B. Carfree

Hear, hear. I feel much the same way. I get a smile whenever I see people riding. I don't care if they're riding a Wally World BSO or something so expensive I have no idea what it is because it's out of my range for even dreaming. If they're riding, that's great.

I think I got this peculiar outlook when I found myself one of only two students at my community college who rode a bike to class. That's a piss-poor situation when there are 30,000 students. When I visited the university I later transferred to, I looked down a street and saw over a thousand people on bikes and not a single car. When I moved there I thought I had died and gone to cyclist heaven.

Alas, I stayed long enough to see the bikes all but disappear (still high ridership by American standards). I hope to live long enough to see such a thing again.

Rowan

I am in the value-for-money camp. The bikes Machka and I own and ride have been acquired for particular purposes -- whether that is randonneuring, touring, national and international travel, utility/commuter cycling or having go-fast fun. Not many are off the rack, or they have been extensively modified. One or two were bought brand new, others have been rescued from the rubbish dump.

But they work for our needs, and in that way, each is unique.

Does that make me biased against expensive bikes? Not at all. It's all relative. If I earned a quarter of a million more more a year, I might buy expensive, too. I do like looking at others' expensive bikes to see the finish, the design features and (the important one) how much they weigh

Cyclist0084

I've never owned a really expensive bike. The bike I'm currently riding, a 2013 Fuji Absolute 1.4, which I bought in April 2014, cost me around $400 on sale. I don't remember what the regular price was. I could have spent hundreds of $$$ more when I bought it (had just inherited some money), but I liked the way it felt when I took it for a test ride, so there was no need to spend more. If something were to happen to it and I'd need to buy a new bike, what with my current financial issues, I'd probably be taking a step backwards in regards to price...and probably quality as well, but when you're living paycheck to paycheck, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Garfield Cat

Its about the person and not about the bike. Similar things can be said about the choice in politics and religion. Different camps? There is that sense of intolerance. Who watched the super bowl half time show?

donheff

My wife and I have a fair amount of discretionary income in retirement and both bought custom bikes for about $6K each two years ago. We did that because we could afford to splurge and wanted to feel what a perfectly fit bike is like. It is nice. If I try to be objective, I recognize that for me (non-competitive, recreational rider, typically 25-30 mile rides at moderate speeds) pretty much any bike will do. If I get the fit close I am comfortable on anything from a highly tuned road bike to a bulky hybrid. I keep a 12 year old aluminum cyclo-cross bike for use when I am a bit concerned about theft and am perfectly happy riding it. Nevertheless, I like my custom bike best and don't regret "wasting" a few bucks on it.

locolobo13 

What's expensive. I see myself as a cheapskate. My latest bike cost $600 last month. My friends consider that outrageously expensive. Several have asked why I don't buy a $200 Wally World bike.

Discretionary funds are just that. Use them at YOUR discretion. And have fun!

canklecat

I ride what I can afford, good used bikes that cost about $100-$200.

I enjoy seeing what other folks ride when they can afford more. It's good for the economy. And among the 50+ crowd, might as well enjoy your hard earned money however you like. Can't take it with you, might as well ride it now.

bargeon

Ahh, sweet harmony.

Judging from the responses, no one much cares who does or does not own an expensive bike, however you define expensive. We're all very egalitarian about the cost of one another's bikes. We all agree happiness can be found regardless of cost. We all raise a tost to our fellow bikers wallets.

But if some recent threads are any indication, some of us are far more combative on the worth of hybrids or mountain bikes vs. road bikes. At any cost.

Jim from Boston

Hi @kindaslow,

If I recall correctly, you may have started a similar thread about expensive bikes maybe in about 2015 (or was it @oldnslow?). In fact in that year I recall a few threads on the subject of expensive bikes, and it became tedious to reply. Just this weekend,I posted to the 50+ thread, “What is your breakdown between the different types of bikes/rides you do? “; I have added purchase prices:

So while this is my pinnacle of bike ownership, I started out in 1972 as a poor college student on a $90 Schwinn five-speed Suburban with wire baskets that on my very first weekend tour imbued me with a love of cycling that has been my lifestyle since.

Of all the comments I have made on those previous threads about riding high-quality bikes, they were often rejected out of hand by pre-set opinions. The only point I can make that I think is unassailable is at least I have no buyer’s remorse about what I might be missing.

DaveQ24

Not me. I really enjoy all of the different styles of bikes I own, and I really could not place a value judgment of "better than" on any one style or type. If circumstances limited me to one bike, obviously, I would have to go as versatile as possible, some type of hybrid or flat-bar road bike, or possibly a cross bike like my Crux. But that isn't my life at this point - maybe someday when I'm so old I ditch my house and move into a small apartment.
@Jim from Boston - that's why I've bought many different bikes the past few years - I need a "fleet" so I can chose the right bike for the day, the weather, the route, the mood. And to be honest, I've had some really memorable rides that I've really enjoyed that I could never have done if I limited myself to one style of bicycle.

