When did this thread turn into a scooter discussion?

rextheute

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Not sure where I stand , 50plus, carbon hardtail, dual sus enduro thingy, 3 speed cruiser , Fatbike and the work of the devil apparently an e-mtb .
Not apologetic I like em All for different reasons .

At present shopping a Full Stach , something about a boost 29er with 3 inch tyres appeals - in Army Green - could be my “ Tiffany moment “
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
I see what you're saying, but I have to present the counter point. I met my wife when she was 35, and she was on the fringe of crazy. Being a single mum of a pre-teen probably kept her there.

To the same end, I'm too close to 40 and still on a race XC hardtail.

Do what makes you feel young :D
im pretty sure an XC hardtail isnt in the crazy space - its like a 1 - possibly for you being crazy, but we are talking the bike/woman.... ;)
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Crazy is riding a fatbike anywhere other than snow or sand. I am crazy.

Step throughs in the no go zone.
 
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Calvin27

Eats Squid
Also part of what I've noticed with bikes, road and mtb variety, is that people come into the sport from different cost bases. I already mentioned motocross folks and roadies coming to mtb and bringing their dentist salaries to boot.

Personally, despite riding from a young age, I only really put money into bicycles when I gave up motor sport. A set of new tyresbrake pads, fuel and track fees = a new bike. Blow a diff, trans or motor and that is new bike territory. New rims = new bike. From that perspective bicycles was a much easier hobby to keep and much cheaper. Add in rego and maintenance costs and all of a sudden I could easily justify doing track, mtb and road biking with all the kit to boot and I'm still only spending at most 50% of my previous hobby costs.

I generally have mid range bikes and I try to buy used, but I am seriously eyeing a titanium roadie at this stage because of bike consolidation. I couldn't possibly ever spend $10k on a new mtb though because I a 99% sure I will crash an bang up that thing real good. You can afford to be precious for a pristine road bike, but my mtbs get a wash once every 2-3 years!
 
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sbm

Likes Bikes
I agree that, if anything, it's getting cheaper. But think the existence of the expensive options, being right there and heavily promoted, skews everyones perspective.

E.g. with rock climbing equipment, there's not as much of a spectrum, it more or less costs the same, maybe you pay 20% or 30% more for the high end ultralight stuff. If you can't afford the lot from the start, you buy bits as you go and beg or borrow the rest, or you just can't do that kind of climbing. There's more standardization. A beginner and a pro more or less have the same gear - you use a GriGri, your semi pro local hero uses a GriGri, freaking Alex Honnold uses a GriGri.

Where as with bikes the difference is gigantic, from $200 kmart bikes through to the $12,000 super bikes. How you decide on that spectrum how much you should spend? How much do you "need"? And you do see people out and about strutting the expensive stuff.
 

nathanm

Eats Squid
So today's though on this subject. At what price point does a bike improve your riding speed, quality and comfort?

Does a carbon frame increase your performance by 25%?

Does a $6k bike improve your enjoyment by 50% over a $3k bike

Does a $12k bike make you twice as fast as a $6k bike.

What justification do people have for dropping more than say $4k on a MTB?
 

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I think bang for you get more on a new bike now but the quality is crap and stuff breaks more than than ever before.
I seem to be breaking more hubs since 1x drive trains and larger axels are used.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
So today's though on this subject. At what price point does a bike improve your riding speed, quality and comfort?

Does a carbon frame increase your performance by 25%?

Does a $6k bike improve your enjoyment by 50% over a $3k bike

Does a $12k bike make you twice as fast as a $6k bike.

What justification do people have for dropping more than say $4k on a MTB?
No
No
No
None, just ego.
 

EsPeGe

Likes Bikes and Dirt
So today's though on this subject. At what price point does a bike improve your riding speed, quality and comfort?
Does a carbon frame increase your performance by 25%?
Does a $6k bike improve your enjoyment by 50% over a $3k bike
Does a $12k bike make you twice as fast as a $6k bike.
What justification do people have for dropping more than say $4k on a MTB?
For me some things are about making me go fast others are ego as Dales mentioned. When I first started riding bikes I was on a $1500 hardtail dirt jumper that I used for MTB. I always said that one day I would have a top of the line bike with full XTR and those sexy Mavic yellow rims. Took me 12 years but I got there. It definitely made me faster but so would have any cheap dual suspension bike. But I didn't give a fuck, I set the goal and got there, hence the ego. Since then I have spent a shitload on bikes and upgrading them.

For me dropping more than $4k on a bike isn't a decision based on the money it's based on the bike I want. I build my own bikes. Usually the frame alone is in that range. For me building, riding and maintaining the bike is the hobby, not just riding them. I have high end tastes and am lucky enough to be able to afford to buy the bike I want, plus I have no wife or kiddies. Does it make me faster? Nope, although a lot of the parts I have upgraded certainly have.
 

Nambra

Definitely should have gone to specsavers
You see a lot of US based online content where a US$3k-5k bike is considered entry to mid range level - NX Eagle spec and so on (admittedly from the boutique brands). That roughly translates to $4.5k-$7k in Aussie pesos so a $5k bike here can still have a fairly average build spec.

I think there is a Sram element to this - they've stitched up the OEM market with full build kits (suspension, brakes, drivetrain, droppers) and have so many levels now that you can sell a bike with NX cogs, Level T brakes and a Revelation as a 'premium build' as there are lower spec Sram components below that (eg. SX / Level / Recon). It also allows them to push the prestige of the X01/XX1/AXS gear into the stratosphere and charge accordingly for it - "this is NX mate, it works ok but it's a bit heavy, GX is the sweet spot for weight, but if you really want to party get into this X0...", or conversely "AXS is just ridiculous, you wanna be a pro to be into that - X01 though, it's still quality stuff, but costs half as much as AXS so it's a bargain..."

Maybe if Shimano had suspension and droppers it would be a more competive scenario; Sram don't seem to have much competition in the OEM space and have cunningly devised a convoluted tiering of componentry such that you can talk build kits up or down to push the buyer in the same direction; into buying the more expensive stuff.
 

Cardy George

Piercing rural members since 1981
Two years ago when I decided to get back on dirt I was aiming to save for a $4k bike, and I would have been absolutely stoked to be on it. Would've been about now that I'd be looking to upgrade wheels to find more speed. So let's say $6k all up.

When the finance offer came about for the Project One it was an emotional decision. I've known about Project One for years. I do get a bit proud when my bike gets noticed. I like owning bikes that are different from the herd. The price difference is for my ego and a few trick bits.

Do flashy paint, carbon wheels, carbon frame and fancy electronics make it faster? Probably not by much, but around here it makes it stand out, and that makes me happy.
 
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