Mtb prices gone stupid: The Renovation, Planning Permission & Fkn Tradies (and climate change and dog breeding ethics, +greyhound appreciation) Thread

Coopz

Likes Dirt
A good friend of mine is getting back into mountain bike riding after a 10+ yer absence. Anyway his current bike is a very well used Hasa hard tail. He wants a dualie. Preferably a 29er. He hasn't really set a budget but I've been helping him try and find something mid priced and man... Everything has gone waaay up in price since I was bike shopping 3 years ago.
We had a look at the local 99 Bikes. They had a Norco Fluid which would suit him for around 3k, but the only bike they had was a medium and he needs a large or XL. The kid selling it says they can get one but not till mid August. Meh forget that, tried another bike shop, they had a 2020 model 29er dualie for $3500, I asked about a better price as the model is superseded and I distinctly remember it selling for less than 3k a year ago but they wouldn't budge in the price (offered to throw in a free pair of gloves and a pump though).

We had a look at bicycles online, I have a Polywaffle T8, the same bike is nearly $1k more... The Marin Alpine 7 that I originally tried, didn't like the riding position so I returned it for the T8 is now $3800... It was $3k when I had it..

Second hand shopping is not much better with some bikes that have been well used are still getting sold for just a few $ less than what they cost new. Even that budget but decent dualie Reid cycles used to sell is impossible to buy.

Is Covid and shortages the main culprit or has the sport boomed and ramped up the price?
 
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Minlak

custom titis
A good friend of mine is getting back into mountain bike riding after a 10+ yer absence. Anyway his current bike is a very well used Hasa hard tail. He wants a dualie. Preferably a 29er. He hasn't really set a budget but I've been helping him try and find something mid priced and man... Everything has gone waaay up in price since I was bike shopping 3 years ago.
We had a look at the local 99 Bikes. They had a Norco Fluid which would suit him for around 3k, but the only bike they had was a medium and he needs a large or XL. The kid selling it says they can get one but not till mid August. Meh forget that, tried another bike shop, they had a 2020 model 29er dualie for $3500, I asked about a better price as the model is superseded and I distinctly remember it selling for less than 3k a year ago but they wouldn't budge in the price (offered to throw in a free pair of gloves and a pump though).

We had a look at bicycles online, I have a Polywaffle T8, the same bike is nearly $1k more... The Marin Alpine 7 that I originally tried, didn't like the riding position so I returned it for the T8 is now $3800... It was $3k when I had it..

Second hand shopping is not much better with some bikes that have been well used are still getting sold for just a few $ less than what they cost new. Even that budget but decent dualie Reid cycles used to sell is impossible to buy.

Is Covid and shortages the main culprit or has the sport boomed and ramped up the price?
A lot of the shops had to pay money up front to secure any stock so they are not getting deals to move old stock either. The wait time on components is huge right now - If a manufacturer wants to start a new bike and orders parts now from the oem suppliers its a 300 day wait to secure the parts. No deals for moving through excess stock as there is none.
 

Spike-X

Grumpy Old Sarah
Is Covid and shortages the main culprit or has the sport boomed and ramped up the price?
Yes.

Also, we're getting well and truly fucked with the lousy exchange rate, although it's a bit better than it was.
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
not just bikes but many industries have used the covid veil to lift prices across the board, covid economically hasn’t lead to any actual price increases, and many businesses have made higher profits - but nonetheless the price bar has shifted
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Industries are struggling to get materials to manufacture, so it's had a flow on effect to the end prices. Push Industries even mentioned it in a podcast that they are competing with more profitable industries over materials.
 

discofrank

Likes Dirt
and whats worse... now that people are paying the higher price... they prices will not go back down.. they will stay up there, its stupid

even high end bikes are crazy priced, a giant trance X ( top of the line ) guy who jumps on the bus with me, was quoted 10.5k for a bloody giant!
 

Daniel Hale

She fid, he fid, I fidn't
Huh?

There have been very real price increases at the supplier / manufacturer level across many industries.
i didn’t say their wasn’t price increases, but when you look at the graphs of crude oil prices, dipped significantly in 2020 [used for making plastics], steel prices were down until dec, then bounced - so actual commodity prices generally went down, gold rose significantly, 20% or more but not used in bikes, hardly any in bike batteries
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
This bike came up a few months ago.
I still have my old Anthem that I paid $1600 third hand in 2014, they were $3200 new in 2012!
373850
 

Halo1

Likes Bikes and Dirt
It’s the weirdest recession ever! Everyone has heaps of money to spend on bike stuff.
Will there be a day when all these lightly ridden bikes hit the second hand market or is this the new normal.
 

CHEWY

Eats Squid
It’s the weirdest recession ever! Everyone has heaps of money to spend on bike stuff.
Will there be a day when all these lightly ridden bikes hit the second hand market or is this the new normal.

Seen a few recently "bought during lock down, ridden twice, dont use it etc".
 

birddog69

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I think that is just one of the new meta phrases to make people believe bike is "Like New" - Similar to the good old -
"Serviced after every ride". I remember her saying that as I picked out the cooties the next day.
 
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