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Why are bikes so expensive?

Old 07-27-21, 07:27 AM
  #26  
friday1970
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Originally Posted by idk what to say
what difference does it make
For a $500 road bike, it's going to be aluminum frame and fork. Either a low end 7speed or 8 speed groupset, and heavier/cheaper wheels and tires. It will probably weigh around 24-25 lbs.
For an extra $1500, you might get a better aluminum frame with a carbon fork, or even a cheaper carbon fiber frame and fork. It will probably come with a 9 to 10 speed groupset, slightly better wheels and tires, and probably weighs 20-22 lbs.

Either bike would be a good one for anyone starting out, especially if your goal is just to lose weight. After all, it's not the bike the really needs to lose weight.... right?

Buy what you can afford. And also, what is your history of picking up a hobby and sticking with it? Will you buy an expensive bike, ride it for a month or two, get distracted, and let it sit in your garage/shed/basement forever? Or are you like some of us fitness nuts who will buy the bike and ride it till it falls apart? Another thing to think about when it comes to parting with your money.

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Old 07-27-21, 07:28 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by chaadster
Haha! Yeah, I had to get out of that hobby! I’ve actually sold watches to buy bikes. At one point, I was trying to support vintage sports cars, watches, and cycling; talk about overreach! I’m really down to just indulging the bike hobby, which is a good thing. Been thinking about boats lately, though…
This forum actually got me into collecting watches. There used to be a thread called "Roadies and Watches" about 10 years ago. I was hooked. Currently have about 30 in my collection. Nothing too crazy. An Omega Bond SMP is my most expensive at $1800 used. Haven't bought a new one in a year or so. Kind of burned out on it. However, I've been kicking around the idea of selling a bunch and getting a Panerai Luminor Marina.

Here's the thread if anyone is interested. https://www.bikeforums.net/foo/44173...atches-75.html
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Old 07-27-21, 07:34 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by iReadBlitz
What does cycling have to do with peace medals?
Fun fact: the first Nobel Prizes were bicycles, but recipients argued over whether they should take the lane or ride as far right as possible, and it became so ugly that Alfred Nobel said forget it, I’m just going to give out medals instead.
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Old 07-27-21, 07:44 AM
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I'll post a hypothetical scenario for the OP. It's a simply one, really, but it should be instructive in how he constructs his answer.

To idk what to say :

Let's say that you decide to start a home-based business, making a consumer item with your own hands. Let's assume that this item is not protected by patent or trademark, is readily recognizable and there's substantial, but seasonal demand. It'll be those picnic/tailgating boards and bean bags, where you toss into a hole in the board. [the common name is blocked by BF filters, apparently]

So you've decided to make these. You make a few jigs, a template for cutting the hole, buy a bunch of fastener inventory and 3/4" plywood and 2x4s, and come up with a way to find customers: county swap meet, local trader ad and Facebook Marketplace. You come up with a distinctive paint/emblem scheme. You embark and build your first ten, but plan to build 100 and then expand your sales to out of state.

Now, how do you price your first 10 units? What about units 11-100? And beyond, if you're successful, what additional factors will influence your price? How would the COVID shutdowns and production interruptions have influenced your business?
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Old 07-27-21, 07:50 AM
  #30  
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Transport from China has tripled in price.

Rubber (latex) is up 80%

Steel is up 60%

Oil is up 60%

Aluminum..?

Wages are up, way up.
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Old 07-27-21, 07:55 AM
  #31  
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If you buy a bike and continue riding, you probably will end up with a bike that costs at least $2000. If you buy a really cheap bike, you might be so discouraged that you don't keep riding.
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Old 07-27-21, 07:56 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Reflector Guy
I think it's a product of the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality we see nowadays.

Melt down all those "trophies" and you can make a bike out of them. Maybe.
"Everyone gets atrophy"? Is that why there are so many videos with upper body exercises for cyclists.
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Old 07-27-21, 07:59 AM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by idk what to say
i mean like what is the diffrence between a $500 bike and a $2000 bike im just curios lol

edit: as you can see by right under my username im a newbie lol
Differences might be small to someone that has no experience or desire to ride at the level or professional or amateur cyclists and those that ride regularly with the goals of increasing their performance.

So until you gotten there it's going to look silly from the outside. Enjoy riding the bike that gives you enjoyment. You may or may never get to the point where you'll have a need or want anything else. So don't make fun of those that pay the price for future technology we will benefit from later on down the road.
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Old 07-27-21, 08:04 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by idk what to say
no its a genuine question what difference does it make, yes new to the bikeforum but I really don't know much about bikes but want to start since i gained too much weight from quarantine.

Cheap Bikes Aren't Focused on Quality and quality materials.

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Old 07-27-21, 08:22 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by unterhausen
If you buy a bike and continue riding, you probably will end up with a bike that costs at least $2000. If you buy a really cheap bike, you might be so discouraged that you don't keep riding.
That is the truth! The typical progression is to start out on something in the $300-400 range (something heavy with low end components, these are the cheapest bikes at real bike shops one step up from a basic sports-store bike). At that point you either are hooked or the bike sits in the garage. For those who get hooked, the next purchase is usually a nice aluminum bike around $1000 from a reputable manufacturer with upgraded components like the 105. The next purchase will eventually be a $2000+ full CF or Titanium bike with an upgraded groupo like Ultegra or Red and branded racing wheels. If you stick around long enough you will be assimilated.
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Old 07-27-21, 08:28 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by pgjackson
That is the truth! The typical progression is to start out on something in the $300-400 range (something heavy with low end components, these are the cheapest bikes at real bike shops one step up from a basic sports-store bike). At that point you either are hooked or the bike sits in the garage. For those who get hooked, the next purchase is usually a nice aluminum bike around $1000 from a reputable manufacturer with upgraded components like the 105. The next purchase will eventually be a $2000+ full CF or Titanium bike with an upgraded groupo like Ultegra or Red and branded racing wheels. If you stick around long enough you will be assimilated.
Did you just halve all those price points right there?
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Old 07-27-21, 08:38 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by GhostRider62
Wages are up, way up.
Cite a reference, please. Wages in Chinese factories?
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Old 07-27-21, 08:49 AM
  #38  
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And if you take the $$$$ for the cost of the bike, and divide it by how many days you plans on riding said bike, turns out to be pretty cheap entertainment/exercise.

