# $200 / $2000 What's the difference?



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

I was showing my boss a picture of my new (to me) bike this afternoon, and she said it looked just like any other $200 bike. Some people might take their Mach 6 and a Mongoose and beat them over the head with each while asking, "Feel the difference?" Oh well. Can't expect everybody to appreciate the craftsmanship of quality bikes.


----------



## trailtrash (Jun 25, 2009)

$1800
did that without a calculator :ihih:


----------



## Thatshowiroll (Jan 30, 2009)

trailtrash said:


> $1800
> did that without a calculator :ihih:


You sir, are a genius.


----------



## luism (Aug 24, 2014)

yep same thing when I said price they said **** I could bike at walmart for 200.00


----------



## Rogueldr (Jul 30, 2007)

An extra zero.


----------



## lorsban (Sep 2, 2009)

I have a bike thats $400, another bike thats worth $900, and another bike thats $2000ish and I can really say theres a clear difference.

Of course only bikers can tell... Much like how some would say a Rolex is just like a Timex.


----------



## Livewire88 (Jun 15, 2013)

It's like saying a 40 year old women feels the same as a 20 year old women!!!


----------



## Lenny7 (Sep 1, 2008)

I was talking to someone about mountain bikes and he said, "yeah, some people spend like $2000 on a bike. That's crazy!" I said, "yeah i know." I failed to mention my wheelset cost more than that.


----------



## mtnbikej (Sep 6, 2001)

Kinda like showing a non wine drinker a $2 bottle of wine and a $200 bottle of wine.....looks the same to me. 

It's all in the perspective.


----------



## ElwoodT (Mar 13, 2011)

^^and yet show the same guy a 40 dollar hooker and a.......


----------



## Tricker Joe (Dec 17, 2010)

My fleet of six bike range from a 1965 Huffy Klunker that was a birthday gift to rides over $3k. They all do the same job, they deliver fun. Showing up at a group ride with a twenty year old Cannondale pickup up from CL for $60 and blasting thru trails and keeping up with the front of the pack is what keeps me coming back for more. The same experiences can be had at just about any price range. Money can't buy skill or speed these are things to be earned the hard way.


----------



## RiceBrnr (Oct 13, 2014)

About 10,000$ in medical bills...


----------



## manpurse (Feb 6, 2011)

This is like my coworker who drove a BMW and said he couldn't tell any difference between it and his Toyota Corolla.


----------



## DethWshBkr (Nov 25, 2010)

If you're out piddle-fissing to the local 7-11 on your $5000 bike, and your $100 bike, you don't notice any difference. Drive a 1000 hp Ferrari down the street and follow the speed limit, there is no difference between it and a Kia other than price.

Of course, as we should all know, its when you take the Ferarri to the local track, and drive it like it's supposed to be driven, the Kia doesn't hold a candle.


Ride both bikes on a rail-trail, and you're better off buying the cheaper bike. Actually RIDE a bike in the mountains, and the need for the price becomes self evident.


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

DethWshBkr said:


> ... Drive a 1000 hp Ferrari down the street and follow the speed limit, there is no difference between it and a Kia other than price.....


Incorrect. With the Ferrari, any nearby women's panties magically fall off even when cruising by at the speed limit. Never seen a Kia pull that off (pun intended).


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

...or a Corolla.


----------



## Gasp4Air (Jun 5, 2009)

The more I spend, the better I ride - often the all powerful placebo effect, I expect. But I can say with confidence that my later model RIP9 with 140mm TA fork was far more composed eating chunk than the earlier RIP9 (round tube) frame with a QR fork. Nothin' placebo about that.

P.S. _Unfortunately, it's not a babe magnet_


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

It almost makes me want to buy a Mongoose from Craigslist just so I'll have a physical example to illustrate the difference when people say they're all the same.

*Unrelated note, my phone just autocorrected _Craigslist_ to _Crapshoot_. Funny but kind of appropriate.


----------



## SmittyPDX (Oct 25, 2011)

I refuse to tell any non biking person how much I spent on my bike. Kind of tired of seeing the "wtf" look and feeling the need to explain myself.


----------



## OldZaskar (Oct 18, 2007)

SmittyPDX said:


> I refuse to tell any non biking person how much I spent on my bike. Kind of tired of seeing the "wtf" look and feeling the need to explain myself.


^THIS^

I was at pool last year, and a guy (sort of a friend) was asking me about bikes - you know... the "Hey, I'm thinking about buying a bike" guy. He said "I mean, I'm not looking to ride in the Tour de France or anything, I know they can go over $1,000" I'm thinking "Uhm, like for a fork?" I did not tell him what my Cannonade Scalpel cost... or the SRM crank on my road bike, or the...


----------



## unrooted (Jul 31, 2007)

People are always trying to get my opinion on a bike to buy, and they tell me they want to spend UP TO $2,000 and i have to tell them that I'm the wrong person to talk to. . .for some reason I can ride the **** out of a $500 bike, but still can't recommend anything with less than SLX and a rock shox pike fork, guess I'm a snob.

Anytime someone questions the difference between my bike and a department store bike I try to explain to them about weight, and aluminum vs stamped steel, some get it and some people shop at Costco. . .


----------



## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

The difference between a $200 bike and a $2000 one? 
If you have to ask, nothing.


----------



## Gigantic (Aug 31, 2012)

My first mountain bike was a $600 Specialized Hardrock 29 Disc. Within the first 6 months, what I spent on repairs, both warrantied and non, i could have easily bought a $1600 bike that would have been far more durable. when I built my 9:Zero:7, i used the best components i could afford, in my case, XT or better. After a year and 2500 miles, I've replaced a set of grips, 2 chains and a cassette, for about $200. Thanks to our friend Sunnyday, i've become the bike snob poster boy, but in all honesty, I've spec'ed higher grade components, not because I'm flush with cash and lord that over others; rather, I'm parsimoniously cheap and i'd rather spend money on product that lasts, than spend it on on cheap crap that doesn't hold up and labor, over and over again to make it right. you get what you pay for, and cheaper doesn't necessarily cost less in the long run.


----------



## tbmaddux (May 22, 2012)

SmittyPDX said:


> I refuse to tell any non biking person how much I spent on my bike.


Those who understand, already know. Those who don't know, wouldn't understand.


----------



## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

Keep it to yourself next time, and don't tell her if and when you are considering a $1500 wheelset

First time buyers usually get sticker shock.


----------



## BobbyWilliams (Aug 3, 2004)

Clearly you guys haven't been cruising the BigBoxBikes.com forums... I came across a reference to them on here one day and now take a look through every so often. And wouldn't you know, a whole community of Walmart bike enthusiasts!


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I figured a Huffy couldn't possibly be that bad and accepted one that "needed a little work" with the intention of riding it on the street a few years ago.

Ended up being kind of a disaster. The work it needed was that someone had removed the front axle, which was solid, trying to figure out how to get the front wheel off. The front wheel was a nightmare of sheet metal and no seals. Sheet metal sidepull brakes with tons of friction. I put it on Craig's List as "free to get the hell out of my life" and walked until one of my nicer bikes arrived a week or two later.

The guy who started BigBoxBikes.com invited me to join the forum. But I've always spent my $100-$450 on a used bike if that's the price I was trying to hit. That Huffy made me feel pretty justified in those choices. (And a subsequent "free" bike that was also a disaster.)

Box store Schwinns look like they might be okay on MUPs, though.


----------



## Muirenn (Jun 17, 2013)

I would go the Craigslist or localbiketrader.com route before big box store. 

A lot of bike shops also sell used bikes.


