I think it's because there is a lot of misinformation about cycling out there. Back in September when I was first starting to get interested in the sport, I asked a friend who is a avid cyclist about getting a bike. I told him I was frustrated because I couldn't find a bike in my price range. He literally laughed and said I wouldn't find anything "decent" for under $2000. WTF? that was seriously demoralizing because there was no way I was going to spend that much money on a sport that i didn't even know if I liked. I did some research and stumbled across my Fuji Newest for $400 at PB and have been loving it without breaking the bank. Moral of the story, you don't have to spend a ton to get a decent bike.