
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There are at least 30 million ILLEGAL immigrants in the US. That's in ADDITION to legal immigration. Only an idiot would argue that their presence has no effect on housing prices. No one who's not a moron believes that the increase in housing stock has in any way shape or form kept up with the increases in illegal, permanent and short terms legal immigration, as well as migration internally (not immigration as you refer to it). Immigration is obviously driving up housing prices, especially in the areas in which they are most numerous, such as California, to astronomical levels.
There are tens of millions of immigrants in the US illegally, permanently and on short term work visas. California suffers the brunt of housing price hikes due to the presence of silicon valley, already established Mexican and Latin American and Asian populations post 1965 and mild weather.
I'm in California and every city I've visited or lived in has had a huge increase in automobile traffic. Without mentioning specific cities, it's not uncommon to see 6 or 7 of every 10 drivers and occupants who are hispanic.
No one is ignorant enough to believe the flood of legal and illegal immigration has no impact on housing prices, both homes and apartments.
There are tens of millions of immigrants in the US illegally, permanently and on short term work visas. California suffers the brunt of housing price hikes due to the presence of silicon valley, already established Mexican and Latin American and Asian populations post 1965 and mild weather.
I'm in California and every city I've visited or lived in has had a huge increase in automobile traffic. Without mentioning specific cities, it's not uncommon to see 6 or 7 of every 10 drivers and occupants who are hispanic.
No one is ignorant enough to believe the flood of legal and illegal immigration has no impact on housing prices, both homes and apartments.
There are at least 30 million ILLEGAL immigrants in the US.
06-23-17, 06:53 PM
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A lot of it has to do with arranging priorities. When I bought, I wasn't making a lot of money. I skipped vacations and used other cost-cutting measures to increase my mortgage payments. It is different now for folks buying into the market; there are barely any starter homes left. But my neighbors ARE teachers, mechanics, professors and doctors - they aren't leaving - they are buying homes with two incomes and deferring children for a while (or altogether). The homes in my community are now $1mill+ and nothing stays on the market more than two weeks. It's astounding how quickly homes are selling. But this thread isn't about real estate ;-)
By doing that I was able to travel a lot more ... and buy bicycles.
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