Pinkbike Poll: Did you pay full price for your last bike?
Chris always tolerated me hanging around the shop. I like to think he enjoyed having someone around to talk about proper mountain bikes with. In between the crazed commuters, haggling pensioners and whatever else the city centre hurled at him, we'd grab a few moments to talk about the World Cup results, new bits and where we'd go riding when we had time. As he dug out inner tubes, panier mounts and obscure bolts for whatever broken shopper had been wheeled in (the shop made its keep by stocking inner tubes in every weird size and shape you could imagine), he'd dispense his wisdom on the world too. There's one thing he said that stuck with me, one weird little gem that is lodged in my brain: "Downhillers are a nightmare for shops. None of you f*ckers ever pay retail price for anything." Looking around at our friends, he was right: I had Chris helping me where he could, some trawled the websites and others the classified ads. All of us had put our bikes together the best we could on our small, student budgets.
![Bagnoli Bike]()
Nearly a decade now separates me from those words, but they come back to me from time-to-time. Chris was right, but on a much larger scale than maybe he knew back then. The cost of mountain bikes has continued to rise as more and more space-age technology gets hung on them. Carbon fiber, highly refined suspension technology, light-but-powerful disc brakes – all of these things add up to a hefty bill at the register, and makes them even more difficult to attain, especially for those on a limited budget. With prices climbing into the five digit range, it's easy to have a knee-jerk reaction when faced with the price of a new, top of the line mountain bike. “$10,000? I could buy a (car, truck, motorcycle, jet ski...) for that much” seems to be the refrain every time the latest carbon wonder bike is revealed. Certainly, it's frustrating to not be able to afford the bikes found at the top tier in a company's lineup, but these show pieces are used to demonstrate a company's latest technological advancements, advancements that no doubt cost a fair bit of time and effort, not to mention money, to bring to market.
Plus, realistically, how many people walk into their local bike shop and plunk down the full retail amount for a bike? Even those that do pay full price are often given perks, like a year's worth of free service, or discounts on additional parts and accessories. What's often overlooked is the fact that much of the technology on an exorbitantly priced new bike will be trickling its way down to more affordable offerings in the near future. Remember when hydraulic disc brakes were a luxury item? It didn't take long for them to become standard equipment, and we now we take it for granted that our next bike will have them.
All of this brings up the question: Did you pay full price when purchasing your last bike?
Davide from Bagnoli bike, offering advice on bike setup.
Nearly a decade now separates me from those words, but they come back to me from time-to-time. Chris was right, but on a much larger scale than maybe he knew back then. The cost of mountain bikes has continued to rise as more and more space-age technology gets hung on them. Carbon fiber, highly refined suspension technology, light-but-powerful disc brakes – all of these things add up to a hefty bill at the register, and makes them even more difficult to attain, especially for those on a limited budget. With prices climbing into the five digit range, it's easy to have a knee-jerk reaction when faced with the price of a new, top of the line mountain bike. “$10,000? I could buy a (car, truck, motorcycle, jet ski...) for that much” seems to be the refrain every time the latest carbon wonder bike is revealed. Certainly, it's frustrating to not be able to afford the bikes found at the top tier in a company's lineup, but these show pieces are used to demonstrate a company's latest technological advancements, advancements that no doubt cost a fair bit of time and effort, not to mention money, to bring to market.
Plus, realistically, how many people walk into their local bike shop and plunk down the full retail amount for a bike? Even those that do pay full price are often given perks, like a year's worth of free service, or discounts on additional parts and accessories. What's often overlooked is the fact that much of the technology on an exorbitantly priced new bike will be trickling its way down to more affordable offerings in the near future. Remember when hydraulic disc brakes were a luxury item? It didn't take long for them to become standard equipment, and we now we take it for granted that our next bike will have them.
All of this brings up the question: Did you pay full price when purchasing your last bike?
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well im sorry but none of us f*ckers have moneytrees growing in our back yard ! i hate this part of the hobby when people look at you differently when they found out how much less we paid compared to them. the way i look at it, i feel sorry for you guys that paid full price for your stuff. things break often in this segment and parts arnt cheap to start with. f*ck Retail !!!!!
