Mountain biking is expensive. No matter how you look at it, it's a sport that requires a hefty investment to participate in, and even once that initial investment is made, the costs continue to accumulate. A torn off derailleur here, a tacoed wheel there, and before you know it you're eating Ramen noodles and trying to figure out how many times a week you can sell plasma for money (
two, in case you were wondering). That being said, for many mountain bikers riding is a form of therapy, a way to clear the mind and escape the chaos of everyday life, and when compared to the price of an actual session with a therapist, the cost of a drivetrain or a new wheelset actually starts to seem reasonable.
Some addictions are more expensive than others.
But still, back to the point about mountain biking being expensive. I often find myself wondering where other riders set the bar when it comes to the price of components and bikes. Is $1500 a reasonable price for a set of carbon rimmed wheels? Is $2700? How much is too much? It really comes down to how much disposable income you're willing to dedicate to the sport – if buying those fancy wheels means dipping into little Johnny's college fund, or neglecting the leaky roof that's well overdue for a replacement, they're probably not worth it. At the same time, there's usually a semi-valid reason why products cost what they do. Sure, some items
are overpriced, like the $40 gloves that only last one ride before disintegrating, but overall, the profit margins in the mountain bike industry aren't nearly large as many people imagine. Turning raw materials into tangible goods takes a sizable investment, and when you add up the cost of manufacturing, transporting, and marketing a product, it begins to make sense why some products cost more than others.
Lately, as preparations have begun for Pinkbike's annual pilgrimage to Sedona for a month of bike and component testing, I've found myself wondering what other riders would pay for certain products, which is what inspired this week's poll questions. It's not a scientific survey, but rather a way to see where the bar is set when it comes to products that many riders are interested in. You'll notice that the questions all ask what 'should' a certain item cost, so select the price that best matches what you feel the item is worth. All of the prices are in US dollars - convert your local currency accordingly before voting.
I would like the bike world to grow larger and more popular. Decreasing the costs is one of the steps to do it, but it won't really change anything if we will still compare prices of bikes we have. Whenever anyone approaches me asking how much was the bike, my skin changes its colour.
www.boston.com/health/2014/10/15/poop-bank-massachusetts-will-pay-you-per-dump/FMMhBXMKyFNTRXKoThmnpM/story.html
Just because I have $10,000 to play with does not mean I'm going to over pay for a bike
It's all about scale. when you're producing in massive numbers you can invest heavily in manufacturing techniques that drive the costs down, not to mention have phenomenal buying power for raw materials.
Why do people try and make this comparison so frequently?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPVRU7jSYkQ
Depends! Buying US designed, Asian fabricated frames for a 200-300% markup is the fault of the people buying them.
When I get another frame, that frame will have been made seriously close to me(Transition, Intense, Cove, Banshee), or I will buy a frame from the fabricators who sell to companies like Giant and Trek.
Buying a bike to ride burly trails at a high level or race (and do well) is expensive.
Buying a car to drive around town is much more than a department store bike. But manageable for most.
Buying an car that has elite performance is decidedly much more than any bike I know of.
Tired of the lame comparisons. Want cheap, buy cheap. Want awesome, spend some cash.
To continue the car metaphor, a full blown race car (depending on the series obviously) is easily 6-7 figures. And this doesn't even touch formula racing: the top f1 teams are spending hundreds of millions per season. Red bull averaged something like over $12 million per race in 2012.
Expensive? Of course. But as ride-801 said, you get what you pay for. Just because I would like to be able to afford an f1 car doesn't mean it "should" be cheap enough. Same thing goes for bikes. $10k for the same damn bike that the top paid athletes in the sport are on doesn't sound so bad now.
Depend what you do,i would say:
Dh/Freeride;about 3000-5000$ for DH (5000$ is for racer) and 2000-3000$ for freeride if you can find good deal!
Dirt:700-1300$ but if you build your own jump you have to find shovel,saw,etc...
Enduro:near to 3000$ if you only want a good bike,4000/5000 for a "ready to race" bike!
And for me,riding in enduro and freeride,i think i spend near to 3000$ since i start biking seriously 5 years ago!
