# Do people enjoy their expensive bikes more than their cheap ones?



## Globalti (25 Jan 2017)

I bought myself an expensive bike as a 60th birthday present to myself after falling in love with it at the Cyclist magazine track day at the Olympic road circuit. It is a superb bike and certainly faster up and down hills and on the flat than my Roubaix SL4, which is stodgy and unrewarding in comparison. So yes I enjoy my expensive bike much more than my cheap bike.

On maintenance, all I've had to do in six months is adjust the brake cables.


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## Drago (25 Jan 2017)

No. My favourite ride falls in the middle of the price range of my bikes. Indeed, the way it feels, the way it fits me, the way it responds... all these things are perfect for me and I've ridden few bikes at any price that feel as 'nice' and enjoyable to ride.


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## ColinJ (25 Jan 2017)

If the more expensive bikes were not more fun than the cheaper ones, then why not just stick with the cheaper ones! 

At anything above the price of a reasonable quality bike though the law of diminishing returns kicks in hard. A £2,000 bike might only be (say) 20% more fun than a £500 bike and a £6,000 bike might only be 5% more fun than a £2,000 one. I'm not sure exactly how you would measure that, but I'm sure that the point is clear.

If I had lots of money then I would definitely spend £2,000-3,000 on a new bike but I doubt that I would ever spend £6,000+. I would rather have the cheaper bike and £4,000 worth of cycling holidays!


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## Drago (25 Jan 2017)

An expensive Ferrari is more fun than a Mondeo, until you lose your licence, or get caught in a traffic jam, then you'll wish you were comfortably ensconced in the Ford. It's all relative.


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## r04DiE (25 Jan 2017)

Well, I had a second Claud Butler Lavante that I blinged up with some nice Aksium wheels for about 6 years and then I bought a Giant Defy 1 Disc last year and it is definitely a nicer ride and I definitely go faster. Butler was £200 I think and the Giant was £1000.


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## screenman (25 Jan 2017)

Drago said:


> An expensive Ferrari is more fun than a Mondeo, until you lose your licence, or get caught in a traffic jam, then you'll wish you were comfortably ensconced in the Ford. It's all relative.



I got a speeding ticket 27 years ago in a Citroen BX, never got one in any of the quick cars I owned and the one you mentioned among them.

It is the mood I am in rather than the bike I am on, but I do enjoy my choices.


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## Drago (25 Jan 2017)

I wish I could even fit in a lot of Ferraris?

What about bikes that started off expensive, but were heavily discounted when you bought them? Lot of stuff that Wiggle or Evans sell ends up going out the door for barely half its original RRP. Kind of ruins any correlation between price and fun, even if there was one to begin with.


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## subaqua (25 Jan 2017)

Cheapest one was £250 , a Btwin sport1 just before the carbon forks came. most expensive is the current commuter. the commuter gets ridden most, but when the sport1 gets ridden it gives a whole load of fun . mainkly cos the lumpy commuter means i know how to use legs properly. 

its great whapping past high end cannondales and specializeds on my cheap n cheery Btwin


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## ColinJ (25 Jan 2017)

Drago said:


> What about bikes that started off expensive, but were heavily discounted when you bought them? Lot of stuff that Wiggle or Evans sell ends up going out the door for barely half its original RRP. Kind of ruins any correlation between price and fun, even if there was one to begin with.


My best bike was built up years ago from parts costing about £2,000 but you can buy similar bikes now on Evans for well under £1,000.


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## mjr (25 Jan 2017)

In order of price, where 1 was cheapest and 5 was most expensive, I think my current fleet gets ridden from least frequent to most: 52314... so no, I don't think cost to me is strongly related to enjoyment.

If I was guessing at their inflation-adjusted new prices, I suspect it's 21543... which still doesn't seem much like the 12345 I'd have if more expensive meant more fun.


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## cosmicbike (25 Jan 2017)

I love them all equally, since generally they are for different things. My cheapest road bike was also my first road bike, and is now used for winter/wet cycling so suitably mudguard equipped. My 'Summer' road bike is not my most expensive, but is great fun on dry days. In terms of cost/mile the Brompton is the most expensive, but very useful to have.


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## si_c (25 Jan 2017)

Don't have an expensive bike. My current daily ride is a £40 ebay frame with parts from the parts box, and about £40 of cables and a new rear wheel, chain and freewheel. I have lots of fun on it albeit the frame is a touch too small for me.

I will be getting a new bike at some point this year, and I expect to have fun on that too. I'm not sure that you can separate the ride from the bike, if it's a fantastic day then I can't see how you would enjoy it more on a different bike.


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## 400bhp (25 Jan 2017)

Generally I like riding the most expensive bike more than the others, except if it starts raining.


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## ChrisEyles (25 Jan 2017)

I've had a few very cheap poorly made bikes (many times second handed bottom-end apollo MTBs featured quite heavily) before I got properly bitten by the cycling bug, and they certainly weren't much fun to ride or maintain... though I'd take one of them any day over no bike at all! 

Of all the "proper" bikes I've owned (probably none even qualifying for mid-range, but at least they've actually been built with the expectation of the user putting serious miles on it) it's the slighty intangible "feel" of the bike that gives the fun factor, which I guess is down to the interface of frame geometry and riding style. Whacking an ultegra groupset on a frame I already like/dislike probably wouldn't make much difference to how much I enjoy riding it.


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## screenman (25 Jan 2017)

This has been a hard question as my bikes are like my kids, I do not like any of them more than the other.


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## Oldfentiger (25 Jan 2017)

I have a 1976 Claud Butler which stands me around £200. It makes me smile just as much as my 1500 quid carbon Merida, for different reasons.


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## ryan_w (25 Jan 2017)

CAAD12 gets abused daily and loves it. Definitely an awesome bike to commute on. 

As for my S5: I love riding it, I love looking at it, I love cleaning it, I love everything about it... I wouldn't love commuting on it though.

Each bike has it's place and is loved for different reasons. 

I don't see the point in owning a bike you don't love.


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## mattobrien (25 Jan 2017)

I certainly enjoy riding my more expensive bike more than the less expensive ones, but currently I have different bikes for different purposes, so they get used based upon conditions and purpose. Give me a choice and it would be a dry, warm day and on the more expensive / nicest bike.


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## Milkfloat (25 Jan 2017)

Even my expensive bikes are cheap, well that is what I tell the wife. I enjoy all my bikes, they each have a slightly different purpose and I use the correct one for the job. I do find myself riding my fixed gear more and more though.


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## Brandane (25 Jan 2017)

What is an "expensive" bike though? It's all relative. My best bike cost me £600 second hand. It's a Ridgeback Panorama and yes, it is nicer to ride than some cheaper bikes I have owned. Personally, that's about as much as I would spend on a bike. Much as I enjoy cycling, I have to admit that it is "just a bike".


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## screenman (25 Jan 2017)

Expensive is in my book anything you cannot afford.


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## derrick (25 Jan 2017)

User14044mountain said:


> Yes!! Definitely. I may look a nobber on my Cervelo but I pretend to myself that I'm Stevo Cummings soloing away to a TdF stage win. You have no idea how much pleasure that gives me.


I will lookout for a Cervelo when i am round your way.


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## bikingdad90 (25 Jan 2017)

I have a Planet X Kaffenback which is great for commuting on as it has disc brakes, rack and guard mounts. It is a hoot to ride. It was built up from the frame. I can't bring myself to part from it.

I have a Cannondale Trail 7 which doesn't see much use and to be honest I have no attachment to it.

Currently looking at getting good a road bike for sportives. Quite like Orbeas offerings


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## dim (25 Jan 2017)

I've owned 12 bikes in 2016 and now have 3 .... I buy bikes, ride them a while, then sell for profit and buy better. (my first bike was a £40 Ridgeback Comet Hybrid... sold it for £120 ) .... this keeps the wife happy as I don't use food money to buy bikes

my current summer commuter is a Specialized S-Works with Campagnolo wheels and full Campagnolo Chorus Groupset .... I paid £500 for it and it's by far my best bike. (I will keep this one for a long time, and will upgrade the wheels to Campagnolo Bullet soon) .... this one is fast and fits me like a glove

My supposidly 'fast' bike is a Giant TCR carbon, but even though I paid a bit more for this one, I still prefer the S-Works. I'm seriously thinking about selling the Giant later in the year and perhaps getting a Scott Foil with Di2 which I'm hoping will be a 'keeper'

I owned a 1980's Condor (531 steel), and I really enjoyed riding this, but ended up selling it for a huge profit to someone in my village.... a lovely comfortable bike and I'm sad that I sold it

I owned a 1980's Koga Miyata Road Champ ... it was way too big for me and would love to get a Koga Miyata that fits .... I sold this one for 3 times what I paid

I owned a Surly Long Haul Trucker (bought it brand new for a bargain and sold it 2 weeks ago for £100 more than what I paid) .... I bought it with the intention to do Audax and LeJog, but it's just way too slow (I'd rather use a fast bike)

loads of other bikes (Carrera TDF, Bridgestone MTB, Gitane Tour De France (a very good bike IMHO) etc etc),

My latest bike (to sell on) is a 1980's Pinarello .... I'm hoping to double my money and get a 1980's Colnago or De Rosa which will be a 'keeper' and which will be my 'Sunday show off' bike and possibly ride a few L'Eroica events)

I'm also planning to get a vintage racing Tricycle such as a Bob Jackson or similar but that will have to wait until the 3rd quarter of this year

so.... the moral of the story is that it's not what you pay for the bike, it's how it fits you and how fast you can travel on it


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## vickster (25 Jan 2017)

I don't think I rode my most expensive bike last year, was a relatively thin cycling year all told. I'm attached to it and have no need to sell, so hopefully I'll get to use it in 2017


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## ryan_w (25 Jan 2017)

User14044mountain said:


> (BTW it's an R5 from the good people at Shorter Rochfords who did me a nice deal)



This will be my next purchase, to sit between the CAAD and S5... The grey and red looks stunning in the flesh!


