I've had the opportunity to run with a lot of different circles of people. From folks who managed to share a shitty 2000 sq/ft house between 8-10 mates to a (really nice) dude who has his own Sikorsky. I've also sold bikes at every price point.
I'd argue that regardless of their profession, free time, and the size of their piles of cash (or HELOC) the % of folks spending 10K+ on a bike just because they're rich is tiny. The dude with the $500 BAOs on his feet and the sweet AMG still thinks 2K is a lot for "just a push bike."
That is to say if you interviewed most riders dropping 15K on a mountain bike I believe they'd all say they love riding and they've made a decision based on the brand of bike they want or the shop they want to deal with (or some combination of the two).
At the end of the day, my basic point could be flipped on its head. If a person walks into your shop and wants to spend 15K on an Enduro, or a MegaTower, or an SB150, or whatever then build them a more interesting bike than the manufacturer is shipping OE. Or, I could phrase it as expect something unique for 15K.
I don't have an issue with the person who has 150K to spend on a car, all I'm saying is that if you're going to spend a down payment on an apartment for four wheels and an infotainment center then get something cool.
Or I guess don’t. As I pointed out right at the start of the article, it’s your money. Inspire, inform, entertain.
July 12, 2022, 5:59 p.m. - Andrew Major
I've had the opportunity to run with a lot of different circles of people. From folks who managed to share a shitty 2000 sq/ft house between 8-10 mates to a (really nice) dude who has his own Sikorsky. I've also sold bikes at every price point. I'd argue that regardless of their profession, free time, and the size of their piles of cash (or HELOC) the % of folks spending 10K+ on a bike just because they're rich is tiny. The dude with the $500 BAOs on his feet and the sweet AMG still thinks 2K is a lot for "just a push bike." That is to say if you interviewed most riders dropping 15K on a mountain bike I believe they'd all say they love riding and they've made a decision based on the brand of bike they want or the shop they want to deal with (or some combination of the two). At the end of the day, my basic point could be flipped on its head. If a person walks into your shop and wants to spend 15K on an Enduro, or a MegaTower, or an SB150, or whatever then build them a more interesting bike than the manufacturer is shipping OE. Or, I could phrase it as expect something unique for 15K. I don't have an issue with the person who has 150K to spend on a car, all I'm saying is that if you're going to spend a down payment on an apartment for four wheels and an infotainment center then get something cool. Or I guess don’t. As I pointed out right at the start of the article, it’s your money. Inspire, inform, entertain.