trestlehed

Well, not that my bents are high-end carbon or anything, (because they aren't)... but when people ask how much they cost and subsequently gasp, I basically ask them this: If they were planning a cross-country tour in a car, would they do it in a cheap used jolopy that was (in their mind) "a great deal"?

You get what you pay for. Try buying a Walmart "mountain bike" and try riding the Porcupine Rim Trail in Moab.
That Walmart bike wouldn't last 15 minutes.