Cost of bikes

I'm not so sure too much has changed since I got into the sport. In 1991 I bought an S-Works FSR for $5200. Using the BOC inflation calculator that comes to $8059. That bike was a complete, non custom bike that had some specialized house components on it (like that sweet 120mm polished Ti stem) and the Specialized Carbon "mag 21" fork. At the time you could easily have added a great deal to the cost by adding some Chris King bling, or perhaps some Ringle anodized parts and ceramic rims and got that sucker up to $6400 easily, and BAM, there's your $10K bike in today's dollars. Adding discs (I think there was one option and it was not hayes yet) would have pushed that price drastically more skyward.

Let's also factor in that in 1991 the USD to CAD was 87c rather than 75c, and you don't even need to bling it out to get close to $10K.

I don't think much has changed. Apart from the fact that a $4600 bike today ($3000 in 1991 dollars) is a mighty fine dual suspension bike, whereas $3K in '91 got you a steaming pile of shit dually, or a nice full rigid.

Let's also ponder my $440 purchase of dual beam 32 watt halogen Niteriders which is $681 today.

my only rebuttal, and a point that I think is still quite valid, is that in 1991 (and even 15 years ago) these bikes and parts were being produced in quite small runs, manufacturing wasn't nearly as sophistated and streamlined as it is now. Materials were not as sophisticated either, and the cost of shipping materials to factories across the world was probably more expensive than it is now. We didn't have the internet to do most of the marketing or even direct sales, so bike manufacturers back in the day had to shell out more from their profit margin in that regard as well.

Many auto manufacturers are offering brand new, price point basic shitbox cars that should easily last 200k with adequate maintenance for not much more than $10k. You know.. a car with a transmission, engine, 4 wheels, stereo etc.

And bike manufacturers are now offering bikes that will be "used up" and get binned after 3 years of use for not much less money. I still don't understand how the f that works?!?

That wasn't meant to be an attack on the statement you made, I just think the bike industry is getting away with it…because we support them.

In 1989 my Specialized Rockhopper Comp cost 500 UK pounds. Those things would have been churned out in high numbers. Round 1 of the MTB boom in full effect. It just had a basic butted steel frame and pretty no remarkable features. Shimano Deore components and a bucket load of 'Specialized' parts. Running 500 quid through an inflation calculator gives around 1200 pounds today, which at a quick glance gets you something like this in the UK:

https://www.evanscycles.com/saracen-mantra-elite-2017-mountain-bike-EV289691

A frame that Doug Bradbury or Gary Klein could only have dreamed about back then. A decent enough suspension fork. Mid range hydraulic disc brakes. I'd say similar quality gears but with a clutch derailleur and a bottom bracket axle that won't snap in half. Not the most remarkable bike to have ever been produced, but in terms of features and technology there is a night and day difference compared to the shit heap that I rode BITD.

my only rebuttal, and a point that I think is still quite valid, is that in 1991 (and even 15 years ago) these bikes and parts were being produced in quite small runs, manufacturing wasn't nearly as sophistated and streamlined as it is now. Materials were not as sophisticated either, and the cost of shipping materials to factories across the world was probably more expensive than it is now. We didn't have the internet to do most of the marketing or even direct sales, so bike manufacturers back in the day had to shell out more from their profit margin in that regard as well.

To simplify it I would say all those excellent points you brought up are a wash by the significantly increased performance, lighter weight, better durability. That's the way I'll justify it anyways

Many auto manufacturers are offering brand new, price point basic shitbox cars that should easily last 200k with adequate maintenance for not much more than $10k. You know.. a car with a transmission, engine, 4 wheels, stereo etc.

I still don't understand how the f that works?!?

Unfair comparison IMO. If you want a basic utilitarian bicycle that will get you from point A to B, Canadian Tire or Walmart can outfit you for $200; that would be the equivalent to these basic $10k econoboxes. To get into top end high performance cars, you're easily into hundreds of thousands of $ if not millions.

I'm not advocating for these crazy $10k+ MTBs but do understand that's the price for admission for the top end of any sport/hobby. For me, I'm perfectly happy with the bikes I've put together for 10% of what a superbike would cost me, definitely getting more than 10% of the performance and value

Unfair comparison IMO. If you want a basic utilitarian bicycle that will get you from point A to B, Canadian Tire or Walmart can outfit you for $200; that would be the equivalent to these basic $10k econoboxes. To get into top end high performance cars, you're easily into hundreds of thousands of $ if not millions.