----------



## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

BobbyWilliams said:


> Clearly you guys haven't been cruising the BigBoxBikes.com forums... I came across a reference to them on here one day and now take a look through every so often. And wouldn't you know, a whole community of Walmart bike enthusiasts!


There's a pretty big difference between knowing your bike is inexpensive and being OK with it (Dolomite/Vinson vs Pugsley) and not knowing the difference.

On the surface, any fat bike with rigid frame and giant balloon tires all look the same, but if you're educated they're very different.

It all depends on what you want/need/are OK with.

Personally, I think a Vinson or Bullseye would be fine for me, fat bike wise. But I still understand the upgrades by gained with a Pugsley.


----------



## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

I bought a $600ish Specialized this spring because my Moto that I had for thirty years was dangerous(it would freewheel on the rear cluster). I liked the push button shifter so I decided to rebuild my Moto with some minor welding, and adapting parts off of an old Mongoose that was on the scrap pile. I was going to upgrade my Sirrus and put the parts on the bike I was rebuilding, but come to find out the Sirrus was not worth upgrading. Specialized makes a E5, E4, and an A1 aluminum frame. The steel frame on the Moto, a Vitus 555, is actually lighter than the A1 aluminum frame. My LBS said to notice a difference in wheels I would need to spend $400. The more I looked into upgrades the less sense it made. The Sirrus is fine for what I use it for(paved bike path riding), but I have learned my lesson. I went on Specialized help online and their opinion was it would be cheaper to buy a bike than to buy the parts to upgrade this bike.

From my short stint on mountain biking this fall(on a Trek hybrid)I learned the components need to be a lot tougher. A Specialized Camber Comp FSR with an A5(best frame)has some minorly bad reviews, things that didn't hold up under hard riding(which I may never do). The better bike, the Stumpjumper Elite has the top components. The list price is actually $1600 more than the Camber(the stumpy is on sale $700 off, I am very interested in this bike).

I bought a Raleigh International, $700 in 1976. That was more than I paid for my 1967 MGB. It was double butted Reynolds aluminum with sew up tires. I am trying to relive the feeling I had on a 22lb bike at 19 years old. Believe it or not I get that feeling a lot, even though at 60 it took me two years to get in better shape. You must be really bored if you have read this entire post.


----------



## Jasonlinahan (Feb 13, 2015)

lol


----------



## shoal (Apr 26, 2012)

misterbill said:


> I bought a $600ish Specialized this spring because my Moto that I had for thirty years was dangerous(it would freewheel on the rear cluster). I liked the push button shifter so I decided to rebuild my Moto with some minor welding, and adapting parts off of an old Mongoose that was on the scrap pile. I was going to upgrade my Sirrus and put the parts on the bike I was rebuilding, but come to find out the Sirrus was not worth upgrading. Specialized makes a E5, E4, and an A1 aluminum frame. The steel frame on the Moto, a Vitus 555, is actually lighter than the A1 aluminum frame. My LBS said to notice a difference in wheels I would need to spend $400. The more I looked into upgrades the less sense it made. The Sirrus is fine for what I use it for(paved bike path riding), but I have learned my lesson. I went on Specialized help online and their opinion was it would be cheaper to buy a bike than to buy the parts to upgrade this bike.
> 
> From my short stint on mountain biking this fall(on a Trek hybrid)I learned the components need to be a lot tougher. A Specialized Camber Comp FSR with an A5(best frame)has some minorly bad reviews, things that didn't hold up under hard riding(which I may never do). The better bike, the Stumpjumper Elite has the top components. The list price is actually $1600 more than the Camber(the stumpy is on sale $700 off, I am very interested in this bike).
> 
> I bought a Raleigh International, $700 in 1976. That was more than I paid for my 1967 MGB. It was double butted Reynolds aluminum with sew up tires. I am trying to relive the feeling I had on a 22lb bike at 19 years old. Believe it or not I get that feeling a lot, even though at 60 it took me two years to get in better shape. You must be really bored if you have read this entire post.


Lol as scrack love it

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk


----------



## Wiscobiker14 (Jan 5, 2015)

misterbill said:


> I bought a $600ish Specialized this spring because my Moto that I had for thirty years was dangerous(it would freewheel on the rear cluster). I liked the push button shifter so I decided to rebuild my Moto with some minor welding, and adapting parts off of an old Mongoose that was on the scrap pile. I was going to upgrade my Sirrus and put the parts on the bike I was rebuilding, but come to find out the Sirrus was not worth upgrading. Specialized makes a E5, E4, and an A1 aluminum frame. The steel frame on the Moto, a Vitus 555, is actually lighter than the A1 aluminum frame. My LBS said to notice a difference in wheels I would need to spend $400. The more I looked into upgrades the less sense it made. The Sirrus is fine for what I use it for(paved bike path riding), but I have learned my lesson. I went on Specialized help online and their opinion was it would be cheaper to buy a bike than to buy the parts to upgrade this bike.
> 
> From my short stint on mountain biking this fall(on a Trek hybrid)I learned the components need to be a lot tougher. A Specialized Camber Comp FSR with an A5(best frame)has some minorly bad reviews, things that didn't hold up under hard riding(which I may never do). The better bike, the Stumpjumper Elite has the top components. The list price is actually $1600 more than the Camber(the stumpy is on sale $700 off, I am very interested in this bike).
> 
> I bought a Raleigh International, $700 in 1976. That was more than I paid for my 1967 MGB. It was double butted Reynolds aluminum with sew up tires. I am trying to relive the feeling I had on a 22lb bike at 19 years old. Believe it or not I get that feeling a lot, even though at 60 it took me two years to get in better shape. You must be really bored if you have read this entire post.


Yes i am bored and its cold outside like 10 degrees is what my phone says. My hands hurt when i touch the bike to work on it lol using this heater to warm my tools.

But i do agree. You get what you pay for. You only get a pound of flour for what a pound cost. And buying a Wal-Mart bike is like that. Although im the type of person to see a frame and a geometry that works for me, and than build it up. For what you put into you would never come close to in the parts. Like a 600-500 bike they always come with crappy brakes and a suntour fork. Sure they may have a deore derailur but going over 25 is like a ice sled on a hill. But to build with 6-500 bucks you can avoid those things. Dont skimp on the important **** and do what you can afford beat the **** out of the iffy stuff untill it breaks, because it will break. And than upgrade it.


----------



## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

I started out on a $600 HT with that crappy suntour fork but I didn't know any better and loved the bike.
In my second summer I upgraded the fork to the Raidon, then I realized better was,,,better.
Moved to my next bike, a $1900 entry level full squish with much better gear all over it. Still got this one and It serves me well, love it !

I have demoed in the woods $5,000 bikes and yes I can feel the difference.
But at my skill level that difference over my $1900 bike does NOT justify the price.
Not even close...


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

When I was in high school (15 y.o., 1995) there probably wasn't as much of a difference between a $200 Walmart bike and a $2000 Bike Shop bike as there is now. Sure the components were much better, but the differences with bike class, geometry, wheel size, frame materials, etc have grown dramatically.

Back then I rode a $100 Mongoose FS and thought I was doing pretty well with it. At 25, I had another Mongoose and being a bit bigger and heavier and riding harder, I broke it within a short period.

A couple years ago I got back into the sport with a $700 Specialized HT and aside from the crappy fork, it's held up pretty well, but I wanted full squish to make the downhills more controllable and softer landings off the jumps.

So a couple weeks ago, I skipped a couple of steps between the Spesh and went straight for the high-end with a Mach 6 purchase. It's way more bike than I need at my skill level, but it's top rated and the price was affordable and fit me well so I figured what the hell? Why not?

