idk what to say

yesterday i asked a stupid question "why are bikes so expensive" i wanted to know if i should invest in a bike thats top tier or just get a cheap one from craigslist for now. You might have thought i was a troll but i have more important things to do even though I was and still is super bored. so again sorry.

10 Wheels

Buy Used. I did.

VegasTriker

It's not a stupid question but the answer is supply and demand. Lots of demand and reduced supply. There is an announcement here that Shimano just reopened one of the Asian factories after it being closed due to Covid19 problems. They are a major parts supplier to factories worldwide so reduced supply and parts shortages are understandable. It's really hard to find bikes new or used.

BobbyG

Your question was not stupid, but some of the responses were. Your "casual" language and syntax were not out of line with what I see on social media, but it was significantly different from the norm here on bikeforums.

If you are still "super bored" a bike will likely take care of that; and a cheap craigslist bike will be even more entertaining since you will have money left over (hopefully) for any necessary repairs, or to modify and upgrade. I love riding, but I also enjoy "working" on my bikes even though I am not a great mechanic. Luckily there are some great local bike shops here to bail me out when I get in over my head.

I almost posted on your original thread, but by the time I saw it it had already become kinda rude, and then later, locked.

Back when I did photography there was a saying, "The best camera is the one you have with you when opportunity strikes". The same goes for cycling; just ride what you have or have available, because any ride is better than no ride.

Now get out there and pedal!

jayp410

I recently built a bike that costs more than the Blue Book value of my 2008 Honda Accord (which still runs perfectly), and have asked myself the same question... even though to a certain extent I understand.

I'm probably one of the few people on this forum who also has fabricated carbon fiber parts (for a hobby race car). A friend of mine asked me to fabricate custom carbon T-tops for his Camaro. I knew how much work was involved, but as a friend, I undertook the project. I charged him $300 for materials, which covered probably most of the cost of materials (but certainly not all). The amount of labor involved was at least 80 hours. If I had charged for my time, say, $20 / hr, these parts would have been around $2000 or more. It's true that bike manufacturers have more volume, develop more efficient processes, and use cheap Chinese labor. But, they still have to develop prototypes, go through design / manufacture / test cycles, etc.. All of that costs money. Yes they probably make a decent profit in the end, but it's not like they can build parts for the cost of materials.

Like all industries, it's also about supply / demand. If people weren't buying high end bikes or components, the manufacturers wouldn't be developing new products or pricing them as high. Hobbyists with disposable income who are really into the sport want the best bike they can afford, so they're willing to pay up for lightweight high performance parts.

Still, even considering all of that, there are hobbies that are far more expensive than cycling. Car racing, sailing, horse riding, fishing (in a power boat)... all of those make a $5000+ bike look cheap in comparison.

Ed Wiser

This forum can be in welcoming to new forum members. I am a mod on an aquarium forum. We have. A group of mod’s just for new user questions. As a certain number of forum members like to hate on new users asking a simple question. They have heard a hundred times.
High end bikes have always been expensive
not in today’s 10,000 dollars high but expensive in their day. Buying a good used bike is a great way to start. Many local shops have good trade in bikes from people trading up or getting out of the hobby. Get a bike with a good gear range so that you are not struggling up hills.

Koyote

Just a side note: this is why every forum has a search function.

genejockey 

Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace, are full of bikes from Walmart Specials to high end bikes. My personal feeling is that if a bike was really good when it was new 10 year ago, and it's in good condition, then it's still really good now. So, really it's a false dichotomy to think you can either get a really good bike, or a bike from Craigslist.

cxwrench

Speaking of grammar...

Ed Wiser

So as you can see they will even attack me trying to explain the forum. They are just trolls.
I have been a mod on forums since the 19080’s and compuserve.

the search function


Searching why do bikes cost so much.
result

An the results you get not much help.

Oh I love the grammar dig. Classic forum reply and of little help to the poster.

Reflector Guy

Since the 19-aught-80s? Back when they first invented the internet...

Biketiger

Your question wasn't stupid - it was just poorly constructed. Were you being rhetorical wanting to know why bikes in general are so expensive or were you researching purchasing options and were frustrated to find that models you would be interested in are too expensive? You did not include any information about yourself, the type of riding you do, the kind of bike you might be interested in and your budget. These basic details would have provided a basis for appropriate responses and some recommendations that might work for you. 'Expensive' is also a relative term. Since you did not mention a single model and its price it seemed that you were not serious about finding an affordable bike.

idk what to say

when people went to coffee places for their internet.....

idk what to say

I realized that after I posted it and finished my 5 posts. but i wanted to know more or less if buying a top tier bike had that much difference and what would a good bike for its price point be. I think I'm going to buy a road bike of of Kijiji (eastern Canada's craigslist) just to see how it feels and if i want to invest more of my money into it.

biker128pedal

Expensive bikes is a relative question. I just did a warranty replacement on my old Madone 5.0. Bikes less than two grand are just not around. As the price goes up to a point they see there. But the level/price you get is what moves you ;-) . I test road a few bikes from $4k up there he higher just because that’s what they had. The SL7 with carbon wheels and electronic shift was nice. It was a size too small but I Sorta of wish for Trek would have said the SL7 in your size we have and nothing else. Would have been a great excuse at home even with credit from the old Madone. But they the SL7 was all that’s available for months. I had to get it to ride.

KJ43

Since you are from the future, just let the OP know what bike he will eventually purchase.

Flatforkcrown

The real question is what’s your budget? You can get great older bikes on Craigslist for a decent price. I have 2 bikes right now, and have spent less than $2000 total, including buying new tubular tires and period correct campy parts.

MattTheHat 

There is a difference between a $500 bike and a $2000 bike. The thing is, unless you get in to cycling in a big way, you may never appreciate the difference. In general, the more expensive a bike gets the lighter it gets, the better it shifts, the better it stops and because the components are of higher quality, the bike will generally operate properly for a longer period of time before needing upgrades and/or tune-ups. If you get the $500 bike, one of two things will likely happen: 1) You will be perfectly happy and you ride the bike for many years. 2) You ride the bike a lot and find annoyances that you may eventually come to realize that you'd happily pay to alleviate. And they you upgrade to a more expensive bike.

If you buy a $2000 bike, the same two things are likely to happen with item 1) being more likely. If you ride enough item 2 happens again and they you're upgrading to a $6000 bike. The other thing that may happen is that you may never truly appreciate how much better the $2000 bike is than the $500 bike.

This happens in pretty much any hobby or interest that I've ever gotten into.

blacknbluebikes 

There are no stupid questions, only stupid people.

PeteHski

This is the key. IME most people don't look after their old bikes. So you have to know what you are looking for, which the OP doesn't appear to.

genejockey 

IME, lots of people don't RIDE their old bikes, so they don't generally need that much looking after.

indyfabz

People still do.

Maelochs

What do you get when stupid people ask questions?

(Could you ask for a better straight line?)

genejockey 

Frustrated.

PeteHski

True. I just find it difficult being a mechanical engineer and seeing how some guys deal with bike maintenance. Definitely some bargains on the used market though - or at least there used to be pre-Covid!
I was just looking at the used value of my 2019 Defy and there's a very realistic chance I could sell it for at least what I bought it for new (when end of season sales were a thing).