General Cycling Discussion - How much is enough spent for a good bike.

I thought that this may be interesting. It is certainly the subject of much discussion. Bear in mind, that I have only been involved with cycling as an adult for a short time. I still have a lot to learn, but the internet sure makes "instant experts" out of us all. :) I usually learn through the pocket book when I take an interest in something. Cycling has proven to be the same.

ADDED: I AM TALKING ABOUT A NEW BIKE HERE :)

Unfortunately I have been prevented from selling the family home to buy a new bike. :D

Money is all relative, my fine man! More to the point, some of us get utility from salvaging a $10 used classic from rusting away @ a garage sale, and some of us get the same satisfaction from a $7k full-race rig.

Me? I'm cheap, but I'm willing to spend money on what I rationalize as a great investment in me! That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Please don't tell my wife. ;)

Do you really think that it takes this much money to get a good bike? How much harder is it to ride one to death (bike) when you spend the max on it?

I certainly spent more than $750 on my bike - but I still have one of the lower end bikes in the group I ride with each week.

If I had an inexhaustible money supply I'd probably upgrade but I don't and so I'm happy with the bike I have.

I need a good quality machine for the kind of riding I do. My current bike has crossed Australia once already and will again later this year.

When I do ride across Australia I will probably again have one of the lower end bikes but with a family to support I'd rather put my dollars towards them than a bike. (Can I say things like that on this forum?)

For a decent bike i'd say you have to spend ATLEAST $500, even though I spend that X4:D

I think this would depend.. what you are going to do with the bike and what type.. hybrid.. bent.. road.. mtb.. You can get a decent hardtail for aroudn $500.. decent road bike probably looking closer to $700-800.

You get what you pay for with bicycles and inflation has moved the bar up quite a bit. While you can certainly find "decent" bicycles in the $450 - $750 range, the intended use could easily drive the price point above that.

For example, if you're looking for a bicycle for a Multi Use Path (MUP) or cruzing the neighborhood, then $400 - $500 would provide you with a quality machine that will serve your needs for many years with a minimal amount of upkeep.

If you're looking for a reliable commuter that will see lots of mileage, you're probably looking at the $500 - $750 range if only to move into a better component group or lighter wheelset.

However, if you're planning on fast recreational road riding, the price point is above $750. How much higher becomes very subjective. The same applies to off-road bicycles.

Just my .02, but I'll confess to having some chi-chi hardware sitting, er hanging in the garage with wheelsets that exceed your high watermark for an entire bicycle. Doesn't mean it's smart... it's just the way it is. (Can you say equipment freak?)

Mark, I have seen your web page several times, weRlivingood.com. What a coincidence. - Ted

Originally posted by The Terminator
Mark, I have seen your web page several times, weRlivingood.com. What a coincidence. - Ted

Howdy neighbor; it's a small world... particularly if you ride bicycles.

We almost get out to Dallas. One of our loops takes us out around Dabbs Bridge & Cartersville Highway and another down around Macland and Corner Rd. In fact, the reason we live out in West Cobb is because of all the great rural roads that we can access from our front door. Thankfully, urban sprawl has been taking its time moving Northwest. However, I believe our days are numbered... such a shame.

Depends on your definition of "good". My definition of "good" back in the early 80s was about $1,200; but now to buy something to fit my definition of "good" would be around $2,600. But those figures do not represent my definition of best which would make the price higher, nor do they represent adequate which would make the price lower of course. But those definitions are mine-not everyone elses. Also I would never buy a best bike because I have no need for that kind of level of performance, but I could not buy an adequate bike either because I ride too much and would want it to last.

So there's my rambling about much of nothing!

I set a spending limit for myself at $1000. However, I just broke that limit with a $1200 purchase. It was right there in front of me, looking all cool and shiny. I test rode it, and I couldn't say no. It's a great bike, but I still enjoy riding my late 80s beater bike which is probably worth about $50.

my advice: buy what works well, not what looks good. you can get a bike that works well and is super reliable for a couple hundred bucks.

one can have just as much fun on a $15 garage sale "beater" as a several thousand dollar whatever

if going fast is your bag, well, you'll find that the easiest way to go faster is to ride more. take your favorite pro rider, put them on a 30lb bike with a shimano sora groupset, and odds are they'll still be insanely fast.

i ride a 1970s crappy italian frame, it's steel, it's probably straight gauge, and it's definately heavy. it's also setup as a fixed gear. total investment probably is somewhere around $150. nothing brings me greater joy than passing people on bikes that cost ten times as much.