It can work out to be cheaper for both of us....and let's be honest, it's a poor financial move to finance a depreciating asset (like a bike). If I don't have the money in hand, I don't buy it. Plus you feel like a B.A. paying in cash!
It cost me $243 for a set of Bridgestone HS20 sport bike tires. Bridgestone M403/404 MX $185. A set of Muddy Mary Verstar? $190. There is something definitely wrong with that picture.
no, you're right. This is exactly why. This article put me in a really bad mood, and the inane comments only compounded the issue. I guess bike shops aren't paying Pinkbike's bills any more, so there's no need to try to throw them a bone.
Aside from the wholesale price you need to factor in shipping, time spent receiving, labor for assembly (a big deal with high-dollar. full sus bikes), time spent stocking and merchandising, and time spent on selling the bike to you. Suddenly the shop really isn't making much money off the bike
25$ for a derralluir hanger f you im gonna make my own one
It was one of the Trek's that Highland had as demo bikes that they had to get rid of because of their new demo bike sponsor. Got the heads up from a family friend's bike shop, with insurance from my last rig that was stolen, it was free... plus some pocket change to upgrade to the parts I had before. $5,000 MSRP, got it for $3,000 at S&W in Concord, NH.. I think that's where they're located, haha.
But advice to anyone buying a rig, look into demo bikes. Contrary to popular belief, most are not beat on. A majority of rental bikes are rented by people who only ride the smooth, machine-groomed runs at a slow pace. give it a brief inspection and you'll notice that most are like brand new, albeit a season or two old (LOL).
It helps though that I know how to fix and service stuff but learning this can save a lot of money/gets you a much better bike within the same budget.
$6000 superfly 29 so new i thought it was stolen from a shop turns out old rich dudes sure like spending money. Especially the full xo build its sporting thanks to the previous owners wallet. I paid $1500. Both these deals have been great I punish both and they keep going.
Paid full retail for my carbon Jekyll and that broke in a matter of months. Luckily and I supposed not so lucky since it broke but at least I was able to warranty it.
But As my mamma always says aint not reason to ever pay full retail for nothing unless of course your a middle aged rich a hole who likes buying $6000 dollar race bikes and then never ride them! :-D who don't love a good bargain haha
I would rather buy a $5000 bike once every 5 years, than a $1000 every year for 5yrs or $2500 in parts to replace the parts that break on your second hand bike. Or to customize it just the way you like!
If you can't afford a $5000 bike in the sport you LOVE a bike I ride 30 km everyday and your on here complaining about it. Then ur just a HATER and when u can afford it you will but that bike NEW with all the peace of mind that comes with it!! And I'm middle aged , NOT rich, and ride everyday! So your stereotypes are just bs!
Ohhhh I like the fact my bike has ONLY been ridden by me!
- DH riders are usually young guys; students or at similar age. They don't have much money. XC / Road cyclists are really often men in their midlife crisis. Having a good job and a lot of money, and no knowledge about bikes at all. The 40 years old big guy that squeezes himself into a lycra outfit and buys the most expensive bike at his LBS, because "if it's the most expensive, it must be the best". The same rider who goes back to the bikeshop when his spokes need to be tightened or when he has a flat tyre to get it fixed.
The DH rider is usually younger, has less money and does a lot more research to find himself the best deal so he can keep his bike rolling.
- Even if you have the money to spend $3000,- on a bike for example. Why would you settle with a $3000,- bike at your LBS, when if you search around on other bikeshops online, you can find a deal on a bike that usually costs $5000,- and you can get for the exact same price ($3000,-). Be honest, what would you choose?
- Just because you have a decent LBS doesn't mean others have too. Most people here have shit LBS's where they only sell commuter bikes, but not for riding as a lifestyle. Except for maybe 3 shops in my whole country, you can't get freeride/downhill/dirt parts at ANY of the shops. Here we have no other choice than buying our stuff online. And why not just take that nice deal? We don't have a decent LBS who could support us anyways...
