# Why are mountain bikes so expensive !?!?!



## ryanerb (Sep 13, 2005)

I've ridden for a little bit now and was looking for a better bike. I am seeing some bikes up to 5 or 6 grand, which is crazy. Even most good bikes are going to be around 2 grand it looks like. What makes these bikes so great? I guess they are lightweight, have custom made tig welded frames, 10" of travel, great forks, great cranks, etc. I would rather spend like 500-1000. I've looked at the Haro x6 which was one of the few down in my price range. 

I know those nice bikes have great suspension, fancy parts, but is it all "that" necessary? This is my main question. 

Is some guy going to win a race cause his bike is 5000 dollars instead of a 1000 dollar bike? Maybe I won't understand till I get more into it, or maybe I will always be content on a 1000 dollar or less bike. Let's hear your opinion. Thanks. -Ryan


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## The Machine (Mar 7, 2005)

ryanerb said:


> I've ridden for a little bit now and was looking for a better bike. I am seeing some bikes up to 5 or 6 grand, which is crazy. Even most good bikes are going to be around 2 grand it looks like. What makes these bikes so great? I would rather spend like 500-1000. I've looked at the Haro x6 which was one of the few down in my price range. I know those nice bikes have great suspension, fancy parts, but is it all "that" necessary? Is some guy going to win a race cause his bike is 5000 dollars instead of a 1000 dollar bike? Maybe I won't understand till I get more into it, or maybe I will always be content on a 1000 dollar or less bike. Let's hear your opinion. Thanks. -Ryan


There are many other factors that make a high-zoot mountain bike a high-zoot mountain bike.

From CNC machined parts to titanium frames to TIG welding to suspension to the technology used in all of those items, these are just some of the reasons bikes are so expensive. Will people continue to buy these types of bikes? Absolutely.

In my neck of the woods here in New York City, some people buy expensive bikes because they want something to show off or for no other reason as to say they CAN buy a $5000-$6000 bike.

Back in '98, when I purchased my present ride (a Gary Fisher Joshua X1), it was a $1000 bike. Since then, I have had many fun days and good times riding it, and that is something you CAN'T put a price on.

The bottom line is that people will buy what they want if they have the financial means to do so...but we don't have to follow that crowd. Riding is all that matters :thumbsup:


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## BKnight (Mar 27, 2005)

i don't see any reason in buying a bike under 1k. if something breaks just fix it and make it stronger, and upgrade parts as you see needed. then when you get better just get a different frame and swap over the parts that will work and what not. but basically buy a bike that meets your needs, its all about riding, not what your riding


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## ryanerb (Sep 13, 2005)

BKnight said:


> i don't see any reason in buying a bike under 1k. if something breaks just fix it and make it stronger, and upgrade parts as you see needed. then when you get better just get a different frame and swap over the parts that will work and what not. but basically buy a bike that meets your needs, its all about riding, not what your riding





BKnight said:


> i don't see any reason in buying a bike under 1k.


you mean over?


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## BKnight (Mar 27, 2005)

ya, my bad, brain thought over, fingers typed under. i'm riding a haro x2 and i got it for 741 shipped to the store assembled, and it seems to be doin just fine


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## hamachi (May 9, 2006)

well, my seven verve came out to be near $6k... the main reason for the high cost is the titanium frame ($2,195.00 + tax) -- custom built to each rider's geometry, riding style, and stiffness preference... with a lifetime warranty.

http://sevencycles.com/

for me, i splurged because i wanted a frame that fits me perfectly and will last a lifetime... but i totally agree that there are awesome rides for much, much less

i started mountain biking in 1990 (gulp, showing my age) on a bike i bought from the freaking flea market for $200 with Shimano SIS shifters... it lasted me for years until i upgraded to a $350 GT Outpost with Shimano Altus C10 components


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

ryanerb said:


> Is some guy going to win a race cause his bike is 5000 dollars instead of a 1000 dollar bike?