Honestly I don't know enough about bikes or haven't ridden enough bikes to know exactly what makes the difference, but the Mach 6 is by far the best riding bike over which I've ever thrown a leg. Maybe it's the lightweight frame or maybe it's the XXT drivetrain, but that bike climbs better than a goat both technical and steady climbs. Maybe it's the DW Link suspension or the tires, but it descends a lot smoother and more controllably than either the Mongoose or the Spesh.

Either way, I'm happy I went all out for the ultra high-end bike and overall it feels like the expense was justified in the few rides I've had on it so far. Sure there are lots and lots of people that could show me out on their sub-$1,000 bikes, but this bike definitely makes a difference in my current riding abilities, confidence level, and comfort with my machine as I work my skills up to those of the much more talented riders.


----------



## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Saladin said:


> When I was in high school (15 y.o., 1995) there probably wasn't as much of a difference between a $200 Walmart bike and a $2000 Bike Shop bike as there is now.


The chasm was as wide then as it is now.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Tubes crimped onto joints instead of welded.

One-piece cranks.

French-threaded bottom brackets.

Suicide brake levers.

There've been really awful bikes for a long time. And they were really awful then too.


----------



## chrisx (Mar 4, 2009)

*what is the difference betwen a $200 bike and a $2,000 bike?*

You can lean a $200 bike against the wall and go inside a store
You can not lean a $2,000 bike against the wall and go inside a store


----------



## Optimus (Apr 14, 2012)

chrisx said:


> You can lean a $200 bike against the wall and go inside a store
> You can not lean a $2,000 bike against the wall and go inside a store


Sure you can, once a year, that's what home owners insurance is for, new bike.


----------



## Gasp4Air (Jun 5, 2009)

chrisx said:


> You can lean a $200 bike against the wall and go inside a store
> You can not lean a $2,000 bike against the wall and go inside a store


The $200 bike will also disappear, you just won't care as much.


----------



## GOOOO (Mar 20, 2008)

Don't tell your boss how much you paid for your bike--now she thinks if you're doing well enough to drop $2k for a bike, you don't need a raise!


----------



## 245044 (Jun 8, 2004)

GOOOO said:


> Don't tell your boss how much you paid for your bike--now she thinks if you're doing well enough to drop $2k for a bike, you don't need a raise!


That's exactly what i was thinking.

Your next raise just went out the window. lol


----------



## 53119 (Nov 7, 2008)

trailtrash said:


> $1800
> did that without a calculator :ihih:


and a happy ending!


----------



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

53119 said:


> and a happy ending!


You're paying too much.


----------



## Optimus (Apr 14, 2012)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> You're paying too much.


$30.00


----------



## Gregon2wheels (Jan 17, 2013)

People around me have stopped complaining about how expensive bikes are when I point out that I keep my bikes for 10 - 15 years.

To compare:
1 coworker used to bowl. He had $700 in balls (no jokes!) and paid ~ $500/year in fees.
1 coworker's kid plays baseball, they pay ~ $1000/year for mandatory gear and fees. For a 6 year old.
Tae kwon do costs ~ $1000/yr in membership.
A local spinning studio charges ~ $1800/yr in membership.

Suddenly a $2000 bike that lasts 10+ years and requires $200 - $400 in consumables (chains, cassettes, tires, minor broken parts) seems in-line with other sports


----------



## Optimus (Apr 14, 2012)

Gregon2wheels said:


> People around me have stopped complaining about how expensive bikes are when I point out that I keep my bikes for 10 - 15 years.
> 
> To compare:
> 1 coworker used to bowl. He had $700 in balls (no jokes!) and paid ~ $500/year in fees.
> ...


A wife, that costs me $30K per year in jewelry, clothes, and vacations. Every year, for the last 25 years.


----------



## JACKL (Sep 18, 2011)

It is absolutely ridiculous what I spend on bikes and bike parts. Just plain ridiculous. But worth every penny. It's my one extravagance. I'm not going to get old and fat without a fight. I found something I LOVE that keeps me fit, so I'm all in.

I mentioned to a friend of mine that I think I have $3500 in my bike. He really just couldn't believe it. Finally he said, "well, if it makes you happy I guess it's worth it." I could tell he was thinking I was an idiot. Yet he has spent $6k in the past year for modifications to his Z06 Corvette. To each his own.


----------



## chrisx (Mar 4, 2009)

Gasp4Air said:


> The $200 bike will also disappear, you just won't care as much.


just wont cry as much?

Why not have both? $200 for around town, and $2,000 for exploring the ... somewhere


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

chrisx said:


> You can lean a $200 bike against the wall and go inside a store
> You can not lean a $2,000 bike against the wall and go inside a store


The sad thing is that the jacka$$ who would steal a bike from the front of the store probably wouldn't know the difference between my $7,000 bike and a $200 bike at the time of theft initiation. Whatever they can trade for a $20 rock is what matters to them.



GOOOO said:


> Don't tell your boss how much you paid for your bike--now she thinks if you're doing well enough to drop $2k for a bike, you don't need a raise!


Nah. She knows I drive a 14 year old car and saved diligently all year in order to afford my bike. New car will be part of my argument for a raise when the time comes.


----------



## Gigantic (Aug 31, 2012)

Gregon2wheels said:


> People around me have stopped complaining about how expensive bikes are when I point out that I keep my bikes for 10 - 15 years.
> 
> To compare:
> 1 coworker used to bowl. He had $700 in balls (no jokes!) and paid ~ $500/year in fees.
> ...


i'm heavily involved in motorcycle roadracing. For an expert amateur race weekend, a top finisher might spend:
$18,000-40,000 for a bike, suspension, brakes, bodywork etc. per season or every 2 seasons.
at least $1,000 per weekend on race tires at $400 per set.
$250 or more in entry fees.
5-15 gallons of race fuel at $9 a gallon
that's on top of other costs, including $100k for an RV, $5-15k for a trailer, $2-3k for a generator, $400-800 for tire warmers, +$500 for tent and awning
misc promotional costs 
Travel expenses.

Bicycles are cheap. Even the expensive ones.


----------



## 53119 (Nov 7, 2008)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> You're paying too much.


not in USD, dj! it's a global economy...


----------



## BuickGN (Aug 25, 2008)

I was one of those that thought there wasn't much difference in an entry level and a high end bike. I loved my entry level hardtail but sold it shortly after getting the Trance. Just a week ago after a long ride, I switched bikes with my friend's $1,200 bike. I remember that bike feeling really nice when he first got it and before I had the Trance. This time it felt like a Walmart bike to me. It flexed, it was incredibly easy to endo, it didn't turn well, the shifting was vague as were the brakes, it made noises over every bump, and it felt unsafe above 10mph. Now I realize the difference in a slightly above entry level bike and a medium to slightly expensive bike. And by slightly expensive I'm including the brake, drivetrain, and shock upgrades on top of the $4050 retail price. Retail alone probably puts it in the mid range compared to what most around here ride.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I suspect a lot of people on the forums ride fairly modest bikes. They're just not as interesting to talk about in some ways, and there's no status to be gained by telling people that ooh, I have a bike that costs the same as theirs. Of course, modest is subjective, too. I'm thinking equivalent to something retailing for a bit short of $2000.

My upgradeitis Hardrock retailed for $600, back in 2007, but I ended up bolting a lot of stuff to it. If I look at the Big S's site now, the Crave Comp, for $1600, seems like a roughly competitive spec. I like my wheels better, and my fork's 14 years old, but I said "roughly."  Most changes were motivated by things that wouldn't function reliably through a race, or that I wore out or damaged, so I like to think I was fairly critical about my upgrades to that bike.