Another category I don't see disappearing anytime soon would be the larger store focusing on bike sales. Most people will still want to test multiple bikes before buying and quite often it will be their first bike so in most cases they won't be able to build one.
I do feel there's getting less of these shops but the ones surviving actually appear to be growing which could be a good thing as a larger shop can store more bikes, giving the customer more to test before making the decision.
Doesn't matter a age. Don't b a hater cause people are successful and work hard and want to spend there money. Cause if we did not this wonderful biking culture would not exist! All your stereo types are not accurate and complete bs!
Not true if u go to the mountains near my place there are plenty of dh guys and enduro guys over thirty and forty. With sic ass bikes like mine because we do research our bikes and know everything u know and more! We follow pink bike and watch all the races and wear the swag and kool shit just like u! Trust me I know a dozen guys just like me!
I have spent at least $10,000 this year alone on all our bikes,parts,gear,travel,gas,races,hotels. So u should praise guys like me keeping my kids involved and spreading the stoke every chance I get. Not insulting us and grouping us into category's with bs stereo types. Cheers and happy trails!
It's not about age and how much money you have to burn at all.
It's about building relationships with the guys in your local.
All shops have one motive. To make a profit.
For this they may make observations of the customer. If they seem to be as you say a 'mid life crisis' customer, who probably won't ride for years and be a repeat customer then they will most likely charge full retail.
If however you just make yourself a repeat customer by always using them for lots of smaller purchases, and taking the time to have a chat and introduce yourself, when you do make a large purchase you can talk to them about it.
As they know that they can rely on you to keep giving them profit, albeit small, on a regular basis, they should be more willing to make less per sale.
Just talk to the guys there, go riding with them, and when you go to see them for a mech cable or something, take a small token of appreciation like some biscuits for their tea break.
Try it.
You may be surprised!
"XC / Road cyclists are really often men in their midlife crisis. Having a good job and a lot of money, and no knowledge about bikes at all. The 40 years old big guy that squeezes himself into a lycra outfit and buys the most expensive bike at his LBS, because "if it's the most expensive, it must be the best". The same rider who goes back to the bikeshop when his spokes need to be tightened or when he has a flat tyre to get it fixed."
Tap dance all you'd like, you're clearly hating on older, well-financed riders because they have a larger budget. You call them fat, spandex clad, and insinuate that they equate price to quality. Hell, you even put that insinuation in quotes as if you'd actually heard someone say that.
You're a hater, and too much of a pussy to own up to what he says. As a 40-year-old "big guy" who's been riding since before you were even a wet stain in your mother's pants, go f*ck yourself kid. Go get a f*cking job. With your limited intellect, there must be some level of work for you sweeping floors, or scrubbing toilets. Not that you'd be any good at it.
1) middle age men who have done the sea change thing, moved from the city to the coast and therefore must learn to surf. Attempting to relive there glory days.
2) sex appeal used in advertisements (if Alana Blanchard rides an al merick/channel islands I will to)
Wait, I thought you were supposed to be the mature one here? haha
I'm a moron...
And for no money you can pick up excellent quality second hand stuff some times like new stuff for nowhere near the proper price. Its all thanks to the f*cking dick heads with too much money who get into biking cause its the " in thing", then get fed up or come off and say f*ck it time to put my £4000 hardly used bike that I was never good enough to ride in the first place up for sale.......and then proper bikers can reap all the benefits. So thanks dick heads you know who you are
there is actually very little chance of destroying a bike every time you ride. a $600 bike is probably a piece of crap and will probably break more than a $2000 bike.
X9, Descendant, Thomson stem, bar, post, cheap Boxxer, DHR, Sun MTX, Novatec41,Acepedals, Acesattle, Elixir5, MPR. All problemfree for years.
Expensive boutique parts dont usually last well. My stuff has to have a paint a RAL finish or solid black anodizing in aircraft quality. Makes touching up easier. Carbon is no go.
As for pricing. MSRP is fantasy, Streetprice is -20%. This price dictates additional discounts. Chainstores are usually overpriced and show little flexibility. No buy.
