Tyres £40+ rant content

The Big Cheese

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Schwalbe-26-x-2-1 ... 1e58f930af

These are what I buy, if you look around (specially on the bay) good deals can be had, thats a good price for a RR tyre.... it's like anything; I NEVER pay full price for stuff (and it's all top of the line gear here)

For instance, I didn't pay the £60~ asking price for a KMC X10 Sl goldTi chain, sod that, I bought it for £34 from Taiwan (again, the bay, and considering most MTB stuff is made there anyway...)

You just need to shop around matey

Torres

Just got two michelin country mud tyres, with two free tubes from crc for 16quid the pair.
I haven't had time to test them yet, but i'll let you know how i get on at the weekend, they are pretty weighty though.

butcher of bakersfield

Unfortuanately it all comes down to what people are willing to pay. And a quick flick through the buying section would give you a good idea of what people are willing to pay. I wonder what the production costs are for an Orange frame in comparison to a Handsome Dog?

It's a shame sometimes, new product is plugged so much in the mags, and there's plenty of people who can afford, but just as many that can't. Most people on here would recommend putting out a 1k budget for a full susser, which is alright for some, but if you're a 14 year old kid with a few quid pocket money, unless you have reasonably wealthy parents, it's not an option until you leave school and get a job.

It's as much about buying this stuff for some people, as it is about riding it.

Surf-Matt

bails87 wrote:

And I'm sure there are £40 tyres that are much better than the Sauserwinds for some people.

mkf
What is the %age mark-up? I'd be interested to know how it breaks down between manufacturers, distributors and shops.

Most things get expensive once you're an 'enthusiast'. People in the past have mentioned quality hi-fis, fishing, R/C kit, kayaking. All things that are expensive, it's specialist kit, and to get the good stuff you have to pay for it. But if you don't want to pay, there are cheaper options.

Apart from in surfing. The better you get, the smaller the board and the cheaper it gets.

I get custom made boards for just over £300. A good longboard is £500. Cool 8)

Briggo

You cant compare bicycle tyres to car tyres in terms of cost, look at how many car tyres are sold in comparison to bike tyres. The sheer volume of car tyres sold allows the prices to be kept low (lots sold even at low cost = lots of profit), along with a high amount of competition.

However bicycle tyres arnt sold in as great volumes so to get a decent profitable return the price has to be higher % wise.

bails87

Surf-Matt wrote:

bails87 wrote:

And I'm sure there are £40 tyres that are much better than the Sauserwinds for some people.

mkf
What is the %age mark-up? I'd be interested to know how it breaks down between manufacturers, distributors and shops.

Most things get expensive once you're an 'enthusiast'. People in the past have mentioned quality hi-fis, fishing, R/C kit, kayaking. All things that are expensive, it's specialist kit, and to get the good stuff you have to pay for it. But if you don't want to pay, there are cheaper options.

Apart from in surfing. The better you get, the smaller the board and the cheaper it gets.

I get custom made boards for just over £300. A good longboard is £500. Cool 8)

But people think that £500 is expensive for a bike. As a complete outsider to surfing I could say that £300 for a plank of wood or £500 for a bigger plank of wood (I'm sure they're not made from wood, but you see my point) is expensive.

Requiring a £500 piece of kit to get started in a sport is a big outlay for a beginner who might not like it, or a casual user.

*AL*

mkf wrote:

Take a step back man, look at your ride, 2k for a bike come on

One of my ex-colleagues will happily sink £70-£80 in the pub on a Friday evening session, week in, week out.

That's double a 2K bike and all he has to show for it is a 2 year driving ban and a divorce !

colintrav

RichMTB wrote:

Seriously...

Who in there right mind is spending £40+ on a tyre.

Some of the prices for newer models really extract the urine. £45 for Conti Rubber Queen £40 for Schwalbe Nobby Nics

Are these tyres really that much better than High Rollers, Nevegals, Cinders that can be had for £25.

I can understand UST or studded Ice tyres costing more but £45 for a standard folding tyre is mental

The bottom line is people are willing to pay that amount just like people are willing to spend silly amounts on designer label with most things your paying for the name not the longelivity of the item you bought ..

Tostaryman

This entire thread could be summed up in three (four) words: supply and demand (innit)!

supersonic

To a point, it is well worth spending more than less on tyres. Some silly sods will happily spend 60 quid on a new stem that feels no different and is no lighter. Kevlar beaded tyres is an instant and cheap reduction in rotating weight. And your only contact with the floor.

This is the area to spend money.

butcher of bakersfield

*AL* wrote:

One of my ex-colleagues will happily sink £70-£80 in the pub on a Friday evening session, week in, week out.

That's double a 2K bike and all he has to show for it is a 2 year driving ban and a divorce !

potd

Briggo

Tostaryman wrote:

This entire thread could be summed up in three (four) words: supply and demand (innit)!

Correct, well done.

Andy B

If you thought £40 a pop for a tyre was a bit pricey...

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/116526.html

£129.99 RRP :shock:

weeksy59

strange specs...

it's 285g..... no.... 310g

Product Details
• Fast rolling ramped knobs – front or rear
• 285g
• Race use only
• Tyre Size: 26x2.0
• TPI:170
• Max PSI:65
• Weight:310g

The Big Cheese

Again, ridiculous unless you are a sponsored racer, where they can cut seconds off your time etc, but for the rest of us... meh????? :shock:

pastey_boy

them maxxis tyres are just glorified innertubes with knobs on. i tried fast freds once very light but go over anything sharper than ant and its puncture time. for me specialized 2bliss conntrol tyres have to be the biggest bargain around at the mo. they cost between £20-£25 are tubeless ready, light and they last ok . the 2.3 eskars im running at the moment are great for general trail riding and work with stans fine, they inflated straight away without needing soapy water or a compressor. schwalbe and hutchinson seem very over priced

guilliano

I'll stick to my Maxxis High Roller XC's for everything I think. They grip well, they roll pretty well (although not as fast as Conti Speed Kings) and they were cheap at well under £30 a pair.

silveringsurfer

I've just binned a Specialized Eskar after an awful day riding it in the wet - no traction at all :shock: and ended up falling off on wet grass when a mate on summer tyres rolled merrily past laughing. Not all budget tyres are good even if they are dual compound etc. I do think £45 a tyre is too much though and I'm going to stick to my Kendas Nevagals and SB8. 8)

pastey_boy

silveringsurfer wrote:

I've just binned a Specialized Eskar after an awful day riding it in the wet - no traction at all :shock: and ended up falling off on wet grass when a mate on summer tyres rolled merrily past laughing. Not all budget tyres are good even if they are dual compound etc. I do think £45 a tyre is too much though and I'm going to stick to my Kendas Nevagals and SB8. 8)

i find the eskars very good in the wet . i was out on sun cycling around rivington pike, lots of wet rocks, roots and mud and they didnt put a foot wrong, i was usng them tubeless 30psi. im quite heavy though so probably get more traction out of them

mikeage

The thing is, there will always be a market for more expensive things that won't offer much benefit for most. If you can afford it, or actually need the benefit of the lightest weight components then you will be prepared to pay the cost.

For the vast majority though, there is plenty of mid-range parts that are functional, reasonable weight and fairly tough. I have LX mech and XT shifter, it works, has worked for ages and hasn't slowed me down with the weight penalty, I couldn't justify the cost of XTR when all I'd benefit was when I looked down at it, and also if it breaks in a crash/rock incident it isn't gonna bankrupt me!

Same with tyres, plenty of decent offerings from Maxxis, Continental, WTB, Panaracer etc etc in the £15-£25 range that I have no reason to bemoan the price of more expensive tyres.