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## fossyant (25 Jan 2017)

3 of my bikes never got used on the road last year (broke spine) Best bike is all locked up, one is on the turbo only and the fixed gear commuter is still at my mums awaiting the other party to inspect it following my accident. Having fun on a retro no-suspension MTB (Deore XT) and a new full suspension MTB.

All can be fun in their place. Can't say the turbo bike is fun currently, but it's a means to an end.


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## smutchin (25 Jan 2017)

screenman said:


> I got a speeding ticket 27 years ago in a Citroen BX



I can trump that - the only speeding ticket I ever got was in an AX - as I told the police officer who stopped me, I was just amazed that the car could manage 90mph, even going downhill on the M62. He wasn't impressed. 

As for bikes, I've ridden a Trek Edmonda SLR Custom (£7k) and a team issue Pinarello Dogma K8 (Elia Viviani's, to be precise) and they were both huge amounts of fun. But generally, what really matters is not the price tag but that it's the right bike for the right ride. 

Current favourite bike is my fixie that cost me a total of about £400. Two reasons: one, getting back into fixed after a few years off; two, I built it myself, including the wheels. It makes me smile every time I go out on it.


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## ColinJ (25 Jan 2017)

I forgot to mention the singlespeed bike that I built recently from a donated frame/fork, my own stock of old bits & pieces, and just £60 worth of new components. I have done some very good rides on it. I can't ride it on the hilliest roads round here but it is great for flatter roads. I plan to ride it on nickyboy's Llandudno ride in May.

So, my best bike _is_ my best bike, but I agree - it is definitely possible to enjoy riding inexpensive bikes.


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## derrick (25 Jan 2017)

User14044mountain said:


> I can never keep up with you, though!! Last time I saw you, the pair of you zoomed straight by me down the A1000!!
> 
> (BTW it's an R5 from the good people at Shorter Rochfords who did me a nice deal)


Nice one, Darren ain't a bad lad. My next one will be a S5.


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## GuyBoden (25 Jan 2017)

If you enjoy cheap bikes more than expensive bikes.

I've got a cheap bike, that I'll swap for your expensive bike................


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## Part time cyclist (25 Jan 2017)

I own a specialized sirrus that has been modified with dropped bars etc that cost about £300 originally and has had a few mods, i also own a giant TCR Adavance 2 carbon bike with a few mods... having ridden them both for many miles and swap them around o a regular basis the TCR is a fat better ride.... so on this ocasion the more expensive bike wins the day....


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## Moodyman (25 Jan 2017)

Drago said:


> An expensive Ferrari is more fun than a Mondeo, *until you need to pop into Tesco*.



Fixed that for you.

My two favourite bikes are geared towards commuting / touring use. Strong steel frames and wheels, wide tyres, mudguards, rack and panniers, beard and sandals. Well, only joking about the last two features.


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## biggs682 (25 Jan 2017)

I would be hard pushed to say which is my nicest bike as i enjoy them all 

My Red Ian May did the most miles in 2016 and i still enjoy riding and looking at it
Pollard single speed did less than 100 miles but a great bike
Lee Cooper single speed did a few more miles but gear ratio was wrong now changed
The Simonici did a few miles and rode very well with great looks
CDF has done quite a few miles a great all rounder for sure and soaks up the miles with ease 
The new to me BMC has done 20 miles so how can i comment
The 50's Roadster has done loads of miles and is a treat to ride and i look forward to doing loads more on
Marin mtb has had a few outings but no great mileage still fun to ride 

20+ others have come and gone through out 2016 all have been nice 

none have cost more than what a lot of people call peanuts and a lot less than what some pay for just a set of wheels


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## KneesUp (25 Jan 2017)

All my bikes were cheap but they all do different things (MTB, road and all-purpose tourer thing) so it's impossible to say. I don't really understand why you'd want two bikes with the same purpose.


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## Racing roadkill (25 Jan 2017)

User46386 said:


> Question for those who have had cheap/ budget bikes and expensive ones, do you enjoy the expensive ones more? I know one persons expensive is another persons cheap but just generally.
> I've had bikes for around £200 and ones for over a grand and I would say that I've enjoyed the more expensive ones more because they fit better and generally I've had no trouble with them other than general maintenance issues.


Nope. I bought a fairly expensive Bianchi a couple of years ago, I sold it after a couple of months because although it was a lovely bike, I didn't enjoy riding it, because I didn't like to leave it un attended, which defeats the object of most of my rides. My cheaper bikes are nice to ride, and although they are insured, I don't get as jittery about coming back to find someone has lifted them ( or parts off of them ). The Bianchi was a toe rag magnet.


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## swee'pea99 (25 Jan 2017)

I like my Look carbon a lot, but I love my Olmo fixie. Horses for courses of course, but for the kind of cycling I do most of the time, I much prefer the (relatively) cheap, old steel fixie to the carbon.


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## tyred (26 Jan 2017)

My enjoyment of cycling comes from simply doing it, the sense of freedom it brings and being out in the open air and exploring. The value of the bike has very little bearing on this. So long as the bike is in decent mechanical order I am happy enough.


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## ufkacbln (26 Jan 2017)

Also depends onto bike (or in this case trike)

As you become more specialist it becomes more expensive.

My Kettwiesel is the most expensive, but its ride is worth every single penny


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## ufkacbln (26 Jan 2017)

I had an Airnimal folding bike which I took to Scotland touring

Unfortunately on the first day there was a frame failure

Worked out the cost of lost deposits, full price train fare to return home and justified a £150 budget and bought a Ridgeback to complete the tour

It was a good bike, performed well enough, but lacked the refinement and fun of the Airnimal


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## ufkacbln (26 Jan 2017)

screenman said:


> I got a speeding ticket 27 years ago in a Citroen BX, never got one in any of the quick cars I owned and the one you mentioned among them.
> 
> It is the mood I am in rather than the bike I am on, but I do enjoy my choices.



I have two on the Trice

At Culdrose we had a discussion in the bar about how fast recumbents were, so went out on to the airfield roads with the MOD Police and used their speed camera to record the speed

I was then issued with two "speeding tickets" as a permanent record


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## AndyRM (26 Jan 2017)

My most expensive bike is yet to be built up and ridden, but I know that it's going to be glorious when I finally have the time. Which won't be for a while as it's kids birthday party season for us and other parents with a baby around the same age as ours have discovered that I'm quite good at making cheap materials look well made and designed.


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## Bimble (26 Jan 2017)

In a word - yes.


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## Johnno260 (26 Jan 2017)

I enjoy my Merida more than my Boardman, but I am not saying my Boardman was a bad bike, I fitted it with better wheels and the BB5 brakes were horrible maintenance wise, but it was a good entry bike and got me into cycling more, above all else I got it very cheap £230 in a sale.

My Merida's RRP is £999 so I would expect it to be better, I have a dedicated group set, where as the Boardman had some generic levers that were for a 3 spd but the bike was a 2 spd, it's lighter, it's dedicated for road use.

I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for.


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## Sandra6 (26 Jan 2017)

I started out on a £150 apollo, which I was quite happy with until I realised how much easier it is to ride a £400 specialised. 
Then I got a £700 cube , which is currently my preferred bike. I do miss the apollo because it was cute - lady's step thru with a basket - and the specialised for the pannier carrying capabilities, but the cube is by far the smoothest ride.