I buy my parts at an average of 25-30% off MSRP. I dont gauge and dont want to be gauged.
www.pinkbike.com/u/lzbones/buysell
I CAN buy a new bike every year, but WHY should I pay €400 if I can get the exactly SAME thing for let's say €300? WHAT would I get for the extra €100?
In other words, just because I can afford something doesn't mean that I will buy it. After all, doesn't THIS mean budgeting properly?
It's same as buying food - I won't buy a pizza for €3.50 if another shop sells the same pizza for €2.50.
Moreover many people can fix their bikes themselves (especially with YouTube videos) so I don't see a reason why should they pay extra money upfront for something they may or may not need.
$3k barely gets you in the door at most bike shops. Kids cant afford it, parents can't afford it, working people can't afford it, no one can afford to pay retail.
You want to bring more people into the sport, stop cranking the price up year over year. I dont believe the unit cost to produce a bike has doubled, but end-use cost sure has.
There's loads of bikes in the $1000, which is where a person just getting into the sport is likely to spend their money. More of course if you want full suspension, but again, most people would probably start on a hardtail.
I work. I've paid over $3k for each of my last 3 bikes. It wasn't an issue, because it's my hobby and what I enjoy.
Most shops don't carry the super high end stuff and will ONLY order it if you pay up front.
I can walk into my shop tomorrow and buy an awesome full suspension 5" travel bike for 1,500 (my shop has a fuel ex 5 for 1,550 and they always can be haggled down if necessary) probably less with good parts that will last a long time. Now why is it I am the only person on pinkbike that can do this? Why is it if I go to MTBR and talk to people they say they can do this? It's only here that being capable of doing this is impossible.
Now, for six grand, you can get some high end shit and you can get brand new downhill bikes competitively specced from 5,000 and down.
If you think 3k barely gets you anything I think you haven't been doing your homework very well.. This on the cross country side of things, but I got a fully race specced cross country bike for 2,500 dollars from my local LBS.
It is also my belief, that the only reason companies are coming out with 29'ers and 27.5 inch is to keep the cost of bikes at a premium as well as parts.
I think the main problem here is that bikeshops are complaining too much. So your customers are smarter than you? Don't blame the customers for that, blame yourself. So CRC has become much more succesful than your shop. You're a businessman, stop complaining and get your shit right! You can't blame others for not being succesful yourself.
If a shop owner isn't able to sell something for a reasonable price, maybe he should close his shop and do something else.
It's like opening a petrol station on the 5th Avenue and charging $20 for a gallon of petrol because your rent is too expensive.
Yeah you will get some stuff cheaper online but an online shops will not: Service your bike, sponsor a local event, sponsor you as a local rider, give you advice, store a bike for you. It's good that you can get free parts but some local shops do A LOT for the local scene and without them a ton of riders whould surface, a ton of events wouldn't happen. Remember a lot of the big events/riders start locally.
2. I don't race and I ride on my own so I doubt someone would sponsor me.
3. If I need some advice, it takes less time to Google it than to walk to the shop.
4. I store my bike in my garage and I don't know anyone who would store his bike in a shop, apart from the people who work there.
So nice try, but nothing for me. If a shop was sponsoring a bike park, I'd be happy to spend some money there, but there are no bike parks in (Republic of) Ireland and I know I won't attend any races.
some would argue that a bike shop is the 2nd most important establishment in a community after a church...
Also do you really want to live in a world where biking has NO events? It makes you sound so true and hardcore but in reality without them you wouldn't probably find about the sport and you would have the chance to feel so superior to other people who care...
Also no you can't expect a given markup. The markup is what it needs to be. Also go design a styrofoam helmet. It's going to be cheap. Who cares about meeting safety standards, development, engineering... Why do people on pinkbike that the mfg cost is not the total cost of putting something on the market. If you want that buy a cheap chinese copy of a good FF helmet.
I've seen way more cheap helmets colapse than more quality ones.
I agree the differance between a 200$ and a 500$ helmet is smaller if any but the low end you are very faar from the truth.