It is possible. When you want to get to the top in any sport you look for every tiny bit of advantage you can get: weight, function, reliability.... A bike that is much too heavy, does not fit you, breaks down, or keeps missing shifts could easily lose a race for you.

For most people, it is a bit like car ownership: You might be fine in a $2,000 car but you would very much prefer the $50,000 car.


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## NoManerz (Feb 10, 2006)

perttime said:


> For most people, it is a bit like car ownership: You might be fine in a $2,000 car but you would very much prefer the $50,000 car.


Very true. But having a 50K car means you won't take it everywhere you would take your 2K car because it might not be practical. It really depends on the purpose intended.

Do you want to buy a 6,000 downhill bike to just ride around the city and small trails?

Whatever type of riding you are going to be doing would also be a good idea to tailor your bike for that. Super light expensive crosscountry parts don't mix well with lots of abuse.

There is nothing wrong with a year or two old parts and frame. There are some great local deals out there also on used stuff. Just keep your eyes open and you'll find them.


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## ryanerb (Sep 13, 2005)

im just a little bit afraid of used Full suspension stuff cause most of those bikes get riddent pretty hard if you are any type of a downhill/free ride type of guy. Mountain bikes aren't supposed to be "babied" and therefore, I am a little bit cautious when buying a used moutain bike. it could be pretty beat.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

If you are looking for a sub $1,000 bike (new), a hard tail might still be best. At least you will get a higher quality HT than a FS for your money.


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## crawdaddy (Feb 10, 2006)

I wonderd why some of them cost so much as well. Parts even cost alot. It's all simple metal parts. No electronics or motors. Whats the most complicated part of a bike? Look at the price of forks. 300 bucks? It's a fork. Mass produced. Sure some metals cost more and carbon may be expensive but I think it got started long ago and if my bike is better it has to cost more that the one just below it.


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## perttime (Aug 26, 2005)

Materials are cheap. Labor is less so. And then there is the thing that doctors and plumbers charge for: the ability to do what you cannot.


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## rzozaya1969 (Nov 28, 2004)

There are a lot of reasons why bike & bike parts cost as much as they do.

1. People still buy them. 
2. Mountain bike is, in my view, not a too common sport. Mass production prices are not there yet to make a significant price reduction.
3. There are bikes at or near $1,000 that are still good. Look at Ibex.
4. Any sport can be as expensive as you want. I have a $3,200 Titus Moto Lite. Do I need it, no, of course not. Does it make me a better rider, nope. Do I want it, yes, and that's why I bougth it. Is it better than my previouse one? Yes, definitely, and my previous was pretty good.
5. While bike parts don't have electronic or motors, they are made to withstand a lot of punishment, being small and lightweight and perform well for a bike. And yes, a Shimano XTR rear deraileur is pretty $$$$, but a Deore will work fine for most and still be thrustworthy.


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## Guyechka (Jul 19, 2005)

I'm surprised no one mentioned the MBA argument. Bikes cost a lot because the manufacturers are constantly changing things around and coming out with brand new "improved" technology. That means two things: 1) the companies are spending a lot of money on designs 2) changes are being made at least once a year. Look at all the great deals you can get on bikes that are a couple years old. A bike that was once $3000 is now only $1200. Or, my favorite, look at the Manitou Dorados. They were $1500 last year, but you can buy them for $750 this year. On the one hand, I think the competition between bike companies is great for spawing genuine improvements. On the other hand, these improvements are seldom as great as the companies let on.


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## OhSchitt (Jan 4, 2006)

ryanerb said:


> Maybe I won't understand till I get more into it


EXACTLY!


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## dcairns (Mar 26, 2006)

Well, it seems you can't buy a better engine for the bike, so most folks just spend more on the bike 
Interestingly, the ability to spend more on the bike, seems to be inversely proportional the ability of the engine.  (yeah, that includes me)


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## Homer Simpson (May 21, 2004)

All parts perform good when they are new. It's when they get old and used and dirty and slimy/grimy that the quality stuff really shines.