I had $1,000 set aside as a down payment on a new road bike, but then my daughter's college, the University of Kentucky, raised the tuition 16%. Bye bye road bike!

My car is worth $2K and my bicycle about $3K. Guess where my priorities lie? As I refuse to spend $35K+ on a car I can "enjoy" (Porsche, 600SL, etc.), I can put my money into something else I enjoy and which is also good for me. You may pass me ("on your left", please), but I don't really care. I define what is fun for me and what my needs are (being married, this has real limits). Not someone else. Spend what you want (either large or small) and enjoy the ride!

yeah it depends...

in my case, i currently have no car and bought my 4th bike last spring... i ride over 10,000km/yr (and 65,000 meters vertical last year)

so for me it makes sense to buy quality stuff - although i never buy the very top-of-the-line --- i.e. more than $3k or $4k doesn't really seem to make much difference.

for a hard-tail MTB for serious off road: for ME, min $900 (mine cost $1000 4 years ago)
for a full suspension, min $1400 (mine cost $2500 last year)
road-race bike: $800 (mine slightly used cost $900 3 years ago)

as for a commuter: i'd buy used - but if new: $400???

but hey, i ride A LOT --- there are probably 50 days a year when i'm not on one of my bikes... mountain biking is my number one hobby. i bike commute as my primary transportation. my 2nd job is as a mountain bike guide. and most of my vacations (except snow stuff like ski touring, snowboarding, mountain climbing) involves cycling...

back when i had a car, my bikes combined were worth more than my car...

Whatever you want to spend.

As I like classic steel a good bike for me wouldn't cost a huge amount.

i suppose I'd like a £2000 Roberts tourer ($3500?), but the bikes I've got just now are both handbuilt and great fun and do what I need. I,ve got 10's of thousands of miles on both.

i certainly wouldn't spend a couple of grand on an ali bike, and wouldn't spend much on an MTB, because they don't interest me.

Horses for courses I suppose.

Good is relative to the buyer. For example I bought a K2 Mach 2.0. To me it represented a good value at $950 (with free pair of shoes thrown into the deal). Donna bought a K2 Mach 1.0 for ~450. She's happy with her bike, but I've been trying to talk her into upgrading to mine. If she decides to upgrade I'll sacrifice and buy me a used Lemond :)

Zack

Agree with all the above about depends on
what your needs are.
i.e. I'm a roadie, for me a good bike is a steel
frame with campy components (minimum Centaur).
thats just where I am with my involvement in
this crazy lifestyle/sport.

Marty

What you spend and get back in a bike is all fairly based on your personal tastes and needs. I have two bikes both cost well over $2000 each and I love them. I wanted to buy my wife a quality bike. She did'nt want it. What she wanted was a seven speed Fuji boardwalk cruiser. Go figure.

how much money do you have?

Used. :D

Its hard convincing many newbie riders that a bike should cost more than $99.
I think $500 is where you start to get bikes that you can ride every day, for many years, without them falling apart. They may not be the lightest, or the snaziest bikes, but $500 buys you usable quality. I know of $500 bikes which can take extended loaded touring, whic
h is probably the toughest application.

Originally posted by MichaelW
Its hard convincing many newbie riders that a bike should cost more than $99.
I think $500 is where you start to get bikes that you can ride every day, for many years, without them falling apart. They may not be the lightest, or the snaziest bikes, but $500 buys you usable quality. I know of $500 bikes which can take extended loaded touring, which is probably the toughest application.
Agreed.

You can get a decent quality "starting bike" for under $500, but you will soon want a better one.

What would you spend on a car?

Figure on $500 to $1,000.

I spend $545 on mine, tax included. I feel that I got a very good value for the money. I really like riding it. I put in around 30 miles today, riding around town. I can certainly tell a difference between the way it rides, and the way two Wally bikes that I took back rode. If a $1000 bike rides that much better, there may be one in my future. Time will tell. Around here where I live, people who aren't really into cycling will never spend what I spent on a good bike. I have discovered that cycling is a different world. I even feel a little out of place when the uniformed roadies are coming into the shop, and I weigh a good 50 pounds more than any of them. Nobody has acted snobby towards me, and it is probably just a personal feeling. I still feel good by just getting to ride. I am wanting to ride the Bianchi on a daily basis, but the KHS is just too comfortable to leave and sit.