The New Hotness is a '13 Kona Hei Hei DL, which I recently revised a bit with better wheels, "my" gearing and crank arm length, "my" handlebars, etc. That was a bit of a reward for myself for earning my Master's and going back to work full-time; I'm really liking how I can mostly ignore it and go riding. It's not mine quite the way the Hardrock is, but I was tired of failures and tinkering. (I'd rather get paid to do that!)


----------



## andrewkissam (Jan 3, 2014)

I feel you. My family doesn't understand/appreciate the qualities of a more expensive bike either lol.


----------



## mxhdroom (Mar 2, 2015)

andrewkissam said:


> I feel you. My family doesn't understand/appreciate the qualities of a more expensive bike either lol.


Hear, hear.

My wife doesn't ride and therefore doesn't understand the difference between a $200.00 and a $2000.00 bike. I've been trying to spring for a more modern HT (my faithful RM Fusion is 12 years old) but it's difficult when there's little spousal interest. She also refuses to believe my Fusion is 12 years old because she just doesn't keep track of that sort of thing.

So, I guess the real difference for me is that I could probably have a new $200 bike, whereas I'll never have a new $2000 bike.

Gary


----------



## Optimus (Apr 14, 2012)

mxh, show her some $6000 stuff. $2000 will seem like a bargain then. And buy her something shiny.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I'm steppin' in tall cotton. My wife spends more than me on bike stuff. Her last acquisition was a new Yeti SB-75. She hates shopping and the malls, but it's difficult to keep her outta the bike shops. She love expensive jerseys more than fine Italian shoes.


----------



## Kayotee (Jan 20, 2015)

You wife'd well.


----------



## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

$200 / $2000 What's the difference?
....

about $1800.....


----------



## Bird (Mar 26, 2004)

I've had over $17,000 in Mountain bike purchases over the past 5 years....bikes alone. 
Didn't realize that until this post. lol 

Unless your tight and depressed, your gonna have hobbies that cost. It's called living.

Oh, a $200 bike would disassemble itself on the first ride where I ride.


----------



## Gregon2wheels (Jan 17, 2013)

mxhdroom said:


> Hear, hear.
> 
> My wife doesn't ride and therefore doesn't understand the difference between a $200.00 and a $2000.00 bike. I've been trying to spring for a more modern HT (my faithful RM Fusion is 12 years old) but it's difficult when there's little spousal interest. She also refuses to believe my Fusion is 12 years old because she just doesn't keep track of that sort of thing. ..
> Gary


I'm very lucky. I started riding my 1996 MTB regularly rather than occasionally about 3 years ago. But geometry that worked in 1996 on the trails I used to ride doesn't work anymore -- it just hurt. Proposed the idea of a new bike to my wife and, without hesitation, she said to go ahead. Wha....? She knows I ride, she knows it helps keep me sane, and she knows I keep bikes forever (a 2013 replaced a 1996). I threw out a $3000 upper limit and she said, sure. I'm very lucky.


----------



## til027 (Feb 14, 2015)

I've spent more than $70,000 on my two hobbies Cycling and diving (also my job) over the last 15 or so years, I always have to have the highest end gear or I'm not happy, I'd call it an addiction but I have also never had any trouble justifying it to myself.

I'd much rather have a cycling/diving addiction than smoking or gambling.


----------



## johnD (Mar 31, 2010)

mtb is nothing compared to what some of my buddies spend on hunting and fishing..I know guys that have bought farms out of state just to deer hunt on. I've seen other guys pay $500k for a offshore fishing boat that burns 25 gallons per hour. same goes for just about any motorsport ,drag racing ,stock car racing, etc. I think the bottom line is you can spend as much money as you want for just about any hobby out there.


----------



## RiceBrnr (Oct 13, 2014)

T


mxhdroom said:


> Hear, hear.
> 
> My wife doesn't ride and therefore doesn't understand the difference between a $200.00 and a $2000.00 bike. I've been trying to spring for a more modern HT (my faithful RM Fusion is 12 years old) but it's difficult when there's little spousal interest. She also refuses to believe my Fusion is 12 years old because she just doesn't keep track of that sort of thing.
> 
> ...


Just go buy a new bike! She'll get over it.


----------



## til027 (Feb 14, 2015)

RiceBrnr said:


> T
> 
> Just go buy a new bike! She'll get over it.


This... I always cringe when a guy is afraid to buy something relatively cheap because of his wife.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

mxhdroom said:


> Hear, hear.
> 
> My wife doesn't ride and therefore doesn't understand the difference between a $200.00 and a $2000.00 bike. I've been trying to spring for a more modern HT (my faithful RM Fusion is 12 years old) but it's difficult when there's little spousal interest. She also refuses to believe my Fusion is 12 years old because she just doesn't keep track of that sort of thing.
> 
> ...


I haven't been at this whole marriage thing that long. But my wife and I have kept our separate bank accounts. We have a joint checking account that covers our shared expenses, and we discuss big stuff, like buying a house. But if I wanted to spend all the money in my account on another bike tomorrow, there'd be nothing stopping me.

Point being, if it's within your guys' budget for you to buy yourself a bike, whether you track that with separate accounts or some other way, she shouldn't be telling you not to. If it's not in your budget, you shouldn't be trying to. And if you don't have a budget, I highly recommend working it out.  I think removing the ambiguity about whether money is for actual needs or discretionary makes it pretty easy to make these decisions.


----------



## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Cleared2land said:


> I'm steppin' in tall cotton. My wife spends more than me on bike stuff. Her last acquisition was a new Yeti SB-75. She hates shopping and the malls, but it's difficult to keep her outta the bike shops. She love expensive jerseys more than fine Italian shoes.
> 
> View attachment 968889


I totally can relate to this arrangement. My husband and I find ways to save on household expenses so we can enjoy riding or activities related to riding

Those bikes are mega-hot


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

cyclelicious said:


> I totally can relate to this arrangement. My husband and I find ways to save on household expenses so we can enjoy riding or activities related to riding
> 
> Those bikes are mega-hot


Hey Judy! I'm sure that you saw my last offer? It's a long way down here, but you guys are always welcome.

I keep hitting that button down in the corner...but it still says 'nope'. I'll keep trying.


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

mxhdroom said:


> Hear, hear.
> 
> My wife doesn't ride and therefore doesn't understand the difference between a $200.00 and a $2000.00 bike. I've been trying to spring for a more modern HT (my faithful RM Fusion is 12 years old) but it's difficult when there's little spousal interest. She also refuses to believe my Fusion is 12 years old because she just doesn't keep track of that sort of thing.
> 
> ...


Get each of you a $1,000 bike. That's enough to get some good bikes to get you both hooked. Then you'll both want the $6,000 bike.



AndrwSwitch said:


> Point being, if it's within your guys' budget for you to buy yourself a bike, whether you track that with separate accounts or some other way, she shouldn't be telling you not to. If it's not in your budget, you shouldn't be trying to. And if you don't have a budget, I highly recommend working it out.  I think removing the ambiguity about whether money is for actual needs or discretionary makes it pretty easy to make these decisions.


Yes. This. But ya just gotta make sure the spouse understands that bikes are actual needs, not discretionary at all.


----------



## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Cleared2land said:


> Hey Judy! I'm sure that you saw my last offer? It's a long way down here, but you guys are always welcome.
> 
> I keep hitting that button down in the corner...but it still says 'nope'. I'll keep trying.