Kindaslow

Hello,

Yes, a year or two ago I starter a similar thread, but with the point of hopefully discussing a different point. This time, I really wanted to hear if people identify any of their personal biases on this topic. Most everyone has replied along the lines of they do not care how others spend their money. However, there are a lot of times in threads, maybe not amongst us old folks, that people in either camp are highly biased, or prejudice against the other camp. A year or two ago when I put the RS-1 fork on my SS MTB I heard endless negative opinions for doing it, even though not one of the commentators had ever ridden one, nor did they know that I have gone from owning very inexpensive bikes to have decent discretionary funds over a 30 year riding timeframe. Those preset opinions you mention might be very difficult for people to see, but expensive or cheap, I respect a bike that is ridden hard and loved by its owner.

Kindaslow

Reading the responses, none to my earlier mention of mountain bike versus road bike, I do think there is a notable difference of opinion that could be based on what one loves to ride. Given that suspension and brake quality is a huge issue as price goes up on MTBs and a lesser issue on road bikes (whereas both benefit equally from better wheels and frame materials), I think that MTBers can see the benefits of higher priced bikes much more easily than road bikers. That is, an 8-10k MTB has differences over a 3-4K MTB that are much easier to feel and enjoy by the average mortal rider than the same difference in a road bike. Maybe this creates some different biases?

DaveQ24

I started reading BF around the summer of 2015, but didn't register and start participating until sometime last year, early summer maybe? I remember some threads about "cheap vs expensive" in the winter prior that got many people riled up.

I actually found a similar kind of reaction on a couple of e-bike threads - I got the distinct impression (although of course I could be wrong when assuming ...) that some of the people making negative comments about e-bikes never actually rode one. While it is their right, I don't think it's actually fair to do that ... reminds me of people who say "sushi, yuck" without ever having tried it, or even knowing some sushi 101 facts, like "not all sushi contains raw fish".

Personally, I view interest forums like this as a place for information, advice, and support. I try to participate with "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" in mind, and hope I don't come across as negative. Of course, everyone brings their own biases, beliefs, and opinions, so things often are taken to mean something else (something worse) than the author may have meant or intended/hoped to say.

I really don't like the ugly turn of the world these days - or at least the political affairs of the US - and it doesn't matter to me what side of aisle you are on, or who you support - my opinion is that our political leaders need to relearn how to be civil, be cooperative, and start healing rifts and making things less ugly. But if they can't or won't, maybe it will fall to everyday people to do that.

Taking it back to the topic at hand, to directly answer the OP's question, of course, I have a bias for expensive bikes in the sense that I enjoy the performance and features as well as the quality and durability of components and IF LIMITED to one or a few bikes, I would chose to spend more and hope I got those things out of my purchase.

But to be perfectly honest, I know I've really "overbought" in terms of what actually matches my skillset. It's more about pushing myself towards who I want to be, even if I never get there - living the fantasy, so the speak, and hoping a little bit of it rubs off on me.

But really, the other thing about the US that I know I harp about - we are a FAT society, a very unhealthy society in terms of our choices of food, exercise, and health. And I'm far from innocent, in fact, I had a pretty bad weekend eating things I said I wasn't going to eat, because they appeared in front of me and I couldn't resist. So I tried to make up for that today by really watching what I eat, drinking a ton of water, and really pushing my morning workout (cardio, swimming, and abs at the gym). So, IMHO, anything that gets an American off the couch is a great thing, whether it's a $79 WM bike or a $12K Specialized.

FBinNY 

I suspect that part of the underlying causes for the so-called prejudice about what folks spend on bikes lies in how wide the price spectrum is. A used functional bike can be had for $100, + a bit of sweat equity. OTOH some people here spend upwards of $10,000. That's a spread of 100:1, and there aren't many things with price spectrums that wide.

Also, keep in mind that those spending the most, are also likely to be buying new more frequently.

So here on BF we have some people spending on bikes what some live on for a year, which shouldn't bother anyone, but it can, especially when the spendy folks insist in talking about how much they spend.

LouB 

Any body out there riding a bike is my brother. I wave or nod and think--how cool is that. Dont care what they are riding. I trend toward the C&V side. Just love breathing new life into old machines and learning their strengths (and short comings) as I ride them. That said, I have never riden a carbon fiber bike or a bike w brifters--I equate these attributes to $$s. Looking forward to the day.

rando_couche

Ride what you like, like what you ride. (And don't get all wound up about what somebody else is riding.)


These days I go more for value than ultimate whateverness. I'd rather spend the money on traveling with my sweetie.


SP
OC, OR

CliffordK

Ummmm,

I bought the old Colnago super when I was 16 with my own cash.