And i totally agree with you about people who don't have a lot of money are the people who buying very expansive stuff...
i dont think it makes sense to dismiss the argument by saying 'you can't afford it so sod off' - even if there are ways around paying full price (i.e. second hand, potentially damaged and non warranteed product) - if it wasnt an issue the above survey wouldn't be here.
I pay to play every day, and i love supporting this industry, it's an important part of myself and my children's future. i just feel like the sport is being hijacked by marketing twerps and investment bankers. i could be wrong,
Jokes aside, It blows my mind how people are disconnected with what they WANT to pay and what things ACTUALLY cost. If you want the top, you pay top level pricing, it's as simple as that. There's a reason why XTR stuff is so expensive, it's where Shimano put the largest amount of their time (in the mtb side) developing and testing stuff, to then offer the best possible equipment for top-level athletes. This technology then gradually trickles down to less expensive stuff and is more accessible. If you're not willing to pay 600$ for a top of the line crank, do like @badfastard said and buy freakin' Zee ffs, it's the same damn top of the line stuff you would of had on your bike 6-7 years ago anyways.
People need to realize that there is way more work then what they "think" there is in the development, production, and marketing of products we all dream about. Stop whinning, man up, work for your shit and buy what you can afford. If people judge you on your bike's components rather then your abilities, just tell them to F*ck off. Buy stuff that is in the "What you want to pay" bracket and stop whining that "everything is so damn expensive, boohoo I can't afford XX1 or those super-thin-ultra-lite titanium axle pedals". And like lots of people have said, be smart as a consumer and shop around, there's deals everywhere nowadays, and almost nobody actually pays MSRP anymore.
Just my 2 cents
Take your example of buying Zee instead of XTR. Fair enough. Now say we all decide to buy Zee and not XTR. OK. So Shimano lowers the prices to sell XTR, and still no one buys. They lower the price again... If no one buys it, sooner or later if the "no buy" trend continues there will be no XTR line, only Zee, because it will not be worth Shimano's time and money to develop XTR when people are only buying Zee. That might not necessarily be a bad thing, but then you lose the innovation of XTR, and that flows down into the lower-level components.
The point is the market decides the price up to the point where the manufacturer decides it's just not worth what the market is paying it, and then stops producing the product.
But really, there are countless hours and dollars put into researching, designing, testing and prototyping a set of pedals and THAT is where a large portion of money goes. To cover those costs and still make a profit, they have to up the prices.
For example, an iPhone costs about $900ish to buy outright and the reported cost to manufacture a single unit is just over $200. The money they would spend on the marketing and the actual design of the phone and software would be immense, so to pay it off, an iPhone costs $900.
Apple is probably not a very good example because you definitely pay for the brand name but you get the gist of it!
Having said all that, I do wish things were a bit cheaper and a bit more "uni student budget" friendly!
I also have no experience building web pages, so not sure how difficult it is to set up like that. I would suggest hiding the results until someone answers a poll or maybe add a "show results" button for those who don't wish to vote but want to see the results?
The problem with the moutain biking industry is not that it's too expensive. The problem is we are all conditioned to think we need the best kit to actually be able to do it. Which is total BS.
15 years ago I was having a hell of a lot of fun riding my totally rigid heavy steel bike with canti's, plastic covered, mild steel crank arms, 15 gears that didn't really work, narrow flat bars with bar ends and rims made of paper. That said, at the time, I would have cut fingers off to have a Cannondale M800 Beast of the east which was (by 90's standards), seriously expensive (Just under £1000). The bike I ride now (A Boardman FS Team) retailed at £1000 when I bought it. Design, technology and spec wise it simply kicks the pants off that cannondale.
I'm saying this because I find anyone complaining that mountinbiking is too expensive particularly irritating these days because you don't seem to realise how good you have it.
In the end, sitting around wishing you could afford a better bike is only ever going to detract from the fun of riding the one you have got. So get over it and be happy you have ANY working gears, brakes and suspension.
The Giant Stance really blew me away for 2015 - £1000 for full suspension with Rockshox fork / shock and Shimano drivetrain and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.I test rode it too, and was very impressed with the ride quality, not just the value / price
I don't think we've ever had it that good. Look how darn good components like Shimano SLX or even Deore are!
no, I am not employed by Giant
people said the same thing when I worked in a Specialized concept store (all independantly owned like the Giant brand stores)
Funny thing is Specialized UK would refer to us as "their staff" even though none of us were ever employed by them...plenty of good staff came and went because of problems with the owners of the stores.