I hear ya C2!:thumbsup:


----------



## OddTrickStar (Aug 22, 2014)

mxhdroom said:


> Hear, hear.
> 
> My wife doesn't ride and therefore doesn't understand the difference between a $200.00 and a $2000.00 bike. I've been trying to spring for a more modern HT (my faithful RM Fusion is 12 years old) but it's difficult when there's little spousal interest. She also refuses to believe my Fusion is 12 years old because she just doesn't keep track of that sort of thing.
> 
> ...


Sometimes one needs to remember that there are times when it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission.


----------



## Quentin (Mar 30, 2008)

I get **** at work from coworkers about my bikes. Of course, they all have a dozen guns at $200 to $1000 each and shoot $100 of ammo every weekend. Their guns are justified because they are for self defense. Yea, you need 12 guns for self defense. We live in a super low crime area, too. 


Sent from Tandy 400


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Quentin said:


> I get **** at work from coworkers about my bikes.


I get the same response from co-workers and some friends. Several of them have drank the Harley kool-aid and have dropped far more than me on Harley's and all of the branded stuff that comes with the culture. They laugh like hyena's when they discover I have a $7,000 bike, but they spent >$20,000 on their two wheels and another $3,000 (or more) to look the part. We all have our crosses to bear.


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

It's nobody's business how much you spend on your bike (or what you earn, or save, or how much your house cost). It's one thing if I'm with biking friends who KNOW what the collective we spend, or someone who is seriously interested because they want one too and have a clue, but nosy nancies? No way. "Wow, nice bike" gets the reply of, "yes, I like it". And, "how much did that set you back gets a , "I got it from Joe at LBS". Maybe it's a guy thing, comparing notes on how much you spend on stuff.


----------



## CraigCreekRider (Apr 12, 2007)

Most of us have had this conversation a number of times. One in particular I remember is with some of my old happy hour buds. They were flabbergasted at what we spend on quality bikes. But, they golf and skeet shoot. When I asked them if they would go to Big Lots and get a $100 set of clubs to golf with they seemed to get it. Most people have some passion they are willing to fork over what others consider extravagent amounts of money for - except maybe my parents.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

formica said:


> It's nobody's business how much you spend on your bike (or what you earn, or save, or how much your house cost). It's one thing if I'm with biking friends who KNOW what the collective we spend, or someone who is seriously interested because they want one too and have a clue, but nosy nancies? No way. "Wow, nice bike" gets the reply of, "yes, I like it". And, "how much did that set you back gets a , "I got it from Joe at LBS". Maybe it's a guy thing, comparing notes on how much you spend on stuff.


formica, you couldn't be more correct. Period.

Retrospectively, I err'd. One of the guys I work with was (in his younger days) a moderately known athlete. He seemingly understood the cost/quality ratio of acquiring good stuff. He knew I was an avid mountain biker and that I took the endeavor pretty seriously. He was interested in getting into mountain biking and was wanting to look at some of the 'higher end bikes' and asked if one day I would mind bringing my bike to work and let him check it out and ask some questions. Sure.

He spun the bike around the parking lot and lamented at how smooth everything seemed to work...he noted the efficiency of the machine given the inputs. Nothing like any of the bikes he had ever owned or ridden. He then commented that this was exactly the type of ride that he was looking for. This comment was followed by his asking what this bike would cost? My believing he was exhibiting a grounded understanding of the cost of quality equipment.

To fully understand my reply you might need to know that I'm NOT one to flaunt possessions as status symbol. I lead a pretty simple life and don't see any possessions that I have as things to brag about. Like formica stated, it's none of their business. No exceptions. And, to further clarify that It's not me to compare notes on any of my expenditures with any of 'the guys'. It's just not my style.

So, thinking he's serious about getting into this venue and, that he has some grasp of the cost of this stuff, I told him. I thought he was gonna choke. He thought I was BS'n him. So my immediate reply was to ask him was his idea of a 'higher end bike' as he had stated to me a few days earlier? He said around $700 to $900. Maybe $1,000. Now it was my turn to about choke then seriously explain that his perception of 'high end bikes' was off the mark.

The bottom line is that he chose to share this new-found knowledge to other co-workers and so the fun began. This is where my opportunity to point out their Harley habits far exceeded my meager expenditures by a considerable margin and yielded none of the associated health benefits that my bike did (as I clearly eyed their robust and portly bellies). And to these guys, their Harley's ARE a status symbol. They quickly backed-off and said nothing more.


----------



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

C2L, awesome write up. By you giving out the cost of your hobby you seemingly opened up a can of worms at work. I wish I was a fly on the wall as you put them in their place. Pointing out the health benefits as compared to their Harley hobby.

Which brings to mind my sister and her new husband of 2 years. My sister is an avid mtbr as well as roady. Has raced both and have been sponsored in both. She has been a die hard cyclist for 25 years. She met her husband who is not a cyclist and is in the Harley hobby. Their wedding reception even had photos of both a Harley and a bike. He dressed in cycling gear on her bike and she dressed in Harley gear on his motorcycle. A vice versa of each hobbies. The bike and Harley side by side in a tucked position, like each were hauling butt.

Anyway there has been numerous conversations about the price she spends on bikes. Her response is always exactly what yours was. The price of his Harley and the health benefits or lack of between the two. In the last two years she has managed to get him out mountain biking on numerous occasions. He has grown to like it and she says he's a natural. Climbs good with good stamina and kicks butt on the downhills. 

My sister is good friends with a male nurse who works at a large hospital. So he is friends with many doctors. It just so happened that he heard of a doctor selling a slightly used mountain bike. Knowing my sisters husband may be interested, he let my sister know. It turns out this doctor did a high end build on a carbon Niner hard tail with the best of everything. He rode it twice and wasn't in to the sport. My sister immediately snatched it up for her husband at a fraction of it's worth. Everything on the bike is top of the line. My sister said now he's faster than ever and is really starting to get into the sport.


----------



## grandsalmon (Oct 24, 2005)

Never guess what someone paid their plastic surgeon either :nono:


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

So your co worker is a gossip.


----------



## TTAFSM (Feb 14, 2014)

Yrs ago, when I lived closer to where I worked, I had road my mt bike to work and parked it in my cube. My mentor walked in and started asking questions about it. Like who made it, how many gears, etc. He then asked how much. I told him it was about $2500. He replied he didn't see it. Meanwhile, another coworker who wasn't a cyclist but a fisherman instead had wandered over and was looking over my bike. When my mentor mentioned he couldn't imagine someone paying that much for "just a bicycle", my other coworker said that he certainly could looking at all the engineering involved. He then started to relate it in terms of fishing gear. Both of them were big fishermen. About how they could pay 100's of dollars for just a rod and whatnot. Afterwards, my mentor said he could relate.


----------



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

formica said:


> So your co worker is a gossip.


And rides a Harley, he probably watches soap operas as well.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

formica said:


> So your co worker is a gossip.


Afraid so.

Lessons learned are like bridges burned...you should only have to cross them but once.


----------



## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

Cleared2land said:


> Afraid so.
> 
> Lessons learned are like bridges burned...you should only have to cross them but once.


We've all been there. I ride my bike to work and people like to make small talk. I just tell them it cost a couple hundred bucks. It's just easier to lie and not paint a target on my bike since I work in an environment exposed to the public.

Speaking of significant others, I was caught off guard when my wife told me I could buy a new bike this year. She didn't tell me there was a catch. She wants something of the same value and she knows their value. I should've looked for bikes and parts when she's not around. I'll have to take her on a vacation. She already has 2 already planned and they're not going to be cheap.