Yes, protection is the same (minus the new MIPS system which is supposed to reduce concussions, hence the half a reason), but a $50 helmet will weigh twice as much and use twice as much material as the mentioned Specialized Prevail. Because the lighter, more ventilated helmets have to deal with less material but still maintain the same safety standards, they have to use more advanced technologies and materials, and thus become significantly more expensive.
So no, a $50 helmet can't hold a candle to a $200 one when it comes to comfort, ventilation, and weight, which all contribute to a much more enjoyable ride (especially on a hot day!), and the newer designs do actually protect slightly better (ie. MIPS).
As for helmets not protecting outside of mips. The chins on some of the cheaper helmets can be very fragile. Sorry but no thanks. I don't care much about weight I want decent ventilation and decent comfort but I won't trust a sub 100$ helmet because of protection.
I think you are the one who doesn't understand economics, so here you go www.capitalisminstitute.org/principles-of-economics, pay particular attention to trade offs, incentives and margins (remember customers have margins too).
Also, don't call a customer "dumb" or "d-bags", it reinforces my belief that bike shop workers believe they are the top of the food chain, and that everyone else should bow down to them - it's not an attitude that attracts people.
But there is something to be said for the local retailer. They offer what some online shop can't and that's the customer service to go along with your purchase. They are there to answer your questions, help you pick products and setups, and service you bike for you. And we can all agree that having a good LBS is a definite plus. So with that said, perhaps you do 'owe' them something. Maybe its not to much to ask to pay $5 or $10 more for a part, or maybe pay and extra $200 for a $3K bike in order to help these shops that we rely on in business.
@sino428 exactly. Not to mention a ton of local spots and events get sponsored by LBS. They also sponsor a lot of starting riders. I know a ton of stuff at a local scene wouldn't be done if it wasn't for those bike shops.
High prices, nothing of use in stock, bad service.
@spaced wtf, so I should pay a high price so other riders can get a deal, bs..
Why would I let someone take money out of my pocket and put it in someone else's? I don't do hand outs.
I want to pay a fair price cause my money is hard earned. I don't want a hand out.
You wouldn't walk into a bank, and ask for a bit extra money? You don't go food shopping and ask "well it's only an apple, that doesn't cost anything right?"
Show a bit of respect for shop guys, they are doing their job!
Using your logic why buy redbull - you can organize Rampage yourself. Just gather a few friends, phone some guys with cameras, phone some telecom company. They shouldn't decide for you what you should do with your surplus money...
Sure, a markup of 100% (margin of 50%) may seem like a lot, but in the bike industry it's barely enough to keep the doors open and it's a lot less than you would see in other industries.
The reason this is tough is keeping product on the shelves.
If you walk into our store and see 4 brands of DH tire, we bought all 4 because we didn't know which one consumers would prefer.
Typically, one tire will be significantly better, enough so that we now have 3 brands of tire sitting around waiting to be sold (or not) at a low clearance price.
Even if we sell all of one brands tires, we can lose money just by trying to keep tires on the shelves to keep DH riders happy. And this happens in all sections of biking. By charging 50% margin on products, we can keep the doors open and product on the shelves.
As for mfg markup as greendarthtater suggested. Mfgs are not making huge cash. Used to work for a local polish company, knew the guys working for it the top guys are not swimming in cash. Far from it. A job with comparable responsibility in a typical corporation would probably yeald 3-4x as much cash.
People need to realize big margins are not because someone rips them off. It's because high end mountain bikes is a super small market. I'm pretty sure you have more people willing to spend 6k on a Robert Pattinson sex doll than on a high end bike.
@Nzstormer - I agree. I know 3/4 of the shops in my city are crap but the good ones I will support and send customers their way.
It's like saying Ferrari sells millions because it's owned by a big company.
Also no they are not paying thousands of dollars to mfg each bike but that's the error most people make about the cost of making a bike. They thing the mfg cost = total cost of bringing the bike to you. What about shipping, designing, engineering, marketing (if it wasn't for it you wouldn't know about most of the bikes), sales dpt costs etc etc. Have you never worked in your life?
