hueyhoolihan

the heck with justifying the price of a bike.

i'm having trouble imagining the average american that smokes a pack of cigarettes, drinks a six-pack of beer, and smokes several joints each and every day of the year.

Okay, my brother-in-law does, but he's not average.

79pmooney

Uh, the average bike shop employee doesn't make a whole lot of money, yours or anybody else's. And that owner who does get your money is thinking something like "Finally got that $3500 window dressing (cost to him) out of here. Now I can pay the rent."

I'm sure you have heard the surefire way to make a small fortune. Start with a large one and buy a bike shop.

Ben

Lt Stonez

Ok think he only wants support for spending 7k on his bike. And yes, its true beer, smoke and weed cost 1k month If your a happy boy In NORWAY. I now Yes it is a expencive country.
So the reialityes is money in bank or dreambike or start drinking,smoking/weed. Go for the dreambike man. Dont need to justify a new bike to others, thats private. But one thing? Its 2015, were is the disc breakes? If you also gonna have this bike for 6 years i would atleast think about the disc breakes
Have fun an enjoy your dreambike

Ray9

The part about justifying it to myself is probably somewhat accurate but I made the mistake of telling a coworker what I paid and now it's out there for public consumption. I gave up alcohol twenty years ago and weed forty years ago. I don't think most people realize what they spend on some of this stuff. I'm 68 in March and thankful that I began taking care of myself years ago. I have a lot of disposable income now and well, I'm spending it.

gregjones

I live in a bike free/SUV laden zone. Not much around for the crackheads except to steal anything that they can easily get their hands on. I use the secrecy of the true costs as an anti-theft measure.

BlazingPedals

Everyone spends their money differently. I'd rather have bikes than a fancy SUV. The difference in cost between what I drive and what some people drive can easily buy a couple of bikes.

GP

The best retirement plan is when your last check bounces.

obed7

Never justify things to folks... folks who matter understand.

fietsbob

Does it have a Snow Blower attachment ? You Need that, now, where you Live.


A lot of people on this forum dont get why a German made 14 speed IGH is a good investment
but OK with dropping More on a 11 speed cassette carbon fiber crank that will go thru a lot of expensive chains, cassettes
and chainrings , and in the same time cost More..

Do as You May Like there is a zillion different shiny things out there,, wanting that charge card swipe of debt.

Farmer Dave

This.

Jim from Boston

My new $7,000 bike and the futility of justifying the price to the average person.

Frankly, besides justifying your purchase to yourself, I detect a hint of self-righteousness in your detailed analysis of costs of the habits of other, “average” (read: lesser) individuals compared to the monetary value of your superior cycling lifestyle. Kind of like the so-called “reformed smoker.” Nonetheless, you’re speaking to the choir here, a better informed and receptive audience.

Many years ago in the slick, local glossy Boston Magazine was a cover story showing an athletic woman as I recall, with the approximate title, ”They Work Out And Think They Are Better Than You.” I didn’t read the article, but the title expresses an obvious attitude.

A similar attitude, to save someone from themselves through cycling, was this thread ”Face Palm - Some People Just Don't Get It”:

I think a more appropriate discussion of explaining costs of a fine bike to a non-cyclist was asked on this thread, “Do you tell strangers how much your bike costs?"

shelbyfv

Most will agree that this is a bragging thread. Where the brag fails is 68 and still working. Should be out riding the bike!

wphamilton

I'm more curious about the question. I'd have guessed, other than the $200 would be cash and carry as is, the contracts would be about the same. What's the answer?

Ray9

I'd be be retired if my wife was old enough to retire. Her employer dropped her health insurance so I put her on mine which is an excellent and generous plan. Three more years.

Nightshade

Good points both !

When it comes to what you buy the only person that you have account to is your wife ....... your life partner. (if you have a wife)

The rest of the world can suck eggs !!

MAK

A $200 contract can be perfectly valid if oral (harder to prove, but still valid) but a $2,000 contract needs to be in writing or either side can get out of the agreement prior to the actual exchange of the money and bike. There's a law called the Statute of Frauds that says that any contract for the sale of goods of $500 or more must be evidenced by a writing to be fully enforceable. FYI...Once the bike and money are exchanged the rule ceases to apply.

Little Darwin

Honestly, I don't recall anyone ever asking me how much my bike was... I have been asked them much someone should spend for a reasonable bike.

While my personal bias is that $7,000 bikes belong in the realm of riders good enough to have sponsors buy them, I don't begrudge anyone deciding how they want to spend their money.

Surely a bicycle is a better value than vices, but does anyone really know someone who smokes a pack a day while drinking a six pack, and spending $7 a day on weed? Back in my day, that would be a half an ounce every day, but I know there has been massive inflation in the cost of weed since then. But why stop there... Why not say that someone using heroine spends $100 per day, or $36,500... then you can feel like a cheap skate.

Unless you buy a new bike every year, and if you feel compelled to announce then justify your expense, then simply express that $7,000 - $2,000 (resale value) = $5,000 divided by 3 years * 365 days per year is about $4.50 per day. Many people would have no hesitation to fritter away $5 per day on something they enjoyed, whatever that might be.

But honestly, the average person is going to make assumptions, and I wouldn't worry about them or specific numbers.... let them think whatever they want and leave the math to them... Just tell them that when you amortize it over 3 years, it is perfectly reasonable amount to spend on a daily basis for something you love. This would make almost any investment seem realistic, and also avoid scaring someone away from cycling because it is too expensive.

Grillparzer

If I had $7000 to spend on a bike, I would probably spend most of it and get a Rivendell. As it is, I own a Cross Check and justified it's purchase almost the same way the OP did. When I ride to work I'm not spending money on trains, buses, and taxis, so after one year of owning it the bike is half paid for. Of course the upgrades I've made will probably cost me another year.

This worked better in Alabama than it would in Maryland, but if someone displayed shock at how much I paid for a bike, I'd ask them about their hobbies. Do they hunt? Do they own a fishing boat? People who answered yes realized quickly that while my hobby might be different, theirs involved a similar financial investment.

wphamilton

Thanks. I hadn't thought of that since a course decades ago, probably similar to the one you're teaching. That makes perfect sense.

AlmostTrick

OP should have saved 5 grand and just gotten the $2000 solid gold bike.

scott967

I suppose for most people if you showed them a Porsche and Kia, they have been conditioned to expect the Porsche to be much more expensive and much "better". If you show them your Super Record EPS, they would just shrug their shoulders.

scott s.
.

GravelMN

Or you could go to Walmart and purchase 50 bicycles. I don't understand your point. Do you think a car dealership chuckles at the guy who just bought a Jaguar XK Coupe just because a Toyota Camry only costs 1/4 as much?

Rarely has anyone asked how much one of my bikes cost. A more frequent question comes from people who are interested in getting into one form or another of cycling and want to know what a "good" bike costs. My most expensive bike with upgraded wheels cost under $1,200 and I still have people giving me the "I could easily purchase 4-5 different bikes with that amount of money" or something similar. It's all a matter of perspective.

FrenchFit 

$7000 could build a school or raise an entire village out of poverty many places it the world, help send a poor local kid to college - and if I were to feeling my age that what I'd say to someone who told me about this purchase over cocktails. Not feeling my age, I'd simply say 'rock on dude; USA!, USA!'.

Maybe that's not the feedback you were looking for....

Pistard

Just could have said, I got a new bike, here we know costs, , explanation unnecessary, people spend 7k on cars, that would be better understood.

wolfchild

For that price it should at least include heated handlebars, heated saddle and heated pedals.