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## Adam4868 (26 Jan 2017)

I've had a caad8 that has been upgraded over the years,fulcrum wheels and 10 speed 105 gearset.This has had mudguards fitted and is my winter,take on hols bike.It takes a fair bit of hammer as I quite like the bad weather.
My good bike is a onix carbon I built up with 10 speed Ultegra and new wheels,nothing too fancy.But good enough.
I don't really prefer it to be honest,I think I prefer the cannondale,guess it's cause I'm on it more ? I don't notice it any faster/easier up hills.Nor do I think Ultegra is a noticeable difference over 105


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## Winnershsaint (26 Jan 2017)

User14044mountain said:


> BTW it's an R5 from the good people at Shorter Rochfords who did me a nice deal


Mine's only an R3 and I still look a nobber on that, but love riding it


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## Lozz360 (27 Jan 2017)

Personally, I've never owned an expensive bike so can't really answer the OP. The bike I do own is a B'Twin Triban, which I'm very happy with. I could afford a £5k bike if I wanted; two reasons why I don't is that for one, it is very satisfying overtaking road bikes of 10 times or more the value of mine. If I were to ride an expensive bike It would be me being overtaken by bikes a fraction of the cost of mine. Not the end of the world, I know. The other reason is I can and do upgrade the B'Twin (better wheels, tyres, pedals, etc.) and that can be an interest in itself. If I were to spend thousands on a bike I would not be wanting or needing to upgrade it.

Now do I put an expensive groupset on the Triban or do I buy a new bike with the expensive groupset already on it? That could be a new thread.


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## NorthernDave (27 Jan 2017)

Short answer: Yes

Long answer:
I got back into cycling on a Boardman MX Sport hybrid (pretty much an MTB with slightly skinnier wheels and tyres) and although it has been joined by two road bikes now, it still puts a smile on my face on the right ride. It feels slow, heavy and undergeared now if I do any distance on the road, but on trails, bridleways and anywhere off road it's still great fun and reminds me that it's all about enjoying yourself, even if you are covered in mud.
The Road Comp was a revelation after the hybrid and once I'd got used to it was quickly my go to bike. I've done a couple of sportives and thousands of miles on it and it's never let me down, but it's now a winter / bad weather bike with mudguards after the arrival of...
The Pro Carbon, which is quite simply awesome. Light as a feather, with brakes that can stop it on a sixpence regardless of road conditions. My average speed / times improved everywhere I went on it and it never, ever fails to put a big silly grin on my face. It allowed me to go farther, faster and I can't wait for the better weather to arrive so I can get back out there on it. I got stopped wheeling it out of Halfords by people wanting to know all about it and where I'd bought it from - one of them refused to believe that you could buy such a bike from there! 
But I do worry about leaving it anywhere, even with the insurance mandated locks, which means a bit more thought goes into where I take it.
So that's a yes as well


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## EasyPeez (27 Jan 2017)

screenman said:


> This has been a hard question as my bikes are like my kids, I do not like any of them more than the other.


Hmmm...I know what you mean about the bikes. Personally I find it much easier to rank the kids in order of preference though. And where they are concerned, the least expensive one is the most fun.....


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## Grant Fondo (27 Jan 2017)

Honestly the best bike i ever had was a Raleigh Shopper which was lent to me for few months in Spain...i was king of the carreteras during those sunny days..my current £2k carbon bike is 10kg lighter and a marvel of modern engineering...mmmm?


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## bonsaibilly (27 Jan 2017)

User46386 said:


> Question for those who have had cheap/ budget bikes and expensive ones, do you enjoy the expensive ones more? I know one persons expensive is another persons cheap but just generally.
> I've had bikes for around £200 and ones for over a grand and I would say that I've enjoyed the more expensive ones more because they fit better and generally I've had no trouble with them other than general maintenance issues.



No.


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## marzjennings (28 Jan 2017)

Yes, that's why I buy 'em. I am unashamedly a bike snob and hate buying cheap parts that don't seem to last. For example a couple years back my old (+5 years) xtr pedals were started to show a wee bit of movement in the bearings which I couldn't fix. I was short on cash and thought no worries I'll get some M424 pedals. They wouldn't be as light as the xtr's, but I'm not racing so much these days and I thought they'd be sturdy enough. Damn things died in about 2 months. Ok, I'll try some xt pedals. Well they lasted about 9 months. So ok, save some cash and then a new pair of xtr pedals. Which have now lasted about a year without any problems at all.


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## Gravity Aided (28 Jan 2017)

I own old bikes, but I have a great old bike, because a crap bike is eternally crappy, but an old bike that was once fine is still a great ride. Elegance and parsimony are my watchwords. I always buy the best I can afford, cheaper in the long run.


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## Tin Pot (28 Jan 2017)

User46386 said:


> Question for those who have had cheap/ budget bikes and expensive ones, do you enjoy the expensive ones more? I know one persons expensive is another persons cheap but just generally.
> I've had bikes for around £200 and ones for over a grand and I would say that I've enjoyed the more expensive ones more because they fit better and generally I've had no trouble with them other than general maintenance issues.



YEEEEEEEEEEEEEREEEERRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!


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## Drago (28 Jan 2017)

marzjennings said:


> Yes, that's why I buy 'em. I am unashamedly a bike snob and hate buying cheap parts that don't seem to last. For example a couple years back my old (+5 years) xtr pedals were started to show a wee bit of movement in the bearings which I couldn't fix. I was short on cash and thought no worries I'll get some M424 pedals. They wouldn't be as light as the xtr's, but I'm not racing so much these days and I thought they'd be sturdy enough. Damn things died in about 2 months. Ok, I'll try some xt pedals. Well they lasted about 9 months. So ok, save some cash and then a new pair of xtr pedals. Which have now lasted about a year without any problems at all.


I'm still running a set of 1999 XT pedals on my 1996 Alpinestars, and they're still working very nicely. There's a thread just this week for someone asking about their newish Ultegra brifter which now doesn't work. My 1978 Elswick is on its original mass produced cheapo headset bearings. These random off the cuff examples prove there's no firm correlation between price and durability with cycle components.


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## si_c (28 Jan 2017)

Drago said:


> These random off the cuff examples prove there's no firm correlation between price and durability with cycle components.


There may be however arguments for the simplicity and durability of components. My simplex retrofrictions are in perfect working order, there is simply nothing to go wrong with them. Not sure you could say the same about more modern components, they're clever and good, but certainly not user serviceable and durable.


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## shirokazan (28 Jan 2017)

Cunobelin said:


> I had an Airnimal folding bike which I took to Scotland touring
> 
> Unfortunately on the first day there was a frame failure



Cunobelin, you completed the tour on a Ridgeback...so what did you do with the Airnimal? Post it back home?


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## ColinJ (28 Jan 2017)

si_c said:


> There may be however arguments for the simplicity and durability of components. My simplex retrofrictions are in perfect working order, there is simply nothing to go wrong with them. Not sure you could say the same about more modern components, they're clever and good, but certainly not user serviceable and durable.


I have 10-speed Campagnolo Chorus on my Cannondale CAAD 5 bike. I got over 10 years hard use from the right hand shifter before its indexing started to become less obvious (it was still working, but it had lost its strong click so I sometimes wondered if the gear change had actually happened). I was able to buy spare parts for it and there are some excellent videos on YouTube showing how to strip the shifter down and service it. It is good as new now!


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## marzjennings (28 Jan 2017)

Drago said:


> I'm still running a set of 1999 XT pedals on my 1996 Alpinestars, and they're still working very nicely. There's a thread just this week for someone asking about their newish Ultegra brifter which now doesn't work. My 1978 Elswick is on its original mass produced cheapo headset bearings. These random off the cuff examples prove there's no firm correlation between price and durability with cycle components.


Being as XT's were the best you could buy in '99 the should have lasted. Mine lasted for years too, a pedal strike killed those pedals, not wear or mechanical failure. But I contend that the quality that was XT became XTR and current XT pedals are barely old LX or DX level manufacturing quality. 
But I've only riding mountain bikes since the '80s so what would I know about the idea that often cheap parts don't last.


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## Elybazza61 (28 Jan 2017)

User14044mountain said:


> Yes!! Definitely. I may look a nobber on my Cervelo but I pretend to myself that I'm Stevo Cummings soloing away to a TdF stage win. You have no idea how much pleasure that gives me.



I'm the same on my Ridley Helium,only I think I'm Thomas De Gendt


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## growingvegetables (28 Jan 2017)

Of my bikes, the one that has seen far and away more miles in the last 18 months is a £25 Gumtree special, bought as a winter clunker, to chuck in the skip after one winter. Late 80s Pug steelie. Grotesquely ugly - what with serious rust, one previous owner's cack-handed paint job, and another cheapskate previous owner's "handiness" with a welding torch (rather than buy a new gear cable, he welded the downtube gear-change somewhere uselessly inadequate on the seat post ).

But underneath what previous owners have perpetrated? A gorgeous bike to ride.


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## Drago (28 Jan 2017)

marzjennings said:


> Being as XT's were the best you could buy in '99 the should have lasted. Mine lasted for years too, a pedal strike killed those pedals, not wear or mechanical failure. But I contend that the quality that was XT became XTR and current XT pedals are barely old LX or DX level manufacturing quality.
> But I've only riding mountain bikes since the '80s so what would I know about the idea that often cheap parts don't last.