----------



## Quentin (Mar 30, 2008)

There should be an 'ode to wives that tolerate our ********' thread. :lol: I can't believe the bike stuff my wife has let me purchase while she chooses to drive a 10 year old MINI that has been paid off for 9 years. 


Sent from Tandy 400


----------



## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

TTAFSM said:


> Yrs ago, when I lived closer to where I worked, I had road my mt bike to work and parked it in my cube. My mentor walked in and started asking questions about it. Like who made it, how many gears, etc. He then asked how much. I told him it was about $2500. He replied he didn't see it. Meanwhile, another coworker who wasn't a cyclist but a fisherman instead had wandered over and was looking over my bike. When my mentor mentioned he couldn't imagine someone paying that much for "just a bicycle", my other coworker said that he certainly could looking at all the engineering involved. He then started to relate it in terms of fishing gear. Both of them were big fishermen. About how they could pay 100's of dollars for just a rod and whatnot. Afterwards, my mentor said he could relate.


This is kind of cool.
I personally don't get the whole motor sports thing, but I do get the appreciate nice gear part, whether one is a sports person, artist, musician or aspiring chef. It's nice that someone could see the value even if they didn't totally relate.


----------



## TTAFSM (Feb 14, 2014)

Exactly. We all have our niche thing we're into and if it's what you love to do, the you're willing to pay the money for the good equipment to do it. Tennis, remote control cars, woodcrafting, etc. No matter what it is, if you want to play, you have to pay. no-one has the right to diss the cost associated with one persons chosen pursuits.


----------



## ConchoBill (Jan 12, 2015)

The only thing I can really say is that my main bike, which is now stock, cost closer to $200 than to $2000. It is about to get an "upgraded Suntour fork", and then I suppose the fun begins!


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Honestly, if you're not having fun now, I doubt a different fork will change that.

I'm not saying I want to give up my Reba, now that I have it. But I got into MTB riding something with a RockShox Jett - one of the elastomer forks - and when I came back, it was on something with a RST. I had fun on those bikes, even with those forks. It was also worth it to me to replace the RST, because it caused my bike to do things that broke me out of my flow. But on a basic level, I was already having fun. Otherwise, why throw more money at it?


----------



## ConchoBill (Jan 12, 2015)

I am having fun with the bike. I super like the Bike!

Sometimes it seems like a lot of the fun may be to upgrade the bike, and I, for myself, need to curb some of my enthusiasm for spending money on the bike. But OTOH, I see that I can get into some of these habits like others have.


----------



## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

A few things about the discussion, I firmly believe that the experience is what makes biking great. Dusty trails, early morning drives and crisp air. Riding in the rain under a thick canopy. Catching air off a nice drop or jump. Making it to the top of a tough climb and enjoying the view. 

The bike itself is just a vehicle for the experience. And yeah, the $$ spent does give you a better ride up to a point. With that said I rode for many years on a $500 hardtail and still had a blast. I just make more $$ now so might as well buy a nicer ride. And FWIW even though I have a $3k+ bike in the garage I also have a $650 hardtail that I've ridden twice so far this week. Always about what you can do on it, not what it is!

Enough for now, gotta get on my bike and meet the family in the park.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

ConchoBill said:


> I am having fun with the bike. I super like the Bike!
> 
> Sometimes it seems like a lot of the fun may be to upgrade the bike, and I, for myself, need to curb some of my enthusiasm for spending money on the bike. But OTOH, I see that I can get into some of these habits like others have.


<-- this guy may read things a little too literally at times.


----------



## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Livewire88 said:


> It's like saying a 40 year old women feels the same as a 20 year old women!!!


Roger that!

I'll take my soon to be 40 year old women over any 20 year old ^^

-------------------------------------
Opinions are like A-holes... everybody 
has one & they're usually full of...??


----------



## jazzanova (Jun 1, 2008)

targnik said:


> Roger that!
> 
> I'll take my soon to be 40 year old women over any 20 year old ^^
> 
> ...


Now you are just beeing silly...


----------



## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

targnik said:


> Roger that! I'll take my soon to be 40 year old women over any 20 year old ^^





jazzanova said:


> Now you are just beeing silly...


I bet he is not.


----------



## TAOS1 (Feb 5, 2013)

misterbill said:


> you must be really bored if you have read this entire post.


rep!


----------



## RiceBrnr (Oct 13, 2014)

Cleared2land said:


> I get the same response from co-workers and some friends. Several of them have drank the Harley kool-aid and have dropped far more than me on Harley's and all of the branded stuff that comes with the culture. They laugh like hyena's when they discover I have a $7,000 bike, but they spent >$20,000 on their two wheels and another $3,000 (or more) to look the part. We all have our crosses to bear.


It's always funny to be at a gas station, restaurant, etc. in riding gear and a "biker" comes in all leathered up and looks at me like I'm part of a freak show. One asked me what I was dressed for once, I replied, Going riding with some friends. He looked baffled.


----------



## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

jazzanova said:


> Now you are just beeing silly...


No I'm not!!

She rings my bell!!


----------



## k2rider1964 (Apr 29, 2010)

SmittyPDX said:


> I refuse to tell any non biking person how much I spent on my bike. Kind of tired of seeing the "wtf" look and feeling the need to explain myself.


99% of the non-riding public thinks $1000 is astronomical money to spend on a bike because like has been mentioned here, they see plenty of bikes at Wal-Mart or the local sporting goods store for $200-500. They crap their pants when I tell them my bike *retails* for $8000+.

But it's all relative as I don't understand how people spend thousands of dollars to go on a golf vacation or for that matter, spend $200+ on a round of golf when theoretically, I could just walk on to the course for free and start hitting balls. I used to be an avid skier/snowboarder (now do one trip a year) and remember when lift tickets at major resorts like Deer Valley cost $25. This year, it's $120 per day and you spend 1/2 your day actually NOT skiing as you're either eating, at the bar or standing in a lift line.


----------



## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

My coworker and I had the bike price conversation the other day, he was looking to buy a $500 high end bike. Well he looked at a couple shops, had huge sticker shock, and I found him an 09 Stumpjumper FSR carbon in awesome condition for $900 off craigslist. I think he is hooked and has a great bike .


----------



## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

Quentin said:


> There should be an 'ode to wives that tolerate our ********' thread. :lol: I can't believe the bike stuff my wife has let me purchase while she chooses to drive a 10 year old MINI that has been paid off for 9 years.
> 
> Sent from Tandy 400


I'm looking at a Stumpjumper Elite, which I may(?)be able to get at some point. I had the hairbrained idea of putting a suspension fork and different tires on my Sirrus, and using it to take a 35mm camera and tripod into the woods. They had a bike that looked just like mine with a suspension fork and big fat tires outside the LBS. I was looking at it kind of dumbfounded, and the salesman came out to talk to me. She pointed out the difference in the headtube, which would not fit the different fork. The bike I was looking at is $750, and would be a better option than trying to adapt mine. My wife said "You better not get that one." She says that the Stumpjumper is the only rugged looking bike in the store.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Gentlemen...choose your wives wisely. Hopefully, you'll live with them longer than your hobbies.


----------



## Slider09 (Oct 28, 2004)

Livewire88 said:


> It's like saying a 40 year old women feels the same as a 20 year old women!!!


Holy ****!


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Cleared2land said:


> Gentlemen...choose your wives wisely. Hopefully, you'll live with them longer than your hobbies.


That would mean I'd have to give up cycling. I'd been doing that ten years before I met my wife.

Who's that guy who set the hour record for a really old dude recently? He's awesome.


