Are cycling enthusiasts wealthier than motorcyclists? While motorcycling great isn’t cheap, RiDE magazine gives a nod to the cost-of-living problem and usually includes money-saving tips.
Frequently, the cycling media reviews £5k (and even £10k ) bicycles. Whoa! Recently, I was looking in London bike shops for new road shoes; the salespeople almost managed to conceal their condescending looks when I explained that £350 was too expensive for a pair of cycling shoes.
Road biking is a walk in the park compared to MTB... but the consequences and actions are different too.
Like Potter, my road bike is £450, Raleigh Cadent flat bar bike. Was bought new and has done countless miles, some outdoors in Belgium etc and mostly indoors.. But the consequence of not being good enough is that i get dropped in a ride.. The MTB the conequences are that i end up with broken bones.
I have cheap kit, expensive kit, really expensive kit and lots of free kit.
I would argue that the consequeces are much the same if it all goes wrong. Pushing too hard on a descent or on roads you don't know, group riding and catch a wheel, it'll all be messy and expensive.
Are bikes too expensive? Yes, for sure. Am I part of the problem? Yes, my bike cost way too much for 7kgs of carbon and a few electrical switches but if you can afford it and want it then you have to pay the price.
You can buy 2nd hand but with carbon frames it's a bit riskier if it's been crashed and you can't see the damage. Some good bargains to be had as the pandemic (small p) drove up the number of people buying bikes and now they slowly realise they don't use it anymore.
Also, the industry knows that a large number of riders are older (middle aged) and have more disposible income, bit like golf, and tw@ts like me will pay the prices.
Timmy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 10:00 am
I would argue that the consequeces are much the same if it all goes wrong. Pushing too hard on a descent or on roads you don't know, group riding and catch a wheel, it'll all be messy and expensive.
But none of that is likely to be because you're on the cheaper bike...
Timmy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 10:00 am
I would argue that the consequeces are much the same if it all goes wrong. Pushing too hard on a descent or on roads you don't know, group riding and catch a wheel, it'll all be messy and expensive.
But none of that is likely to be because you're on the cheaper bike...
Cheap bike or not, you can fall off them all, price is irrelevant.
Timmy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 10:00 am
I would argue that the consequeces are much the same if it all goes wrong. Pushing too hard on a descent or on roads you don't know, group riding and catch a wheel, it'll all be messy and expensive.
But none of that is likely to be because you're on the cheaper bike...
Cheap bike or not, you can fall off them all, price is irrelevant.
I think you've missed the point of where the conversation was going...
My point was, i ride a cheap roadie because it doesn't matter in terms of performance/ability to stay with groups, whereas my MTB is high level because of the difficulty of trails and the compensation it's components/geometry gives.
True to a point, but I'll bet a good rider on a cheap bike will keep up with a bad rider on a good bike. Rider ability is a bigger factor than how deep your wallet is.
Timmy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 17, 2023 10:00 am
the industry knows that a large number of riders are older (middle aged) and have more disposible income, bit like golf
That’s undoubtably true when RoadCC describes a pair of £1,500 wheels as “mid priced”
On my recent trip to the UK I'd arranged to stop by Salt Dog Cycling in Derby to try on some shoes. I now own a pair of Lake CX238's, a pair of MX238's and Lake leather care kit. When I bought the shoes he does the order online and it dropped the VAT because of the Spanish delivery address. Was still a lot of money though.
For Potter, each pair is similarly priced to a pair of Loake brogues.
) bicycles. Whoa! Recently, I was looking in London bike shops for new road shoes; the salespeople almost managed to conceal their condescending looks when I explained that £350 
was too expensive for a pair of cycling shoes.