Up until 2012 Shimano never sold or marketed XtR as a higher 'quality' groupset, but as a racing one. Even now where XtR has been aligned as a top flight level of the conventional market gear they still don't make any higher claims for durability, and as an average I've yet to see any evidence it would. Shimano ain't claiming it, and ain't seeing it.


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## 3narf (28 Jan 2017)

My £10 Falcon singlespeed, 'Aryton,' is the most enjoyable bike I've ever owned. It's off the road til I can eventually have it paint stripped, media blasted, rust killed & repainted. In the meantime I'm riding a modern, aluminium singlespeed which just feels dead in comparison.


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## screenman (28 Jan 2017)

We just got happy on two well maybe three £3.69 bottles of wine, we could have paid £200 a Bootle, wouls wee b Any hae P er, I doobt it.


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## marzjennings (28 Jan 2017)

Drago said:


> Up until 2012 Shimano never sold or marketed XtR as a higher 'quality' groupset, but as a racing one. Even now where XtR has been aligned as a top flight level of the conventional market gear they still don't make any higher claims for durability, and as an average I've yet to see any evidence it would. Shimano ain't claiming it, and ain't seeing it.


Hey I'll admit my sample set is statistically insignificant (4 xt v 3 xtr pedals), but so 100% better reliability from xtr compared xt. Regardless of what Shimano actually claim.


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## swee'pea99 (28 Jan 2017)

marzjennings said:


> Yes, that's why I buy 'em. I am unashamedly a bike snob and hate buying cheap parts that don't seem to last. For example a couple years back my old (+5 years) xtr pedals were started to show a wee bit of movement in the bearings which I couldn't fix. I was short on cash and thought no worries I'll get some M424 pedals. They wouldn't be as light as the xtr's, but I'm not racing so much these days and I thought they'd be sturdy enough. Damn things died in about 2 months. Ok, I'll try some xt pedals. Well they lasted about 9 months. So ok, save some cash and then a new pair of xtr pedals. Which have now lasted about a year without any problems at all.


Good god, what do you do to your pedals? I have 520s on my fixie, which are cheaper than those, and they last for ever. Years.


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## swee'pea99 (28 Jan 2017)

Cunobelin said:


> My Kettwiesel is the most expensive, but its ride is worth every single penny


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## ufkacbln (28 Jan 2017)

swee'pea99 said:


> View attachment 335305



Now try saying "Catweasel rides a Kettwiesel"......fast


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## Slick (28 Jan 2017)

User46386 said:


> Question for those who have had cheap/ budget bikes and expensive ones, do you enjoy the expensive ones more? I know one persons expensive is another persons cheap but just generally.
> I've had bikes for around £200 and ones for over a grand and I would say that I've enjoyed the more expensive ones more because they fit better and generally I've had no trouble with them other than general maintenance issues.


I dunno, but I'll certainly be able to give you a definitive answer tomorrow morning when I introduce my new Genesis to the outside world, can't wait.


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## GuyBoden (28 Jan 2017)

si_c said:


> There may be however arguments for the simplicity and durability of components. My simplex retrofrictions are in perfect working order, there is simply nothing to go wrong with them. Not sure you could say the same about more modern components, they're clever and good, but certainly not user serviceable and durable.



I have a full set of Shimano 600 from 1988, they work very well, with regular care and maintenance.


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## swee'pea99 (29 Jan 2017)

GuyBoden said:


> I have a full set of Shimano 600 from 1988, they work very well, with regular care and maintenance.
> View attachment 335326
> 
> View attachment 335327


That 600 stuff is bulletproof.


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## Dogtrousers (29 Jan 2017)

I think my most expensive bike was probably my Brompton.

So yes, in some ways. But in others, no.


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## fossyant (29 Jan 2017)

swee'pea99 said:


> That 600 stuff is bulletproof.



It is. Got 1980's 600 and Dura Ace.


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## fossyant (29 Jan 2017)

marzjennings said:


> Yes, that's why I buy 'em. I am unashamedly a bike snob and hate buying cheap parts that don't seem to last. For example a couple years back my old (+5 years) xtr pedals were started to show a wee bit of movement in the bearings which I couldn't fix. I was short on cash and thought no worries I'll get some M424 pedals. They wouldn't be as light as the xtr's, but I'm not racing so much these days and I thought they'd be sturdy enough. Damn things died in about 2 months. Ok, I'll try some xt pedals. Well they lasted about 9 months. So ok, save some cash and then a new pair of xtr pedals. Which have now lasted about a year without any problems at all.



I have 3 sets of XT pedals, and ran them daily on the commuter for over 7 years. All they needed was a very occasional grease.


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## Blue Hills (29 Jan 2017)

screenman said:


> We just got happy on two well maybe three £3.69 bottles of wine, we could have paid £200 a Bootle, wouls wee b Any hae P er, I doobt it.


Link to the wine please.


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## JtB (29 Jan 2017)

In my opinion there's an optimal price point for enjoyment. As you move from cheap towards this optimal price the enjoyment increases as the quality of the bike increases. But then as you move beyond this oprimal price the enjoyment decreases as you become more paranoid about the bike. I don't maintain / clean my bike between each and every ride and I accept the inevitable "wear and tear" that results, but if I had an extremely "expensive to replace" group set then I'd end up not using the bike for fear of it getting dirty, hence a decrease in enjoyment. Each of us needs to decide for ourselves where this optimal price point lies for maximising our enjoyment.


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## screenman (29 Jan 2017)

Blue Hills said:


> Link to the wine please.



It was just a Sauvignon Blanc from Lidl, my purchasing manager informs me that it was £3.89 a bottle.


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## marzjennings (29 Jan 2017)

fossyant said:


> I have 3 sets of XT pedals, and ran them daily on the commuter for over 7 years. All they needed was a very occasional grease.


My XTs have been attached to my mtb's and had to endure desert sand, boggy mud, rock gardens, jumps, drop offs and a +14 stone cat 2 racer* for years. I've not been kind to my bikes.


*not so much the racer these days, though I still get the miles in each week.


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## Slick (30 Jan 2017)

Slick said:


> I dunno, but I'll certainly be able to give you a definitive answer tomorrow morning when I introduce my new Genesis to the outside world, can't wait.


Mmm, still not sure, but I reckon a good fit on an old bike is better than a poorly adjusted new bike.


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## Drago (30 Jan 2017)

Thinking back, the most fun - and perhaps the most reckless danger - I ever had was as a young teenager on a special I'd built. This bike was a Raleigh Wayfarer, a 26" wheeled gents bike, with a 24" rear wheel from a Chopper, and apehanger bars. Obviously, no rear brake, but it was built from scrounged together bits and cost me nothing whatsoever, yet was probably the most outrageous fun I've had with my clothes on.


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## Shortandcrisp (30 Jan 2017)

Slick said:


> Mmm, still not sure, but I reckon a good fit on an old bike is better than a poorly adjusted new bike.



^This.

That's my experience. Not necessarily the age of the bike, but how well it fits and how it feels. Much more important than the price imo. Had/have a Cannondale Caad10 which fitted like a glove before my accident. Much more enjoyable to ride than a Cervelo S3 I bought on a whim at 3 times the price of the Cannondale.


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## GGJ (30 Jan 2017)

I hired a Trek Madone whilst on holiday recently and was looking forward to riding a nice bit of kit. Reality set in as soon as I set of from the hire shop, the gears weren't indexed properly, the brakes were p*ss poor and the headset was loose. Back at my abode I tightened the headset then centred and adjusted the brake calipers but the chain has so much oil on it I decided to take it back to the shop to be sorted out. 30 minutes in the shop and the guy was still faffing around and when he eventually gave me the bike back he said "it's ok on the upshift but the downshift's a bit sticky"...WTF So I left with it no better than it had been to start with. Once back at my digs I decided to tackle the indexing myself and 15 minuted later it was working perfectly (and I had some very black fingers). I did a hilly 40 mile route and every time I went over a rough bit of tarmac the internal cables rattled louder than a pea in a tin drum and sounded like something was about to break or snap, the handling was not great and I never felt confident at anything over 30mph. Back home I went out on my single speed steel framed Genesis Skyline, it was a totally different ride to the Trek, smooth, silent, comfortable with impeccable handling. If only the Trek had been half as good I would have been happy. So for me the cheap single speed wins the day


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## lazybloke (31 Jan 2017)

JtB said:


> In my opinion there's an optimal price point for enjoyment. As you move from cheap towards this optimal price the enjoyment increases as the quality of the bike increases


This sounds good to me.



I'd add that the application is important.
If I'm commuting then the best bike is one I can leave locked up without worrying. If I'm offroad I'm enjoying the air and scenery rather than tearing down a screeslope, so I don't feel the need to replace my old MTB with a modern full-susser.

It's only when I'm on my racer that cycling performance and enjoyment are closely linked. That's when I wonder what it would be like to have a better, modern road bike. I could be fitter too.


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## biking_fox (31 Jan 2017)

Not really. I think newness is probably a better indicator of enjoyment, and while new and more expensive probably correlate pretty well, it's certainly not 1:1.