----------



## misterbill (Aug 13, 2014)

Not to change the subject LOL, but, I got overwhelmed twice last week. I went on Park Tools website and saw that there are 'several' different crank puller tools, not just square spindles but ones for ISIS drive/Shimano Octalink. I went to my LBS and asked them the torque on cotterless cranks, took them a while to figure out what I was talking about. I don't know what a cartridge bottom bracket tool is or what it would be used for, but I won't need one because I am looking at a bike that would need a 20 tooth internal spline puller.

Then, after several searches, I found the Fox Autosag website. I see that most of the pictures I see on this website(mtbr) that the bikes do not have springs. OK-so-I have to sit on the bike and check the pressure BEFORE EACH RIDE and zero out the pressure, with a Specialized pressure tool, not the fox pressure gauge because it may not be suitable, may blow the fox gauge up. Don't let it get dirty. Clean it with soap and water or you will wreck the seal and damage the interior of the unit. Check the play on your front forks after each ride, if they get slightly loose they will break in half in the middle of your ride. Change the oil after 30 hours. Do not do this yourself or at the LBS if they are not FOX certified.

That $399 Diamondback 29 hardtail is starting to sound awfully good.

Here is something I just read-
Retrogrouch-someone who is slow to accept the technical upgrades, preferring instead to use equipment from the last decade.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

misterbill said:


> Then, after several searches, I found the Fox Autosag website. I see that most of the pictures I see on this website(mtbr) that the bikes do not have springs. OK-so-I have to sit on the bike and check the pressure BEFORE EACH RIDE and zero out the pressure, with a Specialized pressure tool, not the fox pressure gauge because it may not be suitable, may blow the fox gauge up. Don't let it get dirty. Clean it with soap and water or you will wreck the seal and damage the interior of the unit. Check the play on your front forks after each ride, if they get slightly loose they will break in half in the middle of your ride. Change the oil after 30 hours. Do not do this yourself or at the LBS if they are not FOX certified.


Let's not and say we did...then just go ride and enjoy the bike.


----------



## BuickGN (Aug 25, 2008)

Cleared2land said:


> Let's not and say we did...then just go ride and enjoy the bike.


Agreed. I may wipe any dirt off of the fork and shock before a ride but that's about it. And service every 30hrs, no way. I know I'll be upgrading the damper soon so I don't care if I'm at 200hrs by then. I'm actually going to run the EVO damper over with my car again and again and again and again and again and again........... And I'm going to film it so I can watch it over and over.

I wonder if the 30hr recommendation is because the oil shears real easy or because there's actual wear material in it. I assume it's because the oil shears in which case I bet a better oil could significantly extend the service intervals. My fork has Mobil One 0w-40 in it. I figured it can't possibly be any worse than it is stock and the oil should last quite a while. And before anyone says anything I in no way recommend anyone else doing this. A very desperate person did this, one who in now way cares what happens to the damper with this oil in it.


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

misterbill said:


> Not to change the subject LOL, but, I got overwhelmed twice last week. I went on Park Tools website and saw that there are 'several' different crank puller tools, not just square spindles but ones for ISIS drive/Shimano Octalink. I went to my LBS and asked them the torque on cotterless cranks, took them a while to figure out what I was talking about. I don't know what a cartridge bottom bracket tool is or what it would be used for, but I won't need one because I am looking at a bike that would need a 20 tooth internal spline puller.
> 
> Then, after several searches, I found the Fox Autosag website. I see that most of the pictures I see on this website(mtbr) that the bikes do not have springs. OK-so-I have to sit on the bike and check the pressure BEFORE EACH RIDE and zero out the pressure, with a Specialized pressure tool, not the fox pressure gauge because it may not be suitable, may blow the fox gauge up. Don't let it get dirty. Clean it with soap and water or you will wreck the seal and damage the interior of the unit. Check the play on your front forks after each ride, if they get slightly loose they will break in half in the middle of your ride. Change the oil after 30 hours. Do not do this yourself or at the LBS if they are not FOX certified.
> 
> ...


The learning curve can be pretty steep. Bringing in your bike helps.

There are some things that can make it easier.

I find I get at least two years out of a bottom bracket. Closer to ten for a cartridge BB. I own too much crap as it is. Why would I buy another item of crap, specific to one part I go multiple years between touching, when I can pay someone else a relatively small amount of money to deal with it for me when it does come up? To be fair, I've found it worthwhile to swap the bearings in a Shimano HT II bottom bracket myself, but if it came up now, I probably wouldn't bother to learn.

Well-functioning suspension loses air at a very low rate. I think on the order of months. So I top up once a month.

I keep a dry rag near the door in my garage. When I get back from a ride, I wipe my suspension stanchions and chain. If my chain was noisy, I relube. That's it.

I do try to respect the 50-hour service interval. My fork tends to have "new suspension feel" after a rebuild, occasionally it starts being weird when I get close to 50, and I wore a fork into the ground a couple years ago. So it seems worthwhile to me. That and bleeding my brakes are something I'd like to learn to do myself, but they didn't really come up until I was in grad school and didn't really have the time to learn a new assembly.

BSNYC commented about their being two kinds of bike owners: cyclists, who own bikes because they need them to ride, and collectors, who ride them as an excuse to own them and buy more stuff to bolt onto them. I think mountain bikers should have some understanding of the machine that takes them miles away from the road, but you're not going to change a bottom bracket or rebuild a fork in the field.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Learning the basics of maintaining your bike is a wise investment. In more ways than one.


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

let's inject a little humor into this thread, shall we?


----------



## Optimus (Apr 14, 2012)

Shyt, shekky, we have ALL been doing it wrong, lol.


----------



## db440 (Jul 1, 2014)

haha 50mph my a$$. That is funny!


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I want one of those from WalMart!


----------



## Optimus (Apr 14, 2012)

But that wasn't a $200 bike. What's the difference between $179 and $200. I mean gosh, that's a 10-1/2% price difference, there should be a lot of bike difference for that. Should I bite the bullet and just spend the extra $21???


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

Optimus said:


> But that wasn't a $200 bike. What's the difference between $179 and $200. I mean gosh, that's a 10-1/2% price difference, there should be a lot of bike difference for that. Should I bite the bullet and just spend the extra $21???


LOL I know, right? His even came with a basket. My bike didn't come with a basket and it was much more expensive than $179. I feel gyped.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I want that basket. Would I be cool with that or what? This could be the next trend. Maybe carbon fiber baskets


----------



## Douwe (Jul 13, 2013)

Quentin said:


> There should be an 'ode to wives that tolerate our ********' thread. :lol: I can't believe the bike stuff my wife has let me purchase while she chooses to drive a 10 year old MINI that has been paid off for 9 years.
> 
> Sent from Tandy 400


My future wife and I were just talking earlier today and I was talking about how I'm planning on picking up a new bike, but I'm not sure if I'll get rid of my current one since I would only get a couple hundred bucks for it. When she asked how much the new bike would cost, I told her around $1700 and she said, "Oh that's not bad. You should just keep your bike you have now so it'll be like a backup or something." 
What can I say, I love that girl. Her goal for 2015 is to buy a Triumph Boneville and get a 'super cute' leather riding jacket with it. According to her, it wouldn't be cool to wear a motorcycle jacket without actually owning a motorcycle.


