Anyone else hate how expensive Mountain Biking is?

Monty Dog

If you want to keep it cheap, ride a rigid singlespeed - I've managed over 25 years without suspension and no plans to start (unless you count 5" fatbike tyres @ 3psi as suspension?)

dirkpitt74

Okarnill wrote:

Thank you BloggingFit - once I find a shop that stocks them and has one I can try.. budget is painful atm so I'm doing as much research as I can so when I can afford it I can go directly to the one I want.

a lot of local shops don't stock smaller sizes much either it seems.

Have a look here:

http://www.test-ride.co.uk

Stevo_666

My last big hobby before I rediscovered bikes was track days. I'm bloody glad I now have such a cheap hobby. Almost pays for itself now with the savings on travelcards wham I ride to work.

scoi

If you are a teenager and really into mountain biking, it can be hard as no matter what pocket money saving and car washing (do kids still do this?) you do, the average kid won't be able to afford a decent full suss without a massive parental contribution.

Fortunately for most grown ups there are a number of things to help and the savings may make it pay compared to driving everywhere and cancelling the gym membership.

I bought a sale hardtail 4-5 years ago, never been in the lbs, regular lube and chain cleaning and never even had a puncture. Started with a lid and mini pump. Any sports clothing was fine, used a rucksack for carrying stuff. Inevitably, i've now bought more accessories and bike specific clothes than the bike is worth but they're luxuries and will last many new bikes.

mpatts

I built my 'frankenbike' onone inbred hardtail from singletrack classified items 10 years ago, and put it together myself. Still got it.

bigmitch41

Nope, coming from Motorcycle roadracing its cheap as chips!

Cody

You don't need an expensive bike, but if that's what quality costs according to some users on this forum, then you got to pay it, IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT. Basically what you're paying for is the frame, the name and the components but the build quality is dependant on where you purchase it from. And of course the gear adds up too. A couple of year back I left college and bought a bike after about 5 years of not riding a bike, I just couldn't afford it as I was jobless during that time, but I was occupied with full time voluntary work. It was a Carrera Fury (2009-11 white model) for around £430 in the sale down from £650, they knocked £10 off because of a small rip in the seat and there were some scratches to the frame but in places where it was hardly noticeable and it was a display model which can set you back quite a bargain if you negotiate. I was living alone at the time so I rode it quite a lot for 6 months before packing it in, but in that 6 months I lost tremendous amount of weight.

What I'm trying to say is, you don't need an expensive bike. If you're going to use it, then buy something basic to start off with and if you have a few pennys saved up, buy something newer and a little better than the previous. Now I'm just being stupid so, I've just bought a Boardman Comp for £630 including a years worth of service and, only ridden it 3 weeks, bought in August 2014. It's been sitting in the garage ever since in new condition. Worth a lot to the right person on eBay or Gumtree but otherwise I plan on keeping it as Spring is almost here and I promise myself that I will ride as much as I can.

A lot of users on this forum have advised me that I shouldn't have spent £600+ if I wasn't going to ride it. You'll be wasting money, time and effort if you do the same. But then again everyones different, some people ride in Spring/Summer and then ride indoors in Autumn and Winter. Theres a lot of enthusiasts on here who can give you lots of good advice. Sometimes whatever advice they give you, it's down to you to act on it and make the commitment. Now one can really tell you how, you just got to plan and ride. If you're working, then it's harder as in winter the days are short and riding at night isin't really a pleasure to some.

I've got basic gear for cycling. I bought a Karrimor yellow high visibility jacket for £8.00 from SportsDirect and also a Yellow high visibility t-shirt for around £10.00 from the same place. I use Russell Athletic plain jogging bottoms which I bought for £10 and a long sleeve vest for cold days. Overtime when you get used to riding you'll maybe want to buy more clothing to keep as spare so just bear that in mind.

My first bike was £30, it was a Rascal Emmelle. Then when I was 10 My dad got me a Townsend for £50, brand new it were, from my dads friend. Then I just bought 2nd hand bikes from car boot and did em up myself, solid bikes they were bak in the days. Just that now I have a job which pays, I have some savings which I bought a bike with.

Rad2474

Angus Young wrote:

No. I wish it were more expensive. It would keep the riffraff off the trails.

And if you think mountain biking is expensive, try scuba diving.

And a while back, over a three year period, I spent 75K as a member of a supercar club. Mountain biking is loose change compared to that.

Snob!! and that's being polite, maybe you should be a politician.

Angus Young

Rad2474 wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

No. I wish it were more expensive. It would keep the riffraff off the trails.

And if you think mountain biking is expensive, try scuba diving.

And a while back, over a three year period, I spent 75K as a member of a supercar club. Mountain biking is loose change compared to that.

Snob!! and that's being polite, maybe you should be a politician.

Err... it was joke.

The Rookie

Besides it's not riff-raff that needs keeping off the trails, it's idiots, many of whom presumably can afford the overpriced Orange 5 they are atop!

Man Of Lard

The Rookie wrote:

...it's idiots, many of whom presumably can afford the overpriced Orange 5 they are atop!

Or have put it on tick because they just can't wait to save up and actually buy it outright... but making it even more overpriced due to the credit charges

Rad2474

Angus Young wrote:

Rad2474 wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

No. I wish it were more expensive. It would keep the riffraff off the trails.

