What price of kit is too expensive?

[TPMB12]

I'm curious about how much ppl spend on cycling kit. It seems from several cycling forums that ppl have money and a lot of it to spend on kit. I don't. That makes me hold off on buying kit because I think it's just too expensive.

We're talking about the amount of money you need to spend on kit to leave you worrying if you've spent too much. For me I hesitate in 3 digits my bike is less than 4 digits and whilst I needed it I doubted whether it was too much. I mean I could get a serviceable bike for £300 so why spend £650?

Clothing I buy Aldi or Aldi sort of price. Lights £40 for main light and I think it's too much.

I don't earn a lot which explains my views but even if I earnt ten times as much I'd still not spend £6500 on a bike, indeed I'd possibly bail at £2000. I think it's within me not to feel comfortable spending a lot even if I could afford it.

So do you have a limit? Even if you had the disposable to spend anything on bikes would you still have a limit?

I am just curious about the spending mindset of fellow cyclists.

[Polar Bear]

I don't have a limit as such but I rarely buy kit.   I would baulk at more than £50 for a cycling jersey or shorts, £100 for shoes.   But, and it is a big but, I tend to buy stuff which has some sort of quality and durability.   My summer cycling shoes are expiring after 12 years and I've been using the same four YACF jerseys for a number of years now.  I have an Aldi winter jacket which is now in season three and my winter leggings are over a decade old.   Look after it and stuff will give great service and prove to be value for money. 

I'm not a fashion victim so I don't need nor want the latest overpriced and overhyped stuff. 

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I spend whatever 'it' requires but quite often 'it' doesn't require very much money to work well. I've been through the Assos knicks things (overpriced with dodgy stitching) and prefer stuff that performs well at an acceptable price. I'll pay lots for S&S couplers just for the functionality but prefer to spend money travelling to ride new roads rather than ride a new expensive bike round the same old roads.

[Kim]

I'll buy expensive kit where it's in some important-to-me way superior than the cheaper stuff.  Like Polar Bear, I'm happy to pay more for something that will last - barring disasters, that generally works out cheaper overall.

Other than durability and reliability, what tends to matter to me is comfort related.  Clothing that fits properly is worth a lot more to me than the ubiquitous stuff that doesn't.  Recumbent cycles are expensive, but I can ride them more without injury.  I have posh winter gloves that are better for keeping warm on long rides, but I'll use Aldi gloves around town because they're perfectly adequate for an hour or so, saving wear on the good ones.  That sort of thing.  I've no interest in bling.

I fully admit to having a dynamo lighting addiction.  While it's easy to make up some plausible justification based on reliability, what it really comes down to is that I've wasted too much of my life arsing about with batteries already and I can't be bothered.


Most cycling stuff is cheap when you compare it to:
a) running a car
b) public transport
c) the injury and crash damage it might help you avoid
d) the health impact of cycling less

[zigzag]

i'm of the opinion that there is a sweet spot regarding the price vs performance or quality, after which you only get a tiny amount of benefit for a lot of extra cost.

[phantasmagoriana]

I don't want to know how much I spend on cycling stuff. It's probably quite a sizeable portion of my (not very substantial) income...however, I don't drive, don't have kids to feed, and don't spend much on other stuff really. It's mainly cake and cycling. I'll pay extra for things that are purple, too.

[Veloman]

For long distance cycling there is no kit, in terms of cycling shorts/bibs that is too expensive if it means a comfortable ride!

[Kim]

i'm of the opinion that there is a sweet spot regarding the price vs performance or quality, after which you only get a tiny amount of benefit for a lot of extra cost.

I think this applies to most things.  The trick is working out where it lies.

[Feline]

I don't really have a limit- if I can afford it and think the quality / design make it worth it (to me) then I will buy it.

I wish I could get back some of the cash I wasted buying cheap brands of gloves and shorts before I found a decent brand though. Funnily enough it's only really the bargain purchases I ever seem to regret. In terms of cost per wear, the cycling clothing is better value that if I spent lots of money on normal clothing (which I really don't). Each to their own.

[zigzag]

i'm of the opinion that there is a sweet spot regarding the price vs performance or quality, after which you only get a tiny amount of benefit for a lot of extra cost.

I think this applies to most things.  The trick is working out where it lies.

also depends how important something is in your life. i'm quite particular and picky about the cycling gear and kit, but if i went and joined someone to play, say, golf i wouldn't be bothered about the kit as i have no real interest in this sport.

[Kim]

In terms of cost per wear, the cycling clothing is better value that if I spent lots of money on normal clothing (which I really don't). Each to their own.

I long ago realised that I destroyed a lot less trousers by wearing cycling-specific clothing when using a saddle.  I also find my shoes last longer these days as I tend to cycle rather than walk medium distances.

I think it's quite easy for cycling-for-transport stuff to be cost-neutral.  It's when you're doing it for other reasons that it gets expensive.

