tcs

Perhaps we'd be better off as a society if we legislatively standardized on one bicycle design at one price point for everybody.

Phamilton

I paid $25 and $45 for my two commuter bikes. The $750 you spent on your Cannondale is an outrageous price to pay for a commuter bike, IMO.

Nachoman

My office suite mate commutes to work on a $12,000.00 custom titanium gravel grinder with Di2.

MoAlpha

About 4200, all-up. I'm a rich old guy with a safe garage to park in. I figure it's the cycling equivalent of commuting in a Cayenne or something, which is what guys like me are apparently supposed to do.

MoAlpha

I agree with the sentiment in regard to this case, but the main threats I see to my personal security, the nation, and the planet all result from the choices other people make.

Koyote

Since my wife and I own only one car, I would have no problem at all justifying a commuter bike this nice, if only my commute was longer than 3 miles each way.

By the way, I can't see in the pic...Do you have a dyno lighting setup? That's something I'd love to have, one day.

Ogsarg

Yes. Absolutely. I should have been more specific.

MoAlpha

I would love to go to one car, but I need something for emergencies. It's a real beater too.

No dyno; too much of a weight weenie.

caloso

Cars get stolen all the time, yet no one bats an eye at someone spending $40,000 for a car that is primarily driven to work and back.

FiftySix

Luxury!

ThermionicScott 

Weight-weenie-ism is partly what got me into dyno lighting. Getting rid of batteries has saved far more weight than the 150-200g added to the hub.

MoAlpha

I don't think the old Niterider lamp I'm using weighs more than that. Mine is essentially a be-seen requirement and easily met.

I should add that perhaps my best excuse for an expensive commuter is that I am limited to three bikes and would prefer two. Therefore, the commuter has to fill a recreational role, in this case, goofing around on gravel and dirt.

katsup

The $50 bike I took to work today is parked next to me so it doesn't get stolen.

The $1000 bike I have gets the same treatment.

Metieval

I figured since I don't give hollywood anymoney, nor starbucks, nor shell gas, nor fast food, nor breweries, then I can splurge on my bicycles.

if you want to talk about earth first to me, then just ignore my off road tires on my muddy lifted gas drinking 4x4, And be glad that I ride a bicycle as much as I do. Technically I ride, so that I can buy ammo instead of gasoline.
I'd buy more Giro stuff, but.........

wolfchild

After 12 years of commuting, recreational riding and mountain biking my expensive bikes are so beat up that nobody would pay any attention to them. Most cheap department store bikes look more attractive to a thief than my expensive LBS bikes.

Dr.Lou

"Why Expensive Commuter bikes?"

Not with just bikes, but "Pride of Ownership" is important to many, including me. I like the craftsmanship and uniqueness some manufactures provide and it usually comes with a cost that I am willing pay.

TimothyH

Some of the greatest bike rides I've ever done were commutes. Why should I do it on a cruddy bike?


-Tim-

Dr.Lou

Birds of a feather!!

Sidewalk

I commute on the same bike I road race on. So?

I've had the bike a year, it has 8000 miles on it. I think it's getting proper use, not sitting in a garage doing nothing.

Granted, my $7000 mountain bike only gets used about once or twice a week. My $5000 mountain bike only gets used once a month or so...

caloso

Same. Sometimes I feel fancy and leave my race wheels on.

Phamilton

Would you consider my $25 and $45 commuters to be cruddy bikes? They’re old, sure, and not fashionable but as comfortable, reliable, and safe as any other commuter. The touring bike is just as fast as any other commuter I’ve seen. They both have powerful brakes and good handling. They fit as well as any bike could, and can handle as much abuse as anything while carrying as much weight/cargo as anything. I know I got a relatively good deal on both of them, but not a steal. Lots of people get plenty of better deals. And neither one of them would ever cost half of even $750 in any used market. A new bike is not a prerequisite for bike commuting. If theft is of any concern, buying a new bike for commuting is sort of a waste of money. One might even argue that the basic maintenance and upkeep costs on a bike actually used for commuting, it would be foolish to spend money on any new bike used for that purpose. If one were to be me,
that is.

Edit: I think your bike is nice, why don’t you think mine is/are nice, too. I guess that’s the idea. I’ve never claimed to be mature.

Phamilton

Sorry/not sorry about the rant.

The touring bike is actually a really nice bike. There is nothing cruddy about it. I know the cruddy comment wasn’t directed at me or my bikes.

But I do think it’s foolish to spend much money on a bike you intend to destroy, especially by buying a new one you’re going to instantly lose the resale value of. I think it’s foolish to buy new cars, too.

But I don’t judge people who do foolish things. Everybody does foolish things. Wasting money just isn’t my own brand of foolish. I am way more understanding toward people who do foolish things who also happen to ride bicycles.

So whatever bike you commute on, and whatever you paid or didn’t pay for it - I like your bike. If for no other reason than you commute on it. If it has a bell on it, I REALLY like it.

Getting a good deal on a good quality used bike for commuting simply requires patience and commitment. A person lacking those qualities probably not a good fit for bike commuting.

End rant.

surak

I commute primarily on my most expensive bike, which is still 3 or 4 tiers down from an S-Works like the one I sometimes see in the same bike cage. I don't know how using it for commuting means I'll end up destroying it , or why that's less sensible than the people commuting in their Porsches or Model Xs.

I do know that it's a lot more likely that I can push my bike closer to the limits of my power on any given commute than those drivers can.

And it's a lot less likely I'll suffer major damage from another bike commuter in the cages than those cars are at risk of. Just the other week, my coworker had to act as his own P.I. to get a construction worker to admit to a hit and run where the latter smashed the corner of the former's Corvette when driving out the parking lot.

FlMTNdude

If you have secure parking, I see zero issue with spending more money. And if not, then spend as much as you are willing to risk, its your money after all. Some people don’t have far to go, so a decent steed never crosses their mind. You don’t want a beater for a 30 mile a day commute.

livedarklions

OK, so these threads always have the same arc, newbie posts something about not understanding how people spend more or less than their price point, we all jump in to say it doesn't matter what other people think, but here's how I look at it. Then someone takes issue with how someone else looks at it, and then it boils down to a 4 person slob vs. snob debate for about 150 posts.