And if you think mountain biking is expensive, try scuba diving.

And a while back, over a three year period, I spent 75K as a member of a supercar club. Mountain biking is loose change compared to that.

Snob!! and that's being polite, maybe you should be a politician.

Err... it was joke.

Then i apologise, i thought you were being serious.

rockmonkeysc

Man Of Lard wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

...it's idiots, many of whom presumably can afford the overpriced Orange 5 they are atop!

Or have put it on tick because they just can't wait to save up and actually buy it outright... but making it even more overpriced due to the credit charges

Do people still pay interest on credit? Do they not know about interest free credit cards?

Angus Young

Rad2474 wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

Rad2474 wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

No. I wish it were more expensive. It would keep the riffraff off the trails.

And if you think mountain biking is expensive, try scuba diving.

And a while back, over a three year period, I spent 75K as a member of a supercar club. Mountain biking is loose change compared to that.

Snob!! and that's being polite, maybe you should be a politician.

Err... it was joke.

Then i apologise, i thought you were being serious.

No problem. I'm riffraff myself.

Man Of Lard

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Do people still pay interest on credit? Do they not know about interest free credit cards?

Judging by the number of people in the country with absurd (and growing) levels of personal debt, there are too many people who are fiscally illiterate...

poah

Rad2474 wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

Rad2474 wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

No. I wish it were more expensive. It would keep the riffraff off the trails.

And if you think mountain biking is expensive, try scuba diving.

And a while back, over a three year period, I spent 75K as a member of a supercar club. Mountain biking is loose change compared to that.

Snob!! and that's being polite, maybe you should be a politician.

Err... it was joke.

Then i apologise, i thought you were being serious.

being rich doesn't mean you are a snob either

Beardface

It's the same as most hobbies, it's as expensive as you want it to be. I love that there are some super expensive bikes, components and products out there, it helps to have something to aspire to.

I love my bike, but hell, if I had a spare £5k I'd buy something top end. For now, it's a 'one day that'll be mine' kinda thing.. it gives me motivation to keep going and get good enough to justify owning that kind of bike (I don't want to be totally all gear, no idea! ).

Out on the trails, I've chatted to people on the latest £5k+ bikes and I've chatted to people with <£500 bikes and don't differentiate. If they're having fun and are up for a bit of a chat/banter, then it's all good no matter what level or price point you come in at.

It's what you make of it, with the means you have available.

Tigger con carne

It CAN be expensive but it depends on what you want to do. The thing is, as many have said, it's all about the riding which you can do on any bike.

The amount of bike you can get for your money now is way better that before too. I got my first mountain bike with actual mountain biking in mind in 93, a Raleigh Ravine (I'd had a Specialized Hard Rock before that which got nicked and it was researching the replacement that I got interested in MTBing). It cost £400, fully rigid, cromoly frame, cantilever brakes (ask your parents), 3x7 gears (ask your parents). That equates to £722 today (used this site, pretty cool or frightening, depending on your POV). Of course, onceI started riding properly I wanted to add stuff. Bar ends (ask your older brother), a Crud Catcher and Crud Claw (ask your.. Actually, no, just look it up on Google. I bought it because it was cool), pedals, wheels, tyres. My current bike is a Specialized Rockhopper which was another insurance replacement for a Cycle To Work Cannondale which cost about £7-800, so effectively the same as my old Raleigh. This had disc brakes, suspension fork, aluminium frame, 3x9. Overall a better bike but no less fun to ride.

Kit is way cheaper too. Aldi, Lidl, the internet mean you can get some really good stuff for not a lot of cash. No subs, no court/field hire. Once you shell out for a bike, that's all you need. It won't stop there, of course. You will want better kit, better pedals, a new saddle to make your bike fit better. Oh, and you'll think you could do better with different tyres and, while you're at it, a lighter set of wheels would make you faster...

rockmonkeysc

I want to spend £10k on a carbon Devinci Wilson with a dream build

booldawg

it can be as expensive as you want it to be!

P-Jay

Can't say I agree, most hobbies cost money - even going for a walk can cost a small fortune if you really get into it.

If you haven't got £600 for a HT, eBay is full of cheaper options - my Wife's bike cost £125, 2 tyres, a couple of cables and a good wash and she loves it. Her Helmet cost £15 and her gloves £10 in a CRC sale.

There's no reason why she couldn't still be riding it 10 years from now with a bit of effort - there's guys riding bikes from the 90's every weekend.

Petrol money is a fact of life, what is unique though is that the venue is free, you can roll over hills and dales for nothing, or go to a trail centre - it'll cost somewhere between £1 and £3 a day to park usually - the trial that whoever spent thousands and thousands to build the trail and maintain is free.

No one had to drop £6k on a new Carbon Nomad, or £150 on a POC helmet or even £120 on a pair of 5.10s, it's all entirely optional.

Angus Young

P-Jay wrote:

or even £120 on a pair of 5.10s, it's all entirely optional.

That does, to an extent, make the OP's point, though. There was a time when the best thing you could wear on your feet while riding a bike was a £25 pair of trainers. Now there are all sorts of spangly, tempting choices for a hundred pounds, and more, if you have money to burn. Sure, you can still do it on the (relatively) cheap, but temptation abounds.