A $10k DH big is a race spec bike. this is not the same as an off the shelf MX bike.
Race ready DH bike $10K= race ready MX bike $25-30k
race ready XC bike$10k = race ready car $100-$200k
a race ready dH tire $100= a race read car tire$600-$1000
$10K Kia = $400 huffy
a $60 car tire = a $25 bike tire-----can't race on a $60 car tire. sure as hell can't race on a $25 bike tire
Don't say you can buy 2 motorcycles for the price of a high end MTB. you can't compare a used or low end motorbike to a new high end MTB
This sport is as expensive as you want it to be. You can go to walmart and buy a $20 helmet that will protect you. But most people don't want tha they want a higher end helmet.
The price of mt bikes are going up much more than inflation. 4 years ago my carbon mt bike was about $4000, now with the same build it is $8000. I don't see cars or motorcycle prices double in 4 years.
The tyre example is spurious at best too. You aren't taking into account economies of scale associated with the larger numbers of car tyres rpoduced and you are comparing top of the line bike tyres with bottom spec car tyres. You can spend $90 on a bike tyre and you can spend $90 on car tyres but for that you are not getting the equivalent, you are getting the car equivalent of this: www.xxcycle.com/mtb-tire-michelin-country-dry-2-gw-26-x-2,,en.php?FROM=froogle-uk&wwm=ls&wwp=5&sgaayyvz=N337500000440200000200000416980000100000L&FROM=ADW_PLA_UK_PNEU&gclid=CMqc3vOaxcECFfHKtAodXhwAgA
So lets say your 5 year old bike gets stolen and the insurance wants to pay you for SLX parts instead of the XTR that you had on your bike, is that fair? According to you, it performs the same. Honestly would you accept it? I don't think so.
You know the markup is pretty big, if last years model is selling at 50% off. You don't see cars and motorcycles have 50% off.
Food for thought.
How the heck could parents afford to get there teenage kids into DH or Enduro or even XC on a decent ride with the bikes costing as much as they do.
It's any wonder most of the riders I see on the trails are late 20s or older.
If the manufactures don't curb the cost, they will dwindle away the supply of buyers as the years move on....no young people riding, no market for the future.
Would companies really sell more bikes if they dropped their mark ups? I don't think they would actually as there is so much competition all trying to get their slice of a limited market. Therefore the companies know how they need to mark up their products in order to meet their financial projections. If they sold more products they could drop mark ups. But realistically the market just isn't big enough for that.
I would love to see new bikes and kit more affordable, don't get me wrong. I just think people get too worked up on wanting to have what they don't need.
Maybe a rental...or a buyback program or something. These kids grow!
I do absolutely think that you get what you pay for, after all its all economics. The market determines the most appropriate price for a good. If it was too high you would no buy it, you could not buy it. And vice-versa if that new frame was priced too low, the manufacturer would be losing out and wouldn't be in business for much longer.
all that said, i don't wear knee pads, or use a full face. too expensive
Performance is performance but let's face it. 95% of us wouldn't do any better on a 2015 Wilson vs a 2008 Wilson.
If it makes you feel better.. Well then...
You be the judge.
Anyone want some conti racesports? Super light and fantastic....going cheap!?
if the companies can afford to Massively discount their bikes/parts towards the end of the season/year then im sure the prices could be reduced throughout the year, IMO of course
Now a top end mtb is about the same price, wont be nearly as durable, has far less tech/materials/r+d, oh and its human powered. They are also better then 95% of all riders. They sell for 1/3-1/2 of new price after a season if your lucky.
The biggest issue i see with the mtb industry is the constant "standards" shifting. Its a great way to make everyones current bike "obsolete" so when someone goes to sell their 1year old super bike its now worth pennies on the dollar. Great for business, not so much for the consumer.
Im looking to get a more modern mtb and i will be buying used. The lbs said a "decent" bike is gonna be around $3-4k. They didnt even have many bikes under $3k. I can see why people trying to get into the sport are turned off, after a trip to the lbs, a bike and gear will be $3-5k, that in a year or so will be worth 1/2, even if it was only used a couple times because a new "standard" has come out and made their ride outdated.