----------



## LAL00O00 (Apr 18, 2014)

It all about the experience with bikes and quality. if somebody is new to biking and they get on a bike with XTR/X1 they have nothing to compared it too from past experience so they really dont have and idea of what their throwing 4k at your local LBS haha lets say youve been riding a hardrock for a couple weeks and get on the higher end bike and rode for a while you would be amazed! same thing the other way around but you definitively wouldnt downgrade


----------



## LAL00O00 (Apr 18, 2014)

misterbill said:


> I'm looking at a Stumpjumper Elite, which I may(?)be able to get at some point. I had the hairbrained idea of putting a suspension fork and different tires on my Sirrus, and using it to take a 35mm camera and tripod into the woods. They had a bike that looked just like mine with a suspension fork and big fat tires outside the LBS. I was looking at it kind of dumbfounded, and the salesman came out to talk to me. She pointed out the difference in the headtube, which would not fit the different fork. The bike I was looking at is $750, and would be a better option than trying to adapt mine. My wife said "You better not get that one." She says that the Stumpjumper is the only rugged looking bike in the store.


By god.. shes pushing towards the more expensive one but you will not regret that purchase. but if your really looking to spend the dough on a stumpy, how about a FATBIKE. customize it to your needs to mount your cameras and they will be perfect so you can stray of a trail path for those one-of-a-kinds pics


----------



## Grimgrin (Sep 15, 2014)

My mountain bike got run over by a truck the other day. The handlebar and stem took most of the damage, the frame is fine.

I told my wife even if it had been destroyed, the $600 5 and 1/2 year old bike owned me precisely nothing after all the riding I have done. I'm just happy it wasn't a really expensive new bike.

She got mad at me for insinuating that my bike was done for and told me: "You are not getting a new bike. Yours is perfectly good and you spent a lot of money on it."


I think she missed the point...okay so lots of points....maybe all of them.


----------



## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ Well, she told you. Sounds like she's gonna spank you If you have any other thoughts about a replacement bike.


----------



## GOOOO (Mar 20, 2008)

Take it back out to the highway and "finish the job."


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

LAL00O00 said:


> It all about the experience with bikes and quality. if somebody is new to biking and they get on a bike with XTR/X1 they have nothing to compared it too from past experience so they really dont have and idea of what their throwing 4k at your local LBS haha lets say youve been riding a hardrock for a couple weeks and get on the higher end bike and rode for a while you would be amazed! same thing the other way around but you definitively wouldnt downgrade


Yep, I rode that Hardrock for a year and got a Mach 6 a couple months ago. I was definitely amazed at how much better my riding was on the M6. I took my Hardrock for a spin a couple weeks ago and all I could think was, "This one might be much faster, but DAMN it's a rough ride!"


----------



## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Grimgrin said:


> My mountain bike got run over by a truck the other day. The handlebar and stem took most of the damage, the frame is fine.
> 
> I told my wife even if it had been destroyed, the $600 5 and 1/2 year old bike owned me precisely nothing after all the riding I have done. I'm just happy it wasn't a really expensive new bike.
> 
> ...


That's why you need to be totally honest about why you're getting a new bike.

"I want it, I think I'll have fun riding it, and I can afford it."

Then it doesn't matter that my old bike still rides fine. In fact, it usually sits behind my desk for lunch rides during the week.


----------



## m4xwellmurd3r (Oct 15, 2013)

shekky said:


> let's inject a little humor into this thread, shall we?


Oh god, I had one of those. I got it on sale. Needed it so I could go to work. 180 miles a week destroyed that bike. Bushings in the swing arm were ****, brakes were shot, derailleurs were vauge at best, suspension was garbage but at least made rough pavement sort of nicer.

I put maxxis hookworms on it. Tires and tubes were worth almost as much as the whole bike.

Then it got stolen and I used it as an excuse to buy a 95 stumpjumper m2 on craigslist. The guy who built the bike happened to put hookworms on it. So the bike was destined to be mine hah.

Let me tell you, going from that **** Genesis to my specialized made that 180 mile a week commute feel like 50 miles. Then again, I went from garbage to a bike that retailed for 1k in 95, that's since been upgraded with nicer parts

Sent from my SM-N910P using JellyBombed Tapatalk 2


----------



## Grimgrin (Sep 15, 2014)

Lol. That's the thing, I was in no way trying to get a new bike. We were home visiting family and my dad accidentally ran it over, though it really is fine after a new stem and possibly a headset. Happy easter!


----------



## jim c (Dec 5, 2014)

I 'needed' a new bike, trying to ride as fast as my pals I was flexing wheels and frame. I figured I would need $4k to do it right. 140mm travel minimum and light/strong as 4000 bucks can be; after all 4k is not 8, is it? Oh and one more thing I couldn't bring myself to take the money from the family (of 5) budget. As I pondered my predicament the wife said we should refinance the house and pay off some student loans. In my head I was saying "Four thousand out of 180! No one will notice, and it won't even be $10 a month." I may look like a responsible father of 3/homeowner, but the 17yr old inside was saying "Do what it takes!" I tell my buddies it is a free bike.


----------



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Is this a math thread?


----------



## noapathy (Jun 24, 2008)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Is this a math thread?


Someone already took care of that near the beginning, but I think it came to about $1800. Now we can reminisce about bike stuff and peoples' misconceptions about what a bike is, what it costs, what it's worth, and our experiences relating all that to others (or not relating, in the case of controlling spouses).


----------



## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

noapathy said:


> Someone already took care of that near the beginning, but I think it came to about $1800. Now we can reminisce about bike stuff and peoples' misconceptions about what a bike is, what it costs, what it's worth, and our experiences relating all that to others (or not relating, in the case of controlling spouses).


Well I'm glad they took care of it early on because I suck at math.


----------



## jp08865 (Aug 12, 2014)

All I can say is, the young guy I introduced to local trail riding rides a Used Trek Hardtail his Father paid $100 for and after a ride, his smile is as big as mine riding a $2500 FS bike. Awesome  ..........


----------



## slodsm (Oct 8, 2014)

Compared to older hobbies, mtb is cheap. I raced MX for years, even with great deals from the shop I spent a ridiculous amount. Of money. Drag races cars for 9 years, talk about pricey, when an errant piece of Teflon clogs a brass line and you're out 9,000 bucks in just a few second, well that's pricey. My last one was bass fishing. Not hanging out at a pond with my kid, nooooo, 10,000 bucks in high end Japanese reels, 80k in boat and truck, 8k in electronics and power poles, and so on.

Spending 3500 a year max riding is cheap therapy.

Now is the price of oil keeps dropping, I'll be living in a one bedroom apartment and riding a 100 dollar bicycle for transportation so let's hope that goes up a bit soon.

Previous issues....








Current much more sane issues.....








I'll stick with mtb.


----------



## Saladin (Sep 25, 2014)

noapathy said:


> Someone already took care of that near the beginning, but I think it came to about $1800. Now we can reminisce about bike stuff and peoples' misconceptions about what a bike is, what it costs, what it's worth, and our experiences relating all that to others (or not relating, in the case of controlling spouses).


Yes, that's kinda what I had in mind when I started it. Didn't expect it to be this popular though, but I'm glad something I said was worthy of y'alls' time and the discussion has continued this far.

13 years ago, I wouldn't be concerned with the difference. I was living in a small town without much of a bike scene and riding a Wallygoose on the one trail in town without any connections to other MTBers. I would've probably never learned about the $1,800 difference, especially the $7,300 difference between my $200 Wallygoose I rode then and the Mach 6 I ride now.

There's probably not a bike in the entirety of Baldwin County, GA worth more than $500. The MTB scene is so much bigger here in Raleigh. I'm glad I go exposed to it. Now I'm riding so much harder, so much faster, jumping so much higher, and most important, having so much more fun than I ever did before.


----------