[Kim]

i'm of the opinion that there is a sweet spot regarding the price vs performance or quality, after which you only get a tiny amount of benefit for a lot of extra cost.

I think this applies to most things.  The trick is working out where it lies.

also depends how important something is in your life. i'm quite particular and picky about the cycling gear and kit, but if i went and joined someone to play, say, golf i wouldn't be bothered about the kit as i have no real interest in this sport.

Agreed.  The sweet spot will vary depending on all sorts of factors.

[Karla]

I don't want to know how much I spend on cycling stuff. It's probably quite a sizeable portion of my (not very substantial) income...however, I don't drive, don't have kids to feed, and don't spend much on other stuff really. It's mainly cake and cycling. I'll pay extra for things that are purple, too.

This, this and all this thrice, except for the purple bit, as for a start I wouldn't know whether it was purple or blue.

[Kim]

I don't want to know how much I spend on cycling stuff. It's probably quite a sizeable portion of my (not very substantial) income...however, I don't drive, don't have kids to feed, and don't spend much on other stuff really. It's mainly cake and cycling. I'll pay extra for things that are purple, too.

This, this and all this thrice, except for the purple bit, as for a start I wouldn't know whether it was purple or blue.

Top tip:  If it's on phanta's bike, it's probably not blue.

[Ben T]

I'm curious about how much ppl spend on cycling kit. It seems from several cycling forums that ppl have money and a lot of it to spend on kit. I don't. That makes me hold off on buying kit because I think it's just too expensive.

We're talking about the amount of money you need to spend on kit to leave you worrying if you've spent too much. For me I hesitate in 3 digits my bike is less than 4 digits and whilst I needed it I doubted whether it was too much. I mean I could get a serviceable bike for £300 so why spend £650?

Clothing I buy Aldi or Aldi sort of price. Lights £40 for main light and I think it's too much.

I don't earn a lot which explains my views but even if I earnt ten times as much I'd still not spend £6500 on a bike, indeed I'd possibly bail at £2000. I think it's within me not to feel comfortable spending a lot even if I could afford it.

So do you have a limit? Even if you had the disposable to spend anything on bikes would you still have a limit?

I am just curious about the spending mindset of fellow cyclists.

I've got a 2013 trek domane with Di2 but not discs, and I've wondered what I would get if I ever had to get a new bike...the latest version of the domane with Di2, and discs (and mudguards) was about £6500 last time I checked, but I wouldn't get it whilst my current one is perfectly good just to upgrade to discs.
I would probably spend that if there wasn't a cheaper one with Di2, discs and mudguards.

A few months ago I did want a utility bike and bought the bargain basement shitter from halfords for £175 but paid extra to upgrade it to Marathon Plus tyres, and it's actually really good (so far).

My atttitude is I buy the cheapest thing that fits my requirements, but my requirements may sometimes be fairly exacting. This is more for audax/general riding than for utility, for example, light: has to be bright, and be dynamo - £100. For utility, just has to work, and be Li-ion chargeable - £15 for a set, front and rear.

[TPMB12]

I try to spend wisely to get what I need. One bike for all my riding and I kit it out to be able to do it all. The only things I change are tyres to try and suit the days ride.

My query on here was really to see if I'm alone in buying something then afterwards finding the gloss of new kit has gone because you worry that you shouldn't have spent the extra to get that slightly better kit than the cheaper kit that is more than suitable for your needs.

Kind of buying a tool that does the job and looks good over the cheaper tool that does the job without needing to look good because that's superfluous to function.

I bought a £650 bike but I could easily have bought a £450 bike and not known about the difference. TBH that bike hasn't given me any better function than the cheaper bike but it had better groupset so I got sucked in.

This feeling of wasting money does go away but it spoils kit purchases for me.

I bet I'm alone in this feeling of wasting money.

[Polar Bear]

...

I bet I'm alone in this feeling of wasting money.

Nope.  I hate wasting money on something that simply doesn't do the job or is nowhere near as good as it's manufacturers and purveyors purported it to be.

[Samuel D]

I spent a lot on a Rapha Pro Team Training jacket and found it to be good (but let’s see how long it lasts).

For bib shorts/tights I haven’t yet risked paying more than Decathlon’s high-end stuff (the ones with the blue chamois/padding). Those are the cheapest ones that fit properly and have been comfortable on long rides. I’m curious if paying more improves anything, as it did below this price (about €70), but even this price feels like a rip-off because:

The problem with cycling kit is that it all looks and feels so cheap, with artificial materials, garish colours, and prominent logos. The items must cost a pittance to manufacture. So it’s easy to feel like you’re being ripped off, which indeed you probably are if you think things should be priced at a small margin over their cost.

Bicycles are different because they can last indefinitely. You can get a truly excellent one for about a grand, beyond which price the improvements are largely illusory. A thousand currency units is not a lot of money spread over a long period of use.

I never regret spending money on durable things that I use. It is the things that don’t last, no matter how cheap, and the things I don’t use because they’re no good in some way that cause regret.