At any rate, that is what I tell my wife when I want a new bike.
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Old 07-27-21, 09:08 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by idk what to say
ok real question im still looking for a bike but why are professional bikes so expensive? Like arnt they just a peace of medal and rubber lol?
ikr?
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Old 07-27-21, 09:43 AM
  #40  
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Can someone please define what a professional bike is?

I have very expensive bikes, but I'm not a professional.
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Old 07-27-21, 09:45 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by pgjackson
You think bikes are expensive, you should check out watch collecting. Most enthusiasts don't consider a particular watch to be "expensive" till around the $10,000 range. To many in the community, a $5,000 watch is a nice starter piece. There are production watches out there that cost more than your house. Cycling is a relatively inexpensive hobby for a true enthusiast. Most people have been accustomed to purchasing their watch or bike at Walmart, so anything that is significantly more expensive than a Timex or a Schwinn is considered extravagant to the general public.
The thing is, though, that a $12000 Specialized Aethos is MUCH, MUCH better at being a bike than a $500 Walmart Special is, whereas a $100,000 Patek is not necessarily better at being a watch than a $50 Casio.
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Old 07-27-21, 10:06 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by genejockey
The thing is, though, that a $12000 Specialized Aethos is MUCH, MUCH better at being a bike than a $500 Walmart Special is, whereas a $100,000 Patek is not necessarily better at being a watch than a $50 Casio.
I dare you to go over to the watch forums and say that. That is their equivalent of CF vs Steel, or shaved vs no shave. Seriously, every once in a while some guy will post the high-end vs Casio comment and it will go on for 20 pages.
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Old 07-27-21, 10:20 AM
  #43  
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OP: Look at any hobby/sport/activity and the equipment used, like skiing, golf, or even tennis. The higher-end gear is always expensive, because it's refined and purpose-built. Does the expensive gear make a difference? Yes, to those who know the difference and are using it to its full potential.

You can get a perfectly usable bike for about $750, and it will serve you well for several years. If that's too much to spend, look into disc golf or running or skateboarding; they're still relatively cheap sports.
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Old 07-27-21, 10:26 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by genejockey
The thing is, though, that a $12000 Specialized Aethos is MUCH, MUCH better at being a bike than a $500 Walmart Special is, whereas a $100,000 Patek is not necessarily better at being a watch than a $50 Casio.
Originally Posted by pgjackson
I dare you to go over to the watch forums and say that. That is their equivalent of CF vs Steel, or shaved vs no shave. Seriously, every once in a while some guy will post the high-end vs Casio comment and it will go on for 20 pages.
I think what genejockey is ignoring is that the purpose of the $100,000 Patek is not telling time; it's purpose is telling people that the wearer has so much money that he can waste $100,000 on a watch that tells time worse than a $50 Casio.
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Old 07-27-21, 10:37 AM
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I like my $2000 Sinn 836 not because it’s more accurate than good a decent quality quartz, but because I just like it. FFS when my new wheels get here I’ll have ~4K in a Cross Check because I like every part of the bike and it makes a package I love to look at. My Sebenzas don’t cut any better than a $30 pocket knife but I like the heck out of them. There’s a time and place for rational purchases, then there are the things that bring spice/fun to life, why ride a bike I don’t like 5 days a week because it’s “the best bang for the buck” or “adequate for the purpose”
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Old 07-27-21, 10:39 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by pgjackson
I dare you to go over to the watch forums and say that. That is their equivalent of CF vs Steel, or shaved vs no shave. Seriously, every once in a while some guy will post the high-end vs Casio comment and it will go on for 20 pages.
Oh, I think everyone understands that. I mean, how do any of us know how accurate our watches are? We time them against a nonmechanical standard. Ultimate accuracy is no longer why people collect or value watches. I mean, I was reading a thread on Watchuseek where a Panerai owner was crowing about his 8-day that was only off by 11 seconds a day, which was way outside Railroad Standard 120 years ago, and others chimed in that theirs were similar. Hell, I have 70 year old Elgins that I serviced myself that are more accurate than that. I have a 110 year old 7 jewel Elgin pocket watch that's more accurate.
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Old 07-27-21, 10:40 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by Koyote
I think what genejockey is ignoring is that the purpose of the $100,000 Patek is not telling time; it's purpose is telling people that the wearer has so much money that he can waste $100,000 on a watch that tells time worse than a $50 Casio.
Ignoring it? I was POINTING IT OUT!
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Old 07-27-21, 10:43 AM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by Phil_gretz
Cite a reference, please. Wages in Chinese factories?
Why?

How about you do your own research, when the data comes out.

Can't find people at $18-20 an hour to do simple work with sign on bonuses.
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Old 07-27-21, 10:49 AM
  #49  
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Mission accomplished!
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Old 07-27-21, 10:49 AM
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I didn't know people still wore watches.
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