As for aquiring brands - they are worth more than just the bikes they make (patents for example. That's why google bought motorolla).
@Extremmist any DH bike is a high end bike.
Looking at Ferrari, they own and run Fiat, which just bought GM, and these operations fuel design and growth of their high end segment - a virtuous circle (if that model ends up working - an open question).
Nobody is debating there are additional costs above manufacturing, I'd just like to understand what those costs are a little more clearly, because at the moment it seems like the LBS is bearing a lot of the burden, and they are then forced to pass as much of that burden as possible over to the consumer (i.e. me).
I have to ask you now Spaced - have you never worked in your life? have you never sold anything? how exactly did you decide how much to sell it for?
Result: I got the parts ordered from eBay within 4-5 days, maximum 10 days on one occasion.
I got the wheelset (Mavic) after almost 3 months and after more than 4 months of waiting I canceled the order of the saddle and bought it second hand.
So LBS nevermore!
Bike shops should incorporate brew-pubs/coffee bars or vinyl shops or indie comics/books (etc.) into their stores and become social hubs as opposed to ass-raping retailers. Actually, after a few beers a guy might be more likely to pay full retail. Shops should stick to parts and repairs and display bikes as eye candy until they can put them on sale at a "discount".The quaint idea of "main st. mom and pop businesses" is fossilized. The way of the future for shops is to diversify the experience for the shoppers.
Just look at your local mall the designer stores are empty but the shop who has £10 jeans people are queuing a mile down the road to get in.
Still a good deal though, the bike being a YT
Well, when I graduated I had no job and lived off of contract work for a year.
When I landed a good, full time job making decent $$ this summer, I got married and bought a house a month later, and now I'm poorer than I was in college and I still there wondering how I can fix the leaking seals and blown compression on my fox 40 (that I bought used 3 years ago with my PELL grant in college
)
7) No, I get pro-deal as I work in the industry
Alas, I never pay full-retail for anything. Bikes are bro-deal from the manufacturer, and all parts are at cost from the distributor. Yes, I am very fortunate.
LBS are on the frontline and they ought to be compensated for it. If you want to see it, hold it, try it on or get info they're there (that's worth something). I work hard for my $$$ and so does my LBS. I feel good about supporting the people that help make this positive communty. LBS are more than a place to go to get the goods. It's where you get the haps on trails, trends and freakn talk bikes, face-to-face!
Get deals when you can but remember, racing for the cheapest deal creates a lot of losers.
i work in the auto industry, but the main difference here? networking
Bike frames are like £3,000 now and when you consider you could buy a car it's worth isn't justified.
I love bikes, but if I had to buy retail I probably wouldn't have one now, nor upgrade.
I got a M9 and built it up from stuff I collected on PB, and even the M9 came off here, but to buy it new, a dream....
my first bike was £1500 for reference.
While we are on the topic, my last few ventures into motorsports have cost me less than my last few mountain bike races... which is sad
As for me,4 of my 5 bikes were all bought brand new from the shop, none of which were full price. Yes I lost a lot of great riding while working at the shop, but it was worth it. I'm now happily "retired" from the industry but miss some of the perks.
1) Those uber expensive bikes on the floor are not stockpiled in the back collecting dust. A good store knows its market and caters to them. The "uber" high end bike becomes eye candy to entry level customers, getting them thinking about maybe spending more than they originally planned on a slightly better model (but almost never on the "Uber" unless they are a Visa Black holder). Uber Bikes are a risky purchase even for a shop. It might stay on the floor for months or even years before recouping their cost. Go for last years model.
2) Going in once and expecting a deal never happens; come in a lot. Get to know everyone in the shop even if it means using the excuse of needing air. We love to talk with people about the industry we don't see every day at work. Just don't do it when they are crazy busy. "Friends" of the shop rarely ever pay msrp.
3) If you get a great deal never tell friends what the exact cost was. Sure it is great for bargaining with other stores but one of your buddies going into your local shop where you made the connections asking for your price makes YOU look bad to both the shop and your friend when they get shooed away. Say it was a good deal and brag about their service which is their real bread & butter.
