Originally Posted by
Bikealangelo
Hey, so I am a new cyclist, and for now, I am not riding super far (10-20 miles on a single ride), but I have been wondering about something lately:
do expensive bikes ($1k+) justify the cost? I have been riding a 1983 Schwinn le tour, and it has mostly seemed to be pretty good to me. I guess I am not understanding how an expensive bike could be that much of a game changer.
SO my question to you all is "what makes the pricier bikes objectively better than the cheaper bikes, or is it just preference?"
I'm glad you found something you really like.
I relate to this question quite a bit. I bought a bike on clearance at K-Mart in 2012. I think it was $67. I started riding it on a multi-use path near my house. I really enjoyed riding! I started reading bike forums. This is where it all went downhill or uphill depending on how you look at it!
I talked to my wife about really enjoying riding and how I was getting further on my daily rides (12-15miles). Then my dad bought a lower end Cannondale Synapse. I remember talking to my wife about how I couldn't believe he spent $1500 on a bicycle. She said she would never be ok with spending that much on a bike.
The longer I rode, the more I looked at bike forums. I started watching cycling races. I was hooked. I set a target for losing 25 pounds to then talk to my wife about spending $1200 on a decent road bike. I had a bunch of fun shopping for and learning about bikes while working towards my goal. When I finally hit it, my wife didn't mind at all because I was fully into the cycling world and doing something healthy for a change. She could see the positive impact.
From then, I have gone through a lot of bikes. I found a passion for working on them in the times when I couldn't go for a ride. I have since built a lot from frames and parts, done tons of upgrades, etc. I have had a $10,000 bike, high-end classics, handbuilt steel frames, and even built a few $100 clunker challenge bikes that I had fun riding.
Through all of this I have found that I mostly enjoy tinkering and upgrading. I don't want to spend $10k on a bike that has no room to upgrade. I don't care too much about a carbon frame, but I'm not a "Steel is Real" kind of preacher either. I prefer carbon or aluminum. You can still build a really light aluminum bike. I have found that I can tell a real difference in component upgrades up to the Ultegra/Force level, but it seems like just weight after that. I have learned that my priorities are comfort, quiet, smooth, looks, light - in that order.
The fact that you have joined this forum and are asking about bikes means that you are starting down your passion. You'll learn what you like. I like change in my equipment and running 20-40 mile routes. Some people like to find their perfect bike and ride hundreds of miles on touring adventures for years. Gotta try different stuff to know what it is you'll love most.