I bought a new singlespeed, which is ~ 1/3 the cost of my commuter. The SS is more fun to ride for short journies, but I'll tour and commute on what's now old faithful, although I thoroughly enjoyed it when new. It's never been my fastest bike though and they were also fun!


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## hopless500 (31 Jan 2017)

My most expensive bike was a carbon Giant. Couldn't get on with it and ended up hating it, and ultimately selling it.


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## Shut Up Legs (31 Jan 2017)

I like both my bikes (the road bike for weekends, and the touring bike for commuting) equally. To like one more than the other would be "bicycle abuse". 
Even though the road bike costs about 80% more than the touring bike, the latter is perfectly suited for commuting, and the former ideal for riding up mountains, so they each have their own advantages.


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## mjr (14 Feb 2017)

screenman said:


> We just got happy on two well maybe three £3.69 bottles of wine, we could have paid £200 a Bootle, wouls wee b Any hae P er, I doobt it.


Mebbe not but you might not feel you needed the alcohol intake to blot out the taste 

Actually, is that why people on expensive bikes seem to thrash themselves more, trying to go fast? Trying to get to the point of exhaustion or pain so they don't remember "HOW MUCH????" every time they notice the bike?


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## Oldfentiger (14 Feb 2017)

This got me thinking, which is usually dangerous 
I've been into my motorbikes for many years, and I always had sporty bikes. The last one I owned was a Ducati 996.
The 996 was the kind of machine that the faster it was ridden the more sense it made. To ride it slowly was truly awful.
The wife had a Ducati Monster, and when time for service arrived I offered to take it back to the dealer for her. The dealer was Woods of Abergele.
When I dropped the bike off I was offered a courtesy bike for the day, and I had a choice between a Yamaha FZR600 or a Triumph Bonneville.
I chose the Bonny thinking it would make an interesting change.
I spent the day puttering along at sub 50mph speeds and enjoying the scenery, which included a ride up the Great Orme at LLandudno.
I had a great day, mainly because I had no pressure to go fast. In fact it was a revellation for me.
You can argue that there's never pressure to go fast, but that's not strictly true because there's often a subconscious desire to do justice to whatever you're riding.
It's a human trait to wish for the admiration and respect of our peers, so who's going to admire the nobber dawdling along on his expensive racebike-based roadster? All the gear and no idea comes to mind.
I wonder if we feel this subconscious pressure when we're riding our carbon racebikes?
I wonder if that's why enjoy riding my older bikes just as much (or more)?

Ah well, the motorbikes are gone now, and I'm a cyclist


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## Milzy (14 Feb 2017)

They're like fine dining restaurants. There's all those ridiculously expensive places in West London but sometimes all you really want is a KFC.


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## screenman (14 Feb 2017)

I think it might be that everyone is different. Not right or wrong, I have not done many of the things you lot do on a bike.


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## Bimble (14 Feb 2017)

Oldfentiger said:


> You can argue that there's never pressure to go fast, but that's not strictly true because there's often a subconscious desire to do justice to whatever you're riding.
> It's a human trait to wish for the admiration and respect of our peers, so who's going to admire the nobber dawdling along on his expensive racebike-based roadster? All the gear and no idea comes to mind.
> *I wonder if we feel this subconscious pressure when we're riding our carbon racebikes?*


Nope. I'm not fast (and never will be). My expensive carbon road bike is a personal pleasure. Something for me to enjoy on the better-weather days. Slowly, steadily plodding along in comfort and style, blissfully ignorant of anyone on a shopping bike overtaking me ...


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## jonny jeez (14 Feb 2017)

ColinJ said:


> If the more expensive bikes were not more fun than the cheaper ones, then why not just stick with the cheaper ones!
> 
> At anything above the price of a reasonable quality bike though the law of diminishing returns kicks in hard. A £2,000 bike might only be (say) 20% more fun than a £500 bike and a £6,000 bike might only be 5% more fun than a £2,000 one. I'm not sure exactly how you would measure that, but I'm sure that the point is clear.
> 
> If I had lots of money then I would definitely spend £2,000-3,000 on a new bike but I doubt that I would ever spend £6,000+. I would rather have the cheaper bike and £4,000 worth of cycling holidays!


If you had lots of money, you could have both.


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## jonny jeez (14 Feb 2017)

I have a range but dont yet own an expensive bike. (to me that sits in a £5-7k bracket)

I enjoy all my bikes for different reasons. And try not to duplicate. So the thing stopping me from buying an expensive road bike is not just the expense but the fear that I wont get much more out of it than I do...and have...on my current road bike.

I know that I enjoy my most expensive bike...the most... but that's not because of value but because its my only road bike. Also, we have history, she has carried me all over the UK and northern Europe, without a single issue.

I will never let her go.


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## ColinJ (14 Feb 2017)

jonny jeez said:


> If you had lots of money, you could have both.


I am so used to not having much money that I would struggle with extravagant spending.

I would be diverting any surplus cash into buying a house and setting up a pension for myself. If I owned a good £3,000 bike, was having regular holidays, and still had money to spare, I would give a lot of it to charity.


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## Lozz360 (14 Feb 2017)

Oldfentiger said:


> This got me thinking, which is usually dangerous
> The 996 was the kind of machine that the faster it was ridden the more sense it made. To ride it slowly was truly awful.


That probably applies to many vehicles, sports motorbikes and cars. They are not comfortable if you want to ride / drive them slowly. (generlising a lot, I know). My racing sailing dinghy it is not possible to just pootle around I would need a different boat for that. But cycles are possibly different. It is possible to ride a road bike slowly and be comfortable it is just that most of the time we choose not to.


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## SheilaH (14 Feb 2017)

Well, Ive been riding a heavy crosser, with discs, musguards, tools, heavy 32mm tyres since october.

Just rebuilt the Look with new Dura Ace groupset and Zipp 303 wheels, and taken it for a test ride.

Cant tell the difference between them.






(might be lying  )


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## Vantage (14 Feb 2017)

The most expensive bike I ever owned was a Proflex Attack LE and took me 9 months to pay it's £999 price tag. Between the Marzocchi Bomber Z1 forks, Hope hydraulic from disc brake and hub and other upgrades, it must have set me back near 2 grand in the end. The end being when some scumbag nicked it.
In that time, the chainstay snapped, the forks burst their seals, the brakes leaked and the XT transmission wore out. It was always developing faults and breaking. I was almost glad it was stolen.

The current tourer consists of a £120 frame and fork and Acera gears. The most expensive bit on it is the Spa XD2 chainset at 60 quid.
She glides along wonderfully always


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## biggs682 (14 Feb 2017)

Well after visiting Condor Cycles in London today i can see why people buy new £2k+ bikes , but i still feel you can get the same quality for a lot less especially in the 2nd hand market


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## slowmotion (14 Feb 2017)

My first road bike cost £750. Three years later, I bought another for £650. The cheaper bike is far more fun to ride and I just love it.


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## Grant Fondo (14 Feb 2017)

Drago said:


> Thinking back, the most fun - and perhaps the most reckless danger - I ever had was as a young teenager on a special I'd built. This bike was a Raleigh Wayfarer, a 26" wheeled gents bike, with a 24" rear wheel from a Chopper, and apehanger bars. Obviously, no rear brake, but it was built from scrounged together bits and cost me nothing whatsoever, yet was probably the most outrageous fun I've had with my clothes on.


I had a Raliegh Wayfarer ( in blue unmodded) what a tank!


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## Dogtrousers (15 Feb 2017)

Grant Fondo said:


> I had a Raliegh Wayfarer ( in blue unmodded) what a tank!


Me too. With a bottle dynamo. And a cycling proficiency badge.


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## confusedcyclist (15 Feb 2017)

My relatively inexpensive and on sale £700 2014 Giant Defy 1, mostly original 105 components with new 105 hubs and mavic open pro hand built wheels rides like a dream. I have ridden bikes with full dura-ace and ultegra group sets just to compare, suffice to say there's not much difference in ride quality, and measly improvements in weight.

I'll be happy riding my cheap road racer until it cops it, and I'll probably get another and put that money saved towards my investment portfolio instead so I can retire early from office drudgery and ride bikes more instead.


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## Ian H (15 Feb 2017)

Some many years ago I bought a cheap no-name Italian frame. It handled beautifully and was a joy to ride. Around the same time I got a semi-custom Ribble for rather more money. Never liked it. Currently I have two Ti road/touring bikes (geared and fixed), both based on a Mark Reilly design. Both handle extremely well and are good long-distance steeds.

If I want to go faster I'll enter a time-trial with the tt bike, which is a whole different kettle of components. Not necessarily more expensive—just different.


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## froze (17 Feb 2017)

I haven't had a low costing bike for a long time, all my bikes are mid level. But the last time I had a low end bike was back in the late 60's and that bike sucked big time, lots of issues with the low end Simplex system, it was the least enjoyable bike I have ever owned.