I rode it for decades, so perhaps always a bike snob.

Upgraded a bit lately (for fun?)

I am always happy to see people riding anything that doesn't squeak.

wphamilton

I don't know about "old folks". I imagine that many of them are on fixed incomes and are not predisposed to splurging on a bicycle.

As the general question goes, some people like expensive coffee machines, TV's, shoes, the best car they can afford and others are fine with whatever gets the job done. There's not really a rhyme or reason for these preferences even though we all justify our choices after the fact. I'm not biased either way regarding bicycles - to me it's just a tool and I don't spend more on it than what gets the job done. I don't rule out buying a better mid or high range bike at some point, and if I do I'll probably justify it rationally by the fact that I spend 400-500 hours on it through the year. Why not spend more on things you spend a lot of time with? Either way you can make a logical argument, but it boils down to what you really want.

GerryinHouston

Sorry, it caught my attention...

A used car in operable condition can be had for $1500. A Bugatti Veyron costs $1,500,000 and I am sure I can find more expensive examples... 1,000:1 ratio

A certified used Cessna can be had for $25k, an incremental F22 (incremental means a plane after the initial order which was much more expensive due to R&D costs) 138 million 5520:1

A digital camera can be had for less than $50, a Canon 1DxII is $6k (body only), $8k with a lens on it, a mere 160:1

A Ginsu knife.... oh well, you get my drift.

I apologize for the digression!

I think most of us would agree that the measure to use is value for money. Not necessary absolute money!

I'd want an F22 to go against the latest (even an earlier model) MiG, not a WWII Cessna. It's value if YOUR life is on the line.

I assign certain value to the use of my bike, for my reasons. Then I test various prices to arrive at what I consider the best value for money.

Riding a Dutchman bike (for ME) reduces the value due to its weight, performance, looks for someone else... If somebody gave it to me, I might use it. If I had to pay, say $800, no thanx my Randonee is a better value for money.

A roadie would probably eschew the Randonee for a CF flyer. For him, riding a 26 lbs drop bar tourer holds no satisfaction. I respect this. It brings HIM a different value for his money than it does to me.

rydabent

Logically most people buy what they can afford, or maybe just a little more.

There is no doubt that more money get you a better more reliable, lighter bike -------------up to a point. IMO beyond that point you are buying mostly name.

What bothers me tho is the price of bikes and trikes these days. My bike is 8 years old, and my trike is 4 years old. If I were to replace them with the same ones, they would cost me $1800 more than I paid. And yes they have been upgraded some, but $1800********************?

FBinNY 

You're actually making my point for me. Folks who are of an envious/resentful temperament look in those who buy $10,000 bikes the same way they'd look at someone who bought a Bugatti, or other examples of conspicuous or wasteful consumption.

The only thing all of us have in common is that we ride 2 wheeled (sometimes 3) human powered vehicles. Otherwise the set of cyclists includes a very diverse bunch, with very large differences in income.

DaveQ24

Something I am envious of ... not in a bad way, just wish I were capable - guys who can work a set of tools and do their own bike builds. I know it can save a lot of $$$, as well as yield the exact bike you want. Alas, I'm not very good with those things in general, I muddle through a lot of projects at home if I feel I can tackle them, and the results in the end are OK, but ... usually I end up spending more time and money than the project really merits, because I don't know what I'm doing.

I think it would be incredible to be able to buy a frame and components and "build" my own dream bike, but I'm afraid unless/until I retire, I just won't ever have the time to give the concept justice - I barely find time for the simple easy fixes like changing tires some days.

GerryinHouston

I wasn't disagreeing with you.

I started the post with the intention of providing the ratio comparisons, just because I thought it was appropriate. In modern life some of the ratios reach the absurd, and I ought to know, since dSLR photography is my other (expensive) hobby.

Then I felt the urge to continue with my views of value for money.

It's a forum after all...

indyfabz

A. If you are going to use my words, give me proper attribution, please.


B. At no point did I criticize inexpensive bikes. I merely expressed my opinion that life is to short to ride "crappy" bikes, which, by the way, are not necessarily with "inexpensive" bikes.


I have both an expensive bike--custom Engin ti, DA 9000, Stan's tubeless rims built around CK hubs and a ceramic glaze finish. I also have a relatively inexpensive for what it is Surly LHT for touring and commuting. I could have gotten something like CoMo touring bike, but I would never commute with something like that and don't do enough touring to make it worth the expenditure. Many years ago, I bought a Bike Friday NWT when I was forced to travel to another state for work 3x/week via bike and train. Certainly wasn't an inexpensive (or crappy) bike, but it was functionally suited for the task at hand because I could fold it and out into someone's trunk if I needed a ride to the train or even back to my home city and it was a quality bike built in the U.S.

indyfabz

So that's like, what, $750 U.S.?