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## Vulcan (May 22, 2004)

Homer Simpson said:


> All parts perform good when they are new. It's when they get old and used and dirty and slimy/grimy that the quality stuff really shines.


I totaly disagree with that statement.

*Bad* parts generaly perform badly from the start and get worse quickly.

Okay parts perform fine and will continue to so long as they are maintained.
If they aren't maintained then they won't perform well.

However, even the best parts will perform badly when they aren't maintained and kept clean. Buying high end parts and then not performing standard maintanence would be like buying a high end car and never replacing the oil or air filter.

That said, high end parts get you all the bells and whistles, lighter weight, sometimes better durability (definatly not true with steel rings vs Al) and overall better performance.


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## Vulcan (May 22, 2004)

ryanerb said:


> I've ridden for a little bit now and was looking for a better bike. I am seeing some bikes up to 5 or 6 grand, which is crazy. Even most good bikes are going to be around 2 grand it looks like. What makes these bikes so great? I guess they are lightweight, have custom made tig welded frames, 10" of travel, great forks, great cranks, etc. I would rather spend like 500-1000. I've looked at the Haro x6 which was one of the few down in my price range.
> 
> I know those nice bikes have great suspension, fancy parts, but is it all "that" necessary? This is my main question.
> 
> Is some guy going to win a race cause his bike is 5000 dollars instead of a 1000 dollar bike? Maybe I won't understand till I get more into it, or maybe I will always be content on a 1000 dollar or less bike. Let's hear your opinion. Thanks. -Ryan


Think of it this way...
that 5000.00 bike is the equivilent of a fully tuned sports car that would cost you 200k. Now, don't let the fact you see the ocasional bike liek that scare you off. You don't need the kind of bike. honestly, I'd be hard pressed to build a bike that cost that much... Really I could build my absolute dream bike for around 3000.00. Some people like more expensive toys than others, but in the end its all about riding and having fun.


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## Tracerboy (Oct 13, 2002)

crawdaddy said:


> I wonderd why some of them cost so much as well. Parts even cost alot. It's all simple metal parts. No electronics or motors. Whats the most complicated part of a bike? Look at the price of forks. 300 bucks? It's a fork. Mass produced. Sure some metals cost more and carbon may be expensive but I think it got started long ago and if my bike is better it has to cost more that the one just below it.


sounds kinda like jewelry to me then...


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## Tracerboy (Oct 13, 2002)

*Volume*

Volume plays a factor i would imagine. If you make less of it your gonna have to charge more for it to make a profit. A company like seven probably doesn't sell as many bikes as a company that mass produces their high end bikes and therefore seven needs to increase profit margins per bike to accomadate for it. And by making a bike "limited edition" as some companies do, they can charge a substantial amount more.


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## OhSchitt (Jan 4, 2006)

When it comes down to it, the most expensive bike is the one you don't ride! I can't say that enough when people ask the question.

There's probably many factors to answer your "plain question" of to why a particular mountain bike is "so" expensive.

There's seems to be another question that people are answering, that is why are people willing to spend so much money on a mountain bike - answer to that is, "because we can".

Buy xtr/X.0 for "A" Price, sure! Buy xtr/X.O for "A - x" Price, even better, the point is that if XTR/X.0 is what I want or a particular buyer wants, and the buyer thinks the value (even its only percieved) = price, and the buyer can afford it, it will be bought at "A" or "A - x" price. Economics my friend - and as long as there are buyers, it will be sold as such. If there are no buyers at a given cost, where the manufacturer can't sell for lower, the product will simply cease to exist or not sold.


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## brianthebiker (Nov 1, 2005)

dcairns said:


> Well, it seems you can't buy a better engine for the bike, so most folks just spend more on the bike
> Interestingly, the ability to spend more on the bike, seems to be inversely proportional the ability of the engine.  (yeah, that includes me)


Well said dcairns;-)

Lance and (insert name here) could switch bikes, and Lance would still crush them, yet this does not stop them from going out and spending the $$ anyway.


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