Although it happens in mountain biking I think spending on gear just for the look is far more common in road biking. I am basing this purely on observation. Although I have lost count the number of times I have passed a rider on the street in spandex from head to toe given'er on carbon road bike while I am riding my commuter wearing flip flops and have a 6 pack in my hand.
try formula 1 if you think its expensive
Buy with your head and it doesn't have to be expensive, buy with your dick and it will.
All the awesome stuff we have come to love costs money to design, prototype, test, redesign, tool up, and finally produce and market to the mob. Icetech rotors, thick-thin chain rings on hollow carbon crankarms, cassettes milled from one solid piece, frames with 160 mm of travel that pedal just fine uphill are all examples of things that don't happen by accident.
Trickle down is something that everyone complaining about fails to remember. The carbon bikes that the wealthy are paying for today is funding the technology that will be standard in the next years lower priced model.
Its not worth comparing bike prices to other products.
Love the tech, can afford some of it, but walked away two years ago because the investment was not worth it. Not impressed with "Enduro" either. Riding less tech, against all odds, is actually more fun. Picking lines over airing over features has value. If I want to fly, I hit the local jumps with a cheap DJ bike.
A D1 helmet costs 3x what a Giro Cypher does, why buy the Troy Lee? Because some dufus in the lift line makes you believe you should.
All helmets must meet the same safety requirements regardless of the sticker price, but people believe that they buy the most expensive one out there because that's what the rich kid rides.
Cycling is an expensive sport, I will not argue with that, but you don't need carbon anything on your bike, you don't need adjustable on the fly anything on your bike, and you don't need to look like a douchebag in the lift line with a matching kit.
All of these things are available to the people who really want to ride on the dime. I think fashion should stay the hell out of the bike park and stick to the swimming pool.
I saved for three years for those bikes. My Raleigh 500 hardtail finally snapped and I pulled the trigger. I cant wait to ride every week and neither can my two boys. I am totally satisfied with the choice.
Let's assume that a rider replaces their gear every 4 years.
Snowboarding:
Board 600
Bindings 200
Boots 300
Jacket 300
Pants 200
gloves 60
Helmet 100
Goggles 75
Gear Total: $3,200
Plus four years of $80 lift tickets at 10* per year ($3200) Totals out at $6400.
Mountain biking:
Bike $3,500
Shorts $60
Jersey $50
Shoes $60
Helmet $100
Gloves $40
Accessories $100
Gear Total: $3,910
Plus 10% of bike value each year for breakage ($350*4=$1400) totals out at $5310. That's for an XC rider who doesn't have to pay for lift tickets. If you ride DH, a season pass at Mountain Creek will run you $309, times 4 years $1236 for a total of $6546.
So, 4 years of snowboarding versus 4 years of MTB, a difference of about $150.
There's no getting around the argument that Skiing/Snowboarding is expensive. MTB doesn't have to be.
Let's start with a new top-of-the-line Bronson for $10 grand. Too much? Okay, get an Aluminum Bronson that does pretty much the same thing for $3200. Too much? Used Nomads here on PB are running around $1700. Still too much? Get a used hard tail for a couple hundred bucks off Craigslist and then kick everyone's ass. It's as expensive as you make it, there's a bike for every budget.
Average inflation rate for the past 10 years is 1.7% If this hold true for the next 10 years, a $5,000 bike today, with same component brands, will cost close to $6,000. Yeah that's not going to happen. More like $10000.
On the contrary, everyday items and durable goods seems to have slow price increase:
1. TVs and Stereos are actually cheaper now with better options
2. Cell phones/tablets have more capabilities now but are pretty much same price.
3. appliances same price as few years ago with better options
Please don't bash me. I am just very concerned that if these prices continue, it will be common to see an average mountain bike >$5000 and we the consumer can't do anything about it. 10 years from now, $10,000 bikes will be common. We already see a few in that range now.
TV's DO go up in price. yes, a plasma is cheaper than it was 10 years ago, but go buy a shiver that is 10 years old and it will be pretty cheap. Best Buy has a $40,000 TV right now that you can purchase
you are going to tell me a Surface Pro tablet at almost $1000 is the same as what a kindle was when it first came out?
Yes I don't have any data but it doesn't take a genius to figure out a bike retailing $4000 4 years ago and now $8000 (with same specs) is >5% It's more like 20% increase every year for 4 years.
I am comparing apple to apples here bud. My Sony 55" LCD was $1200 4 years ago, and now I can buy a better "smarter" TV for less than $800.
I am sure we are on the same page with not liking how fast the prices are going up. This hobby is out of reach for some becoming out of reach for many, and many have already left
I reckon if we were buying direct from manufacturers we'd be paying 33% of the current cost for bikes and parts.
Another intense this time has cost me nearly £8000. It's crazy! You need to have a good job to ride nice bikes. Yet a friend has been to Canada and bought a bike back for half the money.
My Haven wheel set that I purchased in 2011 won't work on half the new frames I want, because it's a QR rear hub, and 142 is all the rage now. It's a 15mm front hub, which was fine for my last bike (with a Sid RLT ti), but I can't use them with the Pike I own for a new longer travel bike. I was a shop employee when I bought the wheelset so I could afford it. I can't afford a new set of wheels that nice now that I'm in a different industry.
www.pinkbike.com/buysell --- save money
My wife and I recently got into the sport for about $2k for both of us, we got two Trek X-Cal 8s and all the gear to go along with it. I was surprised at how inexpensive it was, but the limitations of what we bought have become very clear early on, which is a little disappointing. That said, keep in mind that this is the observation of a newbie, not someone with a lot of experience with more expensive bikes.
You always pay a premium for the best products (cars, boats, airplanes, houses, whatever) and I think the "scale" of pricing is fairly reasonable with bikes and gear. That said, I think the manufacturers can do a better job of providing quality entry level bikes with decent components. For what we have available in the US, I don't really feel like bikes in the ~$1k price point are really that great, their faults show through really quickly and they aren't worth holding onto.
I felt like, with what we wanted to spend to decide if it was something we were gonna stick with (~$1k/ea), my choice was mediocre, mediocre, and crap. I'd rather see something stand out at that price point as at least being able to cope with abuse and not something I'm gonna want to sell after 6 months. I think the VooDoo Bizango is a good example of this (Halfords), but it's not available in the US anymore I don't expect to have a super awesome bike for $1k, but I think the components and build could be better, even if it raises the price slightly.
(Would be interesting to see if all the low ballers also say wages, and therefore profits, should be lower.
*note that the left in usa deem those that gross $250k to be rich, eventhough their net may be @$50k
There are people who want the latest but cannot afford it (complainers)
Then there are people like me that don't give crap, as long as the components under us allows us to focus on the ride.
You don't have to break the bank to own a good bike.
The R&D ALONE that goes into cutting edge motorcycles(MX/Sport bikes) is astronomical, especially compared to mountain bikes, and lets not forget, a mountain bike is basically just a CHASSIS. An MX bike has the chassis PLUS the MOTOR, which itself is filled with expensive titanium bits.
I also remember I think MTB Action (yet again) this time defending SRAM for equipping ONLY their rider's forks with DLC-coated stanchions, as it'd be WAY too expensive to do it on their mass-produced forks.
Funny thing, KAYABA/Kawasaki equipped the 2004+ ZX6RR with DLC coated forks, and the KX 250F/450 has been coming with em since 2007.
I guaranty you SRAM sells WAY more forks, both to OEMs and retail than KAYABA/SHOWA/KAWASAKI does-and they do so with a MUCH higher margin
How many people are driving a car worth 1/4 of the bike? And mines a nice car!
My first car was $2000
My current bike is $600
My current car is $40,000
That first bike and car I went faster, used more, jumped higher and further (including the car).
Had more fun with them than anything else.
Dreamed that one day I would own the bike I do now.
I can afford the bike and the car I have now.
Because it's 15 years on and I have a good job.
Miss so much the ridding I did when I was 18.
I'm worried that with the evolution companies will stop putting the money into their lower/mid product ranges and we'll end up paying even more!
You can buy a camera for 50USD and a camera for 10,000USD
People generally complain about the price of something when they can't afford it... know that sounds kinda obvious, but there will ALWAYS be a market for people willing to pay for the very best stuff, which is why companies make it.
If no one bought the most expensive item, companies simply wouldn't make it.
Some people will buy the most expensive seats at a football game, some will say why bother when you can watch it on TV.
There is an economic (actually a natural law) called the Pareto principle or 80/20
Its why 20% of the countries in the world have 80% of the wealth (strangely the US is one of the 20%)
It's why 80% of the taxes paid in the world is paid by just 20% of the population (funnily enough they are the richest too)
So seeing that 20% of the mountain biking population will be spend 80% of the money spent on kit, I think there is definitely a good market for some really expensive stuff...
My take on this is don't fight it, accept it... buy what you can afford to buy, enjoyment is not necessarily increased by how much you spend... plenty of 2nd hand kit, or stuff on sale that was the "best kit to buy" just a few years ago
Even bike shorts, $110 dollars for bike shorts. common man.
For once I'd like to see an add that says: New for 2015: Faster, lighter, stronger and less expensive.
compared to a motocross bike (which costs about the same as a good DH) the prices are insane.
a motocross bike has all parst of a mountainbike. the suspension (front and rear) is as good as on a MTB and for example.
PLUS it has an engine and a gearing.
its like all good things in life...they are too expensive
I'm just saying.
In terms of technology compared to what the pros are riding, a $10k dirtbike is more equivalent to a $3k mountain bike.
BTW I love MTBing, and ride a lot, but am just being critical.
It is indeed good to know that there is an array of options out there in the market, in fact there's a jungle of choices out there. But don't let these temptation consume you, be wise and know your limit (skill and pocket-wise) and get a gear that fits in the latter two aspect of your capacity.
Knowing and using your equipment appropriately are essential for safety. But the bottom line; is that the intangible cost of ENJOYMENT is what makes mountain biking a priceless sport to pursue.
Speaking from a hobbyist point of view.
I know a lot of people that work in the industry- in shops, at factories, as outside sales reps etc. No one in this industry seems to make any "real" money. Even while working for companies that are considered the highest of high end. For you guys to ask us how much we as consumers should pay is a joke.
Of course everyone is going to say that they should pay less.
You get what you pay for. Period.
in the US (GDP per capita 53,143) a cost of $3500 would not affect on consumers budget as much as it would in Poland (GDP per capita 13,432)
so my answer for the question:
yes, mountain biking is very expensive sport
Nobody ever said the sport was cheap, just cheaper than a lot of other options. Anytime you want top ahelf goodies, it's going to cost you.
The only justification for it is the streamlined nature of the car market's distribution and logistics network. And also numbers of units being built and sold.
Still, bikes are over priced. No way around it.
www.therichest.com/luxury/most-expensive/the-most-expensive-golf-clubs-in-the-world
look at that and think they are worth it? nah probably does the same as a walmart set but a bit better. Thing is some numpty will buy em and so the story goes on
The problem that angers me is that the average joe/young kids getting into it cant afford this lifestyle and put them off.
How many times have you seen rich, yuppy city boys on full XTR carbon nomads and cant ride for shit? Its too blingy
Saracen Myst Team 2014 was just under £5k RRP when it was released around this time last year. This is the top model with Saint everything, Fox 40 air, RC4 shock, all the kashima bollocks, exactly what the WC team use (give or take a few things). The same bike is now discounted to £2750.
That's a big %age to drop off.
At least Madison / Saracen put a decent amount of money back into a race team..
Cheers and shred on !
Things have gotten better. I see that. The bike build that cost $3000 5 years ago would cost 2200 now,. You get more bang for your buck with sealed bearing hubs and through axles, and all that jazz. Forks have gotten better across the board with low end offerings that are pretty sweet.
The only problem is I am just as broke now as I was then. The economy hasn't improved for me.
How much does KTM spend on Dungey's race bikes? $50K? $100K? The rumor is that Pro Circuit's transmissions are north of $20K alone. They run no carbon because it would simply be too expensive for them to manufacture.
Now compare that to bikes where I can walk into any dealer and buy almost the exact bike that is raced by the top pros for less than $15K. I also can go buy a bike with the exact same chassis as the Pro's for less than $5K and in some cases around $3.5K.