[jsabine]

I never regret spending money on durable things that I use. It is the things that don’t last, no matter how cheap, and the things I don’t use because they’re no good in some way that cause regret.

There's a marketing slogan for $omething (can't remember what) along the lines of 'quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten,' and I tend to agree - good stuff that gets used is worth it, almost irrespective of price, as long as you can afford it in the first place.

Mind you, I've got form for buying and using good secondhand kit, which allows me a level of quality and function I might not otherwise afford.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

In recent years I have been very mean and bought as little as possible due to other expenses.

I've just broken out and spent £95 on Italian cycling shoes .  I having been using Lidl's for quite a while - they never seem to wear out but are a bit noisy and heavy. 

I have jerseys from way back, some beautifully faded by the sun of faraway lands! 

Like Lidl shoes, some of the cheap shorts I've bought in France are much better value than products I have bought in the UK. 

[Brucey]

....I bought a £650 bike but I could easily have bought a £450 bike and not known about the difference. TBH that bike hasn't given me any better function than the cheaper bike but it had better groupset so I got sucked in.

This feeling of wasting money does go away but it spoils kit purchases for me.

I bet I'm alone in this feeling of wasting money.

time was when buying a 'better groupset' would buy better function (for longer) and better durability. Cheap hubs were not sealed properly, cheap rear mechs etc just wore out faster than better ones, even if they worked OK when they were new. These days it isn't quite as clear-cut;  get a 'better groupset' and you will get more sprockets at the back, and the lifetime of many of the parts might be the same (or less) than with a cheaper groupset, which tolerates additional wear in various parts (the rear mech, say) before the shifting goes bad.

There is also the matter of consumables cost; keeping a 3x8 system in chains and sprockets is going to cost you a tiny fraction vs similar parts for a 2x11 system. 
So the thinking man's 'good value choice' is maybe slightly different to almost any standard specification that might be used on a complete bike. Bung an (obsolete, how much longer will we be able to buy them I wonder...) XT 9s mech into an 8 or 9s setup and (given occasional tlc) it will last for a very long time, where by contrast the pulleys and pivots in a cheaper mech will go baggy several times over in the same mileage.

cheers

[TPMB12]

...

I bet I'm alone in this feeling of wasting money.

Nope.  I hate wasting money on something that simply doesn't do the job or is nowhere near as good as it's manufacturers and purveyors purported it to be.

What I'm taking about is the feeling of wasting money to get the kit one step up from what does the job well and lasts. Say a voodoo marassa does the job but say I get something £300 more. Both bikes work well but the feeling is I've not got £300 value out of the better bike so I've wasted money. I've not wasted money and a few months down the line the quality calms the doubts.

It's true that quality is remembered long after the price. Well, not quite but the price loses importance a few months into a happy ownership.

I guess I'm just plain tighter than a duck's...

[Paul H]

All my kit that gets used has been good value, regardless of what it cost.  The stuff I consider a waste of money is what's been bought and not used, though the longer I've cycled the better I've become at getting that right.  I probably spend less on top brand clothing than some I know do in Aldi.  I like to start with working out what I want/need then how to pay for it, rather than have the budget come first and start compromising.  I like a bargain as much as anyone, but my well planned buys have all proved to be better value.
I'm coming up to the 20th anniversary of deciding i didn't need a car Anytime I hesitate over the price of something I'd like, I remind myself of how much that decision has saved me.

[hubner]

I reckon it's brake blocks and tyres.

£10-25 for 4 bits of moulded rubber?! A lot of the tyre companies have moved production to lower cost countries and they still go way up in price.

Both wear out relatively quickly, and tyres can be damaged beyond repair in normal use. Brake blocks are worn out when only half of it is worn away!

At least with expensive components, they will last a long time, the rear mech on my bike is nearly 40 years old and it's still working.

[vorsprung]

I reckon it's brakes blocks and tyres.

£10-25 for 4 bits of moulded rubber?! A lot of the tyre companies have moved production to lower cost countries and they still go way up in price.

Both wear out relatively quickly, and tyres can be damaged beyond repair in normal use. Brake blocks are worn out when only half of it is worn away!

At least with expensive components, they will last a long time, the rear mech on my bike is nearly 40 years old and it's still working.

A little story

A few years ago I was commuting from Vorsprung towers to Taunton.  30 mile round trip over the Blackdowns.  Fabulous

One day I noticed some tyres, racing tyres, on Ribble for a cheap price in a colour that matched my bike.  I invested £32 (this was a few years ago) and my bike looked bling.  And the tyres were *fast*

After only a few days, one of the tyres hit a large sharp and I am sad to say that was the end of the tyre.  It was a big rip.  Anyway, the cost of the park and ride + the cost of petrol was about £8 a day if I didn't bike.  So the £16 on the tyre was actually cheaper than driving even over that far too small time frame

Maybe many bike parts are overpriced but the question is overpriced compared with what...?