Tone1313

In Australia, most bike shop employees know less than the customers.

@tom666: Remedy 8 and Slash have gone up 50% here in Australia since the end of 2019.

@tom666: you said "The reason the Slash 8 has gone up so much in price is increase in prices in Asia for materials, labor, parts and shipping" Again, the Slash uses similar raw materials to a Marlin. Sure it gets a much better fork, has a rear shock and better componentry, i get that, but the raw materials to build both bikes and their components are very similar so the increases should apply to both ends of the market. Shipping increases should also apply to both as they cost exactly the same to ship as too do the labour costs. No idea, but i doubt anyone on the Slash production line is getting paid more than the Marlin production line but I could be wrong.

@Mtbdialed: for a start, the prices havent just skyrocketed in Australia in the last three years but worldwide. An alloy, full suspension, GX equipped bike has gone up by thousands compared to 2019. If it was just the exchange rate that was to blame for most of this, how come $1000 bikes are better value than ever? And i'm jst comparing mass produces alloy bikes here, no point bringing companies like Yeti into it as the analogy doesnt work..

Yep, most people today are lazy and dumb.

@olafthemoose: thanks for the info. My daughter is only 12 and pretty lightweight. With one of the two springs removed, the suspension action is pretty impressive for an el cheapo fork.

@Mtbdialed: Actually, the USD to AUD exchange rate is currently 1.48 AUD and in 2019 it was 1.44 AUD. Not a huge difference.

In relation to number 4.....Yeah, bike companies are all for international trade when it suits THEM but when it suits us they block it. Scum

I agree with this but couldn't find a bike without a suspension fork. I will say though, that after taking out one of the springs in the cheap Suntour fork that was massively oversprung for my daughters size, they feel really good!