What I am getting at is that people are comparing apples and oranges. I can buy a bike at Walmart for $150 that has two wheels and 18 speeds. It will get me up the hills and down them, albeit at a much slower pace to make sure it stays in one piece. If you really want to compare, compare what the race teams use at the highest levels. A used Ferrari F1 car will run you about $5M because you can't buy a new one which would be north of $50M. Even something as basic as a Porsche GT3 Cup car will run you $300K and will not be even close to race ready. Factory MX bikes are well north of $100K. One of the links I found said Reid's suspension alone was $62K. So please stop saying that you can buy X car or Y moto for less than the cost of a full XTR bike with carbon frame, bars, cranks and wheels. It is not a valid comparison.
La Ferrari link
auto.ferrari.com/en_US/sports-cars-models/car-range/laferrari/#innovations-chassis-2
McLaren 12C link (currently the lowest cost carbon tubbed vehicle that I am aware of)
cars.mclaren.com/home/models_link/12C/innovation.html
Chad Reid's Suspension (scroll down halfway)
www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/kawasaki/inside-the-2013-supercross-works-bikes-91495.html
How much does KTM spend on Dungey's race bikes? $50K? $100K? The rumor is that Pro Circuit's transmissions are north of $20K alone. They run no carbon because it would simply be too expensive for them to manufacture.
Now compare that to bikes where I can walk into any dealer and buy almost the exact bike that is raced by the top pros for less than $15K. I also can go buy a bike with the exact same chassis as the Pro's for less than $5K and in some cases around $3.5K.
What I am getting at is that people are comparing apples and oranges. I can buy a bike at Walmart for $150 that has two wheels and 18 speeds. It will get me up the hills and down them, albeit at a much slower pace to make sure it stays in one piece. If you really want to compare, compare what the race teams use at the highest levels. A used Ferrari F1 car will run you about $5M because you can't buy a new one which would be north of $50M. Even something as basic as a Porsche GT3 Cup car will run you $300K and will not be even close to race ready. Factory MX bikes are well north of $100K. One of the links I found said Reid's suspension alone was $62K. So please stop saying that you can buy X car or Y moto for less than the cost of a full XTR bike with carbon frame, bars, cranks and wheels. It is not a valid comparison.
La Ferrari link
auto.ferrari.com/en_US/sports-cars-models/car-range/laferrari/#innovations-chassis-2
McLaren 12C link (currently the lowest cost carbon tubbed vehicle that I am aware of)
cars.mclaren.com/home/models_link/12C/innovation.html
Chad Reid's Suspension (scroll down halfway)
www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/kawasaki/inside-the-2013-supercross-works-bikes-91495.html
There are dozens of great bike companies out there, and they compete very harshly for our business. No one goes into the bike industry for the money. For the time, energy, skill, and dedication that most bike mechanics, engineers, etc put in they could all make tons more money in a different industry.
Bikes (and components) cost what they do because thats how much human effort it takes to produce frames and parts made out of space-age aluminum and carbon thermoplastic. There isn't a ton of room for prices to go down.
In Spain I can buy a tire for my car for 50€ and a set of brakepads for 25€, same prices to bike tires and brakepads when they are much smaller and less durable.
tell me what you gonna do about it? nothing, so pay the ferry man
That said I still love a nice marketing gimmick or "race winning" bike!
But that's not my business...
Build a bike that will last =$5,000.00
Lesson= don't be a weight weenie.
Shit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one fills up first.
Now, can I get S-Works Enduro 29 with carbon roval wheels for 1000$ please? That will make me a fulfilled man and a better mountain biker.
High end motor weights more than the whole DH bike which has to support the same rider at similar speeds and jumps. Amount of R&D that goes into making a light part is much, much higher.
And then honestly, add up ALL expenses over a long run.
You can buy a very, very nice mountain bike for under $3k, and it will serve you for years.
Mtb is approaching a zenith. There really are no sh#t suspension designs. Prices overall dropped this year. You get more bike now for $1900 - $2500, all types (XC -DH) than you did for $4500 - $5000 10 yrs ago (Been riding 24yrs seen it happening)
I could write an article on this subject. Don't get me started!