That's exactly it. What many people aren't grasping is that a $10k superbike is no different than a Ferrari in terms of the space it occupies on the performance/price/value spectrum. High performance, high price, low value. It is what it is.

I was also happy to see inflation mentioned and surprised it took so many posts before it was brought up. High-end mountain bikes have always been really pricey. The difference is that now there are more places to ride them, and more people that are contemplating this sport instead of buying a convertible or going heli-skiing once a year (and some out there can do both).

There is no price-fixing conspiracy going on in the industry, but there are some things that could lower prices. For one thing, the distributor/shop model is inefficient.

Another thing to consider is that carbon molds are expensive and most bikes come in 5 or more sizes.

When you're shopping for a Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C Exo, you cannot compare that to a basic all-season radial. Instead, have a look at the cost of Z-rated performance tires. Ditto wheels. Coil-over car or truck suspension.

We were having a conversation about this the other day and I realized that with few exceptions, if someone buys a pickup truck and intend to off-road it aggressively, it's going to require thousands in aftermarket mods. That used to be the case when buying a bike with the intention to ride it on the shore as well: it was assumed you would need to swap out the bar and stem, tires, slap a bigger front fork on there, maybe even lace up new wheels. Now you can buy a bone-stock bike for 4k, modify nothing, and it comes ready to rip. That's still an expensive toy, but let's just stop for a minute to consider how far we've come.

This is an expensive sport, there is no doubt about it. And yeah, there are relatively more expensive bikes in high-end shops than there used to be. But the value they represent is hard to dispute. These are highly-engineered pieces of technology, and if you want to ride something at the bleeding/leading edge, you're going to invest exponentially more than if you settle for 2-3 yr old technology. That's just simple business. There are a few people getting rich at the top. It's a very small number. Otherwise, bike companies are staffed by passionate bike people, not people motivated by affording big houses and taking super fancy vacations.

….slap a bigger front fork on there…

Maybe even a rear fork too yeah?

;):scream::lol:

Maybe even a rear fork too yeah?

;):scream::lol:

Sometimes I type quickly. Faster than I think.

That's exactly it. What many people aren't grasping is that a $10k superbike is no different than a Ferrari in terms of the space it occupies on the performance/price/value spectrum. High performance, high price, low value. It is what it is.

I was also happy to see inflation mentioned and surprised it took so many posts before it was brought up. High-end mountain bikes have always been really pricey. The difference is that now there are more places to ride them, and more people that are contemplating this sport instead of buying a convertible or going heli-skiing once a year (and some out there can do both).

There is no price-fixing conspiracy going on in the industry, but there are some things that could lower prices. For one thing, the distributor/shop model is inefficient.

Another thing to consider is that carbon molds are expensive and most bikes come in 5 or more sizes.

When you're shopping for a Maxxis Minion DHR II 3C Exo, you cannot compare that to a basic all-season radial. Instead, have a look at the cost of Z-rated performance tires. Ditto wheels. Coil-over car or truck suspension.

We were having a conversation about this the other day and I realized that with few exceptions, if someone buys a pickup truck and intend to off-road it aggressively, it's going to require thousands in aftermarket mods. That used to be the case when buying a bike with the intention to ride it on the shore as well: it was assumed you would need to swap out the bar and stem, tires, slap a bigger front fork on there, maybe even lace up new wheels. Now you can buy a bone-stock bike for 4k, modify nothing, and it comes ready to rip. That's still an expensive toy, but let's just stop for a minute to consider how far we've come.

This is an expensive sport, there is no doubt about it. And yeah, there are relatively more expensive bikes in high-end shops than there used to be. But the value they represent is hard to dispute. These are highly-engineered pieces of technology, and if you want to ride something at the bleeding/leading edge, you're going to invest exponentially more than if you settle for 2-3 yr old technology. That's just simple business. There are a few people getting rich at the top. It's a very small number. Otherwise, bike companies are staffed by passionate bike people, not people motivated by affording big houses and taking super fancy vacations.

bunch of thought provoking aspects of the issue i hadn't considered.

Maybe giving out less free shit at events would lower the cost of bikes?:idea: