The "hidden" cost of accessories!
 

Howdy folks!

I just purchased a bicycle on Ebay (will post about it after it arrives and I clean it up) with simple intentions. The basic cost of the bike will be covered by my parents as a 30th birthday gift, and I paid shipping. The total was $300, which is nearly as much as the bike could be worth. I had been lusting after several other bikes on Ebay lately and passed them up because they were all $500 or more, though some had quite a few neat accessories included.

I knew I wanted a few particular things for the new machine, sight unseen. I got a NOS frame pump and corresponding mounts, water bottle cage mounts, some new toe clips and straps, and a new stem of a particular style and reach that I found ideal. I ended up spending rough $150 more on these items! The cool pump and stem account for $100 - I could have had cheaper but I knew what I wanted. I will also probably be purchasing $40 worth of fresh decals because some are faded and others completely gone.

So now my total is sitting at nearly $500, and it seems only a hop, a skip, and a jump away from some of the much nicer bikes I had previously been considering... I'm hitting my head against the keyboard a bit over this, though I know I'll appreciate the bike since I really do like the model.

Anyone have similar experiences? I certainly did not consider these costs thoroughly when I reviewed my options, and I can't argue ignorance. Just oversight!

-Gregory

"I think I'd like this bike a little better if it had..."

Been there, done that. But less so these days. I think my free-flow bike building days are over and will be more selective in the future. Maybe a phase I had to grow out of?

Usually buy stuff on sale at Nashbar or Niagara. I also get some really nice accessories off used bikes that I buy now and then. From what I have seen, it is easy to drop some serious cash down if you "need it now" and buy it on places like e-bay.

Tailoring a bike to one's fit preference and desired capabilities can and does add up quickly. Less so if you are close to a used parts bike shop. Dinuba, CA is a decent drive to Fresno or Bakersfield, which may have them. So eBay is your friend. We all know where we can save money in doing these things, like not buying NOS or new etc. Finer/nicer/expensive taste results in.....spending a lot of money. Not surprising. Heck, simply building up a bike from a purchased frameset a la carte, buying components and cables and pads and wheels etc, adds up really quickly.

None of my builds are cheap, even if I got solid to killer deals on the frames, wheels, and components. I build a la carte because I have a plan for each bike, and usually because I have bought the frame and not a complete (or complete, original) bike. I love the bikes, though, and they are all beautiful, well thought through builds. They certainly ride like it.

Now, what do you get with all of your wallet-ache? A bike that you (hopefully) really like and is personally tailored to your desires. Who knows if you would have had to do that with the $500+ bikes! Do you like the bike now that you have spent more money on it? We all would hope so!

So you know what to do better next time. Finding nice or nice-enough bikes and components for good prices in the pursuit of hitting or ducking under a budgeted amount is part of the fun with C&V, though it of course is not the aim. The aim is to buy and build a bike that you really like and will ride a lot. And if you have access to tools and a bike stand, you can always mix and match preferred pieces from your other bikes to put onto to one bike to make it the pinnacle of your fleet (or to reduce your fleet because now you have a stellar bike).

Plus many on all counts of [MENTION=401497]RiddleOfSteel[/MENTION], he knows the drill. :thumb:

My own perspective is that the starting $$$ point is often somewhat irrelevant.

Wherever you start is usually going to be just that, the start, then the madness ensues.

The higher you start, the higher the bar, it will take cooler, nicer, more period correct components, accessories, upgrades, etc. on and on if it did not start out that way.

This is my argument for stepping way up when you can, when you find something that you want, is very nice, complete, correct, cool, rare, really want it, etc, then buy it. Especially if it's your size, this is the one thing that can be the lynchpin for me (although not lately). Several of my early acquisition's were spendy to say the least, still worth it to me as I have not seen any others since then, glad I was able to and did so.

Not just in accessories, but 'normal' parts, too!

Here's a case in point:

1986 Miyata 710 bought with a flat rear tire for $120.
New 700/28 tires - $50/pr on sale
New tubes - $10/pr
Upgrade to (used) dual pivot brakes - $35
New lined brake cables - $30
Used barcons - $30
Barcon shift cables/housing - $40
Bar tape - $15
Water bottle and cage - $15
Saddle - $75
And there are other 'incidentals' not counted!!!
-----------------------
Already this $120 'deal' has cost me over $400!
Shipping it to home here in OH from AZ - $75 packing fee + ~$75 shipping via BikeFlights
Now this 'bargain' is over $550!!!!!

Also why a "free" bike is not always much of a bargain, especially if it has been neglected and needs a lot of wear and tear items replaced.

Yeah, all the little bits do add up. But you have choices when you do the complete build yourself. For example, a matching frame pump or highly-functional modern full-size pump? That pantographed stem on ebay or a highly functional SR? The exact headset and BB or a more generic replacement? That $110 boutique saddle or a $45 saddle which may actually be more comfortable?

In the end you will see the result every time you ride, but you won't feel much difference (except in the saddle). Unless you find the perfect expensive bike waiting for you you will be tempted to look for those perfect replacement parts anyway and perhaps end up spending even more. So you start with a vision and work from there.

I understand the enthusiasm associated with getting THE bike. Like others, I have learned that the best way to approach is slow and steady. Ride it first, then decide. You might not like it or you may love it. Often it is clouded with "I want to like it." Replacing key parts that get in the way, like an uncomfortable saddle helps make the decision to turn it into a keeper or flip.

Decals would be the last resort item of expense in my book. I have a couple of bikes that need them but I haven't purchased them yet. Then there are a couple of others where I put the wagon before the horse with decals in the box of parts with the frame stored for 2-3 years! I wish I had spent the decal money on a derailleur for another bike!

Btdt
 

We here are a collective of curmudgeons, dedicated to the determined rationalization of rightfully purchased prizes.

1. These, for the most part, are long term purchases. You get what you need and want, and ride the second-guessing thoughts away. A few dollars here or there, spread out over years, to be dialed in, is justified.

2. EBay sellers often remove the accessories anyway, when preparing a bike to ship, so it's likely other bikes would have come "spare" as well.

3. Accessories are transferable, so when you move on to the inevitable N+1, they continue in utility.

4. Chairman Mao's kids can mitigate this expense on some accessories, but with items like pumps, cages, etc, buy good stuff and only buy it once.

5. On group and solo jaunts, it's often the accessories that make it break a ride's success when things go awry. Don't feel like you wasted money.

My work here is done, or at least adequate. Welcome to the forum and ride on!

I did that once, the only time I bought new, back in the 90s. Along the way, I picked up things for future builds--I have a selection of 5 different racks for my next build. Derailleurs, brakes, rims and hubs, crank sets, stems, you name it. For my incoming frame set, I had to buy a seatpost and brake levers. At 30, you haven't had those opportunities yet. Get what you want. It's only money. And, if you live in the US, it always comes back.

I sometimes wonder if there how much marketing (a.k.a "snob" or "status") factors into lots of things we buy. Such as clothing, components, helmets. The law of diminishing returns has been brought up elsewhere in the Forum. Slap a "pro popular" name-brand on an item, design a slight upgrade into the design, or create the perceived need for the superiority of "our" product and..... voila. The price is now double or triple that of the "generic" 98% equivalent. Indeed, there are divisions between "cheap/risky", "modest/good" and "pricey/good+". But my objective is to delineate the difference between the first two and avoid the first. As for the third, I think that's where the diminishing returns enters in. We can do a lot of this to ourselves, I think, in the various social circles/hobbies we circulate in. Just a thought.

Thanks for all of the feedback, folks! Interesting perspectives on the issue. In the case of the bike I got it's a rather typical model but in a particular guise - I might as well come out and say it's a 1970 Raleigh Super Course with the centennial head badge and the rather plain Carlton lugs. It's the only year they built it that way (out of '68-'70) in the 25.5" frame size, and one of the first I've seen.

So, a rare bike in its particular layout, but nothing special in the scheme of things.

Now I'm about to win a pair of Bluemels fenders to go with it, which will put the total up towards the $550 mark. However, that's literally just about all that I can stick on the bike when it arrives! I'm sure it will ride like a dream (for straight gauge 531) and have just the silhouette I like, but hopefully this is the most expensive Super Course I build from here on out.

-Gregory

Responses here pretty much summed it up already. Plus: value/cost is relative to the individual, a bird in the hand, etc. Could you have paid $550 for a new bike that you’d be just as happy with? I doubt it. Enjoy building and riding! Getting a bike ‘just so’ is a pleasure of both process and result.

It's easy to spend a lot on accessories. It's easy to justify the cost - look at the quality, how much I use it, how convenient this is. But when we're honest with ourselves, it's not a hidden cost of something we needed. We wanted it, we bought it, we're glad we did, end of story.

If you'd have bought a different bike you probably still would have had to get a pump, clips and straps, stem etc. Depending on the age, you might not have had to get cage mounts, since after some point in time everybody began brazing them on, but unless you bought the vintage NOS TA cage clamps complete with original paper envelope with TA stamped on it for $100 ($90 for the paper envelope, because you can buy the clamps w/o the envelope for about ten bucks the pair) you still would have ended up paying a substantial amount for "extras." There's no point beating yourself up about it, it's not like you did anything really stupid, it's just how it is.

Get up to the level of the really nice bikes, and they won't come with saddles or pedals because everybody who buys a bike like that wants to install their own choice of saddle and pedals anyway.

All right, now you are going too far down the road of "period correctness" for an ordinary bike you just intend to ride. Those original Bluemels certainly do look "correct" but other than that they're a poor value because almost certainly they've gone all brittle by now and won't stand up to serious use. Even if they were as fresh as when made, there are modern fenders that will be much less expensive (than a set of NOS Bluemels) and will work at least as well.

OTOH, if you are striving for period correctness and are building a shrine to 1970, congratulations! They'll look great. Just be careful, those Bluemels were brittle and tended to crack and break back when they were new, never mind when they're almost 50 years old.

Being realistic, if you are in this forum, it has nothing to do with need and everything to do with want.

If it isn't interfering with your needs, do what you want.

Today all one has to do is poke phat fingies on our fones. Get the schtuff from China for pittance. Delivered to your door in a few days.... zippo past customs, sealed for your protection. Bags panniers nice LED setup, rack might set you back $30 delivered.

So this isn't good enough? You say it ain't vinti? Again, phat fingers to eBay we go. Patience and work, it might get you the same deal. Man, this is exhausting 🎱

Stop drinking.

The fenders were $70 shipped, and this isn't an "ordinary bike" for me (I never said it was). It's a build inspired by a very specific silhouette and set of equipment that I admire, based on photos of a few tall framed late-50s and early-60s British road/path bikes.

The $500+ bikes were of the same ilk, but slightly nicer or more vintage than the Super Course. And yes, they probably would have needed similar accessories to get to where I wanted them to be, but the percentage of the price would have been less than the bike itself, and they would have been far more valuable for the effort.

-Gregory

(The attached image is of the 1958 Carlton Flyer that I blame most for this burning desire! EDIT: Image courtesy Old School Bicycles website.)

I can see why! :thumb:

Sour Grapes
Free Frame=$0
You were looking at $500 bikes and now you have the glorious opportunity to make it exactly what you want.
Wait til you are searching for that 1943 headset the no one ever heard of to complete a 6 day racer. searching for 12 years and then you find it price $350 what would you do?

I'd buy it. I've built bicycles that are worth several thousand dollars. I've built brand new bicycles with carbon saddles made in China that cost as much as that rare stem. It's always intentional.

I'm just talking about the fact that sometimes it isn't until after the trigger is pulled that the missed opportunity is clearly understood. I could have had a much nicer bicycle as a platform, and simply been patient about building it up. I buckled under the initial pricing without realizing that I would end up spending that much in any case. Of course the nicer bike would cost more in the end, but whether that end is next week or next year might not have mattered if I had something more special from the get go.

-Gregory

(p.s. I'm recently married and back in school, so I don't have a lot of options just now. I would have bought a fully-equipped $1,200 Carlton Longfellow on Ebay UK and called it a wrap if I had the means. I could have bought a $600 bicycle but I would have been at my limit, and would have had to wait to accessorize. I thought I was getting a deal this way but ended up spending as much anyway! The advantage is that the bike will be accessorized sooner rather than later. But is that worth it?)

I hear ya
Slow is smooth