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## marzjennings (17 Feb 2017)

To answer the original question again, yes. I took my $6k carbon Specialized mtb out for a hack around the local trails again this evening and it is, hands down, the most fun bike I've ever owned. It's lighter than my old mtb, stiffer than my old mtb, tracks better than my old mtb and I'm going faster than I was 5 years ago even as I approach 50. In fact it's so much fun I'm thinking of getting back into racing again.


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## TreeHuggery (17 Feb 2017)

Malcom Gluck (a wine reviewer -is that the word) use to have an interesting way of looking at wines.....
a £50 bottle of wine should of course be much much nicer than a £5 bottle of wine...but is it TEN times nicer.....
I do like that way of comparing things.....pretty good way of not getting sucked in to brand marketing too


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## Blue Hills (17 Feb 2017)

TreeHuggery said:


> Malcom Gluck (a wine reviewer -is that the word) use to have an interesting way of looking at wines.....
> a £50 bottle of wine should of course be much much nicer than a £5 bottle of wine...but is it TEN times nicer.....
> I do like that way of comparing things.....pretty good way of not getting sucked in to brand marketing too




And the pleasure of the wine, if you aren't too much of a gourmet, partly comes from the circumstances in which you drink it.


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## SkipdiverJohn (9 Apr 2018)

biggs682 said:


> Well after visiting Condor Cycles in London today i can see why people buy new £2k+ bikes , but i still feel you can get the same quality for a lot less especially in the 2nd hand market



I think a lot of people buy new bikes in the way they buy new cars - because they're new/shiny, and haven't been used or abused by someone else first. However, you pay a hefty premium for the privilege of being the first person to put a scrape on your factory-fresh paintwork!
None of my bikes were really expensive new or exotic, but I do have to say my nicest-spec one (Reynolds 531 Hybrid) IS a nicer ride than any of the others, but geometry probably plays just as big a part as frame material quality and lightness
My least favourite is a cheapo Apollo rigid MTB that owes me the princely sum of £10 so far. It's perfectly useable and does the job of getting me around locally without worrying about it getting nicked, but for some reason it isn't an especially comfortable fit and the frame doesn't seem to soak up bumps as well as I'd like. After about an hour in the saddle, my arms and shoulders are telling me it's enough, whereas on my old 531 Raleigh, my upper half is fine and the limitation on distance is my legs getting tired not riding discomfort.
My conclusion is that you'll enjoy any bike that's a comfortable fit more than one that isn't, regardless of price/current value, but if all your bikes fit well then it's a question of horses for courses - the most suitable bike for the sort of ride you are going to do.


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## gbb (9 Apr 2018)

Definitely, but that's not to say a cheap road bike (in my case) is a bad buy.
Started seriously on a £250 when new 8 speed Raleigh Chimera..That bike did so well, covered thousands of miles on it, wheels never let me down...just a brilliant bike for the price.
Compare that to my £1200 Ribble sportive carbon with Fulcrum 5s....i hardly go any faster but the ride is supreme compared to the Chimera, which had steel straight forks that transmitted every bump through the handlebars

Chimera...dependable, cheap but heavy and somewhat uncomfortable on long rides.
Ribble.......dependable, relatively expensive, light, and a joy to ride. 

An expensive bike won't make you go much if any faster IME, I had quite regular times for my old 50 milers on both bikes, both were about the same time. But one will make you grin and be more comfortable.


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## SkipdiverJohn (9 Apr 2018)

gbb said:


> An expensive bike won't make you go much if any faster IME, I had quite regular times for my old 50 milers on both bikes, both were about the same time. But one will make you grin and be more comfortable.



A cheap, heavy bike can be good for improving general fitness IMHO. Riding a 30lb bike on slick-ish tyres feels effortless after doing the same ride on a 35lb MTB on 2" knobblys. If you train your body to propel the heavy, draggy tyred, bike around at a certain speed you're just cruising on anything lighter/easier rolling.


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## Ming the Merciless (9 Apr 2018)

confusedcyclist said:


> My relatively inexpensive and on sale £700 2014 Giant Defy 1, mostly original 105 components with new 105 hubs and mavic open pro hand built wheels rides like a dream. I have ridden bikes with full dura-ace and ultegra group sets just to compare, suffice to say there's not much difference in ride quality, and measly improvements in weight.
> 
> I'll be happy riding my cheap road racer until it cops it, and I'll probably get another and put that money saved towards my investment portfolio instead so I can retire early from office drudgery and ride bikes more instead.



If a bike rides like a dream, then why sell it? I would be keeping it.


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## Milzy (9 Apr 2018)

If you go from a Boardman sport to a giant TCR your speed will go up. The frame makes you feel bionic, man and machine moulded together. When you sprint the bike is compliments you making the weekend warrior feel like a pro. So yeah there’s a big difference between cheap and expensive.


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## SkipdiverJohn (9 Apr 2018)

Milzy said:


> If you go from a Boardman sport to a giant TCR your speed will go up. The frame makes you feel bionic, man and machine moulded together. When you sprint the bike is compliments you making the weekend warrior feel like a pro. So yeah there’s a big difference between cheap and expensive.



That depends if you are bothered about speed. I'm not interested in sprinting, and the only time my backside leaves the saddle when in motion is if I'm going over a speed bump or other large obstacle and I want to take the sting out of the impact. There is a big difference between bikes that ride nice and bikes that don't, but the relationship to price is very blurred.


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

YukonBoy said:


> If a bike rides like a dream, then why sell it? I would be keeping it.


agree. And keep those no doubt nice hubs regularly serviced. Some folks get satisfaction from buying a new wonder machine (which can involve a whole new load of bits and pointless compatibility issues to learn about) but I find it satisfying to gradually perfect what I have (admitedly rather a lot by now), learning how it works, simplifying stuff, laying in a stock of new or old as new bits as spares, and just get on riding an ever smoother machine. It helps of course that I prefer flat bars and am neither a racer or extreme downhill MTBer.


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

Milzy said:


> I, man and machine moulded together. .



This phrase always makes me smile.

What if the man's a bit blobby?


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

Milzy said:


> When you sprint the bike is compliments you making the weekend warrior feel like a pro.



PS - you sure you mean compliments you? Or is this the latest mamil-enticing feature - a bike that constantly whispers in your ear how ravishing you are?


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## Johnno260 (9 Apr 2018)

My Merida Ride-400 is low/mid range, rides like a dream, I won't part with it anytime soon, only upgrades are wheels due to pothole damage on originals.

I tried a Aero Reacto looks stunning, price point way higher, but uncomfortable as anything.

This was a good debate.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HmVQCAjBE0


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

Johnno260 said:


> My Merida Ride-400 is low/mid range, rides like a dream, I won't part with it anytime soon, only upgrades are wheels due to pothole damage on originals.
> 
> I tried a Aero Reacto looks stunning, price point way higher, but uncomfortable as anything.
> 
> ...



sounds like a find - if it suits you/rides like a dream I see no reason why you can't ride it until it breaks/if ever - just gradually replace stuff - the proverbial trigger's broom. If you want an easy life and the current componentry/gear distribution suits you I would start laying in bits - the "industry" will be hell bent on causing you problems.


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## Alan O (9 Apr 2018)

My most recent ride was on a bike I bought for £110 last year - and, you know, I had just as much fun as when I go out on the other one which cost nearly twice as much!


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## mjr (9 Apr 2018)

Blue Hills said:


> PS - you sure you mean compliments you? Or is this the latest mamil-enticing feature - a bike that constantly whispers in your ear how ravishing you are?


 Well something must be powering the Reality Distortion Field that keeps people not needing the marginal aerodynamic gains dressing up like shrink-wrapped oven-ready chickens, mustn't it?


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## derrick (9 Apr 2018)

I will be riding my R5 to Paris and back over the next three days. I will be wearing a grin from ear to ear.


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## ColinJ (9 Apr 2018)

ColinJ said:


> I forgot to mention the singlespeed bike that I built recently from a donated frame/fork, my own stock of old bits & pieces, and just £60 worth of new components. I have done some very good rides on it. I can't ride it on the hilliest roads round here but it is great for flatter roads. I plan to ride it on nickyboy's Llandudno ride in May.
> 
> So, my best bike _is_ my best bike, but I agree - it is definitely possible to enjoy riding inexpensive bikes.


It is now 15 months later and I have ridden nearly 1,600 miles on that singlespeed bike, including several metric and imperial centuries plus one double metric century! I never thought that I would get such a good return on that small investment.

I use the bike a lot for nipping down to my local shops. I don't have any concern at all about leaving it outside supermarkets while I spend 15 minutes inside. I use a very heavy duty u-lock which would probably take at least a minute to cut off even with the right tools. I think that a thief professional enough to carry such tools would know that such a cheap bike was not worth the risk of spending 60+ seconds attacking the lock in a very public place. I would be annoyed if the bike DID get stolen, but it has already paid for itself many times over. So ... for this application I enjoy the bike MORE than my more expensive bikes. I rode my best bike to the shops one night when I only noticed that the singlespeed had a flat tyre just before setting off. I felt nervous the whole time I was in the shop.