4) Concept stores that specialize in just one brand or chain stores have very little wiggle room. Go to an indy.
I bought my first two bikes used. I sprang 3K for the park bike new last summer, and 3K for the new XC rig this one. I'm still paying them off :-( and replacement purchases will likely be used.
I didn't know anyone in the shop and I got my brand new 2013 DH bike for exactly 40% off retail price... really makes me wonder how much those things are marked up, but I was happy.
TBH im glad there are people prepared to pay full price, cause without them, there wouldnt be such a good 2nd hand market for bike parts
2010 Tracer VP with Chris King, 10 speed XT, Saint cranks, Renthal, Fox 36 RC2, Vivid Coil R2C, Easton , Fizik etc for £1,500
Versus £1,800 for frame and shock alone
No brainer
- building myself from components in sales, eg buying last years frame/components - around 40% off
- negotiating in a shop - 10-20%
- buying in an end of year sale - 20-30%
Eg:
Santa Cruz Aluminium frame with Kashima upgrade rrp £1950, in sale for £1100
2013 Reverb RRP £299. 2012 Reverb in Chain reaction Xmas sale £144...
Etc
If you want to buy used thats fine just be careful.
if you want to save real money buy from a direct company. Its the distributors that make the real cash. A certain dh frame over here that originates from canada has an 1800 pound retail price yet staff at the distributors can buy one for 750 pounds. So a 60% approx mark up from distributor to shop.
thats why stuff is so expensive.
another reason dh riders dont want to pay full price is the fact that its much more likely to get crash damaged than a trail bike thats going to last years longer.
Entitlement is partly the problem in that folks actually believe they 'need' the top of the line, but are not willing to pay for it.
I buy Stuff online i dont have a problem with That. lbs was asking like 175 $ for e13 bashguard, paid 90$ online....why should a Feel bad it s my money after all.
But wanna save real money (DH'ers not inlcuded)? Buy a hardtail. 2500 bucks and you'll be riding a sweet machine that'll let you hit almost anything. Plus, you're frame will cost about $0/year in bearing replacements and shock maintenance! With mid-level bikes being 4000+, I see a lot more people moving back/away from rear suspension, cause companies are charging ever growing prices for "new" technology instead of finding efficiences and dropping costs on existing stuff. Also, riding a hardtail is just fun, but it's been easy to forget with all the press around FS bikes.
I bought my bike on sale about 30%off I ungraded parts at the store so I got trade in ended up with a bike that was probably 2k less than full retail.
We have massive mark up here in aus too most due to the excessive shipong and extra exchanging of hands before it gets to our stores. we are always looking OS at CRC to get better prices.
And it was only really 5-10% off of full retail.
But it's a great bike, I don't care about the price, except when I crash.
Never buy whole bike, you won't get the stuff you want.
Never buy new parts, unless it's for filthy cheap in the sales.
Or is it to make us feel sorry for the lowly bike shop owner? This ain't charity; if I have a good relationship with a LBS the must give me a discount off msrp if they want me to stay loyal plain and simple.
Now to be fair there are an annoying population of pink bikers that revolt anytime a product is featured that they can't afford...you price haters should give it a rest; you are wrong!
Did not partake in the poll (in case my salty post didn't make that clear)
Everyone can buy second hand crap, fix their own sh$t and drive two hours to the nearest discount mega store to get served by some 14 girl who doesn't know what a derailleur is, OR buy all the wrong stuff online.
I'll see you on the trails instead of being stuck in the shop.
Good day!
No brainer
Cock
Then pay the staff to sit and tell you about the new forks you are looking at. Then fit them for free, all inside a shop with overheads. Take all that into account and the dealers profit just dropped a lot. Internet have very little overheads. Usually just a warehouse to store things.
Same reason a steak at the supermarket is £8 yet you go to a restaurant and they cook it you, and serve it to you in there building, with there staff is £22.
What now fire sermon....
Which reminds me....time to ride.