Have a friend who was a minor professional cyclist in Europe for a bit. Never close to leader board but professional nonetheless. He often rides a hard tail 70’s three speed with a basket on back country trails. MTB riders with the latest gear and full kit regularly tell him he can’t ride that bike on the trail. His standard reply is, “Obviously I can, because I am. You however…” He lets the sentence trail off and with a shrug rides away.
Road bikes also get the same comments. I have a hybrid/trekking bike so I can annoy both sides. But realistically I use my bike to get to places along paths in the UK, I don’t need to do jumps but I do need something that can manage shit road surfaces, dirt and gravel. Even light mud is fine with 700x37 tyres. I could use wider tyres for winter if I really wanted to use some of the muddier paths but there isn’t much need to.
Yeah, I figured this out as a teenager. We had a half-marathon through rough terrain (gravel, sand, tree roots etc.). I had my 200€ bike from Facebook and a sports t-shirt from school. I felt very out of place with all these big men in their tight spandex suits and decked out bikes.
I passed most of them and finished 13th out of 130 (which is not amazing, but definitely not bad).
Honestly, $5kNZD (~£2k) will get you a really nice bike that should take you to very enthusiastic amateur; if you are doing significant jumps/drops than you will know what you need and spend accordingly.
A $5k bike is not extreme by any stretch; and the NZ tax also hits. I have seen $14k (~£6k) in my local bike shop, non-electric mtb.
Note: I mountain bike regularly and my bike cost me $5kNZD 12 years ago…I mainly ride grade 2/3 tracks these days with the occasional grade 4. Not an authority on mountain biking, but I have a bit of experience in bike costs and what you get for your money.
5k is what I’d consider a midrange bike, in that case. That would get you a very decent full suspension bike, but without getting into things like carbon frames etc.
Seen enough of people looking down on anything below a few thousand. Oh no my bike weighs a kg extra. So what, I can still cycle along the same coastal path as you at a slightly lower speed. I don’t care how long it takes.
More variable but some cheaper bikes are more durable too, usually when the expensive one is as light as possible it is sacrificing durability to do it. But that does depend on what is being called cheaper too, as it seems like £80-800 is all considered cheap to these people.
That little difference becomes very important in road cycling… I personally always recommend used road bikes. New, you have to spend many thousands. But I’ve seen superb used options (e.g. carbonfiber, ultegra or nowadays even 105, decent wheels and handlebars) for under 1000€.
One will have to spend a little extra to replace a couple parts, but it’s still a fraction of the new cost. My first good road bike was third hand and I was cycling competitively.
A bike just for weight loss or something similar can be cheaper, of coarse. But serious road cycling is often trickier, you’ll want carbon fiber at least. YMMV though
A bike just for weight loss or something similar can be cheaper, of course.
Dan John, a prominent figure in the strength and conditioning community, once argued that the best bike for weight loss was a cheap, steel framed, single-speed beach cruiser, especially if you lived in a hilly area.
I bought a decent bike for $50 on FB marketplace and then spent $200 customizing and upgrading it and now I have a good bike that fits me perfectly and is comfortable to ride.
Cheap bikes are great, ignore the elitist pricks that think you actually need to spend £2k on a bike.
I spent $50 on a beat up used bike from a thrift store, and slapped a $600 ebike upgrade kit on it. It looks like trash but gets me where I need.
Have a friend who was a minor professional cyclist in Europe for a bit. Never close to leader board but professional nonetheless. He often rides a hard tail 70’s three speed with a basket on back country trails. MTB riders with the latest gear and full kit regularly tell him he can’t ride that bike on the trail. His standard reply is, “Obviously I can, because I am. You however…” He lets the sentence trail off and with a shrug rides away.
Road bikes also get the same comments. I have a hybrid/trekking bike so I can annoy both sides. But realistically I use my bike to get to places along paths in the UK, I don’t need to do jumps but I do need something that can manage shit road surfaces, dirt and gravel. Even light mud is fine with 700x37 tyres. I could use wider tyres for winter if I really wanted to use some of the muddier paths but there isn’t much need to.
Somewhat same, my everyday ride is a Surley Disc Trucker, it’s my weekend ride too, but it’s my everyday ride.
Yeah, I figured this out as a teenager. We had a half-marathon through rough terrain (gravel, sand, tree roots etc.). I had my 200€ bike from Facebook and a sports t-shirt from school. I felt very out of place with all these big men in their tight spandex suits and decked out bikes.
I passed most of them and finished 13th out of 130 (which is not amazing, but definitely not bad).
That is a cheap bike if you’re going mountain biking.
Honestly, $5kNZD (~£2k) will get you a really nice bike that should take you to very enthusiastic amateur; if you are doing significant jumps/drops than you will know what you need and spend accordingly.
A $5k bike is not extreme by any stretch; and the NZ tax also hits. I have seen $14k (~£6k) in my local bike shop, non-electric mtb.
Note: I mountain bike regularly and my bike cost me $5kNZD 12 years ago…I mainly ride grade 2/3 tracks these days with the occasional grade 4. Not an authority on mountain biking, but I have a bit of experience in bike costs and what you get for your money.
Jesus, is the NZD really that weak right now?
2.33:1
5k is what I’d consider a midrange bike, in that case. That would get you a very decent full suspension bike, but without getting into things like carbon frames etc.
You could easily spend twice that.
I love how you respond to a guy going “people are pricks about bike pricing” with an “ackshulaly $2k is cheap”.
Zero self-awareness. Zero social skills.
Also, my god that’s such an ML thing to say.
I’m just laughing about what people think the sport costs, vs what it actually does.
A truly top of the line bike is over 20k NZD.
Yes. You’re the person we’re making fun of. We get it. You need not keep reminding us how awkward, obnoxious, and oblivious you are.
I’ve found mountains to be very challenging to pedal and steer. Rocks in the other hand
Way to prove the point
The difference between a cheap bike and a nice bike is similar to the difference between a Chromebook and a decked out ThinkPad or Macbook IMHO.
You’re absolutely right: most folks just browse the web, and a Chromebook is enough. But the other products do have value.
Seen enough of people looking down on anything below a few thousand. Oh no my bike weighs a kg extra. So what, I can still cycle along the same coastal path as you at a slightly lower speed. I don’t care how long it takes.
More variable but some cheaper bikes are more durable too, usually when the expensive one is as light as possible it is sacrificing durability to do it. But that does depend on what is being called cheaper too, as it seems like £80-800 is all considered cheap to these people.
That little difference becomes very important in road cycling… I personally always recommend used road bikes. New, you have to spend many thousands. But I’ve seen superb used options (e.g. carbonfiber, ultegra or nowadays even 105, decent wheels and handlebars) for under 1000€.
One will have to spend a little extra to replace a couple parts, but it’s still a fraction of the new cost. My first good road bike was third hand and I was cycling competitively.
A bike just for weight loss or something similar can be cheaper, of coarse. But serious road cycling is often trickier, you’ll want carbon fiber at least. YMMV though
Dan John, a prominent figure in the strength and conditioning community, once argued that the best bike for weight loss was a cheap, steel framed, single-speed beach cruiser, especially if you lived in a hilly area.
No you don’t.
Generally speaking, the more advanced the riding you’re doing is, the more an expensive bike will help you.
I bought a decent bike for $50 on FB marketplace and then spent $200 customizing and upgrading it and now I have a good bike that fits me perfectly and is comfortable to ride.