Oh, and the other thing I prefer the cheap bike for is short rides up and down the flattish valley A-roads. I only do those when I am in a hurry so want to just get a quick ride in, or when poor weather 'on the tops' keeps me in the valleys. The rides are a bit boring on my best bike. At least on the singlespeed bike I have to make a bit more effort.

If something happens to that bike, I will build another one like it.


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## Milzy (9 Apr 2018)

Blue Hills said:


> PS - you sure you mean compliments you? Or is this the latest mamil-enticing feature - a bike that constantly whispers in your ear how ravishing you are?


LOL


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## rivers (9 Apr 2018)

I have an entry level specialized dolce with a mostly claris groupset, and is kitted out with panniers and mudguards, and I have a mid-range semi-custom carbon with full 105 groupset (Sublime Zoku). Hands down, the Sublime is way more fun to ride. It's more responsive, faster, and is just more fun. That's not to say the dolce isn't a nice ride, just a bit more... dull.


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## Crankarm (9 Apr 2018)

Some are only concerned with the price of everything and fail to see the value. Possessions become status symbols.


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## Reynard (9 Apr 2018)

When you're my height, there's a lot less choice.  It's all about actually finding a bike that fits and that isn't a BSO with components made of cheese...

Having said that, I love my Wiggins Rouen - currently my only bike.


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## SkipdiverJohn (9 Apr 2018)

Crankarm said:


> Some are only concerned with the price of everything and fail to see the value. Possessions become status symbols.



Status symbols are for people who seek peer approval/admiration in their purchase choices. Groups of weekend warriors all riding very similar and very costly bikes in obligatory near-identical MAMIL outfits seem badly afflicted by this phenomena. The machines and outfits both combine to send out the "I'm a proper serious cyclist, not one of you peasants who rides old steel wearing jeans" message.
Value has got bugger all to do with the financial worth of an object on the market, but everything to do with how useful it is and how well it performs whatever task it was acquired for. The price is only relevant in relation to how much bang for your buck you get, not in absolute numbers.


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Status symbols are for people who seek peer approval/admiration in their purchase choices. Groups of weekend warriors all riding very similar and very costly bikes in obligatory near-identical MAMIL outfits seem badly afflicted by this phenomena. The machines and outfits both combine to send out the "I'm a proper serious cyclist, not one of you peasants who rides old steel wearing jeans" message..



I do hope you don't spend much time in Italy skipdiver - the home of such stuff. A do wear lycra myself but it's clear to me that a lot of those Italian blokes would consider it a shame to turn out of a weekend in plain black lycra bottoms - shorts or longs - they just have to have a brand across their rear.


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## Tim Hall (9 Apr 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> Status symbols are for people who seek peer approval/admiration in their purchase choices. Groups of weekend warriors all riding very similar and very costly bikes in obligatory near-identical MAMIL outfits seem badly afflicted by this phenomena. The machines and outfits both combine to send out the "I'm a proper serious cyclist, not one of you peasants who rides old steel wearing jeans" message.


Is that the message they send out or is that the message you perceive?


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## Tenacious Sloth (9 Apr 2018)

Crankarm said:


> Some are only concerned with the price of everything and fail to see the value. Possessions become status symbols.





SkipdiverJohn said:


> Status symbols are for people who seek peer approval/admiration in their purchase choices. Groups of weekend warriors all riding very similar and very costly bikes in obligatory near-identical MAMIL outfits seem badly afflicted by this phenomena. The machines and outfits both combine to send out the "I'm a proper serious cyclist, not one of you peasants who rides old steel wearing jeans" message.
> Value has got bugger all to do with the financial worth of an object on the market, but everything to do with how useful it is and how well it performs whatever task it was acquired for. The price is only relevant in relation to how much bang for your buck you get, not in absolute numbers.



I see these kind of comments on the Forum regularly, but don’t think I’ve ever experienced such behaviour.

Graham.


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

Tim Hall said:


> Is that the message they send out or is that the message you perceive?


A mixture I guess Tim. It is undoubtedly true that a fair few folk are somewhat "brand conscious". Fifty plus years of expertise have been devoted to it.


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

Tenacious Sloth said:


> I see these kind of comments on the Forum regularly, but don’t think I’ve ever experienced such behaviour.
> 
> Graham.


People might not verbalise it. For that would blow their cool.


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## screenman (9 Apr 2018)

Green eyes envy seems to show it's head often in these types of topics.


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## Easytigers (9 Apr 2018)

Great debate and has got me thinking...mostly because none of the bikes I own have been bought first hand! The most expensive bike I think (in terms of value now) is an Italian carbon frame (I know probably made elsewhere and labelled Italian!) but it is light as anything and climbs like a dream...However, I have a beat up old Aluminium Pinarello that makes me smile every time I ride it! It looks so bad that I don’t think anyone would steal it if I left it outside the shop unlocked...but the ride is soooo smooth! Thinking though that it probably cost a fair penny in its day...so is it a ‘cheap’ bike after all?


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## Reynard (9 Apr 2018)

Actually, two of my favourite bikes (many years ago) were free to me, and both gave me hours of pleasurable riding.

One was a Hercules junior bike that was going to be skipped after a jumble sale - we (that is parentals and I) used to help out at the sale, and the sale committee were glad I took it off their hands at the end of the day. There was also what I now know to be a small racing trike, but I didn't take it (didn't fit me) and I'm regretting it. I still have the Hercules though - it was an affordable bike in the day, but it wasn't exactly cheap.

The other was a no-name single speed that came to me when a family friend's nephew outgrew it - I know it wouldn't have been a cheap bike as said lad was always bought the expensive stuff. Steel frame (with a DIY paint job), 28 mm tyres on what I'd guess were probably 650 wheels, flat bars, cantilever brakes and rear rack. Got rid of it during a clear out after male parental bought me a (used) MTB and again, I rather regret that now as it would probably still fit me and I'd still be riding it. Oh well, can't be helped.

I've also had free bikes (similar skip finds / hand-me-downs) that were bloody ghastly. As was the said MTB - rode it a lot as it was my main mode of transport before I learnt to drive. It was a reasonable ride when I was actually on it, but it was the getting on / off and coming to a stop at junctions that was the horrible bit (crossbar too high, easy to smack ones's self where one would rather not be smacked...)


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## Levo-Lon (9 Apr 2018)

yes


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## bpsmith (9 Apr 2018)

Good to see reverse snobbery is still alive and well on here!

I tend to buy more expensive things, of all types of items, but then expect to keep them for a long time. It’s all about build quality, aesthetics and the thought that has gone into each thing.

For example, one of my favourite brands is Silca. They make the nicest looking, high quality, tools for bikes. I will never buy a set of hex keys again and enjoy every single time I use them for the rest of my life.

Do I care what others think? No.

Would I ever dream of showing someone the tools and shout about the price of them? Certainly not, that’s cringeworthy.

In fact, I actually like the fact that not many people know what they cost.

Furthermore, when I see others using a cheaper set of hex keys, do I look down on them?

Not going to answer this one, as those in tune will know, and those who already have an opinion will still have that opinion as they just don’t get it.


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## bpsmith (9 Apr 2018)

Back on topic, with respect to enjoying a more expensive bike over a cheaper bike, I don’t think it’s about price. For me, as per my last post, it’s about a number of other things, which when combined tend to make things more expensive as a knock on effect.

If I had an expensive bike, but aesthetically it just didn’t do it for me, and/or the build quality was poor, then I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as a cheaper bike which was cool to look at and built well.


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## screenman (9 Apr 2018)

I enjoy choices.


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## Reynard (9 Apr 2018)

bpsmith said:


> Back on topic, with respect to enjoying a more expensive bike over a cheaper bike, I don’t think it’s about price. For me, as per my last post, it’s about a number of other things, which when combined tend to make things more expensive as a knock on effect.
> 
> If I had an expensive bike, but aesthetically it just didn’t do it for me, and/or the build quality was poor, then I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as a cheaper bike which was cool to look at and built well.



You know, tbh, it's about riding the bike that puts a smile on your face - for whatever reason.  If it makes you feel good, then that's the important thing, right?


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

bpsmith said:


> Good to see reverse snobbery is still alive and well on here!
> 
> I tend to buy more expensive things, of all types of items, but then expect to keep them for a long time. It’s all about build quality, aesthetics and the thought that has gone into each thing.
> 
> ...


I think you are safe from social conflict over your choice of hex keys.

Unless you inhabit a very very strange world I would rather not know about.


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## the_mikey (9 Apr 2018)

Expensive is subjective, but I enjoy my eight year old Giant Defy 2 during sunny summer days, it's a pleasant surprise after riding a Ribble CGR through the winter, the Defy is lighter, quicker, and I really enjoy riding it but it's not a better bike, I've done all my longest rides on the Ribble....


