Originally Posted by
Doctor Morbius
The fact that bikes have skyrocketed in price over the last 20 to 25 years hasn't help any. When I was getting into it in the mid-'90s one could buy a Specialized Rockhopper with nearly full Alivio for $400. Now a bike with an Acera drivetrain is pushing $1000. That's just plain nuts, IMO. And that's why I would rather buy a used bike and fix it up.
bikes seem more affordable than ever to me, unless you are talking absurdly high technology.
You can get an aluminum Claris drivetrain road bike for $650 which is just over $350 from 1994.
A 9sp Sora drivetrain bike with discs and carbon fork is about $1000 which is $575 in 1994.
that tech and quality for those prices? Doesnt seems wildly expensive at all.
last fall I bought my first ever new bike(I've always built up frames and except for one, the frames have always been vintage steel) and I think its a helluva deal.
27.5" mtb with hydraulic brakes, 1x11 shifting, thru axles, air fork, and branded cockpit all for $875 total. That wasn't some end of season closeout either.
but yeah, I would much rather build my bikes up. I have one I'm working on now, a nice Columbus Tenax Schwinn Premis waiting for when i tire of any of my other road bikes. They cost less to build than new bikes of same quality, but it's usually because of used components.