Why can mountain biking never, ever be cheap??????

Steve_F

Looking around the various parts of bikes in my flat I decided I had pretty much everything I need to build up a long travel hardtail out of parts (except the hardtail).

Saracen Zen 631 frame found on eBay at a good price. Perfect, cheap build coming together.

£350 later (including the frame) I'm now waiting on A LOT of new gear landing on the doorstep with very few parts of spare stuff being used and still lying around my flat!!

Biking should really come with a health warning 'Caution, biking can be seriously hazardous to your wallet'.

How does it keep happening?

supersonic

SHould always check compatibilty lol ;-)

Steve_F

Worst thing is a lot of my stuff was compatible.

Thought process went - I could use that wheel, but it needs a few spokes replaces - ooooh that one on eBay is pretty cheap at £70 and could go on my other bikes, I'll take that. Hmm, no point putting an old cassette on a Hope hub so I'll need a new cassette, SRAM PG990 cassettes are on offer on CRC and if I'm getting that a new chain will be needed and it'll have to be a good one to last a long time along with the cassette (and they've both got a gold colour scheme like the hub).......

GhallTN6

If I hadn't bought my new bike 6 months ago, I would have been able to take the familly to disneyland Florida for two weeks... instead of Cardigan Bay/Wales for a week in the rain tomorrow!!

.blitz

Think most of us have been there & done that.

That's a nice frame only £200 I can use my old wheels and I have a boxful of seatposts, bars, stems...hmm shame to put those old forks on though and I'll need some new brakes while I'm at it...

Steve_F

GhallTN6 wrote:

If I hadn't bought my new bike 6 months ago, I would have been able to take the familly to disneyland Florida for two weeks... instead of Cardigan Bay/Wales for a week in the rain tomorrow!!

Sounds more than worth it - especially if you're getting to take the bike with you!

ride_whenever

.blitz wrote:

Think most of us have been there & done that.

That's a nice frame only £200 I can use my old wheels and I have a boxful of seatposts, bars, stems...hmm shame to put those old forks on though and I'll need some new brakes while I'm at it...

I have, the steel 456 is a hoot as a singlespeed v-braked ride with toras. Hilarious fun for hooning round town like a nutter! Except the only new thing it needed was a new chainring as the old one fouled the chainstay. I am contemplating putting the lefty on it for japes though.

pte1643

Steve_F wrote:

Biking should really come with a health warning 'Caution, biking can be seriously hazardous to your wallet'.

This statement can be said of ANY hobby/pastime.

miss notax

Yup, know that feeling.... :?

I got a nice bargain frame off Ebay (£450) - £1,300 later I had a complete bike :shock: :oops:

MacAndCheese

pte1643 wrote:

Steve_F wrote:

Biking should really come with a health warning 'Caution, biking can be seriously hazardous to your wallet'.

This statement can be said of ANY hobby/pastime.

Agreed, my other hobbies are Photogaraphy and Hi-Fi, and they are just as bad. The problem I find with MTB is I break a lot of stuff, so kit goes from being expensive to being worth nothing very quickly!

mikee1979

I've just spent far too much as well on my old bike. Started with a new crankset then went to rear cassette then I thought why not replace the rear and front mech and shifters and new chain to top it all off! Spent just over £300 which I did'nt really have but my bike is rides like new. Good Times!

carbonfiend

I shudder to think how much cash I have spent, I also collect records and have sold some prize gems to pay for MTB bits.

Steve_F

MacAndCheese wrote:

pte1643 wrote:

Steve_F wrote:

Biking should really come with a health warning 'Caution, biking can be seriously hazardous to your wallet'.

This statement can be said of ANY hobby/pastime.

Agreed, my other hobbies are Photogaraphy and Hi-Fi, and they are just as bad. The problem I find with MTB is I break a lot of stuff, so it goes from being expensive to being worth nothing very quickly!

Seems to be a lot more expensive than others I'm into. I play golf as well and don't find the need to have any more than one set of golf clubs.

Suppose it's all about the level of getting into a hobby but biking seems to me to be a bit worse than the others.

For instance, not many sports I can think of where you need so many different similar bits of kit - my current line up (all used) - road bike, xc based full sus, longer travel full sus, long travel hardtail (still in build), downhill bike. I seem to have a different justification for each one and for the three different categories (xc/road/downhill) I have different cycling gear. Justification is already in place should it be required for a dirt jump bike and a unicycle!

biff55

its still a good deal when i consider the crack and hookers i'd be spending it on instead.

P-Jay

It's true, but that's just people, well Men more so, I'd say for you.

We could all go into the LBS or trawl eBay and spend £300 on a serviceable bike, get a lid for £15 with the right CE sticker and spend years riding it around gentle trails happy as larry, servicing it and replacing stuff with cheap-n-chearful stuff as it breaks and it would be a one of the cheapest hobbies in the UK

But we can't help but spending money on things we love do.

It's the same with Golf, Fishing, Surfing, Skating etc etc etc etc etc.