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

bpsmith said:


> Back on topic, with respect to enjoying a more expensive bike over a cheaper bike, I don’t think it’s about price. For me, as per my last post, it’s about a number of other things, which when combined tend to make things more expensive as a knock on effect.
> 
> If I had an expensive bike, but aesthetically it just didn’t do it for me, and/or the build quality was poor, then I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as a cheaper bike which was cool to look at and built well.


Am not really arguing with your post, but for some odd reason your post made me think of Knog. God help us/some folks/not me if they "progress" to bikes.


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## Glow worm (9 Apr 2018)

In February I bought a £600 bike (a hybrid). Not much I know compared to some, but it's by far the most I've ever spent on a new bike.
I did a lot of research before purchase, it ticked pretty much all the boxes for me, looks great and my test rides and initial gut feeling at the shop were fine.
But I never really warmed to it. And after 300 miles, I've gone back to my 33,000 mile 10 yr old workhorse.
I can't really put a finger on why, the new bike was fine, but there was something about it after a few tens of miles I couldn't be doing with. 
So the old £300 or so bike is definitely preferable for me than the £600 interloper.


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

Glow worm said:


> In February I bought a £600 bike (a hybrid). Not much I know compared to some, but it's by far the most I've ever spent on a new bike.
> I did a lot of research before purchase, it ticked pretty much all the boxes for me, looks great and my test rides and initial gut feeling at the shop were fine.
> But I never really warmed to it. And after 300 miles, I've gone back to my 33,000 mile 10 yr old workhorse.
> I can't really put a finger on why, the new bike was fine, but there was something about it after a few tens of miles I couldn't be doing with.
> So the old £300 or so bike is definitely preferable for me than the £600 interloper.


list RRPs of bikes have maybe gone up a fair bit in those 10 years which may seem to count against your first love. Were those list prices? You can get a lot of bike for £600 or not a lot more if you shop around and ignore certain siren calls. It also depends on where the money went. The frame? Or supposedly superior/higher spec bits/consumables where maybe in reality the bits weren't perhaps that much better at all. Or ANY better at all.


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## bpsmith (9 Apr 2018)

Reynard said:


> You know, tbh, it's about riding the bike that puts a smile on your face - for whatever reason.  If it makes you feel good, then that's the important thing, right?


Absolutely. Any bike is better than no bike. You’re not wrong there.


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## slowmotion (9 Apr 2018)

Over the last eight years, I've bought three bikes, each at about £600-£700. I like the cheapest one best. Yes, I'd love one that costs £900 more, but it isn't going to make me a better cyclist. I've no idea if I would enjoy riding it any more than the others.


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## bpsmith (9 Apr 2018)

Blue Hills said:


> I think you are safe from social conflict over your choice of hex keys.


Translate it into bikes or clothing and, for some strange reason, there are the usual suspects who think owners of those items look down on others. Reality couldn’t be further from said opinions. That’s the point.

Do love those hex keys though, did I say that already?


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## SkipdiverJohn (9 Apr 2018)

bpsmith said:


> I tend to buy more expensive things, of all types of items, but then expect to keep them for a long time. It’s all about build quality, aesthetics and the thought that has gone into each thing.



There's nothing at all wrong with buying expensive, high quality stuff, so long as it is genuine good value and not just expensive because of marketing hype, brand snobbery, or short-term fashion.


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## Johnno260 (9 Apr 2018)

As someone else said the value of something is down to the individual my Ride-400 to me represents a large spend, but to others it’s small fry. 

I don’t resent others their investment in higher value bikes each to there own, if you can afford it and it makes you happy then great. 

If a £50 EBay bike makes you happy and keeps you fit then equally great. 

I happen to get the previous seasons or older clothes to get more value and I also buy stuff out of season as well.


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## Reynard (9 Apr 2018)

bpsmith said:


> Absolutely. Any bike is better than no bike. You’re not wrong there.



Last week I went on a 20 mile ride. And you know what? I was grinning like a loon all the way round.


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## bpsmith (9 Apr 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> There's nothing at all wrong with buying expensive, high quality stuff, so long as it is genuine good value and not just expensive because of marketing hype, brand snobbery, or short-term fashion.


No complaints whatsoever with that rationale.


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## bpsmith (9 Apr 2018)

Johnno260 said:


> As someone else said the value of something is down to the individual my Ride-400 to me represents a large spend, but to others it’s small fry.
> 
> I don’t resent others their investment in higher value bikes each to there own, if you can afford it and it makes you happy then great.
> 
> ...


Spot on viewpoint. Everyone should enjoy what they work hard to attain. It’s not about anyone else.

Buying out of season is how I afford the kit I wear. It’s phenomenal how much can be saved and the best designs look fresh year on year, despite their age.


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## Tim Hall (9 Apr 2018)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> There's nothing at all wrong with buying expensive, high quality stuff, so long as it is genuine good value and not just expensive because of marketing hype, brand snobbery, or short-term fashion.


Why does the reason they spent shed loads of money on something make a difference? More to the point, how do you know the reason they've spent oodles of cash on an expensive bike/hat/watch/pen/consumer durable? Do you give them a 10 point questionnaire? They're not robbing you to get the money, so it has no effect on you. They can buy an allegedly expensive bike for whatever reason they like. This might explain it a bit.


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## Reynard (9 Apr 2018)

Nothing wrong with buying the good stuff on clearance.


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## Blue Hills (9 Apr 2018)

bpsmith said:


> Buying out of season is how I afford the kit I wear. It’s phenomenal how much can be saved and the best designs look fresh year on year, despite their age.



As of course the wondrous "found a bargain do tell" thread continuously proves. Such is the wonder of supposed fashion/global annual overproduction. The best advice I'd give to any new cyclist is to buy the basics, avoid the temptation to keep buying supposedly fractionally better wonder lights (before you know it you will have a box full) and just keep an eye on the thread. Always makes me think of the old phrase about sitting by the river and watching the corpses of your enemies float past. Sit there, keep pedaling in the meantime, and most things you need will float onto view.


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## Johnno260 (9 Apr 2018)

Reynard said:


> Nothing wrong with buying the good stuff on clearance.



I do it all the time, I got some Endura SL bibs for £39.99 online fantastic price and really good kit. 

My wife bought me a cycology jersey, I wouldn’t buy one myself but it’s a nice jersey. 

I got an Endura jacket cheap as I dropped some beers into the LBS at Christmas to say thanks for help during the year, it was end of line and he offered to me cheap as a ty for the beers.


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## Andrew_P (9 Apr 2018)

I bought a cheapish bike "for winter" I hated riding it. I got to mid December before I capitulated and went back to commuting on my so called best bike.

I don't think it was the price it just didn't suit me.

Luckily my eldest daughter loves it so found a home for it.

My best bike felt like a Ferrari after two months slogging on the winter bike.


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## PaulSB (9 Apr 2018)

Last Tuesday I went on the Club training ride with my usual group, got battered and dropped back to the following slower group. I was on my winter bike. 

Somewhat unhappy with this I got my summer bike out for the Thursday hilly training run and I was back on the pace. On Sunday I went out with the group which I’d been dropped from on Tuesday. We did 85 miles, 4700 feet at 15.3avg. I felt like I was dancing.

I’m absolutely convinced that a better bike helps the rider get more from themselves and the bike. My summer bike feels like an extension of my body.


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## mjr (10 Apr 2018)

Blue Hills said:


> As of course the wondrous "found a bargain do tell" thread continuously proves. Such is the wonder of supposed fashion/global annual overproduction. The best advice I'd give to any new cyclist is to buy the basics, avoid the temptation to keep buying supposedly fractionally better wonder lights (before you know it you will have a box full) and just keep an eye on the thread. Always makes me think of the old phrase about sitting by the river and watching the corpses of your enemies float past. Sit there, keep pedaling in the meantime, and most things you need will float onto view.


Except for flipping Merino tops, lately. No bargains on those for ages IIRC.


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## Blue Hills (10 Apr 2018)

mjr said:


> Except for flipping Merino tops, lately. No bargains on those for ages IIRC.


Good merino base layers regularly at aldi for £15 or so. They do tops as well though never yet used one on the bike. Also have a nice aldi "motorbike" top in merino though I use that as streetwear.


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## mjr (10 Apr 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> Decathlon? Not bought one for a while but they are my go-to place for base layers.


No branch here and seems like only T-shirts online there at the moment, which itself seems very odd. I'd rather a top than oversizing a base layer to use as a top, too. Anyway, OT - should I post it as a wanted or as a question to "Found a bargain?" Answers on a PM please.


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## kingrollo (11 Apr 2018)

Went out on my best bike for the first time since November at the weekend - much more fun - average speed well up as well.

However there is something hardcore about my 2nd bike - a 2nd hand giant defy, which I commute and go out on, in all kinds of shite - although its not my best bike - I kind of still enjoy it for all the crap I throw at it and its never let me down...


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